Engineering Student To Compete for Astronaut Scholarship

LAWRENCE — Two outstanding University of Kansas undergraduates are representing KU in the Astronaut Scholarship program.

The six surviving members of the Mercury 7 mission founded the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation in 1984 to encourage students to pursue scientific endeavors to keep the U.S. on the leading edge of technology. Astronauts from the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab and Space Shuttle programs have joined the foundation, which has awarded $10 million in scholarships to more than 850 of the nation’s top scholars.

KU's 2026 nominees:

• Arthur Benson, a junior in chemical engineering with a concentration in data science and minor in music. 
• Gabrielle Bolfing, a junior in astronomy and geology with a concentration in general geology, minoring in astrobiology. 

With the support of the ASF, up to two KU undergraduate students will be selected annually to receive up to a $15,000 scholarship during their junior and/or senior year. Nominations were sought from faculty members in all STEM disciplines — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — for students with exceptional academic records and considerable research experience. A committee coordinated by the Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships selected the university’s candidates for the award. Steven Hawley, KU professor emeritus of physics & astronomy and former astronaut, helped confirm KU’s nominees. 

The winners of the scholarship will be announced in late spring. The Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships will start seeking Astronaut Scholarship nominations for next year in fall 2026.

The ASF board of directors selected KU to join the program based upon the excellence of the university’s STEM academic programs for undergraduates and the strong research capabilities and opportunities for undergraduate students. Admission into the scholarship program is highly competitive, and only the top research universities in the country are chosen to participate.

Arthur Benson

Arthur Benson, from Lawrence, is the son of David and Nadya Benson and a graduate of Lawrence Free State High School. He is majoring in chemical engineering with a concentration in data science and a minor in music. Following graduation, he plans to pursue a doctorate in chemical engineering focused on hybrid energy storage systems. Benson began his research with a project on refrigerant flammability testing under the supervision of KU faculty member Mark Shiflett. He was then selected for a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates at the University of California, Irvine, where he investigated an induction-heated process for sustainable hydrogen production under the guidance of Erdem Sasmaz. Currently, he is conducting molecular modeling of high-energy-density batteries under the mentorship of KU faculty member Yiling Nan. Benson’s research has been featured in two peer-reviewed publications, and he has presented at both regional and national American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) student conferences. He has held several leadership positions at KU, including treasurer of the AIChE student chapter, student liaison for the Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering, honors seminar assistant and president of the chess club. As a member of the Madison and Lila Self Engineering Leadership Fellows Program, he has served as a community service project manager and a co-lead for the High School Design chemical engineering competition. Benson has received multiple academic awards, including designation as a 2026 Barry Goldwater Scholar.

Gabrielle Bolfing

Gabrielle Bolfing, from Eureka, Missouri, is the daughter of Kim and Scott Bolfing and a graduate of Eureka High School. She is dual majoring in astronomy and geology with a minor in astrobiology. She aspires to pursue a doctorate in planetary science with a focus in either atmospheric chemistry or geologic processes and mineralogical deposits. In her time on the Lawrence campus, she is president of KU’s chapter of the Society of Physics Students and is active in the department’s public outreach initiative. She is also an active member of Crossfield ExoLab research group, researching exoplanet atmospheric chemistry, currently on sub-Neptune atmospheric modeling. She has also been an honor roll student since fall 2023 in addition to receiving multiple awards, including the KU Excellence Scholarship and the Ralph C. Lamb, Jack and Lavon Brosseau, Joseph Minton Patterson and Frederick T. Holden scholarships.