Tyler Salrin ’25 caps his Kohawk career with National Science Foundation fellowship
Prayer and dedication is a powerful combination for a student, and when you add in a network of knowledgeable, passionate and approachable academic experts, possibilities quickly turn into realities.
Coe College’s newest National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellow, Tyler Salrin ’25, has been able to rely on all three. His unwavering faith and hard work have opened doors to colleagues and opportunities that have allowed him to explore the world of material science and earn some impressive accolades along the way.
Joining the NSF’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program is the latest achievement, which included a Goldwater Scholarship in 2024. The fellowship will cover financial costs for three years of Salrin’s five year graduate study, which he will begin this fall within the material science and engineering graduate program at the University of Illinois after a second summer internship with SpaceX.
“This was something to work toward during my academic career at Coe. When the time came to apply, I was encouraged by mentors, my advisor and peers who believed in my readiness,” Salrin said.
When you understand the breadth and depth of what Salrin has accomplished during his undergraduate years at Coe, it would be hard not to believe he is ready for the fellowship. Salrin’s resume and how he built it is a Kohawk success story.
In high school, Salrin prayed that he would find a college where he could best contribute to the world. While completing a high school research project, Salrin stumbled across the physics program at Coe. The warmth he felt from Coe faculty while seeking assistance led him to enroll and become a physics and chemistry major.
Salrin’s story really blossomed from that point.
While conducting research at Coe, Salrin quickly built competencies in a myriad of research methods, which is common for Kohawks. Coe is one of just a few small colleges hosting a NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program, meaning many students in STEM programs complete research. Salrin took it further, though. With guidance from faculty, Salrin connected with Kohawk Dr. Rebecca Welch ’20 early in his first year on campus. Welch is also a NSF graduate research fellow, and at the time, was conducting graduate research at Penn State University, and she brought Salrin in to assist.
Still in his first year at Coe, Salrin was already learning how to use computational techniques to complete complex research. Salrin assisted Welch and completed other research on campus for three years. He describes the mentorship and experience as “priceless.”
In the summer after his sophomore year, Salrin also researched at Alfred University in New York under the supervision of Coe alum Dr. Collin Wilkinson ’18. He was able to expand his knowledge of machine learning methods, which led to an ultimate opportunity — SpaceX.
Drs. Wilkinson and Welch became aware of an upcoming opportunity at SpaceX for a student, which would require materials science expertise. They wholeheartedly recommended Salrin.
“Imagine my amazement when I received that call … I was in complete disbelief,” Salrin recalled.
The internship went so well, Salrin will return to SpaceX this summer.
In four years, Salrin experienced growth as a student and researcher and will leave his own legacy at Coe. He thanks God, his high school experiences and the Coe faculty for the guidance.
“The professors are easy to reach out to and stretch you out of your comfort zone if you let them, and they encourage interaction with alumni which has been integral to my achievements. The rapport they have with their students and their passion for positively contributing to the longevity of active science research has left an impression upon me I feel will lead me well in my next chapters,” Salrin said.
Coe’s national fellowship advisor, Dr. Amber Shaw, added that Salrin earning a NSF fellowship this year was particularly impressive as the NSF reduced the number of recipients. Typically there are about 12,000 fellowship applications with around 2,000 fellowships awarded annually, while this year's numbers were closer to 10,000 and 1,000. Salrin is Coe’s fifth NSF graduate research fellow in the last five years.
“Through prayer, discipline, great professors, alumni, peers and an amazing high school experience I was able to achieve many successes. I am humbled to be chosen for this and tremendously grateful for their recognition,” Salrin added.