The National Science Foundation has awarded 12 University of Colorado Boulder students with the prestigious graduate research fellowship, which places the university in the top 15 nationwide in terms of number awarded, the federal agency announced last week.

Meg Littrell, an education researcher and evaluator at the CIRES Center for Education, Engagement, and Evaluation (CEEE), studies place-based education, science learning, and transformative experiences. Littrell has a PhD in Cognitive Psychology — and when she was an undergrad, she also studied French Language. She loves to perform with improv comedy teams and says, “every show is a different adventure.” Littrell also sews and enjoys making things for her friends and family. She’s a cat lover, and she grew up in Louisiana in a Cajun family.