University of Notre Dame alumnus Quinton Hayre will pursue a master’s degree in epidemiology at Harvard University as one of 50 members of the second-ever group of Quad Fellows. The Seattle native is Notre Dame’s first Quad Fellow. Alumnus Drew Langford, a 2024 Hertz Scholar, was a finalist for the award in 2023.

Established in 2021, the Quad Fellowship sponsors students from the four Quad countries (U.S., Australia, India and Japan), plus the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to pursue master’s and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the U.S. with the aim of strengthening ties between scientists and technologists.

Each Quad Fellow receives a $40,000 stipend to be used for academic expenses. They also have the opportunity to network and engage in programming with accomplished minds in STEM, government and society. Upon graduation, senior fellows join a growing alumni network dedicated to advancing innovation and research for positive impact.

Members of this year’s cohort — just the second since the program was established — represent 41 distinct areas of specialization across 16 fields of study at 22 institutes of higher education. They hail from 12 countries.

Hayre is a 2023 Notre Dame graduate in science pre-professional studies and global affairs, with a concentration in international development studies and a minor in real estate. As a Luce Scholar, he spent the past year designing and analyzing wastewater pathogen surveillance programs in Thailand with the Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Diseases Clinical Center.

Professionally, he aspires to mitigate disease emergence among vulnerable populations.

“I am honored to be named a 2024 Quad Fellow. Having access to the incredible Quad Fellowship cohort and network will certainly lead to many fruitful collaborations as I progress in my career as an epidemiologist,” Hayre said. “I am grateful to my Notre Dame faculty recommenders, Dr. Neil Lobo and Dr. Ellis Adams, and to the Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement (CUSE) for their support.”

Hayre worked closely with CUSE throughout the application process.

“Congratulations to Quinton for being named a 2024 Quad Fellow,” said Emily Hunt, assistant director of scholarly development at CUSE. “We enjoy when alumni choose to return to CUSE for assistance in the application process for opportunities that will help them achieve their goals.”

The Quad Fellowship is an initiative of the governments of Australia, India, Japan and the United States. It is the first multinational scholarship and educational fellowship program specifically supporting students in STEM. The Quad Fellowship is administered by the Institute of International Education, a global not-for-profit that manages many of the world’s most prestigious scholarship and fellowship programs.

For more on this and other scholarship opportunities, visit cuse.nd.edu.

Originally published by Erin Blasko at news.nd.edu on August 06, 2024.