LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A University of Louisville student has been awarded an international science, technology, engineering and mathematics fellowship. Afi Tagnedji, a University of Louisville senior majoring in biochemetry will join the inaugural class of the Quad Fellowship.

The fellowship, which focuses on building a network of the next generation of scientists and technologists, announced its first cohort of 100 students from the U.S., Japan, Australia and India. She is one of 25 who won in the U.S. and the only fellow from a Kentucky university.

The fellowship is aimed at creating an international network of science and technology experts who will work together within and among their countries for the greater good.

Tagnedji is a native of Togo in west Africa and a graduate of Iroquois High School in Louisville. At UofL, she is a recipient of the Martin Luther King and Woodford Porter Scholarships for undergraduates, and also won a Barry Goldawater Scholarship for college juniors.

The award will help her in her pursuit of graduate studies in genetics and pharmacology. “I have long been interested in pharmacogenetics, a field of research that studies how a person’s genes affect how they repond to medications, and hope to mitigate cancer health disparities with precision medicine and diagnostics,” she said. “I thank my friends, family and mentors for their continued support.”

The senior is a student leader who has been active in UofL’s Student Government Association. “Afi is one of the best and brightest at the University of Louisville,” said Interim President Lori Stewart. “She is on the road to becoming an international researcher and leader who will serve as a positive force on the world stage.”

The Quad Fellowship is a one-time award of $50,000 to use for tuition, research, fees, books, room and board, and related academic expenses. The fellowships also include exclusive programming opportunities and fellows are eligible for another $25,000 based on need.