FRIB graduate assistants Richard Gumbel and Andy Smith awarded 2025–2026 Chateaubriand Fellowships

Richard Gumbel and Andy Smith, graduate assistants at FRIB, have been awarded 2025–2026 Chateaubriand Fellowships. The fellowship, offered by the Embassy of France in the United States, supports U.S. PhD students who seek to carry out part of their research in France.

Gumbel and Smith will conduct their research in France starting in September.  Gumbel will be at the Laboratory of the Two Infinities - Toulouse (L2iT), and Smith will be at the Laboratory of the Physics of the Two Infinities - Irène Joliot-Curie (IJCLab). Their participation is supported by funding from the French Embassy, France’s National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), and Paris-Saclay University.

Richard Gumbel

In his research, Gumbel uses theoretical and computational tools to study nuclear reactions of superheavy elements. His recent work explores nucleosynthesis and what affects it. 

“During the fellowship, I'll be working on incorporating pairing correlations into time-dependent nuclear models, accounting for nucleons of opposite spins that attract and 'pair' within a nucleus,” Gumbel said. 

Kyle Godbey, research assistant professor at FRIB, is Gumbel’s advisor at FRIB. Godbey cites the impact of the fellowship on Gumbel’s research and professional development.

“Just being awarded the fellowship is a great testament to Richard's capabilities and vision in proposing a competitive research plan, but spending such a long time in another group is also a great way to hone certain soft skills that are vital for the job hunt that comes after graduate school,” Godbey said.

Andy Smith

Smith’s research focuses on improving theoretical nuclear reaction models with uncertainty quantification and using these models to develop effective atomic nuclei interactions.

“I am excited to work with my PhD advisor, who is based in IJCLab, in person as I start research on developing an effective interaction from microscopic predictions,” Smith said. “I am also excited about this chance to form new collaborations with physicists at IJCLab.”

Chloë Hebborn, adjunct assistant professor of physics at FRIB, is Smith’s advisor at FRIB. Hebborn said the research Smith will conduct during his fellowship in France will create impactful results. 

“He will meet and collaborate with scientists from the French community, expanding his network and increasing his visibility,” Hebborn said. “This fellowship will also strengthen the existing collaboration between IJCLab and FRIB.”

The Chateaubriand Fellowship 

The Chateaubriand Fellowship is open to U.S. doctoral students in all fields, with separate tracks for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Biology-Health (STEM) and for Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS). Fellows are chosen through a competitive, merit-based process that includes review by experts in both the U.S. and France. 

This international research experience strengthens cooperation and collaboration between the U.S. and France in science and higher education. The selection of Gumbel and Smith reflects MSU and FRIB’s commitment to supporting graduate-level research that spans national borders and connects scholars across disciplines.

In 2023, CNRS and MSU established the International Research Laboratory on Nuclear Physics and Astrophysics (IRL NPA) at FRIB. ILeveraging FRIB’s world-unique research capabilities, IRL NPA is located at FRIB and dedicated to answering fundamental nuclear physics and astrophysics research questions. IRL NPA is one of the three CNRS laboratories in the U.S. that focus on nuclei and particles.

Michigan State University (MSU) operates the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) as a user facility for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE-SC), with financial support from and furthering the mission of the DOE-SC Office of Nuclear Physics.

The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of today’s most pressing challenges. For more information, visit energy.gov/science.