Student News
GVSU Alumnus Seth Ockerman awarded NSF graduate research fellowship
June 26, 2025
Seth Ockerman, a 2023 graduate of Grand Valley State University and the College of Computing, has been awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRFP). It is one of the most competitive honors for graduate students in the country. Now pursuing his Ph.D. in Computer Science at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Ockerman is continuing to build on a research journey that began at GVSU and has grown to include national recognition, cutting-edge innovation, and a passion for impact through teaching and mentorship.
At UW–Madison, Ockerman is exploring high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence, with projects ranging from battery life prediction models to a novel, memory-efficient approach to training spatial-temporal graph neural networks (ST-GNNs) with large-scale datasets. His work with ST-GNNs is currently under submission in Supercomputing 2025, a top HPC conference. His current research focuses on optimizing vector databases for HPC, specifically exploring adaptive query routing to enhance system efficiency.
Receiving the NSF GRFP came as a shock to Ockerman, who found out he had been selected in the program’s rare second-wave notification this year. “It felt surreal,” he shared, reflecting on the emotional weight of the moment and the years of work that led to it.
Behind Ockerman’s achievements lies a quiet but steadfast resilience. “One of the skills I’m still working on and is very important is resilience in failure,” he said. “Research can be brutal. You can spend months on something and still hit a dead end. The key is getting back up.”
That resilience was supported in part during his time at GVSU, where he first gained exposure to research, worked as a computer science tutor, and was mentored by faculty who encouraged his curiosity and growth. Ockerman credits the support of professors like Dr. Erin Carrier and the undergraduate research culture at GVSU with giving him the confidence and preparation to thrive in graduate school.
“Working with Seth was an extremely memorable experience. He is one of the most dedicated students I have met; devoted to learning, driven to make meaningful contributions in research, and dedicated to helping others,” stated Carrier. “Watching him grow from a curious, motivated freshman into a published scholar into a nationally recognized graduate student has been incredibly rewarding. I have no doubt he will continue to make impactful contributions to the field and to the lives of others.”
Now, Ockerman is not only focused on expanding the frontiers of computing but also on building community. He recently mentored a middle school student from Vietnam on their first research project and continues to see teaching as a critical part of his future. “I want to be in a role where I can do research, but also teach and help others grow. That’s part of what makes research meaningful to me.”
His advice to GVSU undergraduates considering graduate school? “Find a good advisor. Someone who believes in you and challenges you. Grad school is hard, but with the right guidance and mindset, it can also be deeply rewarding.”
Ockerman’s story is a testament to the power of perseverance, mentorship, and staying grounded in purpose. As he continues his Ph.D. journey, the NSF GRFP stands as both recognition of past promise and an investment in a future where computing and community meet.
Written by Shelby Harrison, director of marketing and communications for the College of Computing at GVSU.