BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Edward Chen ’25 of the United States Military Academy (USMA) men’s water polo team was awarded a 2025 Hertz Fellowship by the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation. Chen is one of 19 fellows selected this year and is the first USMA recipient since 2011.
A chemical engineering major with an engineering management minor from Madison, Wisconsin, his research focuses on optimizing energy storage devices and installation energy resilience for the Army. Chen’s proudest research experience consists of starting a research team at West Point to investigate membranes for flow battery systems. He has also interned at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to study Iron/Iron redox flow batteries and the Pentagon to review Department of Defense technology for energy resilience. As a cadet, he was the 1st Regiment Command Sergeant Major and competed on the Army Water Polo Team.
During his four-year tenure on the water polo team, he led Army to three New York Division Championships (2022, 2023, 2024) and a runner-up finish (2021), while the squad tied for 13th (2024) and 15th (2022, 2023) at the final Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship.
“I am incredibly honored to be selected as a Hertz Fellow and be a part of a community filled with innovators that have made lasting impacts on our nation. I am also proud to represent the Chemistry and Life Science Department, West Point, and the Army within this community of innovators to drive changes that will support our national security and defense,” noted Chen.
He was commissioned as an Engineer Officer on May 24 and plans to pursue a Master of Science and Doctorate in Chemical Engineering at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He will continue his research in electrochemical systems with a focus on modeling to drive improvement in energy storage technologies.
“Receiving the Hertz Fellowship is such an amazing privilege as I am able to pursue unparalleled research opportunities through my service. Finally, I would like to thank my mentors, research advisors, and my family for their unwavering support throughout my time as a cadet.”
About the Hertz Fellowship
Since 1963, the Hertz Foundation has awarded more than 1,300 doctoral fellowships with the goal of supporting the early-stage research endeavors of the nation’s most promising innovators in science and technology. Hertz Fellows receive funding for up to five years of graduate study, culminating in a PhD, to pursue research that best advances our nation’s security and leads to life-changing innovations. Hertz Fellows are selected from a broad applicant pool based on a written application, as well as two rigorous technical interviews. Learn more about the scholarship by CLICKING HERE.
