Penn State Intercom......April 3, 2003

University goes 4-for-4 in
awarding of Goldwater Scholarships

All four of the undergraduate students nominated by the University won The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program awards.

The winning students, all from University Park, their majors and career goals are:

* Lee C. Bassett, physics. Career goal: doctorate in high energy physics; conduct research to increase the understanding of the universe and teach in an academic setting.

* Jennifer C. Erhart, mechanical engineering. Career goal: doctorate in mechanical engineering/bioengineering; enhance the lives of others through research and design, teach at the university level and direct a research group at a major university or National Institutes of Health.

* Michelle Kinder, biochemistry and molecular biology. Career goal: medical degree/doctorate in pediatric oncology; conduct research to find innovative ways of treating cancer using immunological applications such as tumor vaccines and targeted drug therapy.

* Katherine E. Weaver, engineering science. Career goal: doctorate in engineering science; pursue technical research and advanced product development with the long-term goal of becoming a chief technical officer in a technology-based environment.

The scholarship program honoring Sen. Barry M. Goldwater was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering. The Goldwater Scholarship is the premier undergraduate award of its type in these fields.

Goldwater Scholars have very impressive academic qualifications that have garnered the attention of prestigious post-graduate fellowship programs. Recent Goldwater Scholars have been awarded 50 Rhodes Scholarships (six of the 32 awarded in the United States in 2003), 55 Marshall Awards (eight of the 40 awarded in the United States in 2003) and numerous other distinguished fellowships.

The Goldwater Scholars were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,093 mathematics, science and engineering students who were nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities nationwide. There are 161 male scholars; 139 are women; and virtually all intend to obtain a doctorate as their degree objective.

The one- and two-year scholarships will cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year.

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