Two Students Named 2011 Goldwater Scholars

Aisha Mahmoud

William Lewis

Ali McAtee

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William Lewis and Aisha Mahmoud

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Two University of Arkansas students have been named 2011 Goldwater Scholars, an award for top students in mathematics, science and engineering, and a third student was named an honorable mention. William Lewis of Little Rock and Aisha Mahmoud of Puerto Rico are among 275 students in the nation to be named Goldwater Scholars. They will each receive a $7,500 award. Ali McAtee, from Lonsdale, a chemical engineering student, received an honorable mention from the Barry Goldwater Scholarship Foundation. Lewis is a junior who is double majoring in both physics and mathematics in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. He is an Arkansas Governor’s Distinguished Scholar and a Chancellor’s Scholar and also received a SURF grant this spring. His research mentor is physics professor Reeta Vyas, and his research focus is theoretical laser physics.

Mahmoud, a junior majoring in physics and Spanish in the Fulbright College, is also a S-STEM Physics Scholar and a recipient of the Wakefield Endowment Fund Scholarship. Her research mentor is physics professor Julia Kennefick, and her focus is astrophysics.

McAtee, a junior in the College of Engineering, is an Honors College Fellow and an Arkansas Governor’s Distinguished Scholar. Working with her research mentor, Jamie Hestekin, a chemical engineering professor, McAtee conducts research on alternative biofuels.

All three students are members of the Honors College.

This is 16th consecutive year that a University of Arkansas student has been named as a Goldwater Scholar, bringing the total number of the University of Arkansas Goldwater Scholars to 45.

<“We are very proud of our record with the Barry Goldwater Scholarship Foundation,” said Chancellor G. David Gearhart. “It points to the quality of preparation that our students are receiving and to the dedicated support that faculty provide. But talented, energetic students make it happen, and we are very fortunate to have such great students on our campus. I am very proud of William, Aisha and Ali and what they have accomplished throughout their time at the University of Arkansas, culminating in this very special award. I have no doubt that this recognition is just the beginning of the important contributions they will make in their fields.”

Lewis plans to pursue a career in atomic, molecular and optical physics. He wants to be a faculty member himself and one day mentor students conducting research.

“Working with Dr. Vyas on undergraduate research has been both exciting and invaluable,” said Lewis. “Among other things, participation in regional and international conferences as well as the great honor of receiving the Goldwater Scholarship are all experiences that will help shape my career as a research scientist.One day I hope to provide my students with the same level of support.”

“Undergraduate teaching is a priority in Fulbright College,” said Bill Schwab, dean of the Fulbright College. “That commitment helps make our students competitive for this kind of national recognition. The physics department is a great example of faculty coming together as a team to provide special opportunities for students. Combining outstanding, committed faculty with students who are as bright as any in the country creates an environment where great things are going to happen.”

Mahmoud has participated in a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates at Northern Arizona University, where she conducted the first X-ray analysis of open cluster M35, a group of stars in the constellation Gemini. She also worked at the Remeis Observatory in Bamberg, Germany, with support from the German Academic Exchange Program. She will pursue a doctoral degree in astrophysics and plans to teach and conduct research in a university setting.

“Engaging in research is a truly thrilling experience. The adrenaline that I feel when I am certain I have figured out what the data is telling me is beyond comparison,” says Mahmoud. “When I am stuck on a problem, I am motivated to keep going. Dr. Julia Kennefick’s advising is part of that. I have gained skills and knowledge that aren’t easily learned in the classroom, skills that will become daily tools throughout my career as an astrophysicist. Undergraduate research is a fundamental part of a student’s career, and it is a critical part of the path to graduate school.”

Ali McAtee

“I am pleased but not surprised that Aisha Mahmoud and William Lewis have been selected as Barry Goldwater Scholars and Ali McAtee has been recognized with an honorable mention,” said Bob McMath, dean of the Honors College. “All three students have long been active in undergraduate research and have enjoyed the strong support of faculty mentors Reeta Vyas, Julia Kennefick and Jamie Hestekin. Honors College students continue to make a strong showing in these very competitive awards, which speaks to the rigor of undergraduate research at the University of Arkansas.”

Previous university Goldwater Scholars have gone on to become a Rhodes Scholar, a Marshall Scholar, a Gates Cambridge Scholar, a Fulbright Scholar, and a Udall Scholar; seven became National Science Graduate Fellows. They have pursued doctoral work at prestigious programs including the University of Virginia, University of Michigan, University of California-Berkeley, University of Pennsylvania, Cambridge University, Columbia University, Cornell University, MIT, St. Andrews (Scotland), Oxford, Princeton University, , Stanford University and Washington University.

Goldwater Scholars are selected from a field of more than a thousand mathematics, science and engineering students, who must be nominated by their institution. Each institution puts forward their top four students. The scholars are chosen on the basis of academic merit and research experience. They must have strong support from a research mentor as well.

The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education program was established by Congress in 1986 to honor former Sen. Barry M. Goldwater, and the first scholarships were awarded in 1988. The purpose of the program is to provide a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians and engineers by awarding scholarships to college students who intend to pursue careers in these fields. Universities and colleges may nominate up to four students each year.