Four UA Students Selected As Barry Goldwater Scholars

Dunn

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — All four of the University of Arkansas students who were nominated for a Barry Goldwater Scholarship have claimed one of the prestigious scholarships. This is the fifth consecutive year that University of Arkansas students have claimed new Goldwater Scholarships, and the first time the U of A has had four students in one year named as Goldwater Scholars.

Colf

The University of Arkansas now boasts a total of 24 Goldwater Scholars for the campus since the Goldwater program was established in 1988.

The University has added this year to the prestigious list Ashley Altom, a Chancellor’s Scholar and physics major from Ida; Leremy Colf, a Chancellor’s Scholar and chemistry major from St. George, Utah; Diana Dunn, a Sturgis Fellow majoring in mathematics from Douglasville, Ga.; Matt Lohse, a Sturgis Fellow majoring in chemistry from Fort Smith. All of the four are J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences Honors Scholars.

Lohse

"University of Arkansas students continue to 'break the mold,’" said UA Chancellor John A. White. "To have four students win the prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship is a signal honor for the students, their faculty advisors, and the University.

"This significant accomplishment attests to the quality of students and the mentoring they received from faculty and staff," White said. "We are so very proud of them. Now, the nation knows what we already knew — Ashley, Matt, Leremy and Diana are outstanding students who are doing cutting-edge research in mathematics, chemistry and physics. All four were engaged in research long before the Goldwater application process began.

Altom

"Taking advantage of study-abroad opportunities, Matt studied chemistry at Cambridge and Diana is currently studying in Austria," White said. "All four have participated in National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates. Leremy was part of a research team at the National Institutes of Health, and received a letter of support from them that is rare even in graduate applications. The opportunities provided by the University of Arkansas for students to learn outside the classroom, plus the faculty support received by our students, equal those at Harvard, Georgetown, Duke, Cornell and the other institutions that also won four Goldwater scholarships this year."

The twelve institutions that have four Goldwater Scholars this year are Cornell, Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Lafayette College, Oberlin, Penn State, Princeton, University of Arkansas, University of Kansas, University of North Texas and University of Tulsa.

Universities with three Barry Goldwater Scholars: California Institute of Technology, Clemson University, College of William and Mary, Columbia University, Kansas State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mississippi State University, Northwestern University, Ohio State University, Ohio University, Saint Olaf College, Texas A & M University, University of Chicago, University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh, University of Rochester, University of Virginia, Villanova University and Yale University.

Stanford, Smith, Johns Hopkins, Michigan and Vanderbilt each had two.

Rice, Berkeley, UNC, UT-Austin, and Indiana are among those with one.

The first such scholarship was awarded to a UA student in 1991, and since that time, the University has produced 24 Goldwater Scholars in just 12 years. Last year, two University of Arkansas students claimed Barry Goldwater Scholarships.

Each Goldwater Scholar will receive $7,500 per year for tuition, books and room and board — a gift that enables them to devote other funds to individual research projects in their areas of interest. According to the Goldwater Foundation, scholars are selected for their outstanding academic records and their commitment to pursue careers in the disciplines of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering.

Suzanne McCray, associate dean of the Honors College, said each applicant goes through a rigorous evaluation process within the University before an application is even mailed. A committee of UA faculty members from a variety of scientific fields examines each student’s application and project proposal and offers advice on how to present the material in an intelligent, clear manner. This committee is comprised of Dennis Brewer, Peggy Guccionne, Roger Koeppe, Lin Oliver and Neil Allison.

McCray said, "Before creating a special committee to support our students’ application, the University of Arkansas had only two Barry Goldwater Scholars in its history. The year the committee was put into place we received three, and now have 24 to our credit. This committee consistently does a stellar job."

Though the prize money is small compared to many national scholarships, the Goldwater Scholarship remains one of the most prestigious and competitive awards available to undergraduates. To qualify for a Goldwater, applicants typically hold a GPA of 3.9 or higher and must be entering their junior or senior years in college. Furthermore, the scholarship committee looks for prior involvement in research or experience working in a lab environment.

Students who meet these qualifications must then submit a research proposal, outlining a project that not only fits the applicant's field of interest but also bears significance for the scientific community as a whole.

Colf, a junior biochemistry major, said, "Upon graduation from the University of Arkansas, I plan to enroll in a Ph.D. program in virology/biomedical sciences with the goal of performing research on viral diseases. I have long been fascinated by viruses and their ability to cause such painful and debilitating diseases. I hope to be able to develop treatments or vaccines for viral diseases through my research, and the Goldwater Scholarship will provide an avenue of support to help me accomplish my goals."

Colf is also working with Dr. Joshua Sakon, of the chemistry and biochemistry department of, on a project from the Department of Energy in developing biological alternatives to fossil fuels. They are using protein crystallography to increase the feasibility of creating bioethanol fuels from plant waste matter.

Altom has independently conducted a complete set of very careful high-temperature ruby fluorescence experiments in the physics lab. He has continued working on data analysis for this project and, with Professor Oliver, is preparing a manuscript for the Journal of Applied Physics. He is seeking new research opportunities in Europe for this summer.

Altom said, "In this project [with the support of the Goldwater Scholarship], I will conduct research exploring liquids as they transform to glassy solids in the little-explored regime of very high pressure. Under extreme conditions, a liquid can be cooled below the familiar freezing point. The project will determine the relationship between the glass transition temperature and pressure by measuring the temperature at which the glassy solid forms under various pressures."

Lohse has been conducting research chloroplast proteins with Professors Joshua Sakon and Ralph Henry.

Lohse said, "[The research] has provided me with experience in a variety of methods for determining the structure and function of proteins. My project will continue this research, looking at how specific chloroplast proteins interact with each other to insert specific proteins into membranes. I hope to continue my involvement with biochemical research following my graduation as a graduate student at Stanford or MIT."

Roger Koeppe, University Professor of chemistry professor and member of the UA Goldwater committee, said, "The Barry Goldwater Scholarship program offers tremendous opportunities for undergraduates to launch the research components of their academic and professional careers. The four UA 2003 Goldwater winners join a prestigious list of Goldwater Scholarship winners who are in the midst of planning their next programs of study and are highly sought as prospective graduate students."

Lin Oliver, physics department chairman and member of the Goldwater committee, said, "The physics department has been extremely fortunate to have several great students in recent years. Five Goldwater Scholars have come from our department during the past four years. It is exciting to think about the possibilities for each of our Goldwater Scholars as they complete their college careers and compete for future scholarships and fellowships. Other recent Goldwater Scholars from our department have had great success after winning the Goldwater scholarship."