KNOXVILLE — Three University of Tennessee, Knoxville, undergraduates have been named 2011 Barry M. Goldwater Scholars.
Juniors Britta Johnson and Mark Walker will receive scholarships from the Goldwater Foundation for their final year at UT Knoxville, and sophomore Madelyn Crawford will receive a scholarship for her remaining two years. The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships are awarded yearly to sophomores and juniors pursuing careers in research in mathematics, the natural sciences or engineering.
This year, the Goldwater Foundation has awarded 275 scholarships from a pool of almost 1,100 nominees. In order to compete for a Goldwater Scholarship, students must be nominated by their college or university. As a four-year institution, UT is allowed to nominate up to four students each year.
“Each year we continue to receive applications from students with more research experience than the previous year. For instance, it’s not uncommon for applicants to already have a publication in their field, in addition to conference appearances,” said Rebekah Page, assistant director of UT’s Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships “The success of our students this year is solid evidence that the undergraduates at UT can successfully compete with those from institutions like Harvard, which also had three Goldwater Scholars this year.”
Madelyn Crawford, a biochemistry and cellular and molecular biology major from Farragut, has been doing research in Jeff Becker’s microbiology lab since spring of her freshman year. After completing her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and cellular and molecular biology, she plans to pursue a doctorate in microbiology and molecular genetics. A member of the Chancellor’s Honors and Haslam Scholars programs, Crawford competed in this year’s EURēCA competition and serves on the editorial board of UT Knoxville’s Pursuit: The Journal of Undergraduate Research.
Britta Johnson, of Knoxville, is a college scholars major which has allowed her to take courses in a variety of disciplines. As an undergraduate, she has been involved in both chemistry and mathematics research. She has worked in R.J. Hinde’s chemistry lab since the summer of 2009 and last summer conducted undergraduate research in mathematics under Conrad Plaut. Johnson is a member of the Chancellor’s Honors and Honors Mathematics programs and recently had an article accepted for publication by the Journal of Physical Chemistry.
Mark Walker, a nuclear engineering major from Oak Ridge, is a member of the Chancellor’s Honors and Haslam Scholars programs. He has been actively researching at the Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL) since the summer after his freshman year. He also had an internship with the Department of Energy in Washington, D.C., last summer. Walker’s most current research at ORNL involves nuclear safeguards, and he hopes to continue his research and pursue policy development in nuclear security after earning his Ph.D. in nuclear engineering.
The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship provides up to $7,500 per year for tuition, books, and room and board. Since it began the scholarship program in 1989, the foundation has awarded more than 6,600 scholarships worth approximately $50 million. In 2012, the Goldwater Foundation plans to award about 300 scholarships.
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C O N T A C T :
Whitney Holmes (865-974-5460, wholmes7@utk.edu)