Commonwealth Honors College Students Awarded Goldwater Scholarships
By McKenna Premus
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Three Commonwealth Honors College students have been awarded scholarships from the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation: Zeynep Alptekin '23, a chemical engineering major; Ashley Eng '23, a microbiology major; and Wyatt Tran '23, a microbiology and biochemistry and molecular biology double major.
Alptekin, Eng, and Tran are all committed to careers in STEM research, and plan to pursue their studies further in the fields of science, mathematics, and engineering.
"I want to carry out research at the intersection of computation and experiment to discover and develop new materials for sustainable energy,” said Alptekin, who plans to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry or materials science.
Eng plans to pursue a Ph.D. in microbiology, researching microbial ecology and teaching at a public research institution.
Tran plans to pursue a Ph.D. in immunology and infectious diseases, "conducting research on host immune response to virulence factors and cellular structure of pathogens."
“These student-scholars represent UMass Amherst in the highest national circle of excellence in terms of scientific research,” said Madalina Akli, director of the UMass Amherst Office of National Scholarship Advisement. “They have been recognized with other internal awards, presented at conferences, and some have even been published in professional journals.”
The Goldwater Foundation provides a continuing source of highly qualified scholars to work as scientists, mathematicians and engineers. The Goldwater Scholarship supports students who have a passion for research, potential to contribute to their disciplines, and who plan to pursue a graduate degree.