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Scholarships awarded to two BSU chemistry students
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The Berry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation has announced that two Boise State University undergraduate students have been named Goldwater Scholars.
Alina M. Schimpf and Lisa J. Young are among only four Idaho students selected this year to receive the prestigious award, which includes a scholarship to cover the cost of tuition, fees, books and room and board up to $7,500.
Schimpf is a sophomore majoring in chemistry and math. She was awarded a 2006 Department of Chemistry summer research fellowship and a 2007 INBRE summer fellowship.
She is 2004 graduate of Boise High School. She is vice president of the Chemistry Club, a former member of Boise State’s track team and she teaches science classes at the Discovery Center of Idaho.
Young, a sophomore majoring in chemistry with a minor in environmental studies, received the Freshman Chemistry Achievement Award for the 2005-06 academic year. A 2005 Boise High School graduate, she is also a member
of the Chemistry Club, a member of the National Society of
Collegiate Scholars and in the Honors College.
Both Young and Schimpf received awards from the Chemistry Club to attend the American Chemical Society national meeting in Chicago during spring break, where Schimpf presented a paper.
Schimpf and Young are the second and third Boise State students to earn this honor. Amber M. Hibberd, also a chemistry major, was named a Goldwater Scholar in 2004. Hibbard, who graduated in 2006, is now working on a master’s degree at Princeton University.
Young said the scholarship application process was intimidating.
“When applying for this scholarship I was obviously very excited about what it could offer me, but at the time I was under the impression that it would be almost impossible to actually receive, as only one other BSU student had been awarded this honor in the past,” Young said.
Young attributes part of her success to the help and encouragement she received from her professors and mentors. She says they were always there to listen and offer advice when she needed it.
“I would like to especially thank Dr. Susan Shadle and Dr. Don Warner for their awesome support during my time here in the Chemistry Department at Boise State and their amazing ability to teach and inspire while really caring about the success of every one of their students,” Young said.
According to Sharon McGuire, Vice President for Under-
graduate Studies, the Goldwater Scholarship Awards recognize the outstanding students and research opportunities at BSU.
“Boise State is unique in the range of research opportunities available to undergraduate students. BSU students have real experiences to create knowledge, this award recognizes that,” McGuire said.
McGuire explained that the application process for the scholarships consists of a nomination by faculty and completion of an application packet that includes transcripts, three letters of reference and an essay.
Goldwater Scholars are selected from a group of mathematics, science and engineering students nominated by the faculty on the basis of academic merit.
Nationally, 174 of the scholars are men, 143 are women, and virtually all intend to obtain a Ph.D. as their degree objective.
Twenty-eight scholars are mathematics majors, 223 are science and related majors, 54 are engineering majors and 12 are computer science majors. Many have dual majors in a variety of mathematics, science, engineering and computer disciplines.
According to Gerald J. Smith, President of the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation, scholars are selected based solely on academic merit from an annual total of about 1,100 nominees from institutions nationwide.
“In addition to the monetary awards, the scholarship is a major stepping stone to most prestigious graduate study fellowships at the finest schools in the USA and overseas,” Smith said.
Smith commented on the origination of the Goldwater Scholarship Foundation.
“The Goldwater Scholarship Foundation was established in an effort to alleviate a critical shortage of highly qualified current and future scientists in the United States,” Smith said.
The Goldwater Foundation is a federally-endowed agency
established in 1986 to honor Sen. Barry M. Goldwater.
The Goldwater Scholarship is the premier undergraduate award of its type in these fields. Recent Goldwater Scholars have been awarded 69 Rhodes Scholarships, 86 Marshall Awards and numerous other distinguished fellowships.
JOSLYN SALOW
News Writer