Three UF students earn Goldwater Scholarships

March 20, 2006

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Goldwater Foundation has announced that three University of Florida students have been selected for Goldwater Scholarships: Donald Burnette, Lauren Culver and Jeffrey Wong. UF junior Taylor Gilliland was recognized by the Goldwater Foundation with an honorable mention. This is the largest number of University of Florida students who have been recognized by the Goldwater Foundation.

Nationwide, 323 Goldwater scholarships for the 2006-2007 academic year were given to sophomores and juniors from the United States, and only six students were from Florida. The Goldwater Scholars were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,081 mathematics, science, and engineering students who were nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities nationwide. The one- and two-year scholarships will cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year.

Burnette, a sophomore majoring in physics and mathematics, plans to earn a doctorate in physics and to research at a top institution specializing in the study of the properties of materials within condensed matter physics. From Sunrise, Burnette has conducted research with Gregory Stewart’s group in physics and is involved in several outreach programs with K-12 students. He has won science fellowships the past two academic years from the Center for Condensed Matter.

Culver is a junior majoring in material science and engineering who interned at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in high school. She is a member of the 2005-2006 University Scholars Program with Elliot Douglas, and is from Merritt Island. Culver plans to earn a doctorate in material science and engineering to conduct research and teach at the university level furthering her expertise in polymer behavior and the engineering of polymers. She is currently an officer with the Benton Engineering Council and the Society of Women Engineers.

Wong, a junior from Weston, is double-majoring in microbiology and cell science and biochemistry. A Beckman Scholar and a Lombardi Scholar, Wong plans to earn a medical degree and doctorate in molecular biology and to conduct research focused on developing breakthrough platform therapeutics for cancer and infectious disease and to teach at the university level. He is currently conducting research with Randy Duran’s group in chemistry.

Goldwater Scholars have very impressive academic qualifications that have garnered the attention of prestigious post-graduate fellowship programs. Recent Goldwater Scholars have been awarded 63 Rhodes Scholarships (five of the 42 awarded in the United States in 2006), 80 Marshall Awards (eight of the 40 awarded in the United States in 2006), and numerous other distinguished fellowships.

In awarding scholarships, the Foundation considers the nominee’s field of study and career objectives and the extent to which the individual has the commitment and potential to make a significant contribution to his or her field. Students must receive a nomination from their institution in order to apply for the Goldwater Scholarship. Each application requires an essay discussing a significant issue or problem in their field of study that is of particular interest to them.

In 2005, Edwin Homan (chemistry) and Joseph Wilson (electrical engineering) won Goldwater Scholarships from the University of Florida. In 2004, UF student David Duncan (biochemistry major) won a Goldwater Scholarship, and in 2003, UF students Robert Abel (mathematics major) and Anup Patel (biochemistry and molecular biology majors) also won Goldwater Scholarships.