Three Hope College juniors have received recognition through the highly competitive scholarship program of the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.
Andreana Rosnik of Shelby Township has received a Goldwater Scholarship for the 2012-13 academic year, while Howie Dobbs of Warrenville, Ill., and Danielle Goodman of Big Rapids have each received honorable mention. The foundation selected only 282 students for scholarships and only 190 for honorable mention nationwide.
The scholarships were awarded by the Board of Trustees of the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation to undergraduate sophomores and juniors. The Goldwater Scholars were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,123 mathematics, science and engineering students who were nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities nationwide.
The scholarships are for one or two years, depending on the recipient’s year in school, and cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year.
Numerous Hope students have received scholarships or honorable mention through the years. Across the preceding five years, for example, eight received scholarships and eight received honorable mention.
Rosnik is majoring in chemistry and mathematics, and minoring in Spanish. She has been conducting collaborative research with Hope faculty member Dr. William F. Polik on deriving a theory for accurately describing molecular vibrations in order to improve understanding of chemical reactivity.
She plans to pursue a doctorate in physical or theoretical chemistry, and conduct research in physical or biophysical sciences or teach at the university level. She is the daughter of Andrew and Philomena Rosnik of Shelby Township, and a 2009 graduate of Notre Dame Preparatory.
Dobbs is majoring in chemistry and engineering with a chemical-engineering emphasis. He has been conducting collaborative research with Polik on laser spectroscopy of unstable species in order to improve understanding of chemical reactivity.
He plans to pursue a doctorate in chemistry or chemical engineering, and to conduct research in sustainable-energy fields and explore the potential applications of nanotechnology. He is the son of Edward and Val Dobbs of Warrenville, and a 2009 graduate of Wheaton-Warrenville South High School.
Goodman is majoring in chemistry and molecular biology, and minoring in mathematics. She has been conducting collaborative research with Hope faculty member Dr. Joseph Stukey on a project involving a virus that infects bacteria, specifically, studying how a particular toxic protein from the virus takes over and eventually kills its bacterial host.
She plans to pursue a doctorate in molecular biology, and to conduct research in biomedical science and work as a research scientist. She is the daughter of Dr. Neil and Christine Goodman of Big Rapids, and a 2009 graduate of Big Rapids High School.
Of the 282 students selected for Goldwater Scholarships this year, 174 are men and 108 are women, and virtually all intend to obtain a Ph.D. as their degree objective. A total of 20 are mathematics majors, 194 are science and related majors, 58 are majoring in engineering and 10 are computer science majors. Many have dual majors in a variety of mathematics, science, engineering and computer disciplines.
The Goldwater Foundation is a federally endowed agency established by Public Law 99-661 on Nov. 14, 1986. The Scholarship Program honoring Senator Barry M. Goldwater was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering.
Since the first award in 1989, the foundation has awarded more than 6,200 scholarships worth approximately $39 million. The Trustees plan to award about 300 scholarships for the 2013-14 academic year.