Goldwater Scholarship

Medhini Sosale Earns Prestigious Goldwater Scholarship

Wasiq Muhammad Muhammad Ali — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 01:52:08 +0000

Medhini Sosale Earns Prestigious Goldwater Scholarship Wasiq Muhammad… Mon, 04/11/2022 - 21:52

In This Story

Medhini Sosale, a junior studying bioengineering, was selected as a recipient of the Goldwater Scholarship. The award, established by Congress in 1986 in honor of U.S. Sen. Barry M. Goldwater, fosters and encourages outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering.

Since her freshman year at Mason, Sosale has worked rigorously on multiple neurological research endeavors. In her first year of her undergraduate study, Sosale began working with bioengineering professor Juan Cebral, who introduced her to new areas of bioengineering and computational research.

In Fall 2021, Sosale worked with bioengineering associate professor Parag Chitnis who is experimenting with ultrasound technology to deliver drugs. In his lab, Sosale studied the blood-brain barrier of rat brains, which in both humans and in rats, is a protective boundary that keeps bacteria, fungi, parasites, and other organisms from penetrating the brain.

Dr. Jan Allbeck, the Associate Dean of the Honors College, who helped Sosale prepare her application for the Goldwater Scholarship says of Sosale, “Medhini is both a learner and a doer. Outside of the classroom, she's been done research in multiple labs on campus and participated in several environmental justice organizations that have helped shape her research interests.”

Students like Sosale encapsulate Mason’s spirit of innovative and engaging undergraduate scholarship. Next year, the Goldwater Scholarship, which provides up to $7,500 as a stipend to its recipients will allow Sosale to continue her research, and help propel her academic career forward. Aspiring to pursue a PhD in conservation biology or a related field, Sosale is in good company amongst other Goldwater recipients, many of whom, like Jackie Luu, Karen Therrien, Rebecca Beuschel, also hail from Mason’s Honors College.

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Jackie Luu’s academic excellence, conservation research led to Goldwater Scholarship

John Hollis — Mon, 05 Apr 2021 18:52:52 +0000

Jackie Luu’s academic excellence, conservation research led to Goldwater Scholarship John Hollis Mon, 04/05/2021 - 14:52

Mason junior Jackie Luu was named a recipient of the Goldwater Scholarship. Photo provided

Jackie Luu, a junior Environmental Science and Policy major from Glen Allen, Virginia, is George Mason University’s first-ever Barry M. Goldwater Scholar from the Department of Environmental Science and Policy within the College of Science.

Luu, a member of Mason’s Honors College, was among the 410 students chosen nationally as 2021 scholars and will receive a $7,500 stipend that will help her cover tuition and room and board next year.

“My immediate reaction was just shock,” Luu said. “I’m honored and I think it will help open a lot of doors for me as a scholar.”

The Goldwater Scholarship, established by Congress in 1986 in honor of U.S. Sen. Barry M. Goldwater, fosters and encourages outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering. It is considered the premier undergraduate award of its type in these fields.

The Goldwater Scholars were chosen on the basis of academic merit from a pool of 1,256 natural science, engineering and mathematics students nominated by the institutional representatives of 438 colleges and universities nationwide. Nearly all of the scholars intend to obtain a doctoral degree.

“It’s a great honor to be chosen,” she said.

LaNitra M. Berger, who is Mason’s senior director of fellowships in the Office of Undergraduate Education, called Luu a dedicated researcher and a pleasure with whom to work.

“I am thrilled that she won the Goldwater, and that she represents Mason and its commitment to academic excellence so well,” Berger said.

Luu, 21, who credited Mason faculty among her mentors for their critical help in her application process, is no stranger to academic success. An excellent high school student, she was recruited to Mason as a Smithsonian-Mason Scholar and spent the Fall 2020 semester at the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation in Front Royal, Virginia.

“Jackie is an avid and talented young conservationist who has been one of the most active students with SMSC,” said Robert Barrett, the school’s assistant director of recruitment and outreach.

Luu enjoyed her time doing research in Front Royal. "It was great and showed me there are lots of different opportunities in the field and helped fuel my passion for doing research,” she said.

She worked with her mentor, Karen T. Lee, and a committee of advisors in preparing her Goldwater application. A Mason faculty committee selected the university’s nominees for the national competition.

Luu’s research essay centered on work she’s currently doing with Lee on color variations within female green crabs. The two will soon co-author a paper with their findings.

Lee, assistant director for Mason’s Office of Student Scholarship, Creative Activities, and Research (OSCAR) and a member of the university’s Goldwater Committee, said Luu’s selection has made her “proud and excited.”

“This is something that can really be a huge boost to a student’s career,” said Lee, an affiliate faculty member in Mason’s Departments of Biology and Environmental Science and Policy. “This is a big deal.”

The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation has awarded 9,457 scholarships since 1989.

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Mason's Goldwater Scholars keep pushing forward

Damian Cristodero — Thu, 23 May 2019 09:30:00 +0000

Mason's Goldwater Scholars keep pushing forward Damian Cristodero Thu, 05/23/2019 - 05:30

Rising seniors Karen Therrien (neuroscience), Benjamin Concepcion (physics and mathematics) and Brieann Sobieski (biology) received Goldwater scholarships, the preeminent undergraduate award for students who plan to pursue careers in mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering. Photo by Lathan Goumas.

Karen Therrien had no idea she had just been awarded a Goldwater Scholarship.

It was past noon on the last Friday in April, when the announcement was expected. But instead of going to Therrien’s inbox, the notification that the George Mason University student had earned the prestigious prize went to her spam folder.

When Therrien finally noticed the message, she was so nervous she asked Karen Lee, assistant director of Mason’s Office of Student Scholarship, Creative Activities and Research (OSCAR) and a member of Mason’s Goldwater Scholarship committee, to read it for her.

“I was very shocked,” said Therrien, who just happened to be meeting with Lee at the time.

Therrien, a neuroscience major and a member of Mason’s Honors College, was one of three Goldwater Scholars from Mason. Brieann Sobieski, a biology major, and Benjamin Concepcion, an Honors College member majoring in physics and mathematics, are the others. All are rising seniors.

LaNitra Berger, director of the Honors College’s Office of Fellowships, said this was the first time the university had three Goldwater Scholars in one year and called the achievement “an acknowledgement that Mason’s commitment to undergraduate research is benefitting the students and raising the university’s national profile.”

Awarded since 1989, the one- or two-year scholarship, presented by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation, is the preeminent undergraduate award for students who plan to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering.

It is also a gateway for students applying to graduate schools and searching for research funding, as virtually all applicants and winners intend to obtain a PhD as their highest degree earned.

“It felt like doors were opening,” Sobieski said of the scholarship.

There were 496 recipients of Goldwater Scholarships out of 1,223 applicants this year from colleges and universities nationwide.

In addition to academic transcripts, students must list all research experience and write two essays: one describing their career goals and another on an activity that has been important in shaping their desire to pursue a research career. Because Sobieski plans to attend medical school, she submitted an additional essay to explain her research priorities. Students must also get three letters of recommendation, with the key ones being from their research mentors.

Each of Mason’s Goldwater Scholars credited the university’s Goldwater Scholarship committee—Lee; Jan Allbeck, associate dean of the Honors College; and Patricia Granfield, a mathematics instructor in the College of Science—with helping them complete an arduous process that included more than two weeks of editing and rewriting essays.

“It’s a real statement that these are students who are not in the classroom just to get grades,” Granfield said. “These are kids willing to go above and beyond. They are goal-driven. Every year I come away feeling so lucky I get to work with them.”

Though the Goldwater Scholars have another year at Mason, future plans are already taking shape.

Sobieski, of Fairfax, Virginia, said she hopes to earn her MD and PhD and research noninvasive biomarkers while continuing her interest in multiple medical specialties. Therrien, who is from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and has worked as a peer mentor with the Mason Autism Support Initiative, is interested in researching neurodevelopmental disorders. Concepcion, also of Fairfax, has his sights set on a PhD.

Asked about her decision to come to Mason, Therrien, a University Scholar, noted Mason’s focus on undergraduate research.

“But the main thing was I knew I wanted to do something connected to developmental disabilities, special needs, and Mason has a lot of connections in that realm,” she said.

With a Goldwater Scholarship, students have potential connections, too.

“I was really surprised,” Concepcion said about being awarded the scholarship. “I told everybody. Goldwater will help push me forward.”

Honors College junior Rebecca Beuschel earns Goldwater Scholarship, third Mason winner in two years

rstaffo2 — Mon, 30 Apr 2018 18:15:58 +0000

Honors College junior Rebecca Beuschel earns Goldwater Scholarship, third Mason winner in two years rstaffo2 Mon, 04/30/2018 - 14:15

By late March of last year, Rebecca Beuschel was unsure that she would hear back from the Goldwater Scholarship. While working in the Grant Lab on the Manassas campus one Friday, Prof. Granfield notified Beuschel to check her email. “It was honestly one of the most exciting moments of my life,” explains Beuschel, a 2018 Goldwater Scholarship recipient.

Since 1989, the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation has awarded the prestigious one- or two-year grant to undergraduate students in STEM fields. One of 211 recipients among 1,280 applicants, Beuschel will earn up to $7,500 to cover educational and residential expenses.

Beyond financial support, earning a Goldwater Scholarship allows Beuschel to access opportunities that expand her research experience. “It widens my options for graduate school,” explains Beuschel, who is Mason’s third Goldwater Scholar since 2016.

Beuschel’s experience presenting research at a national-level conference helped her earn the Goldwater award. Concentrating in biotechnology and molecular biology, Beuschel carried out a year-long research project investigating Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). Funded by the Grant Lab, the Honors College junior presented her findings in Nashville, Tennessee in November 2017.

“I was able to present my research to some of the biggest names in the IPF field,” says Beuschel, who communicated her findings to doctors, scholars, and patients with IPF.

Earning the Goldwater Scholarship enables Beuschel to reach her career goal of researching and teaching at the university level. The funding will support Beuschel as she explores her research interests, ranging from cancer to developmental biology to neurogenerative diseases.

Beuschel, an Honors College junior from Williamsburg, VA, has been heavily involved with extracurricular roles, strengthening her communication skills as an emerging scientist. Beuschel has served on the Honors College Recruitment Team, the Honors College Curriculum Development Team, as a Peer Mentor for the Honors Freshman LLC, a Peer Research Mentor for HNRS 110, and a Learning Assistant for the honors section of BIOL 213 (Cell Structure and Funtion).

“The Honors College was crucial in supporting me earning the Goldwater Scholarship,” explains Beuschel, who is minoring in data analysis. Dr. LaNitra Berger and a team of other Honors College faculty helped review Beuschel’s essays, advising the junior through every step of the application process.

According to Dr. Berger, Honors College Director of the Office of Fellowships and the campus representative for the Goldwater Scholarship, the recent surge in Honors College students earning Goldwater Scholarships “is a sign that our capacity to support and nurture undergraduate researchers in STEM fields is increasing every year.”

With this award, Beuschel joins several other Honors College students who have received this award or honorable mentions. Three other Honors College juniors earned Goldwater honorable mentions in 2018: Jiajing Guan (mathematics), Doreen Joseph (cyber security engineering), and Brian Schnoor (bioengineering). In 2017, Honors College students Iris Stone and Zachary Baker were awarded the Goldwater Schlarship; Lucas Bouck (math), who has more recently been awarded the prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, was an honorable mention.

“Several Honors College staff members, including LLC Coordinator Kevin Stoy, showed their support,” says Beuschel. “I’m so grateful to have had them all throughout my years here at Mason.”

Original reporting by Jimmy O'Hara. Photograph by Geraldine Grant.

Two Mason students earn Goldwater Scholarships

Damian Cristodero — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 20:24:01 +0000

Two Mason students earn Goldwater Scholarships Damian Cristodero Wed, 04/19/2017 - 16:24

Iris Stone. Photo by Ron Aira.

When Iris Stone and Zachary Baker filled out their Goldwater Scholarship applications, they kept their expectations in check.

Stone, a senior physics major, said the process is so competitive “you don’t want to be disappointed.”

Baker, a sophomore bioengineering major, said his plan was to get feedback from the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation to take another run at the scholarship as a junior.

In both cases, results exceeded expectations as the George Mason University students received the prestigious scholarship that is based on academic merit and targeted to undergraduate students in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering.

“I was amazed,” Baker said.

Said Stone: “I got an email saying congratulations, and I thought, ‘That can’t be right.’ I had to read it twice.”

Zachary Baker. Photo by Ron Aira.

Awarded since 1989, the one- or two-year Goldwater Scholarship provides up to $7,500 per year for tuition, fees, books, and room and board. There were 240 recipients this year out of 1,286 applications from colleges and universities nationwide.

Stone and Baker, both members of the Honors College, are the third and fourth winners from George Mason. Lucas Bouck, a junior mathematics major, received honorable mention.

“For Mason to have two students win in one year signifies that its commitment to undergraduate research is helping our students gain national recognition for their accomplishments,” said LaNitra Berger, director of the Office of Fellowships in the Honors College.

Institutions nominate the applicants, who must produce an essay that describes original research. Helping in that effort were Kathleen Alligood, associate dean of the Honors College, and Patricia Granfield, the Honors College STEM coordinator.

Stone looked into charge-transfer crystals, in which electronic charges are transferred between molecules to stabilize the combination. The quest is to combine organic (that is, carbon-based) molecules to create materials for lighter, cheaper, bendable and even biocompatible electronic devices.

Baker investigated how sodium chlorate impacted the electrophysiological activity of spinal cord neurons of embryotic mice in an effort to understand why central nervous systems in mammals cannot regenerate after injury.

“He completed, by himself, experiments that my undergraduates can rarely complete without guidance,” said Nathalia Peixoto, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering.

As for Stone, “she is one of the best students I’ve ever worked with,” said Patrick Vora, assistant professor of physics.

Stone will be doing neurophysics research at UCLA this summer through the Research Experience for Undergraduates program administered by the National Science Foundation. Baker will intern at Johns Hopkins University’s Institute of Cell Engineering.

“Whether I had an award or not, I’d be pushing forward in this path,” Stone said. “But the external acknowledgment you are on the right path, that’s certainly a nice feeling.”