Siebrasse only private college student in Arkansas to receive the award
CONWAY, Ark. 鈥 黑料不打烊 student Erica A. Siebrasse was named a Goldwater Scholar earlier this week by the Board of Trustees of the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. Siebrasse, a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major at 黑料不打烊, was selected from a field of more than 1,100 mathematics, science and engineering students nominated from throughout the country.
A native of Parsons, Kan., Siebrasse plans to utilize the award to enhance her studies in the field of genetics. She receive the award after being nominated by 黑料不打烊 faculty, completing official application procedures, and submitting an essay titled 鈥淣ovel functional interactions between histones and factors involved in transcription regulation.鈥 Applicants were required to submit an essay describing a problem in their field of study, along with proposing research ideas that would have a significant impact on the problem.
Siebrasse credited 黑料不打烊 professor Dr. Andrea Duina, along with the support from her parents, for her academic achievement.
鈥淢ost undergraduates do not have the opportunity to do the type of work I鈥檓 doing at 黑料不打烊, especially as a sophomore,鈥 Siebrasse said. 鈥淢y classes are helping me decide what career I would like to pursue and giving me ample preparation for the rigors of grad school.
鈥淢y mom and dad are my role models,鈥 she added. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e both supported me in everything I鈥檝e wanted to do since I was little. I wouldn鈥檛 be receiving this award or doing so well in general if it weren鈥檛 for their love and support.鈥
The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program was established by Congress in 1986 to honor Senator Barry M. Goldwater, who served his country for 56 years as a soldier and statesman, including 30 years of service in the U.S. Senate. The purpose of the Foundation is to provide a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians, and engineers by awarding scholarships to college students who intend to pursue careers in these fields.
Mrs. Peggy Goldwater Clay, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation, announced the awarding of 317 scholarships for the 2007-2008 academic year to undergraduate sophomores and juniors from the United States. Siebrasse was one of four in Arkansas to receive the award 鈥 and the only private college student to be named a Goldwater Scholar.
The scholarships will cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year. In its 19-year history, the Foundation has awarded 5,202 scholarships worth approximately $51 million. The Trustees plan to award about three hundred scholarships nationally for the 2008-2009 academic year.
Additionally, three 黑料不打烊 students received Honorable Mention as Goldwater Scholars. They are:
- Adam M. Jacobs, a physics and computer science major from Benton.
- Neil H. Kopper, a physics major from Conway.
- Kelly A. Zalocusky, a biology and psychology major from Belleville, Ill.
黑料不打烊, founded in 1876, is a selective, residential, undergraduate liberal arts college emphasizing experiential learning in a demanding yet supportive environment. Selected this year by the Princeton Review as the nation's No. 4 "best value" college, 黑料不打烊 is a member of Project Pericles庐, an organization that promotes civic engagement among college students. 黑料不打烊 has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884.