Three students win natl. award

This year is a record breaking one for Penn student recipients of the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. Awarded for excellence in the areas of mathematics, science and engineering, Penn boasts three winners of the highly competitive national award. According to John Keenan -- a professor of civil engineering systems and a member of the University's two-person selection committee, along with Assistant Dean for English Advising Alice Kelley -- this year marks a record for Penn in the number of Goldwater recipients. "It is the most we've ever seen before," he said. "In fact, last year's winner was Penn's first winner in five or six years." Penn's Goldwater scholars, who were nominated by the University based on their academic credentials, are College junior and physics major Daniel Sherman; Wharton and Engineering junior Clifford Haugen; and College sophomore Joshua Gruber, a biochemistry and physics major. Over 1,176 students were nominated by universities across the United States and Puerto Rico for the award. Of those nominated, 309 were chosen to receive the award. "Its an award that registers the potential of people [in research]," Sherman said, adding that it is encouraging to find that "the stuff I'm planning to do is worthwhile." Students who receive the award their sophomore year are provided with a two-year scholarship, while junior recipients receive one year of funding. The scholarships are intended to cover costs of tuition, fees, books and room and board, up to a maximum $7,500 per year. "The award is unique because it is geared toward people who are looking to participate in research," Keenan noted. For the application, students were asked to describe some research that they had either taken part in, or wished to participate in, as well as to provide a transcript and recommendations to the selection committee. Gruber, who has been involved in research since his high school days, has participated in medical and biological studies, including gene therapy and neuroscience. Haugen has done extensive research overseas examining marine park management technology. And Sherman's research background includes involvement in a study at a physics laboratory at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. Each student is already planning for his future, from continuing education and applying for such prestigious awards as the Thouron and Rhodes, to traveling to the Pacific Rim to conduct a hands-on study of sustainable energy sources. The organization that presents the award -- the Goldwater Foundation -- is federally endowed in memory of former Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater. In existence for 12 years, the Goldwater Foundation has to date awarded 3,021 scholarships valued in total at approximately 31 million dollars.