The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship was recently awarded to two Benjamin Franklin scholars, announced the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.
Each scholarship -- designed to encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in mathematics, the natural sciences or engineering -- covers up to $7,500 worth of eligible expenses annually for tuition, books, and room and board until the completion of the recipient's undergraduate education. Every year, the University is allowed to nominate four candidates for consideration.
This year's recipients were Engineering and Wharton junior Khanh Thieu and College sophomore Lauren Zeitels.
"I was honored to be chosen for it," Zeitels said, noting the opportunities the award offers.
Part of the significance of the Goldwater lies in its ability to flag possible recipients of future prestigious graduate study awards.
"The Goldwater is an especially important benchmark in terms of winning future awards in [recipients'] senior year, such as Rhodes and Marshall," CURF Director Arthur Casciato said, revealing that six of the 32 Rhodes scholars and six of the 40 Marshall scholars in the past year have won Goldwaters.
The nomination process for the Goldwater began last fall, when CURF solicited applications from sophomores and juniors.
Following the CURF deadline of Nov. 15, a committee -- comprised of Casciato, CURF Research Coordinator Cheryl Shipman and Engineering Advising Director John Keenan -- narrowed down the 14 applicants to the final four nominees.
"The main [criterion is] -- first and foremost -- an excellent GPA," Casciato said, noting that the average Goldwater Scholar has a GPA of roughly 3.95. "Of all the fellowships that CURF administers, Goldwater is the most rigorous and demanding in terms of academic excellence."
"The second most important [criterion] is a proven track record of research," Casciato said. "Goldwater is very keen that their scholars have a commitment to research at the bench -- real science rather than students who want to become medical doctors."
Faculty also formed a key part of the nominating process, with Thieu's mentor Bioengineering professor Gershon Buchsbaum and Zeitels' mentor Chemistry professor and Roy and Diana Vagelos Scholars Program Director Ponzy Lu writing "the most telling and useful recommendations," according to Casciato.
Noting that Zeitels was a Vagelos Scholar, Casciato said that "one of the first places [where] we look for people to win Goldwaters is in Ponzy Lu's excellent and distinguished Vagelos Scholars Program as well as in-house in our own BFS program."
Mimicking the Goldwater selection process, CURF does not interview applicants.
CURF has enjoyed an impressive track record over the past three years of its administration of the award, assisting eight Penn students -- including this year's winners -- in their successes. Since the inception of the award in 1986, 21 Penn students have been conferred with the honor.
"I actually didn't think I was going to get nominated," said Thieu, who is also a Joseph Wharton Scholar. "The application was kind of intimidating to fill out. ... [Nonetheless,] if you've done research projects, and you're interested in pursuing research for graduate school or as a career, then give the application a shot."
"The money is great, too," Thieu added.
The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program was established by Congress to honor Sen. Barry M. Goldwater (R-Ariz.), who served his country for 56 years as a soldier and statesman.
This year, 310 Goldwater Scholars were selected out of a nomination pool of 1,113 students nationwide.
"I don't think there's any secret [to] winning Goldwaters consistently," Casciato said.
"This success should be annual as long as Penn's very talented students in math, engineering and the sciences continue to apply [and] as long as the nominating committee ensures that its choices are alive to the priorities and criteria of Goldwater."
