By Lauren Cartwright
From Compass
Ohio University sophomore Addy Kruse and junior Bertrand Neyhouse received an honorable mention for the nationally competitive Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.
The Goldwater Foundation offers up to $7,500 to sophomores and juniors aspiring to pursue a research career in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering, preferably with a 3.7 GPA or higher.
Kruse, an Honors Tutorial College chemistry major, aspires to earn her doctoral degree in physical chemistry and become a college professor. She was recently chosen for the prestigious DAAD RISE research internship in Germany for this summer.
Neyhouse, a chemical engineering major, plans to pursue a doctoral degree in chemical engineering and continue research in the field of electrochemical engineering. He aspires to be a professor in chemical engineering to fulfill his passion for both research and education.
The rigorous application for the distinguished Goldwater Scholarship includes a curriculum vitae, research essay and letters of recommendation.
“Beth Clodfelter in [the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards] was incredibly helpful and supportive through the entire process, always making herself available whenever I needed assistance,” Neyhouse said. “I can’t thank her enough for all her support.”
Kruse thanks Dr. Monica Burdick, who headed up the Goldwater application process, for being indispensible during the essay process to make her essay even better than what she would have done on her own.
“The largest benefit in applying for the award is pretty evident – receiving the most prestigious award for undergraduate STEM research in the nation,” Neyhouse said. “On top of that though, I personally developed a lot of skills throughout the process [such as] learning various techniques to apply for future awards.”
Kruse believes that in addition to a shot at a large and prestigious scholarship, the application process helped her organize and plan her research in a way that she had never been forced to do before.
“I am very much of the belief that science should be done purely for the sake of discovery, but making this application forced me to think more critically about that,” Kruse said. “Now I have a far clearer motivation and direction with my research that will help me with my upcoming publications.”
Neyhouse advises future applicants to initially understand that the application process is difficult and time consuming. However, the skills an applicant will gain during the process as well as the opportunity for such a high honor are worth every minute put toward the application.
Kruse advises prospective applicants to think about research early. She believes having concrete thoughts and solid goals with research will make a student a stronger applicant.
For more than 30 years, the Goldwater Foundation has produced thousands of highly-qualified professionals the U.S. needs in critical STEM fields. Students who receive an honorable mention show exceptional promise but do not receive a scholarship.
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