For the third year in a row, three University of Rochester students have been named Goldwater Scholars. Juniors Joseph Galante and Christopher Supranowitz and senior/Take Five Scholar Zhuohan Liang were chosen on the basis of academic merit to receive a scholarship worth up to $7,500 each.
The Goldwater Scholarship Program, named in honor of Sen. Barry M. Goldwater, was authorized by Congress in 1986. The program was designed to support outstanding undergraduate students who plan to pursue careers in mathematics, natural sciences, and engineering. It is the premier undergraduate award of its type in these fields.
This year, 310 students, out of a field of 1,113 students nominated by their colleges and universities, were awarded scholarships. At the University of Rochester, a faculty committee annually selects four nominees for the Goldwater program from up to 20 applicants based on a research essay, academic records, and letters of recommendation.
Galante, of Lansdale, Pa., is majoring in mathematics at the University. After graduating in 2005, he plans to pursue doctoral studies and then conduct research in mathematics in a university, private industry, or government setting.
Liang, of Brooklyn, N.Y., is majoring in physics and mathematics. After receiving her doctorate in physics, she hopes to teach and conduct research on a mathematical description of the physical universe. As a Take Five Scholar, Liang will be taking a fifth year of tuition-free study to research the intersection of human intelligence and behavior with the natural world.
An optics major, Supranowitz, of Penfield, N.Y., plans to pursue studies toward a doctorate in optics or quantum optics. He hopes to work in a government agency such as NASA or the National Institute of Standards and Technology on research involving adaptive optics or quantum computers.