Tuscaloosa, Alabama - The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program has selected two University of Alabama students as Goldwater Scholars for 2016-2017.
They are: Andrew Raddatz, a chemical engineering student from Austin, Texas; and Jacob M. Robinson, a chemical engineering major from Dexter, Missouri. In addition, Samantha Dyroff, a chemistry major from Des Peres, Missouri, received an honorable mention.
From 2007 to 2016, UA is No. 1 in the United States for Goldwater Scholars, with 27. Harvard is second, with 26.
This year, 252 Goldwater Scholars were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,150 mathematics, science and engineering students who were nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities nationwide.
The one- or two-year scholarships will cover the cost of tuition, fees, books and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 a year.
The Goldwater Foundation is a federally endowed agency established in 1986. The program, which honors U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater, was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in research in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering.
Jacob Robinson, son of Mark and Rhonda Robinson, graduated from Dexter Public Schools in Dexter, Missouri in 2014 and is pursuing a career focused on researching novel screening methods and treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.
He was accepted into the Emerging Scholars program before arriving at Alabama. This helped him become involved in undergraduate research early during his freshman year. Jacob has worked with Dr. Margaret Liu, assistant professor in UA’s department of chemical and biological engineering. His research has focused on metabolically engineering Clostridium bacteria to maximize biobutanol production. Outside of the lab, Jacob has been involved in DREAM and READ Alabama, organizations devoted to mentoring and reading to local elementary students. After graduation, he plans to attend medical school and pursue a doctor of medicine/doctorate.
