Goldwater Scholars Named

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. —Three University of Arkansas students were named recipients of the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship for 2006. This is the eighth consecutive year UA students have claimed the prestigious scholarship, bringing the university total to 33 Goldwater scholars since the program was established in 1988.

The three UA Fulbright College Honors students named to this year’s list are Rebecca Adair, a Chancellor’s Scholar majoring in biophysical chemistry, from Joplin, Mo.; Hannah DeBerg, a physics major and Bodenhamer Fellow, from North Little Rock; and Aireal Haley, a Chancellor’s Scholar from Springdale, majoring in biochemistry. All three juniors are participating in the Honors College.

“Each year I am delighted to see how well our students fare in the Goldwater Scholarship competition. This year three UA students, of the four we are allowed to nominate, received the award -- a trend I have come to expect,” said UA Chancellor John A.White.  “It speaks well of the quality of our students and of the training in math, science and engineering that they receive. Having spent several years working at the National Science Foundation to increase the participation of women in engineering and science, I am particularly pleased that all three winners this year are women science students. Not surprisingly, Rebecca Adair, Hannah DeBerg and Aireal Haley have distinguished themselves at the highest level possible for undergraduates in the sciences. All three are planning exciting careers in research, and I know that we will continue to hear about their success.”

The Goldwater Scholars were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,081 mathematics, science and engineering students who were nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities nationwide.

 “I am thrilled, though not surprised, that Aireal Haley, Hannah DeBerg and Rebecca Adair have been selected as Barry Goldwater Scholars," said Don Bobbitt, dean of the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. "They are terrific students who have long been involved in undergraduate research. They have enjoyed the strong support of faculty mentors Neil Allison and David Vicic in chemistry, and Greg Salamo in physics. Students must have extensive research experience to be competitive for the Goldwater. The remarkable UA record of 33 Goldwater Scholars in 15 years would not be possible without this critical faculty/undergraduate research team effort.”

This year’s Goldwater Scholars agree. Rebecca Adair is a research member of Professor Neil Allisons’s organometalic group. She said: "My research explores the activity of an iron eyene complex, which is similar to that of enediyne anticancer antibiotics. Working with Dr. Allison has allowed me to glimpse the correlation between scientific inquiry and practical solutions to problems we face every day. Organometallic research has taught me how to translate the knowledge I have gained in the classroom to achieve a desired product. Research experience has improved my laboratory techniques, while introducing me to the potential of organic synthesis. Dr. Allison has provided invaluable guidance in my project.” 

Adair plans to pursue an MD/PhD program after graduating from the University of Arkansas. Her career goal is to conduct research while teaching at a medical school. She plans to focus her research on anti-tumor drugs.

Hannah DeBerg spent last summer conducting research at Duke University as part of a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF-REU) program. She presented her work at fall 2005 Division of Nuclear Physics of the American Physical Society. She is working with Salamo on a project using optical trapping and Raman spectroscopy techniques to rapidly identify the species of single celled organisms. She said, “I find this research to be particularly interesting due to its cross-disciplinary nature and potential for real-world applications. If fully developed, a method such as the one we are studying would have application in hospitals and other medical settings where it is important to quickly identify pathogens.”

After completing a bachelor of science degree, she plans to pursue a doctorate in nuclear physics, followed by post-doctoral research at a national laboratory. She hopes to become a research professor.

Aireal Haley plans to earn a doctorate in organic chemistry after graduating from the University of Arkansas. Her goal is to be a faculty member conducting AIDS or cancer research. She spent last summer working in chemistry professor David Vicic’s lab as part of an NSF-REU. Her work has continued throughout the academic year as well. Haley said, “My research experience here at the university has been awesome and has given me real direction in my life. Doing research with Dr. Vicic has also taught me many lessons that cannot be learned in the classroom. I feel like my work with metal catalysts is very cutting edge and is an exciting field to be doing research in today, and this work I hope, will someday make a positive difference in this world.”

The first Goldwater scholarship awarded to a UA student was in 1990. Previous UA Goldwater Scholars included a Rhodes Scholar, a Marshall Scholar, a Gates Cambridge Scholar, five National Science Graduate Fellows, a Fulbright Scholar and a Udall Scholar. They have pursued doctoral work at prestigious programs including University of Virginia, University of Michigan, University of California-Berkeley, Cambridge, Columbia, Cornell, St. Andrews (Scotland), Oxford, Stanford and Washington University.