EVANSTON, Ill. --- Five Northwestern University juniors have been selected for prestigious Congressional scholarships for the 2008-09 academic year.

René Boiteau, Ryosuke Kita and Tami Lieberman have received Goldwater Scholarships, chosen for their scientific accomplishments and promise. Samuel Schiller and Nikolai Smith join the ranks of committed environmentalists chosen as Udall Scholars, with Hannah Pitt given an Honorable Mention for her contributions.

The students were nominated by Northwestern and chosen on the basis of their academic achievement, volunteer work and extracurricular activities.

Boiteau is a double major in chemistry and the Integrated Science Program; Kita is a triple major in mathematics, earth and planetary sciences and the Integrated Science Program; and Lieberman majors in biological sciences. Schiller and Smith are both social policy majors and Smith also has a major in international studies. Pitt is an economics major.

The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation awarded 321 scholarships for the 2008-2009 academic year. Each scholarship provides up to $7,500 per year. The scholars were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,035 students who were nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities nationwide.

The Goldwater Scholarship is designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences, and engineering. It is the premier undergraduate award of its type in these fields.

The Udall Scholars were selected from among 510 candidates nominated by 239 colleges and universities. Each scholarship provides up to $5,000 for one year, with Honorable Mention receiving a $350 award.

The 80 students selected from 64 colleges and universities as Udall Scholars were chosen on the basis of commitment to careers in the environment, health care or tribal public policy, leadership potential, and academic achievement. The 14-member independent review committee also awarded 51 Honorable Mentions.