April 27, 2006

Three students win major scholarships

Weinberg junior receives Goldwater Scholarship

Andrew Lee, junior in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, has been awarded the 2006-07 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship.

A student in the Integrated Science Program (ISP), Lee studies mathematics and biology, with a concentration in neurobiology. He has previously received a research stipend from the Institute for Policy Research and a grant from the University Research Grant Committee. He is also an ISP peer advisor and a member of the ISP government.

Lee is currently conducting ion channel research in the electrophysiology and biophysics lab of Indira Raman, associate professor of neurobiology and physiology. He aspires to continue studying neurobiology in graduate school.

The Goldwater Scholarship covers the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year. It is one of the most desirable undergraduate awards. Recipients are chosen based on a high GPA, research experience and experience in positions of leadership. Sophomores and juniors  in mathematics, the natural sciences or engineering are eligible. This year, 1,081 students were nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities nationwide. Only 323 scholarships were awarded.

The Scholarship Program honoring U.S. Senator Barry M. Goldwater was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, natural sciences and engineering. It was established in 1986.

Communication senior named Luce Scholar

Nicole E. Ripley, senior in the School of Communication, has been selected as a 2006-07 Luce Scholar.

A theatre major, Ripley is very active within the theatre department, serving as a student representative for Discover NU and Recruitathon. She was president of the Student Theatre Coalition and the WAVE Productions executive board, both for three years. She also directed, stage-managed, acted and produced several student theatre productions.

Ripley has received several previous honors including being named a Communication Century Scholar and being inducted into the Lambda Pi Eta Communication Honors Society and Mortarboard National Honor Society.

The Henry Luce Foundation is currently in collaboration with the Asia Foundation to find a year-long placement for Ripley in Asia. While abroad, she will use theatre for empowerment and education.

Ripley is among 15 young Americans chosen by the Luce Scholars Program each year. Luce Scholars are provided with a stipend and a cost of living and housing allowance. The Luce Program also funds intensive language study for the country where the scholar is placed. The purpose of the program is to increase awareness of Asia among future leaders in American society.

Luce Scholars have backgrounds in virtually any field. The program is unique in that it is intended for young leaders who have no prior experience with Asia. Placements can be made in the following countries in East and Southeast Asia: Brunei, Cambodia, China and Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Weinberg junior receives Truman Scholarship

David S. Rubenstein, junior in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, has received the Harry S. Truman Scholarship.

A history major with a concentration in Middle East studies, Rubenstein is currently in Cairo studying Arabic language and international affairs. He is also working as a tutor in a refugee program.

Rubenstein has a history of being active in community service, having volunteered at a homeless shelter and taught for the America Reads program. He received an undergraduate research grant last summer, which allowed him to conduct research at the JFK Presidential Library in Boston with former Special Counsel to President Kennedy, Theodore Sorenson.

The Truman Scholarship provides $30,000 for graduate study along with priority admission and supplemental financial aid, leadership training, career and graduate school counseling and special internship opportunities within the federal government.

Only 75 students were selected for the scholarship from a pool of 598 candidates nominated by 311 colleges and universities. Scholars were elected by 19 independent selection panels on the basis of leadership potential, intellectual ability and likelihood of “making a difference.” Recipients must have outstanding leadership and communication skills, be in the top quarter of their class and be committed to careers in government or the not-for-profit sector.

The Truman Scholarship Foundation was established by Congress in 1975 as the federal memorial to America’s 33rd President. The activities of the foundation are supported by a special trust fund in the United States Treasury.