Calvin claims four Goldwater Scholarships

Calvin claims four Goldwater Scholarships

Four Calvin College students have been named Barry M. Goldwater scholars for the 2009-2010 academic year. These students, all of whom will be seniors next fall, will receive a scholarship providing each with up to $7,500 for tuition, room and board, books and supplies.

The scholarships are named after Senator Barry M. Goldwater, who served his country for 56 years as a soldier and statesman. The scholarships are designed to help students who are pursuing careers in the field of sciences.

This year's Goldwater recipients include Alexandra Cok, a biochemistry major from Rochester, N.Y., Tim Ferdinands, a mathematics major from Grand Rapids, Mich., Lukas Leisman, a physics and astronomy major from Ada, Mich., and Sarah Tasker, a biochemistry major from Grand Rapids, Mich.

Biology professor Rich Nyhof who supervises the Goldwater program at Calvin, says that students must be nominated by the school to be eligible for the award. Nyhof says the students are chosen based on several criteria, including a commitment to a teaching or research career in the basic sciences or mathematics, a high GPA (often in the top five or so in their class), and a commitment to research demonstrated through substantial work on a research project at some point during the school year or over the summer.

Each year, Calvin and other four-year colleges and universities across the country are able to nominate up to four junior or senior students for Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships. This year, for the first time at Calvin, all four student nominees were named scholars. Nyhof says this is quite a feat, considering that only 27 percent of the nominees (278 of 1,035) received the award, and the nominees represent the top students in the country interested in careers in the basic sciences and mathematics.

"It is highly unusual and almost unbelievable to have all four nominees named scholars," said Nyhof of Calvin's success.

In addition, one of last year's recipients, junior Melissa Haegert, will renew her scholarship in her senior year, giving Calvin five Goldwater scholars for the upcoming academic year.

CONTACT:
Rich Nyhof
Biology professor
Calvin College
616.526.6347
nyhr@calvin.edu
Received on Thu Apr 2 14:36:36 2009