Two USA Engineering Students Recognized by 2015 Goldwater Scholarship Competition

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Posted on May 11, 2015

Alice Jackson

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University of South Alabama junior Robert Mines, 19, a chemical and biomolecular engineering major, has been named a 2015 Goldwater Scholar by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.

Mines, who is from Pensacola, Fla., received an honorable mention in last year’s competition. He is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the University’s Sustainability Council. He has received the Tau Beta Pi Outstanding Sophomore Scholarship and the Dr. Ted Huddleston Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund in Chemical Engineering.

“Robert has been doing research since his freshman year, and he is just phenomenal,” said Dr. Michael Doran, director of the USA Honors Program and professor of computer science.

Mines’ faculty mentors are Dr. Christy Wheeler West, assistant professor of chemical/biomolecular engineering, and Dr. Larry Yet, assistant professor of chemistry.

USA student Mikayla Wheeler, a chemical engineering major from Ocean Springs, Miss., received honorable mention in the prestigious competition. Her mentors are Dr. Tom Rich, associate professor of pharmacology, and Dr. Silas Leavesley, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering.

“Robert received honorable mention in the competition last year, and we are certainly looking forward to Mikayla applying again next year,” Doran said.

The 260 Goldwater Scholars were selected from a field of 1,206 mathematics, science and engineering students nominated by faculty members at colleges and universities nationwide. The Goldwater Foundation said 145 of the scholars are men, 115 are women and virtually all of them intend to obtain a Ph.D. as their degree objective. Thirty-four of the scholars are mathematics majors, 154 are science and related majors, 68 are majoring in engineering and four are computer science majors. The one and two-year scholarships cover the cost of tuition, fees, books and room and board for up to a maximum of two years. 

 

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