Two K-Staters win Goldwater Scholarships
Two K-State students were awarded $15,000 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships last week. Sandra Koo, sophomore in microbiology, and Peter Pauzauskie, sophomore in chemical engineering, chemistry, and mathematics, were two of the 304 students who were selected to receive the Goldwater Scholarship for the 1999-2000 school year. The Goldwater is a national scholarship awarded to undergraduate sophomores and juniors who are in the fields of mathematics, science and engineering.
Koo said she didn't think she had won and was bracing herself for that. "I didn't believe it at first," she said. "I shut the door to my lab and was jumping up and down." She said the scholarship honors those individuals who are researching things now that they will focus on in the future. "It represents honor and prestige," Koo said. "It supplies me with the money to keep doing the work I am doing."
Pauzauskie said he thought he had a chance of winning, but he didn't want to take it for granted. "I just tried to put it out of my mind until I got it," Pauzauskie said. "That's not to say I didn't check my e-mail and my mail every day hoping to get something." "When I got it, I was just overwhelmed."
Koo has been conducting research to characterize mutants of the maxillopedia in the red floor beetle and analyze the affected region of DNA to determine the nature of the mutation. Koo said the Goldwater will help with applications for schools and for programs she is interested in. "I know that this is definitely where I want to go," she said. "I will continue to build experience in the field of genetics, but will be working on different genes." There wasn't an interview process, Koo said, and that is what is unusual about the Goldwater. Recipients were chosen through an application process. Four students were nominated from K-State. Koo said she had heard that the competition was a lot greater this year, especially in Kansas. "I feel very fortunate -- the competition was really tough," Koo said. "It's something I am really excited and proud of."
Pauzauskie is conducting research regarding nanoparticles and their property of destructive surface absorption. He said that besides the money the scholarship will bring him, it will help him in the other ways as well. "It's very encouraging," he said. "It does wonders for one's motivation. I can't say much about how it will effect my future, but I know it won't hurt."