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News
Three RIT undergraduates, Brandy Pappas from Corning, New York, Jessica Smith from Hamlin, New York, and Matthew Woodruff from Clifton Park, New York, have been named 2007 Goldwater Scholars. Andrew Varble from Henrietta, New York won an honorable mention. Brandy and Jessica are both Biochemistry majors. The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship is the premier undergraduate award for students interested in pursuing a career in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering. The award is based on academic merit, and virtually all winners plan on pursuing a Ph.D. Many have extensive undergraduate research experience as well. This year, 317 sophomores and juniors were selected from 1,110 nominees. The $7,500 per year scholarship covers tuition, fees, books, and room and board. Goldwater Scholars compose an elite group with 69 Rhodes Scholarships and 86 Marshall Awards being awarded to past Goldwater Scholars. Brandy Pappas, a junior biochemistry major with a minor in both physics and psychology, will receive $7500 for her senior year. Brandy has been involved in undergraduate research, working in the biophysics laboratory of Dr. George Thurston since her freshman year. Her research involves the characterization of human eye lens protein alpha crystallin. Brandy also carried out single molecule studies of genome packaging in bacteriophage lambda in the laboratory of Doug Smith as part of an NSF REU program at UCSD. Brandy has presented her research in a number of venues at RIT and at the New York Complex Matter Workshop. Brandy plans to obtain her Ph.D. in Biophysics or Biophysical Chemistry, and pursue an academic career of teaching and research, focusing on neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Brandy is in the RIT honors program, is president of the RIT honors council, holds an RIT presidential scholarship, and has recently been named an RIT outstanding scholar. Jessica Smith, a junior biochemistry major, will also receive $7500 for her senior year. Jessica has been involved in undergraduate research since her sophomore year, currently working in the synthetic organic research laboratory of Dr. Tina Collison. Additionally, Jessica has done biochemistry research on discovery of potential novel antibiotic targets and in proteomics at RIT, and participated in an NSF REU program at the University of Rochester focusing on proteins vital to pathogenic E. coli’s infection mechanism. Jessica plans to obtain her Ph.D. in biochemistry or bio-organic chemistry, and pursue a career at either a research university or pharmaceutical company. Jessica holds an RIT presidential scholarship and a James Wilson memorial scholarship, is in the RIT research scholars program, and recently won a GlaxoSmithKline summer research fellowship to continue her research at RIT this summer.
March 2007
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