Junior biochemistry major and Honors Scholar Sarah Harris has been nominated for the Barry Goldwater Scholarship based on her academic excellence and promising undergraduate research. For over 30 years, the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation has awarded thousands of undergraduates pursuing careers in STEM research. Harris currently works with assistant professor of chemistry Dr. Patrick Lackey researching the molecular-level processes that occur when a cell is dividing.

Harris was recruited and nominated by 1994 Goldwater scholar Dr. Craig Caylor, associate professor of physics at Westminster. Caylor serves as Westminster’s campus representative and aids nominees throughout the application process. As Harris completes the application process, she believes the rigorous process will be very rewarding in the end.

“While I feel very honored to have the opportunity to apply for this scholarship, I am also so grateful for the faculty at Westminster to have supported and guided me through this endeavor,” says Harris. “Without the help of Dr. Caylor, Dr. Patrick Lackey, Dr. Helen Boylan and Dr. Pete Smith, this process would have been much more difficult.”

In order to be nominated for the Goldwater Scholarship, each nominee must be a current sophomore or junior; have at least a 3.0 GPA and be in the top 25% of their class; must have US citizenship/permanent residency; and must have an interest in a career in mathematics, natural sciences or engineering.

Each 4-year college/university can nominate up to four students to be considered for an award. Visit https://goldwater.scholarsapply.org/ to learn more about the Goldwater Scholarship.

For more information, contact Caylor at caylorcl@westminster.edu or 724-946-7202.

More Stories