Two students named Goldwater Scholars
Article By: Clark Leonard
Two University of North Georgia (UNG) students have won the Barry Goldwater Scholarship for 2022-23, making UNG the only public university in Georgia with more than one recipient this year. The other Georgia school with multiple recipients was Emory University with three.
The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation was established by Congress in 1986 to serve as a living memorial to honor the lifetime work of U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater, who served his country for 56 years as a soldier and statesman, including 30 years in the U.S. Senate.
Anna Cronan and Alisha Paul were UNG's Goldwater winners, placing them among 417 sophomores and juniors selected from 1,242 nominees across the country. The Barry Goldwater Scholarship is designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue research careers in the fields of natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics. The Goldwater Scholarship is the preeminent undergraduate award of its type in these fields and will provide up to $15,000 per student over a two-year period.
"Having two Goldwater awardees, both Honors biology majors from separate campuses, is an excellent testament to UNG's dynamic undergraduate research culture and exceptional research mentors across our institution," Dr. Anastasia Lin, assistant vice president of Academic Affairs, director of the Nationally Competitive Scholarships office and dean of Honors, said.
Cronan, a sophomore from Dahlonega, Georgia, pursuing a degree in biology, is a member of the Honors Program on UNG's Dahlonega Campus. She participated in a Faculty Undergraduate Summer Engagement research project in the summer of 2021 with biology lecturers Jessy Patterson and Aminda Everett. They examined the effect of neonicotinoid-based insecticides, used to combat the hemlock woolly adelgid, on non-target species such as amphibians.
Having two Goldwater awardees, both Honors biology majors from separate campuses, is an excellent testament to UNG's dynamic undergraduate research culture and exceptional research mentors across our institution.
Dr. Anastasia Lin
UNG assistant vice president of Academic Affairs, director of Nationally Competitive Scholarships office and dean of Honors
"FUSE developed my skills as a researcher," Cronan said. "Not only did I work in the field, but I also learned how to present my work."
Cronan's ultimate goal is to pursue a Ph.D. in wildlife biology and work with academic and governmental institutions to mitigate the detrimental effects and environmental impact of human land use practices on sensitive ecosystems.
Paul, a sophomore who was raised in Duluth, Georgia, and is pursuing a degree in biology, is a member of the Honors Program on the Gainesville Campus as well as a member of the nationally recognized McNair Scholars Program. Paul, who is originally from Georgetown, Guyana, is also a Goizueta Foundation Scholarship recipient.
"You never know the potential you have until you start giving yourself opportunities to show it," Paul said of the Goldwater Scholarship. "It brings out my confidence and is an acknowledgment of what I can accomplish in life."
Paul has conducted eastern box turtle research with biology faculty members Dr. Jennifer Mook, Dr. Natalie Hyslop, and Dr. Abby Neyer; bioinformatics research on insect DNA with Dr. Evan Lampert, UNG professor of biology; and cancer drug research with Dr. Holly Jones, director of clinical research at Northeast Georgia Medical Center.
Paul aims to pursue a Ph.D. in marine biology, participate in endangered species conservation, and take part in international collaboration in marine biology research.
Cronan and Paul are the fourth and fifth Goldwater recipients from UNG, joining Amanda Ash and Tyler Wilson in 2020-21 and Haley Shea Barfield in 2019-20.
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