Skip to Main Content Skip to Main Navigation Skip to Footer
UNG Logo
  • Info For...
    • Accepted Students
    • Current Students
    • Parents & Family
    • Faculty & Staff
    • Alumni
    • Business & Community
    • International Students
  • Quicklinks
    • Directories
    • myUNG
    • Academic Catalogs
    • Athletics
    • Banner
    • Bookstore
    • Calendars
    • Campuses & Maps
    • Continuing Education
    • D2L
    • Employment / HR
    • IT Service Desk
    • Libraries
    • UNG Foundation
  • Admissions
  • Corps of Cadets
  • Academics
  • Cost & Aid
  • Student Life
  • News & Events
  • Athletics
  • About Us

Find the most up-to-date information on the Presidential Search site.

Newsroom
  • All Articles
  • Media Relations Contact
  • Expert Guide
  • Points of Pride
  • Magazine
  • Social Media
    1. UNG
    2. News

    Two students named Goldwater Scholars

    April 10, 2022
    UNG students Alisha Paul and Anna Cronan have won Barry Goldwater Scholarships, making UNG the only public university in Georgia with multiple recipients this year.

    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.

    Contact the Author

    Biology professor,  student win awards

    Biology professor, student win awards

    Dr. Cathy Whiting, a UNG professor of biology, won the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society's Gail Jenkins Teaching and Mentoring Award, and her student Juliza Abrego also won an award from the group.
    Poultry team takes 5th at national event

    Poultry team takes 5th at national event

    UNG's poultry judging team finished fifth overall at the annual USPOULTRY Foundation National Contest, including top-six finishes in all three categories, and earned six individual awards.
    Biology students win awards at conference

    Biology students win awards at conference

    Three student groups won awards for their research at this year's annual Wildlife Society meeting held in Macon, Georgia, in March.
    Biology students earn best poster honor

    Biology students earn best poster honor

    UNG students Atticus Tomcho and Mary Dickens teamed up to win the best poster award in the earth sciences section at the annual Georgia Academy of Sciences Conference held March 3-4.

    UNG Logo
    • Contact Us
    • Request Information
    • Quick Facts
    • Campus Maps & Directions
    • Student Consumer Information
    • Campus Safety
    • Emergency Information
    • Employment/HR
    • UNG Policies & Procedures
    • UNG Alumni Association
    • UNG Foundation
    • Ethics & Compliance Hotline
    • Human Trafficking Notice
    • Equal Empl. Opportunity

    © 2023 The University System of Georgia and the University of North Georgia.

    UNG follows the section 508 Standards and WCAG 2.0 for web accessibility. If you require this content in another format, please send an email to the ADA Coordinator.

    Use of military-themed imagery does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Department of Defense.

    • Accreditation
    • Accessibility
    • Privacy Policy
    Establishing Connection...
    AskNigel