Three N.C State students have been awarded the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship.
Recipients included Cody Melton, a junior in physics and applied mathematics; Morgan Carter, a junior in biochemistry; and Eric Whitmire, a junior in biomedical engineering and computer science.
The Goldwater Scholarship was established in 1986 by Congress to honor Senator Barry M. Goldwater for his 56 years of serving the country. The scholarship is awarded to students pursuing careers in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering fields. Each year, only 300 sophomores and juniors nationwide are named Goldwater scholars and receive an award of $7500 per year.
The process to become a Goldwater scholar is rigorous. Each university can nominate only four undergraduates who they deem to be a future asset to the science, mathematics and engineering realm. N.C. State had more Goldwater scholars than any other institution in the state this year.
“I don’t have words for what receiving the Goldwater Scholarship means to me. I feel like I can do it,” Carter said. “That sounds silly, but academia is a competitive, tough world. I feel more confident about entering that world, knowing that other people have faith in me and think I’ve done well. I also feel like my hard work in college has paid off and been recognized.”
Melton, Carter and Whitmire each have unique, extensive research studies that set them apart from the rest as they set out to increase knowledge in research and to help mankind.
Melton’s research consisted of “the production of heavy nuclei in core-collapse supernovae.”
“The research that I do helps mankind in that we begin to understand our origins,” Melton said. “All of the heavy elements that permeate our everyday lives were produced in the energetic explosions of dying stars. This research aids in our understanding of this process, and the more we learn, the more we know about our history and where we came from.”
Carter worked on “silencing experiments in the fungus Mycosphaerella fijiensis, which infects bananas and plantains.”
“Bananas and plantains are the fourth most economically important food crop in the world and are a major food source for subsistence farmers,” Carter said. “If we can understand how the pathogens work, we can develop methods to keep them from killing crops or to make more resistant crops. This would be beneficial for big companies, but also for subsistence farmers who need bananas as a starch source in their diet.”
Whitmire worked on controlling the movements of live cockroaches. His research is based on a small piece of circuitry called a “backpack,” which is placed on the cockroach and sends a small electrical pulse to its antenna. Whitmire has progressed from simply making the cockroach move right and left from a remote control, to automatically tracking the insect and directing it towards a specific target.
“We hope to get to the point where these insects would be useful in a search-and-rescue situation,” Whitmire said. “In the event of a building collapse or some other hazardous situation, first responders could use a network of these insects to map out the disaster site and keep humans out of harm’s way.”
Melton, Carter and Whitmire all plan to pursue further research in graduate school in their respective fields and are considering teaching at the college level.
“Ultimately, I hope that this award will help me pursue my research interests in my graduate career and beyond,” Whitmire said. “Right now, it is an encouragement to continue putting my best work into my research.”
