Two of the three UT students chosen as 2017-18 Goldwater Scholarship recipients hail from the Tickle College of Engineering.
Christopher Neal, a junior in chemical and biomolecular engineering, Andrew Wintenberg a junior majoring in both electrical engineering and mathematics, were both chosen for the honor, one of the nation’s highest, most selective awards for undergraduate students.
“Being named Goldwater Scholars means they have competed successfully with the finest undergraduate STEM students in the country,” said Andrew Seidler, director of UT’s Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships. “This is a tremendous accomplishment for each of them and, with three Goldwater Scholars in a single year, a clear indication of the quality of students at UT.”
Kimberly Bress, a junior majoring in neuroscience and mental health, was the third.
The Goldwater Scholarship Program was established by Congress in 1986 to honor Sen. Barry M. Goldwater. It was designed to encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering. UT has had 17 students named Goldwater Scholars in the last decade.
More on the Tickle College of Engineering’s winners:
Christopher Neal, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, is a member of the Chancellor’s Honors Program, Tau Beta Pi engineering honors society and the Tickle College of Engineering’s Joseph C. and Judith E. Cook Grand Challenge Scholars Program.
He has done research with Thomas Zawodzinski Jr., the Governor’s Chair for Electrical Energy Conversion and Storage, and Senior Research Associate Gabriel Goenaga for more than two years. He has worked with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and numerous international companies.
A member of the Chem-E-Car Team, Neal has served as the team’s captain for the past year. He is also a resident assistant in the new Stokely Hall.
His goals are to earn a doctorate in chemical engineering with a focus on electrochemistry. He wants to conduct research on alternative electrical energy storage devices (that is, upcoming battery technologies) and teach at the university level.
“Earning the Barry Goldwater Scholarship is perhaps the greatest honor I have ever received,” he said, adding that the scholarship is likely to open doors for him. “This scholarship has afforded me the opportunity to realize my full potential in research and academic excellence.”
Andrew Wintenberg, of Farragut, Tennessee, has been researching methods in nonintrusive load monitoring with Professor Hairong Qi in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. In addition, he has researched Butson Hadamard matrices with Associate Professor Remus Nicoara of the Department of Mathematics.
His goals are to earn a doctorate in mathematics and conduct research on mathematical methods in signal processing.
“Being selected as a Goldwater Scholar is a great honor. I am excited to continue my research career with the opportunities provided by this award,” he said.
For more on the Goldwater program, visit TNToday.com