For the twenty-second consecutive year, USC students have been named Goldwater Scholars. A total of 45 Goldwater Scholarships have been won by USC students since 1990. All 45 Goldwater Scholars have been members of the South Carolina Honors College.
Connor Bain and Eric Bringley have been named 2014 Barry M. Goldwater Scholars and Daniel Utter has received an Honorable Mention. Nationally, 283 Goldwater Scholars were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,166 mathematics, science, and engineering students, nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities nationwide. The one and two year scholarships will cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, room and board for up to a maximum of $7,500 per year.
The Goldwater Scholarship is awarded nationally to sophomores and juniors pursuing bachelors' degrees in natural sciences, mathematics, or engineering and who intend to pursue a career in research and/or college-level teaching. Each university may only nominate four students for this award.
Bain is a junior, double majoring in Computer Science and Mathematics with a minor in Music, and a member of the South Carolina Honors College. He is the Solomon Blatt Carolina Scholar. Bain has participated in interdisciplinary and diverse research experiences since high school, including an REU at Duke working in the Systems and Networking Research Group (SyNRG) and with Dr. Nelakuditi (USC Computer Science) in mobile computing. An accomplished percussionist, he is also working on a composition for Vibraphone and Google glass he plans to perform. Bain is a co-founder of Carolina Science Outreach, a 2013 Magellan Scholar, 2012-13 Leadership Scholar, 2013 Udall Honorable Mention, and the recipient of the Joseph M. Biedenbach and Wyman L. Williams Mathematics Scholarships. He plans to earn a PhD in Computer Science and conduct research on the frontier of mobile computing and teach at the university level.
Bringley is a sophomore in the South Carolina Honors College, pursuing dual degrees in Chemical Engineering and Chemistry. An Eagle Scout, he is also a 2013 Magellan Scholar and 2012 Rothesburg Scholar. Bringley's research career began while he was in high school, working with Dr. Stephen Morgan (USC Chemistry) where he continues to do research. He researched as an intern at the Library of Congress last summer. He is a peer tutor in physics, math and chemistry and high school and middle school tutor for math and chemistry. Bringley plans to complete a PhD in Analytical Chemistry and conduct research analytic forensic chemistry and teach at the university level.
Utter is a junior Marine Science major with an emphasis in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. He is currently the lead undergraduate lab assistant for Dr. James Pinckney (USC Marine Science) and a lab assistant for Baruch Wet Lab. Additionally, he earned a Magellan Scholarship to research a coral disease topic, mentored by Dr. Pamela Morris (USC Marine Science). Previous research experience includes interning at the Republic of the Marshall Islands EPA and at the South African Shark Conservancy. He is a member of Students Engaged in Aquatic Sciences (SEAS), Wildlife Association at USC (WAUSC) and is a contributing writer to MarSci, USC's undergraduate marine science journal. Utter plans to pursue a PhD in Marine Biology and conduct research on biochemical pathways of marine organisms at the cellular level.
The University's Goldwater Committee, chaired by Dr. Douglas Meade (Mathematics) and including faculty members Dr. Melissa Moss (Chemical and Biomedical Engineering), Dr. Scott Goode (Chemistry), Dr. Susan Alexander (South Carolina Honors College), and Dr. Seth John (Earth and Ocean Sciences), worked with all the University nominees in preparing their applications. The Office of Fellowships and Scholar Programs (www.sc.edu/ofsp) further assisted the Goldwater applicants.