University of New Mexico students Aaron Brooks and Katie Liberatore are bringing home coveted Goldwater Scholarships. From a field of 1,081 applicants, they are two in a group of 323 students nationally to win the award that pays for tuition, fees, books and room and board to a maximum of $7,500 per year for two years.
Photo: Goldwater Scholars Katie Liberatore and Aaron Brooks
The two University Honors Program students were chosen based on academic excellence, research experience and potential to contribute to their fields. Both are graduates of Rio Rancho High School, Brooks in 2002, Liberatore in 2003.
Brooks, son of Alan Brooks and Geri Beel, is a Regents’ Scholar and biochemistry major who chose to attend UNM because of the opportunity to work as an undergraduate side-by-side in the lab with a mentor. His mentor is David Bear, professor in cell biology and physiology.
“I have worked directly with Dr. Bear for four years conducting research on OPMD [oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy], a disease prevalent among Hispanics,” Brooks said.
“Aaron’s diverse interests – in philosophy, politics as well as science – put him in a unique situation where science and ethical issues are involved. He will no doubt play a role in developing new science, but also in addressing how it affects social policy,” Bear said.
Brooks is considering changing his focus to include medicine, but, he said, “I am a lab rat at heart. I’ll never leave research behind.” The Goldwater Scholarship will allow him to complete a fifth year of undergraduate study at UNM.
Liberatore, daughter of John and Sharon Liberatore, is a Presidential Scholar and a biology major, chemistry minor, who also chose UNM because of the undergraduate research possibilities.
“I applied many plDavid Brookshire but chose UNM because of the opportunity to work with Dr. Stephanie Ruby at the Cancer Research and Treatment Center,” Liberatore said.
“Katie is an outstanding student with great potential to be an innovative research scientist. She has made excellent contributions to ongoing research in the lab,” Ruby said.
Liberatore also recently learned that she received a fellowship through the American Society for Microbiology for this summer. It will give her a stipend to allow her to continue her work in Ruby’s lab.
Both Brooks and Liberatore credit strong math and science programs at Rio Rancho High School with preparing them academically.
“Research is strongly emphasized. They host one of the largest high school research expos. I was able to take advanced placement science, biology and physics courses,” Brooks said.
Acquaintances in high school, both attended a travel abroad program to Italy while in high school and both will take part in a UNM study abroad program this summer in Australia where they will study the country’s biodiversity.
“Instead of looking at this at the cellular level, we will be engaged in different kinds of research – ecology and botany-based,” Liberatore said.
Established by Congress in 1986 to foster and encourage excellence in science and mathematics, the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation operates an educational scholarship program designed to provide opportunities for American undergraduate students with excellent academic records and outstanding potential. Goldwater Scholarships support study in the fields of mathematics, engineering and the natural sciences as preparation for careers in these areas. Awards are made on the basis of merit.
“Winning a Goldwater is a very competitive process,” said Diane Rawls, University Honors Program lecturer and UNM faculty contact for the Goldwater Foundation. “This is only the second time in the 18-year history of the foundation that two of our students have won in the same year.”
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Posted by scarr at April 5, 2006 04:49 PM