June 2002: Vol. 81, No. 3June 2002: Vol. 81, No. 3 |
 |
|
For the second year in a row, four UGA students were selected to receive a prestigious Goldwater Scholarship—a distinction only two other universities can claim.
 Jennifer Srygley (top, at undergrad research fair) wants to use genetics to cure diseases. Kate Smith (bottom, holding baby gator) skipped her senior year of high school and plans to study chemistry, pathology, or immunology. |
|
"Students must have a 3.0 GPA and be in the top quarter of their class," says Wanni Spence of the Goldwater Foundation. "But virtually all of this year's winners have a 4.0—or higher. These are phenomenal individuals. This year's group includes a 12-year-old college student. But we have had recipients as old as 42—and a girl who graduated from high school and college on the same day."
UGA's recipients are Jennifer Gibson, a junior pursuing a joint master's and bachelor's degree in cellular biology; Kate Smith, a sophomore genetics major; Jennifer Srygley, a junior genetics and creative writing major; and Josh Woodruff, a junior planning to earn either a medical degree or a doctorate in immunology.
Applicants had to write one long essay on a problem plaguing his or her area of interest, and four or five smaller essays outlining research activities, career goals, professional aspirations, and background.
"I wrote my essay on the study of a large group of hormones and the interaction between them, focusing on the deficiencies that arise from that interaction," says Srygley, who happens to be Gibson's roommate. "The study of genetics has the potential to discover the causes of many diseases and cures for those diseases. This is eventually what I want to do."
 Jennifer Gibson (shown in India, where she taught basic health care and worked at Mother Teresa's Home for the Dying) plans to be a doctor-researcher. Josh Woodruff (photo unavailable because he was in Africa) wants to bring Web-based diagnostic capabilities to hospitals in Africa. |
|
Woodruff—who was traveling in Africa as GM went to press—hopes to develop a plan for sustainable and affordable public health care, focusing on vaccines to treat diseases in developing countries.
Smith, who skipped her senior year of high school to start college, is the sister of Steven Smith, one of last year's Goldwater Scholars. "I really like the Honors Program here," she says, "and there are so many other programs to get involved in, like CURO [the Center for Undergraduate Research Studies]. "Whatever problem I have, I can go to the Honors office and everyone will be there to help me. It's a small-school setting within the larger university."
Smith is torn between studying immunology, chemistry, and pathology, but at the age of 18, she has plenty of time to decide. "People have the misconception that doctors are a lot like car mechanics—and I disagree with that," says Smith, who has a summer internship with the National Cancer Institute. "My father, who is a pathologist, is not like that. He is constantly researching and finding new things."
Karl Espelie, head of the Goldwater faculty committee and a professor of biological sciences and entomology, points out that these students do not spend their days cooped up in a laboratory.
"Woodruff has been to Africa, and is planning to help hospitals there get access to the Web to help with diagnoses. Srygley is also a poet and will be presenting her thesis next week. Gibson is the founding member and president of American Women in Science, an organization she formed to help young women get started in scientific careers. Smith is only a sophomore and has already done a tremendous amount of work in the lab. All of them have done a great job in class and in their research programs, but they have all done so much more."
www.uga.edu/diversity
UGA's Office of Institutional Diversity has moved into the Holmes-Hunter Academic Building and launched a new Web site (www.uga.edu/diversity) to centralize information about diversity in higher education and at UGA. The full text of the office's strategic plan, developed by a task force earlier this year, is available at the site. Eventually, the office's annual report and research reports also will be available. There is also a section for events and news. Under the "Resources" heading, there is a collection of links to relevant sites on and off campus.