May 9, 2006
Rachel Smith, a junior at Iowa State University majoring in agricultural biochemistry, has been named a Goldwater Scholar by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.
"It was an honor to receive a scholarship that is nationally competitive," Smith said. "I am very thankful for the help I received from the honors program."
Smith will receive $7,500 a year for two years for room and board, tuition, fees and books. The Minneapolis native will graduate in 2008.
David Acker, associate dean for academic and global programs in the College of Agriculture, said the award is an indication of the quality of students within the college.
"Rachel richly deserves this national recognition for her hard work and her distinguished academic career," Acker said. "We're proud of her and all the academic achievements of our students. Recently, another of our students, senior Amber Herman in public service and administration in agriculture, was one of 75 students nationwide to be named a Truman Scholar by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation. These student honors speak highly of the quality of our educational programs in the College of Agriculture."
Smith was one of 323 college sophomores and juniors nationally to be named a Goldwater Scholar. Smith was nominated for the award by Iowa State faculty and the University Honors program. Scholars are selected based on academic merit in mathematics, science and engineering. Recent Goldwater scholars have been awarded 63 Rhodes Scholarships, 80 Marshall Awards and numerous other distinguished fellowships.
The Goldwater Foundation, which is located in Springfield, Va., is a federally endowed agency established in 1986. The scholarship program honoring Sen. Barry Goldwater was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering.
During the past 18 years, the foundation has awarded 4,885 scholarships worth approximately $48 million.