A junior majoring in chemistry was one of only two University of Illinois students to win a prestigious Barry M. Goldwater scholarship for the 2009-2010 academic year. The award will help Anthony Mazzotti, of Taylorville, Ill., finish undergraduate studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences before attending graduate school.
The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program, established by Congress in 1986, aims to provide a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians, and engineers by awarding scholarships to sophomores and juniors from the U.S. who intend to pursue careers in those fields. The program honors Sen. Barry M. Goldwater of Arizona, who served 30 years in the U.S. Senate. He died in 1998.
Competition for the scholarships is highly competitive. The 278 Goldwater Scholars for 2009-2010 were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,097 students who were nominated by faculty members. The one- and two-year scholarships cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year.
Mazzotti plans to study organic chemistry in graduate school. He is interested in pursuing medical and doctoral degrees and has long-term goals that include developing new chemical methodologies to synthesize and derivitize molecules for potential medical applications.
He is working with M. Christina White, a professor in the organic chemistry department, on developing a Palladium-mediated allylic amination reaction.
Derek Vardon, of Bolingbrook, Ill., a junior in civil and environmental engineering, was the only other student at the University of Illinois to receive the Goldwater scholarship this year. James Polans, a junior electrical engineering major from Dekalb, Ill., received an honorable mention.
