Two students in the College of LAS have been selected from a nationwide field of future mathematicians, scientists, and engineers to receive Barry M. Goldwater scholarships for the 2016-17 and 2017-18 academic years. A third received honorable mention.
Sophomores Elijah Karvelis and Boris Xu were among 252 Goldwater Scholars selected from a field of 1,150 nominees on the basis of academic merit. Junior Pariyamon Thaprawat was among 256 selected for honorable mention. For Karvelis and Xu, the scholarships cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board for up to a maximum of $7,500 for each of the next two years.
“Nationally, only 20 percent of Goldwater Scholarships are awarded to sophomores, so it speaks volumes that two of our second-year students have found such success at this early stage of their education,” said David Schug, director of the National and International Scholarships Program at Illinois. “These flourishing scientists have seized the research opportunities presented to undergraduates at Illinois.”
Karvelis, of Pecatonica, Ill., studies chemical and biomolecular engineering. He is a member of both the Campus Honors and James Scholar programs at Illinois and is attending Illinois with the aid of a Stamps Leadership Scholarship. Karvelis plans to pursue a PhD in chemical or biological engineering and conduct research in biotechnology to advance health sciences. His initial introduction to research was at Highland Community College, where Karvelis took classes during his last two years of high school.
Karvelis has worked with chemical and biomolecular engineering professor Charles Schroeder to synthesize structurally defined polymers. Last summer, he participated in a National Science Foundation-sponsored Research Experience for Undergraduates at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Xu, of Hartsburg, Mo., studies algebraic geometry and algebraic number theory. His work includes research on representation theory with mathematics professor Thomas Nevins and on enumerative geometry with mathematics professor Sheldon Katz. In summer 2015, Xu studied at the Park City Mathematics Institute and in a Research Experience for Undergraduates at the University of Chicago, where was the only freshman accepted to this National Science Foundation-sponsored program. Xu plans to pursue a PhD in mathematics and conduct research in geometry, topology and number theory, and to teach mathematics at the university level.
Thaprawat, of Des Plaines, Ill., studies molecular and cellular biology with an interest in studying molecular mechanisms of bacterial infectious diseases. A James Scholar honors student, Thaprawat has served as an organizer for the University’s Global Health Initiative and as an MCB leader, guiding prospective molecular and cellular biology students. She has worked with microbiology professor James Slauch to conduct research on protein interactions and post-translational regulation of salmonella’s type III secretion system. Thaprawat plans to earn a master’s and PhD in microbiology and to conduct research at a university or a hospital.
The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program was established by Congress in 1986 to honor Barry M. Goldwater, who served 30 years in the U.S. Senate. He died in 1998. The award is considered one of the most prestigious undergraduate scholarships in the country, with nominees selected by faculty members.
