The accolades just keep coming for West Virginia University’s exceptional scholars – and this year, those accolades are breaking records.
This spring, WVU students have been awarded 30 global, prestigious scholarships and fellowships to support their dreams of researching and making contributions to science, learning new languages, teaching abroad, studying different cultures and forming solutions to critical world issues.
This year’s cadre of awardees is up from last year’s total of 17, an increase of 76 percent. The highest number of global scholarship winners ever recorded at WVU was 21 in 2013, marking a 43 percent increase from the University’s previous best year.
In addition to the winners, two WVU students were named as finalists for these coveted awards.
The sharp increase in competitive scholarship winners isn’t at all surprising to WVU President Gordon Gee, who says that WVU attracts the nation’s best and brightest scholars – and gives them the tools to excel and compete academically as they research and solve the world’s problems. Gee and Provost Joyce McConnell recognized these scholars at an April 27 event held at the Erickson Alumni Center.
“The achievements of our exceptional scholars is just one of the many indicators of the momentum that is building at West Virginia University,” Gee said. “This institution is not only competing with, but is producing, some of the nation’s most elite scholars. I congratulate these students on their hard work and accomplishments. I have no doubt they will make remarkable discoveries on their journeys.”
The WVU ASPIRE Office serves as the on-campus hub and support system for WVU students pursuing these prestigious awards. They are championed by ASPIRE Director Amy Cyphert, who encourages them and who guides them through the application and interview processes.
“The record number of students who won these awards demonstrates that these selection committees recognize that some of the best and brightest students in the nation are Mountaineers,” Cyphert said.
The 30 students who have been awarded scholarships or fellowships are listed below. (Full stories on each scholarship will be published on WVUToday in the coming weeks.)
Boren Scholarship
Sarah Campbell, geography and Spanish majors.
Audrey Geise, agriculture.
Madeleine Hall, international studies and history majors.
Critical Language Scholarship
Madeleine Hall, history and international studies majors.
Amna Khan, first-year medical school student.
Colin Lopez, international studies.
Fulbright Scholarship
Savanah Alberts, English.
Katelyn Bustin, chemistry.
Nicole Young, sport and exercise psychology.
Gilman Scholarship (producing a record 11 winners this year)
Alessandra Daniels, world languages, literature and linguistics.
Meghan Goettel, accounting.
Andrew Morrison, engineering.
Matt Parsley, exercise physiology.
Rachel Parsley, nursing.
Jacob Powers, political science.
Courtney Scarlato, world languages, literature and linguistics and nursing majors.
Jamie Shimp, history.
Andrew Truax, political science.
Janelle Vickers, English and communication studies majors.
Sarah Yourman, occupational therapy.
Goldwater Scholarship
Ryan Mezan, biomedical engineering.
Zach Short, physics.
National Institute of Standards and Technology Fellowship
Sydney Brooks, chemistry and forensic science majors.
Anna Gilpin, biomedical engineering.
Samantha Isaacs, physics and mathematics majors.
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
Trevor Butcher, chemistry.
Joseph Carrara, graduate student studying biology.
Andy Maloney, chemical engineering.
Nick Ohi, mechanical and aerospace engineering majors.
Udall Scholarship
Amanda Stoner, environmental geosciences and international studies majors.
WVU students named as finalists:
Clara Beth Novotny, international studies and biochemistry majors, Rhodes Scholarship.
Samantha Shimer, international studies, Truman Scholarship.
-WVU-
hr/05/06/16
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