FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 19, 2007
MEDIA CONTACT: Beth Higdon
Beth@AstronautScholarship.org or 321-455-7013
Astronauts Take Flight to Distribute $190,000 in Scholarships to Outstanding College Students
Kennedy Space Center, FL — The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF) is proud to award 19 outstanding engineering and science college students with $10,000 scholarships for the 2007–2008 school year.
Several astronauts have made appearances at universities nationwide to personally present the incoming scholarship recipients with an oversized award check. While there, they will also offer a presentation to the student body, meet with key faculty members and tour the science and engineering schools.
The astronauts chose top students from across the country for this award who exhibited exceptional performance, initiative and creativity in the science or engineering field of their major. While scholarship recipients must display intellectual daring, the committee also looks for well-rounded students who are involved in campus and community activities.
"The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's increasingly important mission is to retain America's leadership in science and technology by providing the best this country has to offer with the means to achieve their dreams," said Astronaut Scholarship Foundation Chairman and Apollo 15 astronaut Al Worden. "These students will receive much more than a generous scholarship check; they will receive lifelong mentors — the astronauts — and we believe in them."
Presentations this year included:
Georgia Institute of Technology hosted Apollo 13 Commander Jim Lovell on September 26 as he awarded senior physics and applied mathematics major Nicole Larsen with her check.
Harvey Mudd College congratulated Samuel Eisenberg, a senior physics major, on December 4 as he received his scholarship check from two-time Space Shuttle Astronaut Gordon Fullerton.
North Carolina A&T State University was visited by three-time Space Shuttle Astronaut Charles Bolden, Jr. on October 2 as he congratulated Matthew Pittman a junior biology major on being an Astronaut Scholar.
North Carolina State University and pilot of the maiden flight of the Space Shuttle, Robert Crippen, were proud to honor junior electrical engineering and applied mathematics major Ryan Going and senior biomedical engineering major Adam Young on October 4.
Penn State University was visited by five time Space Shuttle astronaut Robert "Hoot" Gibson on November 15 as he awarded senior astronomy and astrophysics, physics, and mathematics major Vincent Viscomi with his scholarship check.
Syracuse University alumna and first female Space Shuttle Commander Eileen Collins honored senior aerospace engineering major Rebecca Rought with her scholarship check on September 19.
Texas A&M University and Apollo 7 Astronaut Walt Cunningham presented senior aerospace engineering major Daniel Araya with his check on October 17.
University of Central Florida hosted Apollo 14 moonwalker Edgar Mitchell as he paid tribute to Benjamin Corbin, a senior aerospace engineering major, on November 15.
University of Colorado alumnus and Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter congratulated Benjamin Safdi, a senior engineering physics and applied mathematics major, on November 15 as he received his scholarship check.
University of Kentucky was visited by Apollo 15 Command Module Pilot Al Worden on September 18 to present junior chemical engineering major Andrew Lynch with his scholarship check.
University of Michigan alumnus and Apollo 15 Command Module Pilot Al Worden honored Matthew McKeown, a senior aerospace engineering major, with the Astronaut Scholarship on October 19.
Washington University in St. Louis along with Apollo 16 moonwalker Charlie Duke presented senior chemistry and earth and space sciences major Lonia Friedlander with her scholarship check on November 1.
Scholarship candidates are nominated by faculty members and reviewed by a board at each of the 19 cooperating educational institutions. Two nominees from each school are submitted to the Foundation's Scholarship Committee, comprised mostly of astronauts, former academia personnel and past scholarship recipients, for selection. The selections are then presented to the Board of Directors for final approval.
Among the most prestigious national scholarships awarded for science and engineering students, the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation has disbursed nearly $2.5 million in scholarships to 226 students nationwide since its inception in 1985.
Additional scholarships were awarded to:
Miami University in Ohio senior physics major Eric Frey.
North Dakota State student Jonathan Pikalek will be completing his Ph. D. this year in computer science and is a renewal scholarship recipient.
Purdue University senior in aeronautical and astronautical engineering, Christine Troy.
Tufts University senior physics major, Natalie Wolchover.
University of Minnesota senior mechanical engineering major Alex Kossett.
University of Oklahoma senior in aerospace engineering major, Ryan East, has received the award for a second year.
The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 1984 by the six surviving members of America's original Mercury astronauts. Its goal is to aid the United States in retaining its world leadership in science and technology by providing scholarships for exceptional college students pursuing degrees in these fields. The Foundation funds nineteen $10,000 scholarships annually and has awarded $2.5 million to 226 students nationwide.
Editors Note: Astronaut/Scholar presentation photos available upon request.