Hero Astronauts Honor Elite Students with $200,000 in Scholarship Awards
Kennedy Space Center, FL — Signed, sealed and delivered! The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF) has awarded 20 exceptional college students around the country with a total of $200,000 in scholarships for the 2010-2011 school year.
The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation bestows the largest monetary award given in the United States to engineering and science undergraduates and postgraduate students based solely on merit. The ASF Scholarship Committee, comprised of Academia, Astronauts and Astronaut Scholar alumni, reviewed the applicants and chose the top students from each institution to become Astronaut Scholars. In order to be eligible, students must be a U.S. citizen, attending one of the institutions the Foundation supports, entering their junior or senior year or pursuing a master's degree in engineering, science or math and be nominated by a professor.
These well-rounded students exhibit a strong passion and exceptional performance in their field, as well as intellectual daring and a genuine desire to positively change the world around them, both in and out of the classroom.
"Our Scholars are the best and brightest students in these fields, and they possess an innate drive to succeed that you can't teach," said Astronaut Scholarship Foundation Chairman and Apollo 15 astronaut Al Worden. "These students are the future of our nation and we are proud to support them in their educational endeavors."
Hall of Fame Astronauts will blast off to colleges and universities across the nation this fall to personally present each student with an oversized scholarship check, on behalf of ASF, during a public ceremony honoring them for their outstanding perseverance and dedication to their college education.
The 2010-2011 Astronaut Scholars are:
- Clemson University Physics major Patrick Roy Johnson of Clemson, SC.
- Georgia Institute of Technology Computer Science major Joy Adowaa Buolamwini of Memphis, TN.
- Harvey Mudd College Chemistry and Biology Joint major Andrey Sergeivich Shur of Los Angeles, CA.
- Miami University Physics and Mathematics Double major Megan Dianne Marshall of New Madison, OH.
- North Carolina State University Physics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering multiple major John Eldon Stout of Chapel Hill, NC.
- North Dakota State University Physics and Mathematics double major Cody R. Gette of Devils Lake, ND.
- Pennsylvania State University Chemistry major Deanna Renee Lentz of Chardon, OH.
- Purdue University Electrical and Computer Engineering master's student Yuri Jacques Kubo of Houston, TX.
- Syracuse University Biochemistry major Nathaniel John Miska of Wadsworth, OH.
- Texas A&M University Physics and Mathematics double major Tyler William Behm of Lawton, OK.
- Tufts University Physics major Lauren Ann Wielgus of Levittown, NY.
- University of Central Florida Electrical Engineering major Whitney Lauren Keith of Lake Alfred, FL.
- University of Colorado Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and Biochemistry double major Minh Trong Than of Westminster, CO.
- University of Kentucky Mechanical Engineering master's student Edward Brady Doepke of Morehead, KY.
- University of Michigan Mathematics major David Wayne Montague of Brighton, MI.
- University of Minnesota Mathematics and Physics double major Matthew Ryan Coudron of Columbia, MO and Chemical Engineering major Scott Gregory Isaacson of Marine, MN.
- University of Oklahoma Electrical Engineering and Geography double major Heather Rigdon Hollen Jones of Newcastle, OK.
- University of Washington Physics and Electrical Engineering double major and Mathematics minor Erik E. Josberger of Gig Harbor, WA.
- Washington University Mechanical Engineering major Kaitlin Elizabeth Burlingame of Longwood, FL.
The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF) is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization established in 1984 by the six surviving members of America's original Mercury astronauts. Its mission is to aid the United States in retaining its world leadership in science and technology by providing scholarships for college students who exhibit motivation, imagination, and exceptional performance in these fields. ASF has awarded $3 million to deserving students nationwide. Today, more than 80 astronauts from the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Space Shuttle and Space Station programs have joined in this educational endeavor. For more information, call 321-455-7013 or log on to www.AstronautScholarship.org.
Editor's note: Astronaut interviews available upon request