Alexander Zupan, a junior at Gustavus Adolphus College from Monona, Wis., has been awarded a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship for his studies in mathematics.
“Receiving this scholarship has certainly renewed and affirmed my career direction,” Zupan said in an e-mail from Budapest, Hungary, where he is completing a semester of foreign study taught by members of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. “I had been increasingly questioning my chosen path when I received news of the scholarship,” Zupan added. “It really helped me to put my current struggles in perspective and to acknowledge my appreciation and love of mathematics. I will continue to further the research that helped me to attain the scholarship.”
There are many people that Zupan would like to acknowledge for receiving this scholarship: Gustavus mathematics professors Mike Hvidsten, for assisting with the application process, and Jeff Rosoff, for support and encouragement; Steve Schlicker and others in the Grand Valley State University mathematics department, for help with his research; and Gustavus Adolphus College, “Upon nomination I realized that the college appreciates me as much as I appreciate the college.”
When asked to comment about Zupan, Hvidsten said, “In the area of motivation for academic work, Alex exhibits a degree of personal initiative that I would rank among the top three students in my 17-year tenure at Gustavus.”
After graduation, Zupan plans to attend graduate school and earn a Ph.D. in mathematics in order to teach and conduct research at the college level.
Goldwater scholarships are considered the premier scholarships in scientific and mathematical disciplines. Recipients are undergraduates planning on earning a Ph.D. in their respective fields of study. Of 1,091 applicants in 2005, 320 were selected based on their academic merit in mathematics, science, and engineering. The scholarship is a federally endowed program distributed annually through The Barry M. Goldwater Foundation and assists with tuition, fees, books, and room and board expenses. The program has been operating for 17 years, awarding 4,562 scholarships amounting to approximately $45 million.
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