Montana Tech Student Named Goldwater Scholar

03/27/2020

kathryn-bozer-web.jpgMontana Tech Metallurgical and Materials Engineering student, Kathryn Bozer, has been named a 2020 Barry Goldwater Scholar. The Barry M. Goldwater Foundation announced the 2020 Goldwater Scholarship recipients. Kathryn Bozer, a junior majoring in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, won the most prestigious undergraduate scholarship awarded in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering in America.

Kathryn grew up in North Liberty, Iowa and graduated from Iowa City West High School in Iowa City, Iowa. She is a junior majoring in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering, followed by a career in the mining industry. "I am honored to receive this award," noted Bozer. "I would like to thank my mentors, Dr. Courtney Young, Dr. Richard LaDouceur, and Mr. Gary Wyss. I would also like to thank my campus representative Dr. Marisa Pedulla. Most of all, I would like to thank my family for all of their support and encouragement."

"Goldwater Scholars have very impressive academic qualifications," noted Montana Tech Chancellor Les Cook. "Our entire campus is extremely proud of Kathryn for being named a 2020 Barry Goldwater Scholar. She has been a great leader and student on campus and is very deserving of this prestigious honor. I look forward to the impact she will make on-campus her senior year and eventually in the mining industry."

The Trustees of the Goldwater Board increased the number of Goldwater scholarships it has awarded for the 2020-2021 academic year to 396 college students from across the United States. With the 2020 awards, this brings the number of scholarships awarded since 1989 by the Goldwater Foundation to 9047 and a scholarship total to over $71M.

From an estimated pool of over 5,000 college sophomores and juniors, 1343 natural science, engineering, and mathematics students were nominated by 461 academic institutions to compete for the 2020 Goldwater scholarships. Of students who reported, 191 of the Scholars are men, 203 are women, and virtually all intend to obtain a Ph.D. as their highest degree objective. Fifty Scholars are mathematics and computer science majors, 287 are majoring in the natural sciences, and 59 are majoring in engineering. Many of the Scholars have published their research in leading journals and have presented their work at professional society conferences.

Goldwater Scholars have impressive academic and research credentials that have garnered the attention of prestigious post-graduate fellowship programs. Goldwater Scholars have been awarded 93 Rhodes Scholarships, 146 Marshall Scholarships, 170 Churchill Scholarships, 109 Hertz Fellowships, and numerous other distinguished awards like the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships.

The Goldwater Foundation is a federally endowed agency established by Public Law 99-661 on November 14, 1986. The Scholarship Program honoring Senator Barry Goldwater was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue research careers in the fields of the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics. The Goldwater Scholarship is the preeminent undergraduate award of its type in these fields.

The one and two-year scholarships will cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year.

Montana Tech nominated four students, Hunter Boles, Kristopher Bosch, Kathryn Bozer, and Frankie Johnston, for the 2020 award. Kathryn joins the following Montana Tech students who received the Goldwater Award or Honorable Mention: Brent Sordo (2018), Levin Mullaney (2018, Honorable Mention), Molly Brockway (2016), Macy Ricketts, (2015 Honorable Mention), Jordan Leone (2014, Honorable Mention), Ryan Hensleigh (2014, Honorable Mention), Joe Mitzel (2013), Robert Hark (2012), Chris Dienes (2007), Calley Jones (2000), and Ariane Erickson (2011, Honorable Mention).

Dr. Marisa Pedulla chairs Montana Tech's National Student Awards Committee (NSAC), which supports Montana Tech students for major national and international scholarships. Founded in 2006, NSAC's mission is to create a campus community that fosters and supports outstanding Montana Tech students throughout their education and to nominate and assist top students in the preparation of applications for prestigious National Awards. "Helping Montana Tech's outstanding undergraduates to realize their potential and be recognized for their accomplishments has been a tremendously rewarding endeavor," explained Pedulla. "It's exciting and motivating to work closely with the student nominees and dedicated committee members in the process of preparing applications. Kathryn's recognition by the Goldwater Foundation is incredible for not only her but the entire Montana Tech community."

In the past 14 years, Montana Tech's NSAC has received seven Goldwater Scholars and five Goldwater Honorable Mention awards. Two students, Jack Stratton (2009) and Casey Clark (2011) were finalists for the Rhodes Scholarship. Montana Tech 2010 chemistry alum, Cory Sonnemann, who graduated from Pacific Northwest University College of Osteopathic Medicine, won a National Health Service Corps Scholarship. Katie Tabaracci, Joe Mitzel, and Ivan Sljivar, a metallurgical engineering alum, all won the NAIA Dr. LeRoy Walker Champions of Character Award. Other 2020 Montana Tech Goldwater nominees were Kristopher Bosch, a junior majoring in Environmental Engineering, Frankie Johnston, a sophomore majoring in Geological Engineering, and Hunter Boles, a sophomore quadruple majoring in Mathematics, Statistics, Data Science, and Computer Science.

Former Montana Tech Chancellor Dr. W. Franklin Gilmore served as President of the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation from 2012 to 2015. The Foundation is a federally endowed agency established by Public Law 99-661 on November 14, 1986. The Scholarship Program, honoring Senator Barry Goldwater, fosters and encourages outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences, and engineering. The Goldwater Scholarship is the premier undergraduate award of its type in these fields.