Two Wake Forest students win Goldwater scholarships

Two Wake Forest University students have been awarded 2007 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships.

Chris Jackson, a junior from Lebanon, Va., and Patrick Nelli, a sophomore from Gastonia, are among 317 students to earn the scholarship this year.

Anne Fedders, a junior from Beckley, W.Va., received an honorable mention in the scholarship competition.

The Goldwater Scholars were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,110 mathematics, science, and engineering students who were nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities nationwide.

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.

Jackson is majoring in English with minors in neuroscience and chemistry and intends to pursue a medical degree and a doctorate in neuroscience. He has done extensive research on the brains and behavior of honey bees with Susan Fahrbach, Reynolds Professor of Developmental Neuroscience at Wake Forest, and as a visiting researcher in a behavioral neuroscience laboratory at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. His parents are Don and Cindy Jackson.

Nelli is majoring in physics and intends to seek a doctorate in biochemistry. His research interests center on developing and discovering molecules that can be used in drug therapy and disease detection. His parents are James and Kathy Nelli.

The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program was established by Congress in 1986 to honor Senator Barry M. Goldwater. The program was designed to encourage 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. A complete list of winners is available at http://www.act.org/goldwater/.