| Susie P. Gonzalez | 210-999-8406 | susie.gonzalez@trinity.edu |
TRINITY BIOMATHEMATICS MAJOR WINS GOLDWATER SCHOLARSHIP |
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Miss Davis of Friendswood, Texas, is completing her junior year at Trinity. She plans to seek a doctorate in biology and pursue a career in mathematical biology, specializing in modeling epidemiological or ecological systems. She says she appreciates the challenge of applying mathematical models to solve problems associated with disease or ecology and would be interested in a career in academia or industry. “I’ve always been good at math,” Miss Davis says, “but I always was interested in biology.” Combining the two disciplines is something she enjoys because of the “rigors of math and the insights of biology.” Miss Davis attended Friendswood High School and graduated from the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, a residential high school on the campus of the University of North Texas for gifted math and science studies. Her parents are Richard and Mary Davis of Friendswood. Jeffrey K. Lawson, associate professor of mathematics at Trinity, says Miss Davis has demonstrated an “impressive breadth of knowledge” and is passionate about mathematical biology. In addition, he notes that she continually looks for ways to connect science and math. “Her holistic approach and enthusiasm for learning will carry her far,” he says, adding that she participated in a women’s conference in geometry and quantum field theory at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton and analyzed MRI data during a summer research seminar at Carnegie Mellon University. As part of the scholarship award, Miss Davis will receive a maximum of $7,500 to help cover costs for tuition, fees, books, and room and board. According to Professor Lawson, 13 Trinity students in the past eight years have received Goldwater Scholarships. The Goldwater Foundation, a federally endowed agency, was established in 1986, in honor of former Arizona Sen. Barry M. Goldwater. The scholarships are designed to foster and 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. Since its inception, the Goldwater Foundation has awarded more than 3,600 scholarships worth $36 million. This year, Goldwater Trustees awarded 309 scholarships to undergraduate sophomores and juniors from the 50 states and Puerto Rico. The Goldwater Scholars were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,155 mathematics, science, and engineering students who were nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities nationwide. |
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Last updated on May 8, 2002 by the Office of Public Relations |
May
6, 2002 – Courtney L. Davis, a Trinity University student majoring
in biology and mathematics, has received a prestigious Goldwater Scholarship
for the 2002-03 academic year.