Editor’s Note: This is another in a series about 2014 Goldwater scholars who are also undergraduates in public university honors colleges or programs. The following post is from LSU news….
Two LSU Honors College students, Brandon Oubre and Paxton Turner, have been named 2014 Barry M. Goldwater Scholars. Two other LSU Honors students, Rachael Keller and Paul Koenig, were selected as Honorable Mentions by the prestigious scholarship competition.
“The Honors College is exceptionally proud of these students for earning such impressive recognition on a national stage,” said LSU Honors College Dean Nancy Clark. “Their outstanding scholastic achievements in science, math and engineering are a credit to themselves and the university as a whole, and this is further proof of the academic excellence of LSU.”
From left to right, Brandon Oubre, Paul Koenig, Paxton Turner, and Rachael Keller
Honors College junior Brandon Oubre, a LaSTEM scholar, is pursuing a double major in Computer Science and Mathematics. He is currently working in LSU’s Robotics Research Lab on the creation of a low-cost robot that can be used in the classroom to provide students with hands-on electronics and programming experience. He is also working on a collaboration between Microsoft and LSU to develop a geometry tutoring web application system. He plans to obtain a Ph.D. in Computer Science and is interested in conducting research on robotics for an academic or government organization.
Paxton Turner is also an Honors College junior and is pursuing a major in Mathematics. He is currently researching an Honors Thesis on cluster algebras with Dr. Milen Yakimov in LSU’s Department of Mathematics. Paxton has previously received National Science Foundation funding (through the Research Experience for Undergraduates program) to research cluster algebras and graph theory at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. He intends to pursue a Ph.D. in Pure Mathematics and ultimately hopes to conduct research in number theory and combinatorics, and teach at the university level.
Rachael Keller is a junior in the Honors College and is pursuing a major in Mathematical Sciences. She plans to research coal-combustion processes with a goal of producing pollutant-dispersal models that can be used to inform policy makers on the environmental impact of various energy-extraction methods. She hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Studies with a Masters in Public Policy.
Paul Koenig is a sophomore at the Honors College and is pursuing a major in Chemistry. His research interests include experimental organic chemistry—specifically the synthesis of novel, useful molecules—and to that end plans to pursue a Ph.D. in organic chemistry. He hopes to teach chemistry at the university level.
This is the third year in a row that all of LSU’s candidates nominated to the competition were recognized by the Goldwater Foundation. All of the nominees worked closely with their faculty research mentors and the LSU Honors College Office of Fellowship Advising throughout the application process.
“We are incredibly proud of Brandon, Paxton, Rachael, and Paul,” said Dr. Drew Lamonica Arms, Director of Fellowship Advising at the Honors College. “This national recognition is a testament to the students’ initiative and to the outstanding undergraduate research that is happening at LSU. We hope their success encourages other students to pursue national fellowships and awards. Congratulations to all four!”
The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program was established by Congress in 1986 to honor Senator Barry Goldwater, who served his country for 56 years as a soldier and statesmen, including 30 years of service in the US Senate. The Foundation’s mission is to assist undergraduate students in becoming professional scientists, mathematicians, and engineers. To that end, its scholarships provide one and two-year $7500 stipends to sophomore and junior undergraduate students pursuing research in these fields. Goldwater Scholarships are widely considered one of the most prestigious undergraduate awards available to students of the sciences.
