One of only two New Mexico students, Lindsay Redman, a sophomore majoring in biochemistry, has been selected as a Barry M. Goldwater Scholar for 2013, and will receive a full academic scholarship for the remainder of her undergraduate education.
"It's a big deal for me, not because I care about the money, but because it is like a ticket for graduate school and will be helpful for all the rest of the things I will apply for," Redman said.
Redman was selected from a pool of more than 1,100 mathematics, science and engineering students nominated for the scholarship. Fewer than 275 students from across the nation were awarded Goldwater Scholarships. Redman is the only New Mexico recipient attending school in the state, as the other recipient attends John Hopkins University.
"The Goldwater scholarship is specific to the STEM fields, and the fact that we've had recent success shows we have some outstanding students who are beginning to receive national recognition," Mark Andersen, director of the Office of National Scholarships who assisted Redman in her application, said. "NMSU is a wonderful training ground for students in the STEM field."
For Redman, one of the coolest parts of the award was seeing her name among the other scholars at some of the country's top universities.
"It's awesome to put NMSU's name out there with all those other programs and show that you don't have to spend a life savings on school to do well," Redman said.
As Redman is still a sophomore, the Goldwater scholarship will award her cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board, up to a maximum of $7,500 annually for two academic years.
Redman plans to pursue a doctorate degree, and while she is still determining her specific career goals, she knows she wants to continue with cancer research. She is currently working in Professor Jeffrey Arterburn's lab doing breast cancer research by synthesizing organic molecules that will potentially bind to estrogen dependent tumors specific to breast cancer. This could aid in diagnosing and treating the cancer through labeling with a radioactive isotope or a fluorescent dye. Her previous research experience has been at the Los Alamos National lab in a medical isotopes facility, where she began working since she was a rising senior in high school.
The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program was authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1986 to honor Goldwater, who served for 30 years in the U.S. Senate. The program was created to encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in mathematics, the natural sciences or engineering and to foster excellence in those fields.