University of North Texas

Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science students Patricia Nano and Andrew Ding, right, have been named 2011 Barry M. Goldwater Scholars.

Lee Chen and Udayan Vaidya, also TAMS students, received honorable mentions. UNT tied with the University of Houston for the most Goldwater honors at a Texas public university.

Photo, from left, Ding, Viadya, Nano and Chen.

Universities may nominate up to four students for the award, and students are chosen on the basis of their scientific research, grade point averages and other achievements. In 2009 and 2010, UNT students won more Goldwater scholarships than any other Texas public university.

Goldwaters are considered to be among the country's most prestigious scholarships awarded to students planning careers in mathematics, science and engineering. All college sophomores and juniors are eligible to compete for the scholarships, which provide a maximum of $7,500 each year for one or two years. The Goldwater Foundation, a federally endowed agency established in 1986 to honor the former Arizona senator, awarded 275 scholarships from a field of 1,095 students.

All four are students at the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, a two-year residential program that allows talented students to complete their freshman and sophomore years of college while earning high school diplomas. The students are classified as college sophomores.

Nano conducted research to model the development and loss of primary cilia in the oligodendrocyte lineage, an endeavor that could advance the treatment of demyelinating diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and transverse myelitis. Nano worked with Jannon Fuchs, professor of biological sciences.

Ding, of Sugarland, studied the interaction of water molecules with a graphite surface using an innovative method known as ccCA-ONIOM. Ding worked with Angela Wilson, professor of chemistry.

Chen, of Denton, investigated the effects of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy mutations on tropomyosin, a crucial heart-muscle controlling molecule. Chen worked with Douglas Root, associate professor of biological sciences. 

Vaidya, of Plano, developed a computational model to predict outbreaks of Dengue fever, which is an acute, infectious tropical disease transmitted by mosquitoes, that results in high fever, rash, headache, severe muscle and joint pain. Ding worked with Armin Mikler, associate professor of engineering.

“I am delighted to see that these young scientists conducted their research in groundbreaking labs at UNT,” says Richard Sinclair, dean of TAMS. “The teaming of bright academy students and great UNT faculty is an unbeatable combination.”

In applying for the Goldwater scholarship, all four students received guidance from UNT's Goldwater Scholarship Nominating and Mentoring Committee. Committee members include James Duban, director of Office for Nationally Competitive Scholarships and chair of the Goldwater Faculty Nominating and Mentoring Committee; Sushama Dandekar, lecturer of chemistry; Jannon Fuchs, professor of biology; Sam Matteson, professor of physics; and Tom Scharf, associate professor of materials science.