Three University of Notre Dame students, juniors Leah Harmon, Alex Kokot and Theodore MacMillan, have been named Goldwater Scholars for the 2020-2021 academic year, the most for the University in a single year.
• Harmon, of Ipswich, Massachusetts, is a neuroscience and behavior major with a supplemental major in ACMS. She is a Trustey Family Scholar and a Glynn Family Honors Scholar.
• Kokot, of Granger, Indiana, is a double major: honors mathematics with a concentration in computing and philosophy with a concentration in philosophy, science and mathematics. He is a Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement (CUSE) Sorin Scholar.
• MacMillan, of Scotch Plains, New Jersey, is a mechanical engineering major with a minor in philosophy, science and mathematics. He is a Sorin Fellow with the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture.
In applying for the scholarship, Harmon, Kokot and MacMillan worked closely with CUSE, which promotes the intellectual development of Notre Dame undergraduates through scholarly engagement, research, creative endeavors and the pursuit of fellowships.
"The success of these three juniors is a testament to their dedication to undergraduate research and to the faculty who have mentored them along the way,” said Jenny Smith, undergraduate research advisor with CUSE. “It also attests to the high level of talent in the STEM fields that Notre Dame attracts at the undergraduate level.”
Malgorzata Dobrowolska-Furdyna, the Rev. John Cardinal O’Hara, C.S.C., Professor of Physics and associate dean for undergraduate students in the College of Science at Notre Dame, is the campus representative for the Goldwater.
Named for former U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater, the Goldwater Scholarship encourages outstanding sophomores and juniors to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and/or engineering. It covers tuition, fees, books and room and board up to $7,500 per year for one or two years.
For more information about this and other scholarship opportunities, visit cuse.nd.edu.
Contact: Erin Blasko, assistant director of media relations, 574-631-4127, eblasko@nd.edu