Hope College juniors Steven Molesa of Troy and Jordan Schmidt of Eagan, Minn., have received prestigious Goldwater Scholarships for the 2000-01 academic year.
The scholarships were awarded by the Board of Trustees of the Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation to 309 undergraduate sophomores and juniors from the 50 states and Puerto Rico for the 2000-01 academic year. The Goldwater Scholars were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,176 mathematics, science and engineering students who were nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities nationwide.
It is the fourth year in a row that at least one student from Hope has received one of the scholarships. The Goldwater Scholarship provides up to $7,500 per year to help cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board.
Both Molesa and Schmidt are pursuing multiple majors. Both have been involved in collaborative student-faculty research at the college.
Molesa is majoring in engineering and mathematics. After Hope, he plans to pursue a doctorate in engineering and conduct research.
He is spending the current semester studying in Salamanca, Spain, and his activities at Hope have included the Sigma Pi Sigma physics honorary society, varsity football and track, and the ice hockey club. He has been named to the Dean's List, and through the years has received other Hope honors including the John H. Kleinheksel Mathematics Award, the Freshman Physics Book Award, and the Harry and Jeannette Frissel Research Scholarship.
He is the son of John Molesa of Troy and Cathy Osip of Troy. He is a 1997 graduate of Troy Athens High School.
Schmidt is majoring in chemistry, mathematics and physics. After Hope, he plans to pursue a doctorate in physical chemistry and anticipates a research career in an academic or industrial setting.
His activities at Hope have included the wind ensemble and the jazz band. He has been named to the Dean's List, and through the years has received other Hope honors including the Organic Chemistry Book Award to the Outstanding Student in Organic Chemistry, the John H. Kleinheksel Mathematics Award and a Beckman scholarship for school-year and summer research.
He is the son of Craig and Linda Schmidt of Eagan. He is a 1997 graduate of Eagan High School.
A total of four colleges or universities in Michigan had students chosen to receive the scholarships. In addition to Hope, the Michigan institutions to have students honored are Alma College, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan.
Of the students selected, 188 are men and 121 are women, and virtually all intend to obtain a Ph.D. as their degree objective. A total of 24 are mathematics majors, 206 are science majors, 30 are majoring in engineering, five are computer science-related majors and 44 have dual majors in a variety of mathematics, science, engineering and computer disciplines.
The Goldwater Foundation is a federally endowed agency established by Public Law 99-661 on Nov. 14, 1986. The Scholarship Program honoring Senator Barry M. Goldwater was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering.
The foundation, now in its 12th year, has to date awarded 3,021 scholarships worth approximately $31 million. The trustees plan to award about 300 scholarships for the 2001-02 academic year.