Two UT juniors, including one from OR, awarded prestigious Goldwater Scholarships

Two juniors at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, including one from Oak Ridge, have been named 2015 Goldwater Scholars. The two juniors are Benjamin Brock and Adam LaClair.

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program awards scholarships to students studying mathematics, science, and engineering. Each scholarship provides a $7,500 award for undergraduate study and research.

Brock, of Jefferson City, Tennessee, is a Haslam Scholar majoring in computer science. He has done research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Edinburgh, and UT.

LaClair, of Oak Ridge, is majoring in mathematics and computer science. He plans to pursue a doctorate in mathematics and wants to teach mathematics at the university level.

Junior Sahba Seddighi received an honorable mention. Seddighi, of Knoxville, is majoring in neuroplasticity and degenerative diseases through the College Scholars program. Seddighi plans to pursue a medical degree and a doctoral degree in neuroscience.

The Goldwater Scholarship Program was established by Congress in 1986 to honor Senator Barry M. Goldwater. The purpose of the foundation is to provide a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians, and engineers.

UT can nominate up to four undergraduates for the Goldwater Scholarship each year. The Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships facilitates the application process and relies on the standing UT Goldwater Selection Committee to make the final selection and nomination of its candidates.

This year’s committee members were R.J. Hinde, associate dean of arts and sciences; Masood Parang, associate dean and professor of engineering; Marissa Moazen, director of undergraduate research; Remus Nicoara, associate professor of mathematics; and Maitreyi Das, assistant professor of biochemistry and cellualar and molecular biology.