2 Rose-Hulman students named Goldwater Scholars

The Tribune-Star, Terre Haute, Ind.
·2 min read

May 6—Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology juniors Ellen Shales and Connor Lane have earned recognition as Goldwater Scholars, the preeminent honor for undergraduate students pursuing degrees in natural science, engineering, and mathematics.

This recognition includes substantial scholarships from the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation to support their career goals of earning doctorate degrees in their career fields, the college said in a news release Monday.

Shales is pursuing a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering and is a Noblitt Scholar, while Lane is majoring in mathematics, with a minor in computer science and theoretical physics.

This marks the fourth consecutive year that Rose-Hulman students have been named Goldwater Scholars, and the institute now has 17 students who have earned this distinction since 2004, with several more honorable mention selections as well.

Only students who are committed to obtaining a doctorate and pursuing research, as well as have an exceptional GPA, are eligible for the Goldwater Scholarship.

"For us to have two students selected as Goldwater Scholars speaks to the strength and quality of the research experiences our students obtain and the positive impact they have on these projects. Both Ellen and Connor are deserving of this recognition and on track to make significant contributions in their chosen fields," said Bill Weiner, department Head and associate professor of biology and biomedical engineering.

Shales' research work includes an internship with the University of Wisconsin's behavioral neuroscience laboratory that's studying autism in adolescents.

Lane has been involved in various research endeavors at Rose-Hulman and is currently working on a project on bounding solutions to the Dirac equation, a partial differential equation that comes from physics.

Shales' postgraduate plans include a multidisciplinary doctorate degree program in bioengineering and neuroscience, with medical applications and plans to create solutions to some of the pressing health challenges individuals face daily.

Lane plans to pursue a doctorate in pure mathematics with career plans to conduct research in number theory and possibly teach at a university.