Cornell student awarded prestigious Goldwater Scholarship

MOUNT VERNON — Julia Kamenetzky, a Cornell College junior from Bettendorf who intends to pursue a doctorate in astrophysics, has received a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, the premier undergraduate award for students interested in the fields of science, mathematics and engineering.

The award covers expenses for college tuition, fees, books and room and board, up to $7,500. Scholars are nominated by their professors and ultimately chosen based on their academic excellence. There were 317 Goldwater Scholars from across the United States named for the 2007-2008 academic year.

Kamenetzky, a physics major, plans a research career that will also focus on science outreach and education, especially efforts to help young women succeed in science and mathematics.

Last summer she assisted Cornell physics faculty in researching dye-sensitized solar cells. This summer she will conduct astronomy research at Cornell University in the Research Experience for Undergraduates program, founded by the National Science Foundation.

Her campus activities include New Student Orientation, as a peer advocate the past two years and an orientation leader next fall; Cornell Orchestra and the student-faculty chamber ensemble Collegium Musicum, as a violinist; Dark Purple, a student organization that coordinates late-night programming on campus, as chair-elect; Lunch Buddies, a mentoring program for elementary school students; and Greek Council, as an unaffiliated representative. She also is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the Major Mentors program and Cornell’s Judicial Board.

This is the second consecutive year a Cornell student has been awarded a Goldwater Scholarship; Danielle Bowen, a double major in mathematics and biology from Orion, Ill., was awarded a Goldwater last year. Kristopher Rhodes, a junior geology major, was named honorable mention in the 2007 Goldwater Scholarship program.

The Goldwater Scholarship honoring Sen. Barry M. Goldwater was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering. Of the 2007-2008 recipients, 174 are men and 143 are women; 28 are mathematics majors, 223 are science majors, 54 are majoring in engineering and 12 are computer science-related majors; many have dual majors in a variety of mathematics, science, engineering and computer disciplines.