Four K-State students win 2006 Goldwater Scholarships

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Source: James Hohenbary, 785-532-6900
Pronouncers: Twite rhymes with right; Deines is Die-nus
News release prepared by: Cheryl May, 785-532-6415, may@k-state.edu

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

FOUR K-STATE STUDENTS WIN 2006 GOLDWATER SCHOLARSHIPS

MANHATTAN -- All four of Kansas State University's nominees for the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship have been selected as winners. The Goldwater Scholarship provides up to $7,500 annually for a student's final one or two years of undergraduate studies.

The Goldwater Scholars were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,081 mathematics, science and engineering students nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities nationwide.

"Congratulations to our four newest Goldwater Scholars, " said K-State President Jon Wefald. "Our students have won 57 Goldwater Scholarships, making K-State first in the nation among state universities. Only Princeton with 64, Harvard with 60, and Duke with 58, have had more Goldwater scholars."

Eli Parke, Hays; Jonathan King, Manhattan; Amy Twite, Olathe; and Alyson Deines, Woodbine, are among 323 winners in the national competition. K-State is one of seven public universities to have four winners this year.

Parke, a junior majoring in physics, plans to earn a Ph.D. in plasma physics and conduct research on controlled nuclear fusion and its applications in either a national lab or a private research facility. He is a 2003 Kassebaum Scholarship winner, has a K-State Presidential scholarship, was awarded a John P. Giese Memorial Scholarship from the physics department, and received Meritorious recognition in the COMAP Mathematical Competition in Modeling. He is also a member of the Physics Club. He is working on undergraduate physics research on "Molecular Dissociation Caused by Slow, Highly Charged Ions" under the supervision of physics professor Itzhak Ben-Itzhak. He is a member of the Solar Car Racing Team at K-State. A 2003 graduate of Hays High School, he is the son of Chardell and Patrick Parke, Hays.

King, a junior in chemical engineering, plans to earn a Ph.D. in biomaterials engineering and conduct research at the university level. His Goldwater essay, "Composite Hydogels for Cartilage Tissue Engineering," was based on research he did on a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates project at the University of Colorado, Boulder, under professor Kristi Anseth. King also has done undergraduate research at K-State under Keith Hohn, associate professor of chemical engineering. King studied "modeling the lifetime of a chemiluminescent reaction on reactive nanoparticle pellets." This semester he has begun research under Jennifer Anthony, assistant professor of chemical engineering, on "investigating the effects of solvents on the synthesis of molecular sieves."

King is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Engineering Student Council and Tau Beta Pi and Phi Kappa Phi honor societies. He was a Phi Kappa Phi sophomore scholar in 2004. He is also a member of the Chemical Car Team. He received a second place in poster session materials in the Engineering and Sciences division at the 2005 American Institute of Chemical Engineers student conference. He also received a Donald F. Othmer sophomore Academic Excellence Award in 2005. A 2003 graduate of Manhattan High school, he is the son of Kathleen and Terry King.

Deines, a senior in mathematics, plans to earn a Ph.D. in number theory/mathematical ecology and conduct research and teach at the university level. She has served as secretary of Math Club. She is currently working on undergraduate research at K-State, "Modifying the Lucas-Lehmer Primality Test to Accomodate Non-Marlene Numbers," under the supervision of math professor Todd Cochrane. She also did an National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates project at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on "examining the principles of robustness and transients as applied to a population projection matrix constructed in regards to the peregrine falcon population."

Deines is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Golden Key National Honor Society and Phi Kappa Phi honor society. A musician, she has been active in several bands including K-State Big Bands -- Jazz combos on saxophone, and Latin Jazz Ensemble on piano. She has been awarded both the Clare Booth Luce and Putnam scholarships. Other activities include the bands Combo Mambo and Squib Cakes, and volunteering as a 4-H dog show judge. She studied abroad in Budapest, Hungary, in the Budapest Semesters in Mathematics program. A 2002 graduate of Chapman High School, she is the daughter of Ruth and Alan Deines, Woodbine.

Twite, a sophomore in chemistry and microbiology, plans to earn a Ph.D. in materials chemistry and conduct research and teach at a major university developing alternative energy sources and/or new treatment agents for various diseases. She is participating in undergraduate research on "Characterizing New Perylene Diimides as Potential Cancer Therapy Treatment Molecules" under the supervision of Daniel Higgins, associate professor of chemistry. As a high school student, she did research for two years at KU Med Center for Dr. Norberto Gonzalez focusing on the effects of hypoxia on microcirculation and disruption of the blood-brain barrier. She is outreach coordinator for Alpha Chi Sigma chemistry fraternity, president of Archery Club, and active in Students for Environmental Action and Alpha Epsilon Mu Microbiology Club. She has also worked as a general chemistry lab teaching assistant. She has received numerous honors and scholarships including a KSU Foundation Scholarship, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Undergraduate Research Scholarship, June Sherrid Hull Basic Cancer Research Center Scholarship and King Memorial Scholarship. A 2004 graduate of Olathe North High School, she is the daughter of Leslie Twite, Olathe, and Michael B. Twite, Kansas City, Mo.

Goldwater Scholars
Top 20 of the 2,000 four-year colleges in America:
500 state; 1,500 private
March 2006

1. Princeton University 64
2. Harvard University 60
3. Duke University 58
4. K-STATE* 57
5. University of Chicago 53
6. Penn State University* 52
7. University of Illinois-Urbana* 51
8. California Institute of Technology 51
9. Stanford 49
10. Johns Hopkins University 46
11. University of Virginia* 45
12. Washington University (St. Louis) 45
13. Montana State University* 45
14. Cornell University 43
15. University of Michigan* 43
16. Brown 43
17. Northwestern University 41
18. University of Tulsa 41
19. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 41
20. University of Kansas* 41
Yale 41

* indicates state schools

Goldwater Scholars
Top 10 of the 500 PUBLIC four-year
colleges and universities in America
March 2006

1. K-STATE 57
2. Penn State University 52
3. University of Illinois-Urbana 51
4. University of Virginia 45
5. Montana State University 45
6. University of Michigan 43
7. University of Kansas 41
8. University of Washington, Seattle 39
9. University of California, San Diego 36
10. University of Wisconsin, Madison 35