James Gaynor was awarded scholarships for students studying math, science or engineering. Gaynor is researching environmental science,. (Stephanie Matusiefsky | THE BEACON)
By Philip Ellefson, Staff Writer ellefson15@up.edu
For sophomore Claire Couch, news of the Goldwater scholarship came unexpectedly.
"I was totally shocked, and I couldn't believe it until like three people emailed me and said congratulations," Couch said.
Couch and junior James Gaynor recently received the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, which is given to undergraduates going into careers in math, science or engineering. Congress created the scholarship in 1986 in honor of former Senator Barry Goldwater.
This year, 271 students nationwide, including eight in Oregon, received the prestigious award. Winners of the scholarship receive $7,500 per year for their undergraduate education. Most students who win the scholarship have done undergraduate research.
Couch, a biology major, and Gaynor, a chemistry major, both have research experience under their belts in emerging fields.
Gaynor worked the last two summers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash. This summer, he will work with the Environmental Protection Agency on characterization of nanoparticles and the possible effects of nanotechnology on the environment.
"[Nanoscience] is an interesting area of research because it kind of fits in between what we know on a macroscopic level and the molecular level," he said.
Gaynor said because nanoscience is such a new field, the possibilities for its uses are wide open.
"The limits are pretty much endless," Gaynor said. "There's immense potential."
Some of the research with nanoparticles borders on magic, he said.
"Some groups are working on trying to bend light around the surface of a nanoparticle, such that it would work as basically the traditional cloak idea - the invisibility cloak," Gaynor said.
Not much is known about the field, and it may have potentially dangerous effects on the environment.
"We have no idea what the long-term consequences could be with these kinds of technologies," he said.
Eventually, Gaynor hopes to get a Ph.D. in physical chemistry and continue to research at a university like UP.
Chemistry professor Steven Mayer, who has worked with Gaynor on research, said Gaynor will go far.
"He ranks in probably my top five students of all time," Mayer said. "I fully expect that James will target all the top schools when he's applying for Ph.D. programs."
Couch is studying a newly - discovered virus called the RNA-DNA hybrid virus (RDHV), which has unusual genetic material.
"It's a very new field, the field of metagenomics, and learning about viruses just from taking environmental samples and analyzing the DNA in the samples," she said.
Last summer, Couch received a Research Experience for Undergraduates from Portland State University. She went to Boiling Springs Lake in California, where she worked with a team of scientists to and determine the host of the virus. This summer, she will continue with the project.
While doing her research, she collected samples and learned how to scan electron microscopy to look at microscopic organisms.
"I was able to get some images of viruses actually attacking and infecting cells," Couch said.
According to Couch, RDHV could have big implications for evolutionary biologists.
"[The virus] has huge implications for the origins of DNA as the genetic material for life," Couch said. "It could show that viruses were much more involved in the evolution of DNA as the genetic info for life."
Although Couch knows she wants to study viruses in the future, she is unsure of her exact career path.
"Right now, what I'm hoping to do is get a dual veterinary degree/Ph.D. and hopefully do research in animal virology," Couch said. "But I change my mind every couple weeks."
Graduation Details
Events
Graduation rehearsal: Friday, May 3 at 11:00 a.m in the Chiles Center
Nurses' pinning ceremony: Saturday, May 4 at 8:30 a.m. in the Chiles Center
University ROTC ceremony: Saturday, May 4 at 11:00 a.m. in the Chiles Center
Graduate school commencement: Saturday, May 4 at 1:00 p.m. in the Chiles Center
Baccalaureate Mass: Saturday, May 4 at 5:30 p.m. in the Chiles Center
President's Reception: Saturday, May 4 at 6:30 p.m. in the Bauccio Commons
Family brunch: Sunday, May 5 at 10:30 a.m. in the Bauccio Commons
Undergraduate commencement: Sunday, May 6 at 2:00 p.m. in the Chiles Center. Graduating seniors should arrive at the Chiles Center no later than 1:15 p.m. through the north doors.
2013 Honorary Doctorates
Alberto Salazar: Salazar is a famed runner and coach who won the NCAA individual title in 1978 with the University of Oregon. He was on the 1980 U.S. Olympic team and has broken several American records.
Karen Gaffney: Gaffney, who was born with Down Syndrome, is a swimmer and activist. She has swum across Lake Tahoe and across the English Channel with a team, and she is the president of the Karen Gaffney Foundation.
Br. Donald Stabrowski: In his 25 years at UP, Stabrowski served as a political science professor, provost, dean and vice president. He has studied the Polish diaspora in Indiana extensively.
Kirk Hanson: Hanson, who will give the Commencement Address at graduation, is a professor of applied ethics at Santa Clara University. He studies the ethics of business and is best known for his series "The Accountable Corporation."
Kathryn Jones Harrison: Harrison is a tribal leader with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. Her activism focuses on gaining federal recognition of tribes in Oregon, and she helped create the Spirit Mountain Community Fund, which has given over $45 million to nonprofit organizations in Oregon.
Fr. Tim Murphy: A UP graduate of the Class of '73, Murphy will receive the University's highest honor, the Christus Magister Medal. He has served as a priest in the Archdiocese of Portland for almost 50 years and has been a teacher, president and principal at Central Catholic High School. Validictorian
Rosemary Moore: Moore is a nursing and Spanish double major. Next year, Moore hopes to be a nurse at one of the Providence hospitals in the Portland area, where she would like to work on the medical/surgical floor. After gaining important experience in the hospital, Moore wants to continue her education and go to graduate school. -Lydia Laythe, Philip Ellefson
Claire Couch was awarded a scholarship for students studying math, science or engineering. Couch focuses on genetics. (Stephanie Matusiefsky | THE BEACON)
