Goldwater Scholarships Reward STEM Scholars

Two students win prestigious Goldwater Scholarships, considered the premier award for undergraduate research in the natural sciences.

By David Hoyt '14
Date

Photos by Vaughn Hajra '24.

Phillip Diamond ’24 is a math major, and Andrew Van Horn ’25 majors in molecular biology, but there’s at least one chemical formula they’re both familiar with: AuH2O.

This year, Diamond and Van Horn are two of just 413 college students nationwide — and only 12 in Ohio — to have their efforts recognized with a prestigious Goldwater Scholarship. Goldwaters are considered the premier award for undergraduate research in mathematics, engineering and the natural sciences, and Kenyon students are frequently recognized by the competitive program after being nominated by College faculty through a rigorous screening process. 

The honor, intended for students who plan to continue their research in graduate school, provides each winner with up to $7,500 for tuition and other education-related expenses. According to the Goldwater Foundation, 1,267 natural science, engineering and mathematics students were nominated by 427 academic institutions for this year’s awards, from an estimated pool of over 5,000 college sophomores and juniors.

Diamond, who is from Yellow Springs, Ohio, plans to pursue a doctorate in mathematical physics and to eventually teach at the college level. “I’m particularly intrigued by the oddities of quantum physics, and I want to use those oddities to discover new math,” he said. “I want to blend math and physics to the point where things get really interesting in both fields.” Outside of the Science Quad, Diamond plays alto saxophone in the Kenyon Jazz Ensemble and is a member of the sketch comedy group Beyond Therapy.

“One of the great things about Phillip is his flexibility. If he needs to learn something new to attack a problem, he’ll dive in and bring himself up to speed. In our research work, he has been as much a colleague as a student.”

Professor of Physics Benjamin Schumacher

“Though Phillip is a math major, we in the physics department like to claim him,” said Professor of Physics Benjamin Schumacher. “One of the great things about Phillip is his flexibility. If he needs to learn something new to attack a problem, he’ll dive in and bring himself up to speed. In our research work, he has been as much a colleague as a student.”

“Support from Kenyon faculty has been integral to my success,” Diamond said. “I had five professors from across the math and physics departments help me personally with my Goldwater application. I’ve also received invaluable guidance from my faculty advisor, [Professor of Mathematics] Judy Holdener, on everything from life choices to graduate school. Working with Professor Schumacher has opened my eyes to the power and potential of good research, which I’ll keep for the rest of my life.” 

Van Horn, who is from the Portland, Oregon, area, also hopes to teach and perform research at a university after earning a doctorate in microbiology. “I am fascinated by the fundamental roles that microbes play in the largest problems,” he said. “Microbes are everywhere, and are implicated in virtually all problems facing the world. I see microbiology as a field of research with unlimited possibilities and future directions.” Like Diamond, Van Horn is a saxophone player — performing on alto and soprano sax with the Symphonic Wind Ensemble. 

“Andrew keeps up our spirits with a great sense of humor. He fosters inclusion by mentoring first-year students on the team, and also serves Kenyon as an enthusiastic Math and Science Skills Center tutor.”  

Professor of Biology Joan Slonczewski

“Andrew keeps up our spirits with a great sense of humor,” said his faculty advisor, Professor of Biology Joan Slonczewski. “He fosters inclusion by mentoring first-year students on the team, and also serves Kenyon as an enthusiastic Math and Science Skills Center tutor.”

“Upon joining Dr. Slonczewski’s antibiotic resistance lab during my first term at Kenyon, they worked to show me that by asking small questions, we are uncovering the fundamental mechanisms by which bacteria handle growth-impairing molecules such as metabolic intermediates and exogenous antibiotics,” Van Horn said. “I steadily became engrossed in these questions and how we designed experiments to study them. Perhaps most crucially, [Slonczewski] nurtured my burgeoning appreciation for the importance of microbes by giving me the structure to devise new assays and questions rooted in primary literature.”

Goldwater Scholars often go on to win a variety of additional awards in their fields, including National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships, Rhodes Scholarships and more. The Goldwater Foundation was established by Congress in 1986 to honor Senator Barry Goldwater and to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue research careers. This year, the total number of Goldwater winners crossed into the five figures, with 10,283 scholarships awarded since the first round in 1989; Kenyon students have won at least 38 Goldwaters and eight honorable mentions over the history of the program. 

“Kenyon has had great success in the Goldwater competition in recent years, and this is a testament to the outstanding work that our science students are doing in the classroom and in the laboratory,” said Associate Professor of Physics Aaron Reinhard, who serves as campus representative to the Goldwater program. “STEM is a real area of strength at Kenyon.”