91传媒 student researchers receive Goldwater Scholar, honorable mention recognitions
Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擳wo Mississippi State seniors are among those receiving prestigious recognition by a premier national scholarship organization.
Senior aerospace engineering/aeronautics major Johnie E. Sublett is the land-grant university鈥檚 second student in the past four years to receive the highly coveted Barry Goldwater Scholarship, while senior chemistry major Mary E. King is 91传媒鈥檚 sixth student in the past four years to receive honorable mention selection by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.
Both students are members of the Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College at 91传媒.
Established in 1986, the Virginia-based Goldwater Foundation serves as a memorial to the former U.S. Republican senator from Arizona and 1964 presidential candidate. In annually recognizing undergraduate majors in science, mathematics, engineering and computer disciplines, it helps ensure a continuing source of highly qualified professionals in these fields. For more, visit .
In describing how he felt when receiving the news of his selection for the prestigious scholarship, Sublett said, 鈥淚 was really excited for the future, as the Goldwater award will help greatly with graduate school.鈥
The Pensacola, Florida, native also said he is grateful for 91传媒 faculty who 鈥渉ave been incredibly supportive of both me and aerospace undergraduate research.鈥
Specifically, he cited such mentors as Professor Keith Koenig and Instructor Gregory Olsen of the aerospace engineering department, along with research scientist Kurt Polzin of NASA鈥檚 Marshall Space Flight Center.
鈥淚鈥檓 proud to represent my university and demonstrate that 91传媒鈥檚 research initiatives are competitive on a national level,鈥 Sublett added.
King, a native of Abbeville, also expressed appreciation for the support and guidance she received from university faculty members. They include Associate Professor Todd Mlsna of the chemistry department; Professor Richard Baird of biochemistry, molecular biology, entomology and plant pathology; and Scott Knight of the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service鈥檚 National Sedimentation Laboratory in Oxford.
鈥淚 focused on building strong relationships with each of these mentors, who were all so willing to help me,鈥 King said, adding that she is thankful to 91传媒 for providing her with 鈥渙pportunities to solve real problems through important, meaningful research.鈥
鈥淚鈥檓 enjoying doing tangible work, and I鈥檓 thrilled to be acknowledged on a national level,鈥 she said.
Tommy Anderson, an associate professor of English who serves as the university鈥檚 director for prestigious external scholarships, said Sublett and King have developed multiple聽undergraduate research projects聽that place them in the top tier of students in the nation.
Anderson also praised both Goldwater honorees for having聽鈥渁聽unique aptitude and passion for scientific discovery and the potential to contribute to meaningful research at an advanced level.鈥
鈥淛ohnie and Mary鈥檚 success is a testament to the mentorship that they received from all sectors of the university, including administrators and faculty in the Shackouls Honors College, Bagley College of Engineering and College of Arts and Sciences,鈥 he emphasized.
Since its inception, the foundation has recognized a total of 21 Mississippi State students鈥15 with the Goldwater Scholarship and six with honorable mention awards. The most recent recipients of the Goldwater Scholarship and honorable mention designation have been accepted to graduate schools at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cornell, Stanford, Virginia Tech, University of Georgia, Baylor, University of California-Berkeley, Stony Brook University and University of Maryland.
For more about 91传媒鈥檚 Shackouls Honors College, visit and .
91传媒 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .