Kevin Fiedler, a junior at the University of Colorado at Boulder majoring in engineering physics, has been named a 2010 Goldwater Scholar, the premier national undergraduate award recognizing outstanding students in math, science and engineering.
Fiedler has worked in three CU-Boulder labs, most recently under physics Professor Uriel Nauenberg on studies involving the International Linear Collider. The device will collide particles at nearly the speed of light and study their decay, helping scientists better understand the fundamental components of the universe and how they work.
Fiedler, a native of Broomfield and graduate of Broomfield High School, said he plans to seek a Ph.D. in physics either in the United States or in England. His career goals include continued research in quantum computing and teaching at the university level.
Fiedler is the 24th CU-Boulder student since 1999 to be selected as a Goldwater Scholar and he will receive up to $7,500 for educational expenses during the 2010-11 academic year.
In addition to Fiedler's award, three CU-Boulder students received honorable mentions from the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. The three students are Marshall Carpenter, a sophomore majoring in applied mathematics; Vicki Hsu, a junior majoring in aerospace engineering; and Samantha Johnson, a junior in chemical engineering.
"Universities are allowed to nominate up to four students in this competition and all four of this year's CU-Boulder applicants were recognized," said Deborah Viles, CU's top scholarship director. "This is testimony to our extraordinarily talented students, who are positioning themselves to become leaders in their fields, as well as the quality of our math, science and engineering programs."
This year's 278 Goldwater Scholars were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,111 students nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities across the nation. Of the scholars, 156 are men, 122 are women and virtually all intend to obtain a doctorate.
Recent Goldwater Scholars have been awarded 73 Rhodes Scholarships, 105 Marshall Awards, 90 Churchill Scholarships and numerous other distinguished postgraduate fellowships.
Fiedler previously won a Boettcher Scholarship and the Dean's Scholarship from CU-Boulder's College of Engineering and Applied Science. He is a member of the Sigma Pi Sigma physics honor society.
The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation is a federally endowed agency established by Congress in 1986 to honor the late Sen. Barry Goldwater who served the United States for 56 years as a soldier and statesman, including 30 years in the U.S. Senate.
For more information on the scholarship and 2010 recipients visit www.act.org/goldwater/index.html.
Goldwater Scholar Kevin Fiedler at the University of Colorado at Boulder. (Photo by Casey A. Cass/University of Colorado)
