Three UF undergraduates named Goldwater Scholars

April 20, 2009

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Three University of Florida students were named Goldwater Scholars for the 2009-2010 year by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.

Mehrnoosh Arrar, Miorel Palii and Christopher Marth are three of only 278 students nationwide to receive the scholarship, which recognizes and awards sophomores and juniors who excel in mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering.

Christopher Marth, of Port Orange, is a sophomore with a double major in chemistry — with a specialization in biochemistry — and microbiology and cell science. After school, he plans to work in the pharmaceutical industry to create new antimicrobial compounds.

Mehrnoosh Arrar, of Coral Springs, is a junior majoring in chemistry. She plans to earn her doctorate and study computational physics. She’ll spend this summer in Paris doing research.

Miorel Palii, of Gainesville, is an interdisciplinary studies junior in physics, computer science and chemistry.

More than 1,000 students were nominated for the award by college and university faculty members around the country. This is the fourth year in a row that three UF students have been named Goldwater Scholars.

“This is a testament not only to the quality of our undergraduates but also the time and effort of our dedicated faculty mentors,” said John Denny, interim director of the University of Florida Honors Program. “We are exceptionally proud of the winners from this year’s Goldwater Scholarship competition. These students are wonderful examples of the opportunities for undergraduate research at the University of Florida.”

Each scholarship covers eligible expenses for undergraduate tuition, fees, books, and room and board, up to a maximum of $7,500 annually.