Two UF juniors chosen among 275 Goldwater Scholars nationwide

April 19, 2011

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Two University of Florida students were named Goldwater Scholars for the 2011-2012 year by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. Two other students received honorable mention in the competition.

Icon Mazzaccari and Brian Williams are two of just 275 students nationwide to receive the scholarship, which recognizes and awards sophomores and juniors who excel in mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering.

Mazzaccari, from Boynton Beach, is a junior with a double major in physics and mathematics. She plans to earn her doctorate and to conduct research in low temperature condensed matter physics. Her ultimate goal is to teach at the university level.

Williams, also from Boynton Beach, is a junior with a double major in physics and mathematics. He plans to pursue a doctorate in high energy theoretical physics and teach at the university level.

In addition, Michael Durante, a junior chemical engineering and molecular biology major from Fort Myers, and Zachary Kaufman, a sophomore from Plantation, majoring in electrical engineering, received honorable mention.

More than 1,000 students were nominated for the award by college and university faculty members around the country. This is the seventh year in a row that UF has had multiple students named as Goldwater Scholars.

“Once again, this recognition proves that the University of Florida has some of the best students and faculty in the country,” said Kevin Knudson, director of the University of Florida Honors Program. “This level of sustained excellence in the Goldwater Scholarship competition puts UF alongside the elite institutions in the U.S. This year’s winners have maximized their opportunities for undergraduate research and involvement during their tenures at the university.”

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