(Forsyth County, GA) Two students at The University of North Georgia (UNG) are celebrating this week after being named Goldwater scholars. With two students earning this honor, UNG tied larger institutions like the University of Georgia and Georgia State University for the second-most Barry Goldwater Scholarship recipients among public universities in Georgia this year.
The two winners were Cumming native Haley Menees, a junior, and Aysia Bittinger, a sophomore from Augusta. Out of 1,267 nominees nationwide, only 413 students were selected.
The Barry Goldwater Scholarship is awarded each year to outstanding students planning to pursue research careers in natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics. The Goldwater Scholarship is one of the most prestigious undergraduate awards in this discipline. Student winners can receive up to $15,000 per student over two years.
Menees, an Honors Program student, is pursuing a double major in biology and chemistry with a biochemistry concentration. While at UNG, she has investigated the biological effects of e-cigarettes and is active in vaping prevention advocacy. After graduation, she hopes to enroll in an M.D./Ph.D. program in addiction neuroscience.
"I had to do a lot of self-reflection to explain my career goals in this application," Menees said. "I want to give back in research and medicine. Combining the two is more effective for patients and pushes into new frontiers of research."
Bittinger, a sophomore from Augusta, Georgia, is studying mathematics and physics. Alongside Dr. Gregory Feiden, UNG professor of astronomy and the North Georgia Astronomical Observatory director, Bittinger has worked on undergraduate research projects concerning red dwarf stars. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in solar physics and research solar weather.
"Winning the Goldwater Scholarship gives me confidence," Bittinger said. "It affirms that I have the ability to attend graduate school."
UNG, one of only six federally designated senior military colleges in the nation, is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. It began as North Georgia Agricultural College in 1873 in Dahlonega, Georgia, and was renamed North Georgia College in 1929. The University System of Georgia reclassified the college as a state university in 1996 and renamed it North Georgia College & State University. In 2013, just after the Cumming campus opened, the college merged with Gainesville State College and adopted its current name.
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