Two WSU students, Justin Niedermeyer and Seth Schneider, recently received Barry M. Goldwater scholarships, and a third student, Angela Rocchi, received an honorable mention.

Created by Congress in 1986 in honor of the U.S. Senator from Arizona, Goldwater scholarships are annual, merit-based awards given to students wishing to pursue a career in math, the natural sciences and engineering. The awards range up to $7,500.

Since 1990, WSU has been home to 24 Goldwater recipients, as well as seven honorable mentions.

Niedermeyer, 22, is a junior from Milton, Washington. He is pursuing bachelor’s degrees in physics, music and German for the professions, and he is a part of the Honors College. Justin has viewed his time at WSU thus far as a series of steps, beginning with following in his family’s tradition of living in Waller Hall. He was preceded in this by his grandfather, uncle and brother. He was elected the hall’s 79^th Duke of Windsor.

Through his study of German, Niedermeyer became involved with the German staff, which led to his attainment of an internship in Germany through the DAAD Research Internships in Science and Engineering (RISE) program. There he was able to utilize his knowledge of both physics and German.

“Being able to have all of my experiences build and feed off one another has been great,” Niedermeyer said. “It’s put me in a good position to apply for graduate programs.”

As for these graduate programs, he is undecided. However, among his top choices are the University of Heidelberg in Germany and the University of Colorado Boulder, home to JILA, a physical science research institute which studies ultra-cold atomic systems. They use lasers to cool atoms down to near 0 degrees Kelvin (absolute zero), the lowest possible temperature.

This can come in handy in a variety of ways, including the modeling of high temperature superconductor systems, advanced medical imaging technologies (such as MRIs), and quantum computers, all of which hold interest for Niedermeyer.

He hopes to someday have a role in creating the first quantum computer, which would attain a level of power far exceeding the possibilities of modern computers.

“A quantum computer could crack codes in months that would take our most advanced modern computers over 100 years,” Niedermeyer said.

After attending graduate school, he plans to bounce around in postdoctoral positions for a while, and eventually get tenure at a university.

Seth Schneider, 20, is a sophomore in the Honors College from Rochester, Washington. He is currently working to earn a doctorate in molecular biosciences, and eventually wants to become a scientific researcher, developing methods to analyze biological threats.

Before he graduates, Schneider hopes to gain some teaching experience as a teacher’s assistant, and advance in his study of Chinese. He intends to begin studying another language as well, likely either German or Russian. He also plans to enhance the Humans vs. Zombies club by developing a storyline which incorporates missions throughout the game.

He has already been involved in several research projects. One project researched the isolation and characterization of a new mycobacteriophage, a virus which infects a bacterium, and sequencing the genomes of two others. He was also involved in a project studying tick-borne bacteria which infect animals.

In addition to his research at WSU, he hopes to receive another scholarship which will allow him to study abroad in China.

Schneider is considering a career with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, as he is interested in their study of national defense and how to handle biological threats. This is a secondary choice, however.

“Originally, my dream was to take Mr. Spock’s job on the starship Enterprise as science officer,” Schneider said. “Not giving up on that one.”

Angela Rocchi, 20, is a sophomore from Elk, Washington, and Goldwater honorable mention. A neuroscience major and future physician and research scientist, she wants to advance neurodegenerative disease treatments for illnesses such as dementia, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s Disease. Since current treatment options do no exceed symptomatic relief, she hopes to discover ways to reverse the diseases.

Rocchi is an Honors College student attending WSU on the distinguished Regents Program scholarship. This summer, for the second time, she will be representing the college at the University of Cambridge, where she will conduct research. She has worked with Sarah Lummis, a fellow of the Cambridge Biochemistry Department, as well as Joseph Harding here at WSU. Harding is a co-creator of a new pharmaceutical which may be eligible for treating neurodegenerative disease and cancer.

“Since neurodegeneration has affected my family personally, and I have seen the horrors of memory and function loss, the potential for a cure is mesmerizing,” Rocchi said.

After graduation, she plans to gain her M.D./Ph.D. and contributing further to the research community. The year she graduates will also mark the opening of the WSU medical facility, and if they offer a neuroscience Ph.D. program, she intends to continue her education there.

Following this, she will look for a career at a research-based hospital in order to continue her endeavor to create permanent treatments for neurodegenerative disease.

Rocchi expressed her gratefulness to the Goldwater program for assisting her in her education and allowing her to continue contributing to the scientific community and the world at large.

“To have an institution such as the Goldwater Foundation put their faith in my potential as a researcher really made me believe that I could make a difference in the world and I look forward to making them proud,” Rocchi said.

The interests and research of these three students cover a wide array of subjects and they are each in a good position to make major future advancements in their respective fields.