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April 10, 2002

Media Contact: Jan Jennings (858) 822-1684

THREE UCSD UNDERGRADUATES AWARDED 
GOLDWATER SCHOLARSHIPS

Three undergraduate students at the University of California, San Diego have been selected to receive scholarships for the 2002-2003 academic year from the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.

Vishal A. Patel, Erin M. Quan, and Benjamin L. Wong are among 309 students selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,155 mathematics, science, and engineering majors who were nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities nationwide.

Of the 2002-2003 Goldwater scholars, 179 are men, 130 are women and all intend to obtain a Ph.D. as their degree objective.

Patel is majoring in biology/oncology at UCSD, Quan in molecular biology, and Wong in bioengineering. Patel and Quan are Revelle College juniors and Wong is a junior at Warren College. The Goldwater scholarships will cover tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to $7,500 per year for each student recipient.

Because of their superior academic qualifications, Goldwater scholars have garnered the attention of post-graduate fellowship programs. Recent Goldwater scholars have been awarded Rhodes Scholarships (six of the 32 awarded in the United States in 2002), 39 Marshall Awards, and numerous other distinguished fellowships.

The Goldwater Foundation, based in Springfield, Va., is a federally endowed agency whose scholarship program honors Senator Barry M. Goldwater. The scholarship program was designed to encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences, and engineering. The Goldwater Scholarship is the premier undergraduate award of its type in these fields. In its 14-year history, the Goldwater Foundation has awarded 3,632 scholarships totaling approximately 36 million dollars.