3 USU students earn scholarships for science

Three Utah State University students who are headed toward careers in science have been selected for scholarships and recognition by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.

Taren McKenna and Cody Tramp have been named 2009 Goldwater Scholars, and Brian Myers received an honorable mention in the national competition.

Each of the 2009 honorees is a member of USU's Honors program and actively involved in undergraduate research projects.

McKenna, a math major, is a recipient of USU's Space Dynamics Laboratory Women in Science Scholarship.

McKenna and her older brother, Logan, who was named a Goldwater Scholar in 2006, are the first siblings at USU to receive the prestigious award. Logan McKenna is working on his doctorate at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.

Tramp is a junior majoring in cellular and molecular biology and biochemistry. He is an undergraduate research fellow. Tramp, who received a Goldwater honorable mention in 2008, is a Utah Governor's Scholar and has received several grants and awards from Utah and Wyoming, where he grew up.

A total of 11 USU students have been named Goldwater Scholars. The awardees receive up to $7,500 in junior and/or senior academic years.

The scholarship program was established by Congress in 1986 to foster academic excellence in science and mathematics in the nation's universities. About 300 college students are chosen annually.