Dalton Hubble Named 2009 Goldwater Scholarship Recipient

Dalton Hubble, a Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky at Western Kentucky University student from Rineyville, has been named a 2009 recipient of the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship.

The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation awarded 278 Goldwater scholarships to collegiate sophomores and juniors nationwide this year. The Goldwater Scholars were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,097 mathematics, science and engineering students who were nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities.

Hubble’s research entitled “Fabrication of Poly(2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate) by Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition” was conducted this past summer as part of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s summer research program. The results of his project include implications for improving the tailoring of specialized polymers for a variety of biomedical and tissue engineering applications.

“The Gatton Academy encourages our students to spend their summers exploring new academic frontiers,” noted Derick Strode, the Gatton Academy Coordinator for Research, Internships and Scholarships. “Dalton benefited immensely from the 2008 Research Science Institute (RSI) summertime program which allowed him the opportunity to do research at Northeastern University and present his research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Coupled with his continued research work here at WKU, Dalton was a fantastic candidate for a Goldwater Scholarship.”

Hubble is the fifth WKU student to receive the award is the past three years and is the first Gatton Academy student honored in the national competition.

Goldwater Scholarships are awarded to outstanding undergraduates desiring a research career in mathematics, natural sciences or engineering. Recipients receive up to $7,500 per year for two years for tuition, books, room and board, and fees.    Hubble has received offers from MIT, Cal Tech and Stanford to continue his studies; however, he has yet to make a decision.

“We are extremely proud of Dalton’s accomplishment,” said Academy director Tim Gott. “Receiving the Goldwater Award is another affirmation of Dalton’s academic caliber. We could not ask for a better ambassador of our program and WKU.”

Recent Goldwater Scholars have been awarded 73 Rhodes Scholarships, 102 Marshall Awards and numerous other distinguished fellowships. More information on the program is available online at http://www.act.org/goldwater.

For information, contact Corey Alderdice at (270) 745-2971.