Randall Meyer '12 and Rachel Perlman '12, both in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, have received 2011 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships. This year's 275 Goldwater Scholars were chosen for academic merit from 1,095 mathematics, science and engineering students nominated by their institutions worldwide. The scholarships cover tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to $7,500 per year.

Meyer, a biological engineering major from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., would like to pursue a Ph.D. in biological engineering. As a Hunter R. Rawlings III Cornell Presidential Research Scholar, he investigates the pathology of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus in zebra fish. The virus has spread and caused massive fish kills throughout the Great Lakes. Meyer has served as a teaching assistant in Introduction to Computer Programming and Principles of Biological Engineering. Last fall, he was a team leader for Into the Streets, where Cornell students volunteer for a day of service in Ithaca, and he is a member of the Digital Gamer Alliance.

Perlman, a science of natural and environmental systems major with a concentration in sustainability from Arlington, Mass., plans to earn a Ph.D. in environmental science. Also a Rawlings Research Scholar, Perlman has worked in labs in three departments: earth and atmospheric sciences; biological and environmental engineering; and entomology. In spring 2010, she conducted independent research in Costa Rica, mapping sand temperatures related to sea turtle survival and nest management. A peer mentor in her major, she performs and arranges music for a campus a cappella group and enjoys salsa dancing.

In addition, Nicholas Champagne-Williamson '12, a computer science major minoring in cognitive science and information science, received an honorable mention from the Goldwater scholars program.

In its 25-year history, the Goldwater Scholarship Program has awarded 6,600 scholarships worth more than $50 million. Since 1991, 51 Cornellians have received Goldwater scholarships.

The campus selection committee included William Crepet, plant biology; Jim Morin, ecology and evolutionary biology; Laurel Southard, director of Undergraduate Research; and Todd Walter, biological and environmental engineering.

For more information about the Goldwater Scholarship Program, visit http://www.act.org/goldwater/.