Three students from West Virginia University have achieved the distinction of being named Goldwater Scholars. The scholarship, recognized as the premier undergraduate award in mathematics, engineering, and natural sciences in the nation, supports students committed to careers in research.
The recipients, juniors Henry Coyle, Corinne Hazel, and Grady King, will each receive an annual award of $7,500 for up to two years of undergraduate study to aid their research efforts. Each of them is part of the Honors College at WVU.
“We are so proud to have three Goldwater Scholarship recipients at WVU who are a testament to the quality education we provide our students,” stated Paul Kreider, Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Kreider further emphasized the university’s commitment to undergraduate research, noting, “Our investments in undergraduate research opportunities across the WVU System lead to these kinds of student success stories with wide-ranging benefits. Congratulations to these students and to our nationally recognized Office of Undergraduate Research.”
Henry Coyle, an aerospace engineering major from Charlottesville, Virginia, developed an interest in flight during his senior year in high school. He recounted, “It was the most enthralling experience,” referring to his project of building a drone from scratch. This led him to enroll in WVU, where he participated in the WVU Microgravity Research Team, an initiative supervising aerospace investigations in reduced gravity environments. Under the guidance of Patrick Browning, a teaching associate professor, Coyle developed a drone capable of simulating microgravity conditions. “This project could enable faster and cheaper material science testing here on Earth,” Coyle remarked, with the hope of advancing research related to space habitats. He aspires to pursue a doctorate in spaceflight systems and work on autonomous missions.
Corinne Hazel, from Delaware, Ohio, majors in environmental microbiology. She is passionate about environmental protection and expressed her desire to “protect those spaces so others can have the same opportunities.” Hazel was involved in research under the mentorship of Daniel Panaccione at the WVU Davis College, focusing on ergot alkaloids and their effects on plants. Her work involved developing a system for growing plants hydroponically and extracting significant quantities of ergot alkaloids, which she found could inhibit nematode reproduction. Hazel aims to pursue a doctorate in microbiology and work on environmental challenges affecting ecosystems and public health.
Grady King, a data science major from Morgantown, applies his data and computer science skills to health-related challenges. His research, under the mentorship of Srinivas Palanki, examined the impact of the Affordable Care Act on preventable heart disease deaths, highlighting the importance of public health coverage. King also contributed to creating a drug database at the WVU Cancer Institute, aimed at treating non-small cell lung cancer. He is presently working on viral public health monitoring through genetic analysis of nasal swab samples.
These students exemplify the research excellence encouraged and nurtured at WVU, reflecting the impact of their projects on future scientific and social challenges.
