A record number of University of Vermont students are recipients of prestigious Goldwater scholarships this year. Goldwater scholarships are considered the most prestigious undergraduate scholarship in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering in the United States.

This year’s Goldwater scholars at UVM are:

• Andrew Crompton ’23, pursuing a Microbiology major and Biochemistry minor in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Crompton plans to pursue a doctorate in Cancer Biology and to conduct research that focuses primarily on targeted therapies that address cancer resistance to mainstay treatments. Crompton is from Barre, Vermont.
• Isabelle Petrucci ’23, pursuing a Chemistry major and Music minor in the College of Arts and Sciences. Petrucci intends to earn a doctorate in Synthetic Organic Chemistry, and to conduct research in medicinal chemistry in a pharmaceutical setting. Petrucci is from Essex Junction, Vermont.
• Remi Savard ’23, pursuing a Microbiology major and Biochemistry minor in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Savard will pursue a doctorate in Immunology and plans to conduct basic research in the field of innate-like T cells in an academic setting, teach biomedical science courses and lead a research group. Savard is from Montpelier, Vermont.

“They are all accomplished students at UVM and unsurprisingly all are also in the Honors College,” said Rory Waterman, professor of Chemistry and associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences who serves as the campus representative for the awards. “It is yet another confirmation of the excellence of our students and, most importantly, it is affirmation of the hard work and success of these three talented individuals.”

Honors College Dean David Jenemann added, “The Goldwater Scholarship is one of the most prestigious undergraduate awards in the country. The recognition of Andrew, Isabelle, and Remi’s achievements is a tremendous acknowledgment of what amazing students and scholars they are and of the type of opportunities UVM’s strong faculty/staff mentoring connections can lead to.”

The number of Goldwater scholarships was increased to 417 college students for the 2022-2023 academic year as a result of a partnership with the Department of Defense National Defense Education Programs (NDEP).

“The Department of Defense’s continued partnership with the Goldwater Foundation ensures we are supporting the development of scientific talent essential to maintaining our nation’s competitive advantage,” said Jagadeesh Pamulapati, acting deputy director of research, technology and laboratories, who oversees the NDEP program.

The scholarship program honoring Senator Barry Goldwater was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue research careers in the fields of the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics. The Goldwater scholarship is the preeminent undergraduate award of its type in these fields.

From an estimated pool of over 5,000 college sophomores and juniors, 1242 natural science, engineering and mathematics students were nominated by 433 academic institutions to compete for the 2022 Goldwater scholarships. Of students who reported, 175 of the scholars are men, 234 are women, and virtually all intend to obtain a Ph.D. as their highest degree objective. Forty-five scholars are mathematics and computer science majors, 308 are majoring in the natural sciences, and 64 are majoring in engineering. Many of the scholars have published their research in leading professional journals and have presented their work at professional society conferences.

Prior to 2022, the highest number of Goldwater scholarship recipients at UVM was two in 2014, and there had not been a recipient since 2016. Thirteen UVM students have received Goldwater scholarships between 2004 and 2022. The Barry Goldwater Scholarship & Excellence in Education Foundation has been awarding the scholarships since 1989.

This year’s UVM recipients will be awarded up to $7,500 per student for their senior year. The three UVM recipients this year are the only ones listed from Vermont by the foundation.