May 2, 2005

UA Students Win Goldwater, Truman Scholarships

Left to right: John Phillips, Cody Locke, Jennifer Phillips

UA students win top U.S. Scholarships: (From left to right) John Phillips, Truman Scholar; Cody Locke, Goldwater Scholar; Jennifer Phillips, Goldwater Scholar.

Three University of Alabama students recently landed two of the nation's most highly sought academic scholarships. The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation chose John Phillips, a junior biochemistry major, as one of its 75 Truman Scholars, selected from among the 602 students nominated by 299 colleges and universities. Truman Scholars are awarded $30,000 for graduate study and are chosen on the basis of leadership potential, intellectual ability, and likelihood of "making a difference."

The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation selected two UA students: Cody Locke, a junior biology major, and Jennifer Phillips, a sophomore chemical and biological engineering major, as Goldwater Scholars. More than 1,000 mathematics, science and engineering students were nominated by faculties nationwide for Goldwaters, and only 320 were selected. UA students comprised half of the state's four representatives.

"These awards demonstrate the success of The University of Alabama at empowering its students to achieve to the top of their ability and then be recognized for that achievement," said Dr. Robert Halli, dean of UA's Honors College.

Truman Scholar — John Phillips

Phillips, who is minoring in business and Computer Based Honors, was cited by the Truman Foundation for his role in building a patient information database for the Good Samaritan Clinic, a free Tuscaloosa health clinic that provides services to the medically uninsured. In addition to developing the programming for the system and training the volunteers who would use it, Phillips built a computer for the clinic, using recycled parts from non-working computers. Following graduation in May 2006, John Phillips said he plans to enter a five-year program and obtain a Doctor of Medicine degree and a master's in public health. His career goals include helping design free health clinics and later to help shape policies related to health care or support for biomedical research.

Goldwater Scholar — Cody Locke

As a full-time undergraduate student, Locke researches the molecular basis for epilepsy in the Caldwells' lab, using the animal model system, C. elegans. More than 50 percent of all human hereditary diseases have been linked to genetic components also found in the worm. Locke has presented research, for which he was the lead author, at the American Society for Cell Biology's annual meeting, the world's largest conference in the cellular biology field. His research has been published in Human Molecular Genetics and received more international recognition via a news release by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Goldwater Scholar — Jennifer Phillips

Jennifer Phillips says she has been fascinated with science and mathematics for as long as she remembers. Although she initially intended to explore these fields as a physician, she changed her mind after attending the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Biomedical Engineering Summer Research Program. Jennifer Phillips now thrives on the possibilities that can be accomplished in the field of biomedical research through engineering. As part of her Computer-Based Honors project, Jennifer Phillips developed a computer program that models the heat transfer during magnetic fluid hyperthermia, which is a cancer therapy that directly injects a fluid containing magnetic particles into a tumor. The application of an alternating magnetic field causes the particles to become hot. The elevated temperature of the particles destroys the surrounding cancerous cells while minimizing damage to healthy tissue.

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