EDITOR�S NOTE: A high resolution photo of Kaltz is available electronically from Pam Jahnke at (517)432-0304 or jahnkep@msu.edu
Contact: Ron Fisher, MSU Honors College: (517) 355-2326, fisherr1@msu.edu; or Meredith Mescher, University Relations: (517) 432-0305, mescherm@msu.edu
3/30/2006
EAST LANSING, Mich. � Seeing his grandmother walk pain free following her total knee replacement is inspiration to Stuart Kaltz, a Lapeer native whose goal is to research and improve orthopedic medicine.
Kaltz, a junior majoring in materials science and engineering in the College of Engineering at Michigan State University, plans to continue his research as one of MSU�s three Goldwater Scholarship recipients. He is one of 323 nationwide to receive the award for 2006 from the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.
�My grandmother�s ability to walk without pain is a constant reminder of the immense benefits of orthopedics,� Kaltz said. �I am excited by the many opportunities for my education in a field that has the potential to improve the health and well-being of people throughout the world.�
A member of the MSU Honors College, he is the son of Joseph and Jennifer Kaltz and a 2003 graduate of Lapeer East High School. He plans to graduate from MSU in May 2007.
Goldwater Scholars are selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,081 mathematics, science and engineering students nominated by their colleges and universities. Awarded to sophomores and juniors, the scholarship covers the costs of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to $7,500 per year and is available for one to two years.
Kaltz has had first-hand lab experience under Melissa Baumann, a professor of chemical engineering at MSU; Thomas Boland, an associate professor of bioengineering at Clemson (S.C) University; and Thomas Pinnavaia, a professor of chemistry at MSU. His current research with Buamann involves working with hydroxyapatite, a ceramic used to improve the quality and durability in artificial bone implants.
He plans to attend graduate school to earn a doctorate in biomedical engineering and pursue a career as a researcher in orthopedics development.
�My ultimate goal is to run my own research laboratory as a biomaterials researcher for a leading orthopedic company and create the next generation of joint replacement technology,� Kaltz said. �I would also like to establish a collaborative research program between the company and a major university to train students for future careers in orthopedics.�
Besides his MSU research projects, he has been involved in Tau Beta Pi Honor Society, Biomedical Engineering Society, Honors Students Actively Recruiting, Spartan Marching Band, Campus Band and State Quiz Bowl.
�MSU has given me access to many excellent opportunities in undergraduate research and provided a wide variety of experiences that have helped me mature and grow as a student, researcher and person,� Kaltz said. �From research to Spartan Marching Band, I have been able to find my career interests and further my education in a well-rounded manner.�
The Goldwater Foundation is a federally endowed agency, established in 1986, to honor former Sen. Barry M. Goldwater and to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering.
For more information on the scholarship program, visit the Web at http://www.act.org/goldwater/yyschrel.html or http://www.act.org/goldwater/sch-2006.html.
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Michigan State University has been advancing knowledge and transforming lives through innovative teaching, research and outreach for 150 years. MSU is known internationally as a major public university with global reach and extraordinary impact. Its 15 degree-granting colleges attract scholars worldwide who are interested in combining education with practical problem solving.