Established by Congress in 1986, the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship is one of the most prestigious and nationally competitive undergraduate scholarships available to students committed to a career in science, mathematics or engineering.
Two Michigan State University students are 2021 recipients of the scholarship, which provides funding for undergraduate tuition and living expenses. This year’s award winners bring MSU to a total of 49 Goldwater Scholars.
MSU’s 2021 Goldwater Scholars are:
- Charles Hultquist, an Honors College junior majoring in physics and advanced mathematics in the College of Natural Science.
- Andrew McDonald, an Honors College junior majoring in computer science in the College of Engineering; and statistics, and advanced mathematics in the College of Natural Science.
Hultquist is a research assistant for Remco Zegers in MSU’s National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, and recipient of MSU’s Alumni Distinguished Scholarship. He is from Aurora, Illinois and graduated from the Illinois Math and Science Academy.
"I am incredibly excited to be selected as a Goldwater scholar and earnestly grateful for the recognition I have received for my work. I would like to thank my research mentor, Dr. Remco Zegers, and the entire MSU community that has supported me throughout my college experience. This opportunity would not have been possible without them. I look forward to continuing my research here at MSU and in graduate school," Hultquist said.
McDonald is a research assistant for Vaibhav Srivastava in the Distributed Cyber Physical Human Systems Research Laboratory, and Laura Dillon, emeritus professor of computer science and engineering, in the Office for K-12 Outreach, College of Engineering. McDonald also is a recipient of MSU’s Alumni Distinguished Scholarship. He is from Hudson, Ohio and graduated from Hudson High School.
“To be awarded the Goldwater Scholarship is an incredible honor — an honor I'm thrilled to share with the faculty and students of MSU who have shaped my aspirations in research and academia. I look forward to pursuing a Ph.D. in machine learning and artificial intelligence following my time as an undergraduate, and I would like to thank those who have encouraged and empowered my curiosity as a Spartan: my parents, my research mentor Professor Vaibhav Srivastava and the countless others within the College of Engineering and College of Natural Science I've had the privilege to interact with,” McDonald said.
For the 2021 Goldwater Scholarship competition, 1,256 outstanding undergraduates were nominated by 438 institutions. Hultquist and McDonald were among 410 scholars selected. The funding for these awards is a collaboration between the U.S. Congress and the Department of Defense’s National Defense Education Program.
The National/International Fellowships & Scholarships (NIFS) Office, administered by the Honors College, helps interested undergraduate and graduate students pursue major national and international opportunities by providing information and direct support throughout the competitive application processes.
