Undergraduate students earn prestigious national scholarship

Three Michigan State University undergraduate students are recipients of the nationally competitive Goldwater Scholarship for 2022.

Each year, the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation seeks scholars committed to a career in science, mathematics or engineering who display intellectual intensity and who have the potential for significant future contribution in their chosen field. The recipients receive funding for undergraduate tuition and living expenses.

Since the scholarship program began in 1989, 52 MSU students have been recognized with the honor.

MSU’s 2022 Goldwater Scholars are:

• Bailey Bowcutt, a junior majoring in microbiology in Lyman Briggs College and a member of the Honors College
• Calista Busch, a junior majoring in genomics and molecular genetics in Lyman Briggs College and a member of the Honors College
• Samuel Sottile, a junior majoring in advanced mathematics in the College of Natural Science and a member of the Honors College

Bowcutt is a research assistant for Shannon Manning in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. Their project is examining how antibiotic treatment leads to antibiotic resistant microbes in dairy cattle gut microbiome. Bowcutt is president of MSU’s Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Club and 3D printing team lead in association with the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities. She is from Cheyenne, Wyoming, and is the recipient of a STARR Charitable Foundation Scholarship.

“I am very honored to be accepted as a Goldwater scholar. I am appreciative of the support from Dr. Olive and Dr. Sweeder in my application process as well as my mentor Dr. Shannon Manning, who supported me and encouraged me throughout,” said Bowcutt. “I also appreciate the Wyoming Public Health Laboratories and Dr. Noah Hull for helping foster my early interest in research for public health and microbiology. I plan to continue with research and to get a doctorate, and this process has been exceptional in helping me prepare. None of this would have been possible without my support systems and I am grateful to be awarded this prestigious research scholarship."

Busch is a research assistant for Richard Schwartz in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. She is studying the effect of diet and oxybenzone on the proliferation of breast cancer. Busch is an undergraduate learning assistant in Lyman Briggs College and group leader for the Spartan Support Network. Busch is from Mason, Ohio.

“I am incredibly honored to receive this award to further my research and expand the opportunities I am able to pursue,” said Busch. “I would like to thank my research mentors, advisers and reviewers who supported me in this process. This award will enable me to focus my attention on my research and dedicate as much time as possible to advancing the field of cancer biology. I look forward to continuing my research at MSU, attending graduate school and, ultimately, furthering discoveries in cancer biology.”

Sottile is pursuing a research project that focuses on ergodic quantum processes under the supervision of Jeffrey Schenker and Ilya Kachkovskiy in the Department of Mathematics. He is president of the MSU Math Club and was a commended finalist in the Alumni Distinguished Scholarship Competition. Sottile is from College Station, Texas.

“I would like to thank my research mentors and everyone I have worked with. I am honored to receive this award and am looking forward to continuing my research,” said Sottile.

The National/International Fellowships and Scholarships 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.