University Honors Program

National Recognition & Awards

Goldwater Scholarship
Truman Scholarship
Rhodes Scholarship
Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship
Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholarship
USA Today All USA Academic Team

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Goldwater Scholarship

The Goldwater Scholarship Program is designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences, and engineering. The Goldwater Scholarship is the premier undergraduate award of its type in these fields. More than 300 Goldwater Scholars and 150 Honorable Mentions are selected from a field of approx. 1,100 sophomores and juniors who were nominated by colleges and universities nationwide. The one and two year scholarships cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year.

GORAN MICEVIC

Biochemistry major Goran Micevic was selected as a 2009 Goldwater Scholar.  Goran has conducted research related to gene expression in the laboratory of ISU professor Kristin Johansen, and interned at both the Mayo Clinic and the renowned German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg.  He works as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology and is an active member of the University Honors Program and BBMB Undergraduate Club.  Goran plans to pursue a combined M.D. - Ph.D. program with research emphasis on gene expression and proteomics.

 

KATHERINE TSAMIS

Katherine Tsamis received a 2009 Honorable Mention from the Barry M.Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. A biology major, Kathy's research career was launched in the Schnable Laboratory's Maize Genome Mapping Project as part of ISU's Freshmen Honors Mentor Program.  She also held summer research positions at Duke University Medical Center's Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy and the Mayo Clinic Medical School's Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program. In addition to her work in the laboratory, Kathy served as a Freshman Honors Program Leader, a Destination Iowa State team leader, and is a Residence Hall Community Advisor and academic tutor.  She plans a career using science in the clinic to enhance medical diagnostic methods and treatment options.

 

KYLE WARDLOW

Kyle Wardlow, 2008 graduate in Physics and German, was selected as a 2007 Honorable Mention by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. His undergraduate activities combined a passion for research with an interest in teaching.  Kyle served as a tutor for math and physics classes, conducted physics research in the Freshman Honors Mentor Program, and worked with the experimental nuclear physics research group at ISU.  Kyle intends to pursue a doctoral degree focused in physics, specializing in either high energy particle or nuclear physics.

 

 

 

RACHEL SMITH

Rachel Smith, as a sophomore Agricultural Biochemistry major, was awarded a 2006 Goldwater Scholarship. Rachel began her research that was the basis of her selection as a Goldwater Scholar in the 2005 Freshman Mentor Program and was awarded a 2005 Honors Summer Research Grant to continue her research. Working with her mentor, Dr. W. Allen Miller, Rachel’s research involved collecting and sequencing isolates of Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) and introducing BYDV resistance into small grain cereal crops. Rachel plans to continue her education to obtain a Ph.D. in Biochemistry or Immunology.

 

 

Rhodes Scholarship

American Rhodes Scholars are selected through a decentralized process by which regional selection committees choose 32 Scholars each year from among those nominated by selection committees in each of the fifty states. Selection committees are charged to seek excellence in qualities of mind and in qualities of person which, in combination, offer the promise of effective service to the world in the decades ahead. The scholarships provide $40,000 to $60,000 for two years of study at Oxford University in England, with the possibility of renewal for a third year. Applications are sought from talented students without restriction as to their field of academic specialization or career plans, although the proposed course of study must be available at Oxford, and the applicant's undergraduate program must provide a sufficient basis for further study in the proposed field. Intellectual distinction is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for election to a Rhodes Scholarship. All educational costs (such as matriculation, tuition, laboratory and certain other fees), a maintenance allowance, and travel costs to and from Oxford are paid on the Scholar's behalf by the Rhodes Trustees.

 

MIKO WILFORD

Miko Wilford was chosen 2008 Rhodes Scholarship finalist.  Miko graduated in Spring 2009, earning degrees in both Psychology and Political Science.  She established an exceptionally strong record of research as an undergraduate, with work that ranged from participation in the First-Year Honors Mentor Program to presenting her research at national conferences.  Interested in investigating the intersections of psychology and law, Miko is now pursuing a Ph.D. in Psychology at Iowa State.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Truman Scholarship

The Truman Foundation awards 65-75 scholarships annually for college students to attend graduate school in preparation for careers in government or elsewhere in public service. Scholars are selected (among several hundred Finalists) on the basis of leadership potential, intellectual ability, and likelihood of 'making a difference.' Each Scholarship provides $30,000 for graduate study. Scholars also receive priority admission and supplemental financial aid at some premier graduate institutions, leadership training, career and graduate school counseling, and special internship opportunities within the federal government.

AMBER HERMAN

Amber was selected as a Truman Scholar in 2006. A Public Service and Administration major in the College of Agriculture, Amber has been very active in working on problems related to hunger in the United States and in Africa. In 2005, Amber represented Oxfam America at the G8 Summit in Scotland and at the United Nations Youth Assembly. Amber has volunteered in rural Kenya and is conducting research for her senior Honors Project on youth farmers in Uganda. Amber plans to pursue a M.S. and Ph.D. in Food Policy and International Rural Development.

 

 

 

USA TODAY ALL-USA ACADEMIC TEAM

Each year USA Today chooses 20 students for its All-USA College Academic First Team. Winners receive $2,500 and a trip to Washington, D.C. The Second and Third Teams contain 20 members each and receive certificates and recognition; another 20 students receive honorable mention. The selection criteria are designed to identify students who excel in scholarship, creativity, and leadership roles on and off campus. Students are nominated by a faculty member. Unlike other types of awards, the USA Today Academic Team is a recognition honoring students for what they have accomplished in college--not for what they plan to do after graduation.

 

CLARK RICHARDSON

Clark Richardson received an Honorable Mention in the 2009 USA Today All-USA Academic Team competition. Clark graduated Summa Cum Laude in Spring 2009, earning a B.S. with majors in Ag Business and International Agriculture, and a B.A. with majors in Political Science and Economics.  Clark held leadership roles on and off-campus, including GSB, ISU Ambassadors, Dance Marathon, Acacia Fraternity, Memorial Union Advisory Board, the Freshman Honors Program, and the International Students in Agriculture & Related Sciences. Clark was selected to participate in the ISU Uganda Service Learning Program in rural Uganda, did a 10-week teaching assignment in rural Costa Rica, and participated in a semester-long service learning program in Argentina.  He was named a National Finalist for the 2007 Truman Scholarship.

Clark will spend the next two years with Teach for America and then attend law school.

 

Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship

Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships are designed to further international understanding and goodwill among people of different countries. Ambassadorial Scholarships fund one year of study abroad and are intended to help cover round-trip transportation, tuition, fees, room and board expenses, and educational supplies up to $26,000.

 

ASHLEY ALLMAN

ASHLEY ALLMAN’s 2009 Rotary Scholarship will take her to the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where she plans to earn an M.A. in Anthropology.  Ashley graduated from ISU with a major in Agricultural Biology and minors in International Agriculture and Psychology.  A Hixson Scholar, she worked while at ISU at the Study Abroad Center, did research in molecular genetics with the Lamont research group, and was active in the Student International Medical Aid Club, Dance Marathon, and VEISHEA.  A seasoned and enthusiastic traveler, Ashley participated in study abroad programs in Tasmania, Spain and Sweden.  As a part of a future career in international education, she hopes to someday develop service-based programs in developing nations like those offered by ISU's College of Agriculture & Life Sciences.

 

 

NATHAN SWANSON

A 2008 Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, Nathan Swanson studied Arabic and international human rights law at the American University in Cairo.  Nathan earned a B.A. from ISU in 2005 with majors in Political Science and International Studies.  He continued his education in the Master of Arts/Juris Doctor program jointly coordinated by ISU and Drake University, completing both degrees in 2008.  His undergraduate activities included study abroad in Kenya, Germany, and Antarctica; singing with ISU’s Statesmen Choir, playing in the University Concert Band, and research on service-learning in higher education.  At Drake, he served as president of the International Law Society and research editor for the Drake Law Review.  Nathan will enter the Ph.D. program in Geography at the University of North Carolina following his studies in Egypt.

 

ROHINI RAMNATH

Rohini was selected as a 2007 Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar.  A triple major in Political  Science, International Studies and Spanish at ISU, Rohini was also engaged with the Government of the Student Body, the Committee on Lectures, got ignorance? campaign network, YWCA Ames-ISU and the Student Foundation Committee.  During her tenure as a Rotary Scholar, Rohini studied International Affairs at the University of Ghana in Accra.

 

 

 

RAMSEY TESDELL

Ramsey was selected as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar in 2006. Ramsey was a Technical Communication major, and during his time at ISU was actively involved in Time for Peace, Uhuru Magazine, the Society for Technical Communication, the Studio for New Media, the Iowa State Daily, the Committee on Lectures, and Iowa State Admissions. As a Rotary Scholar, Ramsey studied Arabic and Hebrew at the Rothberg International School of Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

 

 

 

KEEGAN KAUTZKY

Keegan Kautzky's Rotary Scholarship took him across South Africa – on foot.  He and five other 2006 Rotary Scholars hiked more than 1200 miles, from Johannesburg to Cape Town, to raise awareness of the AIDS orphan crisis.  An activist even before coming to ISU, Keegan was a driving force in establishing Youth in Action, an organization encouraging Iowa teens’ involvement in community service projects, and Pages of Promise, an organization that collects used textbooks to send to African schools.  He interned at the World Food Prize Foundation and Refugees International, spent a semester at the World Agroforestry Centre in Malawi, and volunteered at the Nav Jeevan Nivas Home for Orphan Children in India.  In addition to the Rotary Scholarship, Keegan received the Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship and was a finalist for both the Truman and Rhodes Scholarships.

A political science major at Iowa State, Keegan has since earned an M.A. in International Development Studies and a Masters in Public Health (MPH) from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa.  He presently serves as the Director of National Program Development and Outreach for the World Food Prize Foundation.

 

 

Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholarship

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation awards graduate scholarships to help U.S. and international students with exceptional promise and demonstrated financial need achieve their full potential through education at U.S. universities. The scholarships cover tuition, room, board, fees and books—up to $50,000 annually—for up to six years. The recipients pursue graduate study in wide ranging fields, including medicine, law, theology, education, journalism, business, architecture, as well as fine and performing arts, the latter fields reflecting Mr. Cooke’s passion for the arts.

ERIC STROUD

Eric Stroud was selected as a recipient of the 2006 Graduate Scholarship from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. Currently working toward a Master of Architecture degree at the University of Pennsylvania, Eric received his Bachelor of Architecture in May 2006. At ISU, Eric participated in an architecture program in Central America and received an award from the Sigma Phi Epsilon National Education Foundation that enabled him to study in Greece. He served as Chapter President for Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, was active in with the ISU Dance Marathon and Habitat for Humanity, and was a student mentor at the American School in Quito, Ecuador. He conducted research for three years as an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the ISU Department of Architecture.

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For more information about these and other scholarship opportunities, visit our list of nationally prestigious scholarships and fellowships.