EMU Today

YPSILANTI — The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program awards scholarships to the nation’s most talented college sophomores and juniors who are pursuing careers in engineering, mathematics, and the natural sciences. This distinguished, national scholarship provides up to $7,500 per year to 400 sophomores and juniors selected from a pool of over 1,200 nominees.

For the second year in a row, an EMU student has won this prestigious award. Rosie Friend, a junior honors student majoring in physics research and minoring in astronomy, explained her decision to apply for the scholarship,  “I wanted to apply because I knew that Goldwater was a prestigious scholarship and I saw the application process as practice for writing about myself and my aspirations. I put a lot of effort into making my main essay the best it could possibly be.”

Regarding the scholarship's potential benefits, Friend said, "I think this scholarship will be beneficial when it comes time for me to start applying for grad school and Ph.D. programs since it's been my goal since high school to become an astrophysicist." She expressed gratitude to Dr. Aaron Liepman, EMU’s Goldwater Faculty Representative, and her faculty mentors for their assistance.  "I don't think I would have had the success I did without them!" she added.

Dr. Liepman, who also serves as an Honors Faculty Fellow, discussed his experience mentoring Rosie through the Goldwater application process. “My role was to help Rosie develop and refine her application materials for this very selective scholarship. Rosie and I met regularly for several months, during which time Rosie drafted and revised her essays, and I provided feedback, guidance, support, and coaching.”

Commenting on Friend's commitment to her work, Dr. Liepman said,  “I really enjoyed working with Rosie. She was dedicated to the process and did excellent work, from start to finish. Rosie is the real deal when it comes to science.” He praised her knowledge of planetary science and her ability to explain it to someone outside the field. “Rosie was able to help me, a biologist, understand planetary science, which is impressive!” Liepman expressed pride in Friend's accomplishments and predicted great things for her future in astrophysics: “I'm so proud of Rosie. She is a most deserving Goldwater Scholarship recipient. I am sure there will be many great things to come from Rosie as she pursues further education in astrophysics.”

Dr. David Pawlowski, Friend’s faculty mentor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, described Friends’ impact on the institution. “Rosie's incredible passion for space and astronomy has been infectious for Physics and Astronomy. She has been invaluable in helping our Department and our outreach programs thrive with her outstanding leadership.”

To learn more about the Goldwater Scholarship, visit https://goldwaterscholarship.gov/. Students interested in receiving an institutional nomination for the Goldwater Scholarship should contact Dr. Liepman at aliepman@emich.edu.

About Eastern Michigan University
Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest public university in Michigan. It currently serves more than 14,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Engineering and Technology; Health and Human Services; and its graduate school. National publications regularly recognize EMU for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. Visit the University’s rankings and points of pride websites to learn more. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website. To stay up to date on University news, activities and announcements, visit EMU Today.