Stargazing BGSU student wins prestigious Goldwater Scholarship

A junior majoring in mathematics with a minor in astronomy, the 20-year-old student has discovered four formerly unknown pulsating stars. Now, she has been chosen to receive a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship to continue her college education and study of star clusters.

Highly competitive Goldwater Scholarships are awarded to academically outstanding sophomores and juniors majoring in natural sciences, mathematics or engineering who are interested in research careers. The scholarship covers the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500.

This is the seventh consecutive year a BGSU student has won a Goldwater Scholarship. Only 310 of the 3,113 nominees for the award received scholarships this year.

One of only 29 mathematics majors selected, the straight-A student was nominated for the scholarship by Paul Moore, a biological sciences faculty member and director of the Honors Program.

"Katie's research represents the type and quality of research that is performed by the leading astronomers across our nation," Moore said. "Her depth of understanding of both the intimate details of her research and the larger societal importance of the research is indicative of researchers at least twice her age."

She has done research under the guidance of Andrew Layden, astronomy. Her main area of research involves detecting pulsating stars in the Globular Cluster NGC 6496 that, according to Layden, has never before been systematically searched for variable stars.

"I discovered at least four variable stars within that cluster," Guldenschuh said. "All of these discoveries reflect new findings since this cluster had no previous listings of variable stars within it."

Guldenschuh presented her findings at the American Astronomy Society's 203rd annual meeting in Atlanta, Ga., in January and made a presentation this month at the Variable Star Conference at BGSU. Her career goals include earning her doctorate in astronomy, continuing to conduct research and teaching at the university level.

Guldenschuh, who lives in Toledo, is a 2001 graduate of Sylvania Southview High School. She is involved in the Air Force ROTC, Arnold Air Society and the University's Honors Program. She also is a member of the staff at the University Planetarium, where she leads stargazing sessions for the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation has been a federally endowed agency since 1986. The Goldwater Scholarship Program was designed to honor the late senator from Arizona and to encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, natural sciences and engineering. It is the premier undergraduate award of its type.

(Posted April 27, 2004 )