Two University of Richmond juniors receive Goldwater scholarships for continued research in mathematics and chemistry

Natalie Clark and Alex Hahn, both juniors at the University of Richmond, have received 2012 Goldwater scholarships, the premier undergraduate scholarship in mathematics, science and engineering.

Clark, of Forest, Va., is pursuing a major in math and minor in biology. She is working with faculty members on two research projects, one studying the effects of a specific gene on a neurodegenerative disorder that causes paralysis and another examining the role of plasmids in antibiotic resistance. She is a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa and Pi Mu Epsilon honor societies and Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity.

Hahn, of West Windsor, N.J., is pursuing a chemistry major with a minor in integrative quantitative science. His research focuses on designing new anti-cancer drugs using quantum mechanics and understanding the binding and behavior of molecular receptors implicated in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, dementia, learning and memory. A member of Phi Eta Sigma, Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa honor and leadership societies, Hahn sings with the university’s glee club.

Goldwater scholarships honor Barry Goldwater, the late Arizona senator. The two Richmond students were among 282 selected from a field of 1,123 mathematics, science and engineering students nominated for the $7,500 award. They are the latest of 17 Goldwater Scholarship recipients from Richmond since 2000.