A huge round of applause to senior Maria Hancu, minoring in art history and double majoring in biosciences and chemistry, for being one of only four Rice undergraduate students to win the coveted Goldwater Scholarship, one of the most prestigious honors bestowed each year upon pioneering STEM undergraduates across the country planning to pursue doctoral degrees.
“After arriving at Rice as an aspiring biosciences student with medical school in mind, Hancu quickly fell in love with organic chemistry during her freshman year. Looking for a way to conduct research at the intersection of biology and chemistry led her to the Bioscience Research Collaborative laboratory of Jeffrey Hartgerink, professor of chemistry and bioengineering and vice chair of the chemistry department.”
Read the full article at Rice News to learn more about Maria’s research and future plans.
The Goldwater Scholarship serves as a living memorial to honor the lifetime work of Senator Barry Goldwater, who served 30 years in the U.S. Senate. Awarded to college sophomores and juniors who intend to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering, the scholarship has been given to thousands of undergraduates, many of whom have gone on to win other prestigious awards like the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Fellowship, Rhodes Scholarship, Churchill Scholarship and the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship.
Photo: Jeff Fitlow