For the twenty-third consecutive year, a USC student has been named a Goldwater Scholar. A total of 46 Goldwater Scholarships have been won by USC students since 1990. All 46 Goldwater Scholars have been members of the South Carolina Honors College.
Riley Brady has been named a 2015 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar and Elizabeth Moore has received an Honorable Mention. Nationally, 260 Goldwater Scholars were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,206 mathematics, science and engineering students, nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities nationwide.
The Goldwater Scholarship is awarded nationally to sophomores and juniors pursuing bachelors' degrees in natural sciences, mathematics or engineering and who intend to pursue a career in research and/or college-level teaching. The one or two year scholarships will cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, room and board for up to a maximum of $7,500 per year. Each university may only nominate four students for this award.
Brady is a junior McNair Scholar and a member of the South Carolina Honors College, majoring in Marine Science with a minor in German. A 2014 NOAA Hollings Scholar, he was also USC's 2014 Homecoming King, a 2014 Magellan Scholar, and a 2012 recipient of the David Odom Scholarship. He has completed an internship with the fisheries ecology lab at University of North Carolina Institute of Marine Science, and currently conducts undergraduate research in Dr. Ryan Rykaczewski's Ecosystem Oceanography and Climate Change lab. Brady is an intern with Sustainable Carolina, where he serves as the Director of Education and Training for the new Green Greeks program. He is a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, a Magellan Ambassador and co-founder of Walk Home Cocky. He plans to earn a PhD in physical oceanography.
Moore is the recipient of the Pepsi-Cola Company Carolina Scholarship and a member of the South Carolina Honors College, pursuing a Biomedical Engineering degree with a minor in Physical Education. She is a research assistant in Dr. Melissa Moss' lab, focusing on the interactions between P-glycoprotein and amyloid beta aggregates in Alzheimer's disease, and spent a summer researching under Dr. David Charles at Vanderbilt University, looking at the effects of deep brain stimulation on early stage Parkinson's disease patients. Moore serves as the President of USC's chapter of Omega Phi Alpha National Service Sorority, coaches a local church basketball team of 4th grade girls, volunteers with Dance Marathon, serves as a Peer Leader for first year Scholars through Scholars United and is a Supplemental Instruction Leader. She plans to pursue an MD and PhD in neuroscience and become a physician scientist with a focus on developing novel therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease while working at the interface of basic science and clinical research.
The University's Goldwater Committee, chaired by Dr. Douglas Meade (Mathematics) and including faculty members Dr. Melissa Moss (Chemical and Biomedical Engineering), Dr. Scott Goode (Chemistry), Dr. Susan Alexander (South Carolina Honors College), Dr. Ralf Gothe (Physics and Astronomy) and Dr. David Barbeau (Earth and Ocean Sciences), worked with all the University nominees in preparing their applications. The Office of Fellowships and Scholar Programs further assisted the Goldwater applicants.