A Mississippi State University physics major was recently named the recipient of the prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship.
The honor represents the the fourth time in seven years that a MSU student has received the scholarship.
Nicholas A. “Nic” Ezzell, a senior physics major from Laurel, is the university newest recipient of the award and the only Mississippian to receive the honor this year, according to a MSU news release.
The university says Ezzell has accumulated significant research experience as an undergraduate student and is a member of MSU’s Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College.
“The Goldwater Scholarship is an encouraging message that my trajectory has yet to falter and that more than just my adviser and immediate peers recognize my potential as a serious scientific researcher,” Ezzell said. “In short, it’s an affirmation that the work I do matters.”
The Virginia-based Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation was established in 1986 and serves as a memorial to the former U.S. Republican senator from Arizona and 1964 presidential candidate.
The scholarship is awarded annually to undergraduate majors in science, mathematics, engineering and computer disciplines.
Tommy Anderson, professor of English and director of the Shackouls Honors College’s Office of Prestigious External Scholarships, said the scholarship recognizes Ezzell’s achievements as an undergraduate researcher across disciplines—in both physics and chemistry.
“The scholarship is a testament to Nic’s dedication to path-breaking research and to sharing this research at conferences and in peer-reviewed scientific publications across the region and nation,” Anderson said. “The award recognizes as well the transformative mentorship Nic has received as an undergraduate researcher in the Shackouls Honors College and the College of Arts and Sciences.”
Ezzell hopes to one day become a computational physicist.
Ezzell’s primary research adviser at MSU is associate professor of chemistry Nicholas Fitzkee.
Ezzell also has researched extensively with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where he worked under the guidance of Miguel Fuentes-Cabrera.
The Goldwater Foundation, since its inception, has recognized a total of 25 Mississippi State students—17 with the Goldwater Scholarship and eight with honorable mention awards.
This year, 1,280 students from 455 institutions were nominated for a Goldwater Scholarship. The Goldwater Foundation then named 211 new Goldwater Scholars.