STT Undergraduate Student Andrew McDonald Awarded Goldwater Scholarship

Release Date: May 20, 2021
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STT Undergraduate Student Andrew McDonald Awarded Goldwater Scholarship

Mr. Andrew McDonald, an Honors College junior majoring in Computer Science in the College of Engineering; and Statistics, and Advanced Mathematics in the College of Natural Science, has been named a recipient of the nationally competitive Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship.

“I'm beyond thankful to call the STT department home and owe the recognition of being named a Goldwater Scholar to the faculty, staff, and students in STT who have fostered my growth as a statistician and problem-solver,” said McDonald. “Each and every course throughout my journey, from STT 180 with Dr. Dola Pathak to STT 441 with Dr. Shrijita Bhattacharya, STT 442 with Dr. Lyudmila Sakhanenko, and STT 465 with Dr. Palaniappan Vellaisamy, has helped me build a solid foundation in probability and statistics, while the unwavering support of my advisor, Dr. Leonard Johnson, and my classmates have helped me stay engaged through the ups-and-downs of the pandemic. The balance of challenge with opportunity sets the STT department apart and continues to inspire my goal of pursuing a PhD and career in research at the intersection of machine learning and climate change.”

McDonald is a research assistant for Dr. Vaibhav Srivastava in the Distributed Cyber Physical Human Systems Research (D-CYPHER) Laboratory, and Dr. Laura Dillion, an emeritus professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. McDonald graduated from Hudson High School in Hudson, Ohio.

Each year, the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship seeks scholars committed to a career in science, mathematics, or engineering who display intellectual intensity and who have the potential for significant future contribution in their chosen field. Those students are awarded funding for undergraduate tuition and living expenses.