Two Connecticut College juniors, Audrey Davis and Stephen Rossiter, have been awarded 2008 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship honorable mentions. This prestigious honor is awarded to students who have outstanding potential and intend to pursue careers in mathematics, the natural sciences or engineering.

The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program, authorized by the United States Congress in 1986 in honor of Senator Barry M. Goldwater, pays tribute to his leadership, courage and vision, and fosters and encourages excellence in science and mathematics through an endowed recognition program.

Davis, a biochemistry and cellular and molecular biology major from Hinsdale, Mass., plans to pursue a Ph.D. in cellular and developmental biology. She is particularly interested in studying the role of tissue remodeling in organogenesis - the development of internal organs - and tumorigenesis, or the development of tumors. Eventually, she hopes to become a professor at a research university.

Rossiter, an environmental studies major from Circle Pines, Minn., plans to pursue a Ph.D. in conservation biology. His goal is to be able to design and implement management plans to lessen the ecological impacts of climate change and the increasing human population.

Davis and Rossiter were nominated for the Goldwater award by Marc Zimmer, the Barbara Zaccheo Kohn ´72 Professor of Chemistry at Connecticut College. Zimmer said he is very proud of both students and that the honorable mention award is a great honor for an undergraduate science major.

Within the context of a premier liberal arts curriculum, Connecticut College offers a dynamic science program that combines instruction from award-winning professors, opportunities for students to co-author articles for academic journals and present at national and international conferences, hands-on experience with state-of-the art equipment and funded internships and study-away opportunities that are the hallmark of a Connecticut College education.