OSU Zoology Major Rosa Yorks wins Goldwater Scholarship

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

By Debra Schlegel

Oklahoma State University junior Rosa Yorks, a triple zoology, microbiology and molecular genetics major from El Dorado, Kan., has been named a Barry M. Goldwater Scholar.

“When I first started at Oklahoma State I never thought I would be selected to represent OSU for a national scholarship and possibly win,” said Yorks. “I could not have done it without my adviser, Dr. Puni Jeyasingh. I am truly honored and humbled to be considered one of the many outstanding scholars at OSU.”

Yorks’s project explores the effect of temperature on the physiology of various Daphnia genotypes, small drifting crustaceans, inhabiting Sooner Lake, and the microevolutionary dynamics of this population to increasing temperature. As a junior research student in the Jeyasingh lab, Yorks works on linking population genetics and enzyme kinetics to understand the impacts of thermal pollution in Sooner Lake.

“I’ve known Rosa since October 2009, when she approached me to conduct undergraduate research in my laboratory,” said Dr. Jeyasingh. “Her unusually high inquisitiveness and enthusiasm for research was immediately apparent. She was exemplary in identifying and developing a research project. Her capacity rivals many graduate students with whom I have worked.”

Yorks also received the Freshman Research Scholarship, the Wentz Scholar Award and was a Niblack Scholar.

Receiving an honorable mention for this year’s Goldwater scholarship was Nick Cain, a double major in chemical engineering and chemistry.

“We are delighted to have Rosa and Nick added to an impressive list of Oklahoma State University national scholars,” said OSU President Burns Hargis. “The opportunities for freshman research set OSU apart and play a major role in helping our students excel at the highest level nationally.”

The goal of this prestigious scholarship is to provide a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians and engineers by awarding scholarships to college students who intend to pursue careers in these fields. The requirements are very demanding in regard to GPA, prospects for a research career, and service to society.

“Any time a student wins an award like this, it thrills the entire university community,” said Bob Graalman, director of the OSU Office of Scholar Development and Recognition. “Rosa’s work is first-rate. She began researching early here in our Freshman Research Program, and has continued those endeavors—spending countless hours in the laboratories to conduct her work. Her experiences with research are the type that prepare a student for much future success.”

The Goldwater Scholarship is the most competitive scholarship for undergraduate sophomores and juniors who plan to pursue careers in mathematics, natural sciences or engineering, and will cover the cost of tuition, fees, books and room and board up to $7,500 per year. Only 300 students across the country are selected each year. The Goldwater Foundation is a federally endowed agency established by Public Law 99-661 in 1986 in honor of the late Sen. Barry M. Goldwater.