Thornton, Vance named Goldwater Scholarship recipients
Monday, January 10, 2022
Media Contact: Kristi Wheeler | Manager, CEAT Marketing and Communications | 405-744-5831 | kristi.wheeler@okstate.edu
Two Honors College students from the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology won Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships, the prestigious undergraduate award for outstanding students who seek research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering.
The Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation was established by Congress in 1986 to serve as a memorial to honor Sen. Barry Goldwater of Arizona.
Collin Thornton is a senior from Duncan, Oklahoma, and is double majoring in computer engineering and electrical engineering. Thornton was an inaugural member of the Oklahoma State Scholars Society, one of 20 incoming freshmen selected for their leadership, service and academic potential. He was also a CEAT Scholar and a Freshman Research Scholar as well as a recipient of the Wentz Research Scholarship in both his sophomore and junior years.
Thornton has been engaged in extensive research projects on OSU’s autonomous golf cart and unmanned aerial systems, mentored by Dr. He Bai in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Thornton also was president of OSU Mercury Robotics and a team lead for the Space Cowboys program. He participated in an internship for Tinker Air Force Base. Thornton is on track to complete the Honors College degree, and he plans to pursue a doctorate in controls engineering. He hopes to conduct research professionally in the automation and control of unmanned vehicles.
“I’ve had amazing support from OSU and my mentors over the past two years,” Thornton said. “The Goldwater application process is an intensely introspective task, often demanding answers to questions about my goals that I hadn’t yet asked myself. Having been a nominee for OSU twice over, I can safely say that the knowledge gained from applying is worth as much as the award itself. I cannot encourage future applicants enough: Give it a shot.”
“My congratulations goes out to Collin on winning the prestigious Goldwater scholarship,” Bai said. “I have had a great experience working with him since his freshman year. He has shown very strong motivation and capability in conducting research in robotics and control systems. Because of his commitment and excellent technical and management skills, Collin was able to make contributions to a number of our research projects, including the autonomous golf cart, control of the Baxter robotic arm, and UAV swarm simulations. I see great potential in him becoming a top-notch researcher in the future.”
Alexis Vance is also a senior. Vance is triple majoring in chemical, mechanical and aerospace engineering. She is the first OSU student to combine all three programs at the undergraduate level. She has supplemented her coursework with an extensive history of research projects under the mentorship of Dr. Jamey Jacob and Dr. Brian Elbing in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. A junior from Leawood, Kansas, Vance is a W.W. Allen Scholar and a Wentz Research Scholar.
She has performed atmospheric monitoring of infrasound, led a team of students designing a spacewalk tool as part of a NASA design challenge and served on a research team working with OSU’s Unmanned Systems Research Institute. Most recently, she coordinated solar balloon flight testing through a NASA PSTAR grant — a collaboration between the Jet Propulsion Lab, Sandia National Labs and OSU. She also has completed four separate work tours with NASA’s Pathways Program, including spacecraft thermal design, life support systems, flight control and spacewalk execution. Vance plans to pursue a doctorate in aerospace engineering and conduct research in spacecraft development for deep space exploration.
“I owe a great deal to the mentors that I have had throughout my undergraduate research career,” Vance said. “From the very beginning of my freshman year, they have been challenging me to take on projects and leadership roles that I had thought were beyond what I could do. It is my greatest hope that I can one day return the favor by supporting future students and mentees in my research career as they have supported me. This scholarship is very impactful to me, as it opens up a world of career opportunities that will allow me to have a meaningful impact on the scientific research community. I look forward to tackling the great engineering challenges of my generation’s future with the skills I have gained at Oklahoma State. Alexis serves as the epitome of what a great student leader is capable of,” Jacob said. “Working with NASA scientists and engineers, she has led teams of students to design and test systems for the International Space Station, tracking tornados using their acoustic signature, and interplanetary solar balloons for flight on Venus. She never quits and never gives up. When she found her passion in aerospace engineering, instead of switching majors to make it easier on herself, she decided to complete her chemical engineering degree and graduate with three degrees instead.”
Thornton and Vance are two of OSU’s 29 Goldwater Scholars. They were selected from a pool of 1,256 applicants from 438 institutions across the country.
OSU has produced eight Goldwater scholars in the past three years. The Goldwater Scholarships are valued at up to $7,500 per year.
Story by: Kristi Wheeler | IMPACT Magazine