Two Students Awarded 2020 Goldwater Scholarships

by Yancee Gordon BA ’21

Jordan Gonzalez BA ’21 and Natalie Klee BA ’21 have received the Barry Goldwater Scholarship. As one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious scholarships for the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematical disciplines, this award goes to students who have demonstrated the potential to be the next generation of premier scholars. Their success brings the total number of Goldwater scholars from Lewis & Clark to 18 in the past decade.

2020 Goldwater Scholar Jordan Gonzalez BA ’20Gonzalez, a chemistry major and Pamplin Society Fellow from Chandler, Arizona, wishes to pursue future research in pharmaceutical chemistry, specifically in drug synthesis. His experience as a student-athlete has taught him how to balance his time while still dedicating himself to his academic pursuits.

“The rigor and pace of the chemistry major in particular has given me the tools to become a successful researcher,” said Gonzalez. “My professors push me to stay motivated, and my baseball coaches and teammates push me to be a better person every day.”

2020 Goldwater Scholar Natalie Klee BA ’20Klee, also a Pamplin Society Fellow, is a biology major from České Budějovice, Czech Republic. She intends to further her studies in molecular/cellular biology with the hope to eventually teach at the university level. Klee was grateful to work in Assistant Professor Sharon Torigoe’s research lab learning about the way gene expression is regulated and how it relates to the genetic programming of stem cells. She credits opportunities both in and out of the classroom for her success.

“I have been lucky enough to delve into my major beyond the traditional classroom experience, including being able to go on the East Africa biology overseas program to study the ecology of the savanna and the coral reef,” said Klee. “These practical experiences have been crucial to my preparedness for programs like the Goldwater Scholarship, and I am immensely grateful for them and the amazing faculty behind it all.”

The Trustees of the Goldwater Board increased the number of Goldwater scholarships it awarded for the 2020-2021 academic year to 396 college students from across the United States. From an estimated pool of over 5,000 college sophomores and juniors, 1343 natural science, engineering and mathematics students were nominated by 461 academic institutions to compete for the 2020 Goldwater scholarships.

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