Colorado State Students Selected as Goldwater Scholars

Note to Editors: A photo of Dan Woldtvedt is available with the news release at http://www.newsinfo.colostate.edu/.

Daniel Woldtvedt, a biomedical science and engineering double major at Colorado State University, has been selected as a recipient of the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship.

The Goldwater Scholarship provides up to $7,500 per year for the final one or two years of undergraduate study. The program received more than 1,000 applicants; only 321 scholarships were awarded on the basis of academic merit, according to the university’s Nationally Competitive Scholarship Programs office.

Ashley Denney, a biomedical science major at Colorado State, received a 2008 Honorable Mention.

"Colorado State University has some of the best and brightest students who are deserving of Goldwater scholar recognition," said Tony Frank, CSU provost and senior vice president. "Congratulations to both students for their impressive academic credentials and research resumes."

Woldtvedt, a senior from Cut Bank, Mont., has worked in the Colorado State Orthopedic Bioengineering Research Laboratory. Under the direction of Christian Puttlitz in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, he is researching spinal biomechanics and the flexibility of the human spine.

Woldtvedt also received the 2007 Biomedical Engineering Society Undergraduate Research and Design Award. He is a Hughes Undergraduate Research Scholar and is also a McNair Scholar. He traveled to San Francisco in the summer of 2007 to present his research at the UC-Berkeley McNair Scholar Symposium.

After graduation, Woldtvedt plans to pursue a combination master’s and doctoral program. His professional aspirations are to become an orthopedic surgeon and to conduct orthopedic research.

Denney, a senior from Fort Collins, is also a Hughes Undergraduate Research Scholar. As a research assistant in the lab of Patricia Bedinger in the Department of Biology, Denney analyzes the insertional mutations in genes that are expressed in pollen, using genetics and molecular techniques.

Denney also plans to pursue a combination master’s and doctoral program to integrate biomedical research, clinical practice and teaching into a career as a physician-scientist.

The Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program was established by Congress in 1986 to honor Senator Barry M. Goldwater, who served his country for 56 years as a soldier and statesman, including 30 years of service in the U.S. Senate. The Foundation awards scholarships to college students who intend to pursue scientific, mathematical or engineering-related careers.

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