University of Richmond junior wins Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship
March 31, 2009
Matt Der, a University of Richmond junior from Chester, Va., has won a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, the premier undergraduate scholarship in mathematics, science and engineering.
Der is among 278 undergraduates selected nationwide from a field of 1,097 nominated for the awards by college and university faculty. The one- and two-year scholarships provide up to $7,500 a year to cover tuition, fees, books, and room and board.
Der is double majoring in mathematics and computer science. He has been conducting research with Professor Jim Davis through the university's Long-term Undergraduate Research Experience (LURE) program on sequence design in wireless communications. Der and Davis have been searching for sequences that are suitable code words for a transmission scheme called OFDM (orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing) using the non-periodic autocorrelation function as their primary tool.
Der attends the university on a Richmond Science Scholarship and will be inducted into Phi Beta Kappa honor society this spring. He won the PBK Robert E. Loving Book Award and is a member of Pi Mu Epsilon national mathematics honor society. He also is a member of Golden Key International Honor Society.
Der plans to attend graduate school in either mathematics or computer science. The son of Charles and Kristen Der, he is a graduate of Thomas Dale High School.
A second Richmond student, Anna Parker of Wilmington, N.C., a sophomore majoring in chemistry and international studies, received an honorable mention in the competition. She is the daughter of Julie Chambers and Steve Parker.
Four Richmond students have received Goldwater Scholarships in the previous two years, including Der's brother, Bryan. Since 2000, 14 Richmond students have received the awards.
Congress established the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation in 1986 to foster and encourage excellence in science and mathematics
Scholarships provide opportunities to American undergraduate students with excellent academic records and outstanding potential. The scholarship honors the late Arizona senator by encouraging students to pursue careers in mathematics, natural sciences and engineering. The foundation has awarded more than 5,800 scholarships worth approximately $56 million.