From UT Media Relations:

KNOXVILLE—Four students at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, have been recognized by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program, which grants awards to students studying mathematics, science and engineering.

Junior Emma Hollmann was named a 2014 Goldwater Scholar, and three sophomores—Chris Barnes, Andrew Messing and Sahba Seddighi—were given honorable mentions.

Emma Hollmann, a Haslam Scholar studying chemical engineering, was selected based upon academic merit from a field of 1,166 students studying mathematics, science and engineering, all of whom were nominated by faculties of colleges and universities nationwide. Those selected will receive up to $7,500 per year for tuition, fees, books and room and board. Hollmann, of Cookeville, Tenn., is studying state-of-change effects on the kinetics of vanadium redox flow batteries with Thomas Zawodzinski, Governor’s Chair in Electrical Energy Storage. She is a reviewer for Pursuit: The Journal of Undergraduate Research, an Honors ambassador and a member of the Society for Women Engineers. Hollmann plans to pursue a doctorate in chemical engineering.

Chris Barnes, from Knoxville, Tenn., is a Haslam Scholar double majoring in chemical and biomolecular engineering. He has assisted with research at UT since he was a high school senior, working with Bin Hu, professor of materials science and engineering, and Eric Boder, professor of chemical engineering. He is the co-founder and leader of TEDxUTK and a reviewer for Pursuit. Barnes plans to pursue a doctorate in biomolecular engineering.

Andrew Messing, a Knoxville, Tenn., native, is a Chancellor’s Honors Scholar majoring in computer engineering. He is an undergraduate research assistant at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and UT’s Distributed Intelligence Laboratory. He is captain of UT’s Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers undergraduate robotics team, treasurer of the IEEE student chapter and a mentor for a FIRST Robotics high school team. He plans to pursue a doctorate and work on research that combines mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and computer science.

Sahba Seddighi, of Knoxville, Tenn., is a Haslam Scholar in the College Scholars Program studying neuroplasticity with emphasis on neurodegenerative disease and applied neurolinguistics. She is the undergraduate student representative on the Chancellor’s Top 25 Initiative Research Advisory Committee, an editor for Pursuit, a member of UT’s Honors Council, an Honors ambassador and a senator in the College of Arts and Sciences. She plans to pursue a doctorate in medicine and philosophy.

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program was established by Congress in 1986 to honor Senator Barry M. Goldwater. The purpose of the program 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.

UT can nominate up to four undergraduates for the Goldwater Scholarship each year. The Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships facilitates the application process and relies on the standing UT Goldwater Selection Committee to make the final selection and nomination of its candidates. This year’s committee members were R.J. Hinde, associate dean and professor of chemistry; Masood Parang, associate dean for academic and student affairs and professor of mechanical, aerospace and biomedical engineering; and Jon Camden, assistant professor of chemistry.