The University of North Georgia (UNG) tied for the second-most Barry Goldwater Scholarship recipients among public universities in Georgia for 2023 with two students earning the prestigious scholarship. Aysia Bittinger and Haley Menees were among the 413 college students selected from 1,267 nominees nationwide.

UNG, the University of Georgia, and Georgia State University each had two students selected, while Georgia Tech had five Goldwater Scholars.

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship is designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue research careers in the fields of natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics. The Goldwater Scholarship is the preeminent undergraduate award of its type in these fields and will provide up to $15,000 per student over two years.

Menees, a junior from Cumming, Georgia, is pursuing bachelor's degrees in biology and chemistry with a biochemistry concentration. She aims to enroll in an M.D./Ph.D. program in addiction neuroscience once she graduates from UNG.

As an Honors Program student, all four of Menees' undergraduate research projects have focused on investigating the chemistry of e-cigarettes and its biological effects. These projects motivated her to complete a National Institutes of Health-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates during the summer of 2022 at the University of Minnesota under Dr. Arif Hamid to gain more experience in addiction neuroscience research. Menees is also active in vaping prevention advocacy, as she seeks to make others aware of the risks.

"I had to do a lot of self-reflection to explain my career goals in this application," Menees said. "I want to give back in research and medicine. Combining the two is more effective for patients and pushes into new frontiers of research."

Menees' UNG research mentors are Dr. Nicole Hollabaugh, Dr. Andrew Thomas, Dr. Neal Lin, Dr. Cathy Whiting, and Dr. Supriya Reddy, who has since started working at the Morehouse School of Medicine.

"Haley's exceptional work ethic, intellect and dedication make her one of the most outstanding students I have encountered in my 11 years of teaching. I am happy to see her recognized at the national level," Hollabaugh said. "Her unwavering focus and grit make me confident that winning the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship is just the beginning of her bright future. I am immensely proud of Haley and feel privileged to have been a part of her journey."

Bittinger, a sophomore from Augusta, Georgia, is pursuing degrees in mathematics and physics. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in solar physics and research solar weather for the government or the private sector.

She has conducted research on red dwarf stars with Dr. Gregory Feiden, associate professor of astronomy and North Georgia Astronomical Observatory director. Bittinger has thrived on learning how to solve problems when even understanding the problem is a tall task.

"Winning the Goldwater Scholarship gives me confidence," Bittinger said. "It affirms that I have the ability to attend graduate school."

Feiden said Bittinger's tireless work ethic led to winning the scholarship.

"From the outset, Aysia worked hard to establish herself as an independent researcher, quickly learning as much as she could about red dwarf stars, how to operate the telescopes and instruments, and taking the initiative to collect as much data as possible to drive her project forward," Feiden said. "Aysia has demonstrated the qualities needed to be a successful scientist, which is remarkable for someone at her career stage. I could not be prouder of what Aysia has accomplished, and I look forward to watching where she goes from here."

Both Bittinger and Menees expressed gratitude for the mentorship of the Nationally Competitive Scholarships office throughout the application process. For more information about applying for nationally competitive scholarships like the Goldwater, please email [email protected].