St. Paul, Minn. – Theodore Jacobson ’18 from San Diego, Calif., has received an Honorable Mention from The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program for students with outstanding potential who intend to pursue careers in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering.

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation Trustees awarded 240 scholarships for the 2017-2018 academic year to undergraduate sophomores and juniors from the United States. An additional 307 nominees were named as Honorable Mentions including Jacobson, a Macalester junior.

Jacobson is a double major in Physics and Mathematics.  Last summer he conducted research under the supervision of Physics and Astronomy Department Professor Sean Bartz.  Their research results were published in Physical Review D, one of the American Physical Society’s (APS) journals, and they presented their findings at the APS international meeting in Vancouver, B.C.  They continued their collaborative work on the Chiral Phase Transition in Soft-Wall AdS/QCD during this academic year.

“After graduation, I plan to get a PhD in Theoretical Physics, conducting research in theoretical nuclear or particle physics,” said Jacobson. “I hope to teach at the university level, and provide research opportunities for students.”

Congress established the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program 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.

This year, 1286 students from 470 institutions were nominated for a Goldwater scholarship.  Being named an honorable mention is impressive given the competitive nature of this award.

The Goldwater Foundation is a federally endowed agency established by Public Law 99-661 on November 14, 1986. The Scholarship Program honoring Senator Barry Goldwater was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences, and engineering. The Goldwater Scholarship is the premier undergraduate award of its type in these fields.

Since its first award in 1989, the Foundation has bestowed 7,921 scholarships worth approximately 63 million dollars.

April 6 2017

Back to top