April 7, 2006
Director of Media Relations
413/542-8417

AMHERST, Mass.—Laura Strickman of Burke, Va., a junior at Amherst College, will receive a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship for study next year. Only 309 scholarships were awarded to undergraduate sophomores and juniors in the United States this year. Strickman is the daughter of Dr. Mark S. Strickman and Mrs. Kathryn M. Strickman of Burke, Va.

Strickman, a junior majoring in computer science and theater and dance at Amherst, plans a career as a professor of computer science, continuing her research in multi-process computing, after getting a Ph.D. At Amherst, she is the president and webmaster of The Daily Jolt, a student website, and a stage manager in the college theatre program. She also sings in the women’s chorus and was a member of the fencing club. She has worked for several summers in the computer science group at the Naval Research Lab in Washington, D.C.

The Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program was authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1986. Students are nominated by faculty members, and awards are made on the basis of academic merit to outstanding sophomores and juniors who plan to pursue careers in science, mathematics or engineering. Each scholarship covers expenses for tuition, fees, books, room and board, for as much as $7,500 annually.

Founded in 1821 for “the education of indigent young men of piety and talents,” Amherst College is now widely regarded as the premier liberal arts college in the nation, enrolling a diverse group of approximately 1,600 young men and women. Well known for its academic excellence, Amherst is also consistently ranked among the very best schools in the country in terms of accessibility: The college’s financial aid packages are consistently the most generous in the U.S., and among its peer universities and colleges Amherst has the greatest economic diversity. Diversity, in its broadest sense, is fundamental to Amherst’s mission. The college enrolls students from every state and more than 40 countries, and for the past several years more than 35 percent of Amherst’s students have been students of color. Amherst offers the B.A. degree in 33 fields of study.

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