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March 26, 2007
Texas Tech Student Wins Gates Cambridge Scholarship
Chemistry major Geneva Peterson to receive four years of graduate study at the University of Cambridge.
Written by Christy Hammett
Geneva Peterson, a senior chemistry major, is one of only 48 Scholars chosen from the United States.
In October 2007, the seventh annual contingent of new Gates Scholars, selected from countries around the world, will begin their education at the University of Cambridge. This new class will include 48 successful candidates from the United States, including Geneva Peterson, a senior chemistry major from Waxahachie.
“I think it’s important for someone who wants to become a researcher someday to get the most experience possible,” Peterson says. “As the years spent in graduate school are somewhat removed from the typical demands of life, they are perhaps the best time to live and study abroad. You have enough time to thoroughly experience another culture and different approaches to research but also know that there will be an endpoint at which you return home.”
Peterson, a Presidential Endowed Scholar at Texas Tech University based on her SAT scores, is also a two-time Goldwater scholar. Peterson also received the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) scholarship. She was awarded these scholarships based on her academic and research merit. Peterson plans to pursue a doctoral degree in chemistry at the University of Cambridge. After graduating from Cambridge, she plans to work as a chemist in a research institution. Read more about Geneva Peterson.
Previous Gates Scholars from Texas Tech University:
2001
- Jay Reddy, a cell and molecular biology major from Austin, earned a bachelor's degree from Texas Tech in 2002 and a master’s degree in oncology from the University of Cambridge in 2003.
2005
- Nicholas Johnson, an electrical engineering major from Albuquerque, earned a bachelor's degree from Texas Tech in 2005 and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in chemistry at Cambridge.
About Gates Cambridge
The Gates Cambridge Scholarship program was established in 2000 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help provide highly educated leaders, skilled in research and analysis who will undertake a creative approach to defining and solving problems. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of a person's intellectual ability, leadership capacity and desire to use their knowledge to contribute to society throughout the world by providing service to their communities and applying their talents and knowledge to improve the lives of others.
CONTACT: Christina Ashby-Martin at christina.ashby-martin@ttu.edu or (806) 742.1828
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