W&L Junior Kathryn Driest of Davidson, N.C., Wins Goldwater Scholarship

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Kathryn E. Driest, Washington and Lee University

LEXINGTON, VA (04/17/2013)(readMedia)-- Kathryn E. Driest, a Washington and Lee University junior from Davidson, N.C., has received a prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship.

The Goldwater is the nation's premier scholarship for undergraduates studying math, natural sciencies and engineering.

The scholarship gives each student up to $7,500 a year for tuition, fees, books, and room and board. Established in1986, the scholarship program honoring the late U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater is designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering.

Driest is a biochemistry major with a minor in mathematics. She competes on the cross country and track and field teams, does peer tutoring and works in the Math Center.

"It's a real honor for me to receive this award," said Driest, who plans to pursue a Ph.D. in biochemistry with the goal of teaching and conducting research on the university level. "I have had some great advisers and appreciate all that they did for me throughout the process."

Driest, who graduated from North Mecklenburg Senior High School, has spent the past two summers working with Fred LaRiviere, associate professor of chemistry, on research in ribosome assembly and destruction. Her Goldwater proposal was an extension of that work on RNA degradation pathways, specifically exploring what the cell does when mutations of the ribosome occur.

She joined LaRiviere and W&L senior Jessie R. Ykimoff to present their research at the 245th American Chemical Society National Meeting and Exposition in New Orleans on Sunday, April 7. The title of their paper was "Microarray analysis of nonfunctional ribosomal RNA decay in Saccharomyces cerevisiae."

"Katie shows tremendous promise as a research scientist. Her faculty enthusiastically praise her natural talent, drive and accomplishments," said Rahl. "Through the Goldwater nomination process, I have gotten a firsthand glimpse of the natural talent, thoughtfulness and determination that my colleagues have seen in her. Katie is an extraordinary student with a tremendous future in science."

Washington and Lee University, the nation's ninth oldest institution of higher education, is among the nation¹s premier liberal arts colleges and universities. Washington and Lee University provides a liberal arts education that develops students' capacity to think freely, critically, and humanely and to conduct themselves with honor, integrity, and civility. Graduates are prepared for life-long learning, personal achievement, responsible leadership, service to others, and engaged citizenship in a global and diverse society.