Mechanical Engineering Student Named Goldwater Scholar
Stephen Pierson, a Fayetteville native and an honors mechanical engineering junior, was named a 2023 Goldwater Scholar.
The annual award goes to the top students nationwide in mathematics, science and engineering. Pierson will receive a scholarship of up to $7,500 from the Barry Goldwater Scholarship Foundation for his senior year.
The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship was established by Congress in 1986 to honor the United States senator. The program was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue research careers in the fields of the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics. Universities and colleges may nominate up to four students each year.
Pierson’s primary research focuses on microchannel heat sinks, and he is supported by a State of Arkansas Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship.
Pierson’s research mentor is Han Hu, assistant professor of mechanical engineering.
Civil Engineering Student Lands U.S. Department of Transportation Award
Lizbeth Juarez-Bartolo, B.S.C.E. ‘21, garnered University Transportation Centers’ Outstanding Student of the Year award, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, for her continued research in transportation planning, transportation policy and infrastructure systems.
Each year, students are honored for their achievements and promise for future contributions to the transportation field at an annual banquet. These students are selected based on their accomplishments in such areas as technical merit and research, academic performance, professionalism and leadership.
After receiving a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the U of A in 2021, Juarez-Bartolo took a position as a graduate research assistant while pursuing her master’s degree in transportation engineering.
Juarez-Bartolo’s projects include serving as CEO of a startup, selling remote sensor technology for a National Science Foundation program, and creating and deploying a statewide traffic safety survey. While working on various research projects, she has also participated in the Institute of Transportation Engineers.
Juarez-Bartolo was nominated by her adviser, Sarah Hernandez, associate professor of civil engineering, and Heather Nachtmann, director of the U of A’s Maritime Transportation Research and Education Center.