Albuquerque, April 15, 2010— The EnergySolutions Foundation Scholarship Program is in the second year of awarding math, science and engineering scholarships that are offered to the top 10th grade student from the eligible high schools in the state. In 2010, eleven New Mexico students have been awarded this scholarship. The program is also offered in Canada, Georgia, Illinois, Idaho, Washington, Ohio, South Carolina, Utah, and Tennessee.
Students selected will each receive a $2,000 scholarship. They can choose what school they attend, as long as they plan to seek a degree in biochemistry, biology, chemistry, ecology, engineering, environmental sciences, geology, geophysics, mathematics, meteorology, or physics.
“A strong workforce in math, science, and engineering is the key to keeping America competitive during the next century. Unfortunately, we have fallen behind in these key areas, but the EnergySolutions Foundation is working to help solve this problem.” said Val Christensen, President and CEO of EnergySolutions.
The selection committee has representatives from all states participating in the program. Selection committee members include professionals in science, math, engineering, and from academia. The committee evaluates each application for academic achievement, community involvement, and career goals. The New Mexico selection committee is comprised of:
- Thomas Bowles, Science Advisor to New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson
- Robert A. Eisenstein Ph.D., Board of Directors, Santa Fe Alliance for Science
- Charles Fledderman, Associate Dean, School of Engineering, and Dean of Graduate Studies, University of New Mexico
- Andrew Orrell, Director, Nuclear Energy Programs, Sandia National Laboratory
- Jerome Reed, Vice President Operations, LES
- Frederick Yarger, Ph.D., Chief Scientist & Director, New Mexico Center for Energy Policy
EnergySolutions has more than 150 employees working in New Mexico. The goal of the scholarship program is to help create the next generation of mathematicians, scientists, and engineers for America’s future. “EnergySolutions, is investing in the communities in which we have operations and see the scholarship program as an excellent opportunity for the Foundation to act locally and get results on a global scale,” said Colin Austin, Vice President Federal Services Southwest Operations, EnergySolutions. “We recognize the need our nation has for a well trained workforce and this is a great vehicle to provide that,” said Austin.
New Mexico scholarship recipients will be honored at a banquet at 6:00 pm May 8 at Hotel Albuquerque in Old Town. The key note speaker for the program will be Andrew Orrell, Director, Nuclear Energy Programs, Sandia National Laboratory.
Additional information on the EnergySolutions Foundation Scholarship Program is available at www.energysolutionsfoundation.org.
New Mexico Scholarship Recipients 2009-2010
Artesia High School – Kendyl Artrip
Carlsbad High School – Anmol Arora
Eldorado High School – Jason Berger
Eunice High School – Christy Cole
Highland High School – William Gray
Hobbs High School – D’Nae Lynn Robinett
Los Alamos High School – Scott Carlsten
Loving High School – LaKisha Rios
Rio Grande High School – Diana Perea
Sue Cleveland High School – Julissa Hunte
Tatum High School – Adriana Alire
