Three CC Math Majors Receive NSF Research Fellowships

A current student and two recent Colorado College graduates have received National Science Foundation graduate research fellowships.

Lauren Shoemaker ’11, a double major in mathematics and biology, will embark on a Ph.D. program in ecology at the University of Colorado in the fall. Shoemaker carried out her senior thesis research on the sustainable management of reef fish at the National Marine Fisheries Service, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Sarah Wolff ’10, a soccer player who graduated magna cum laude with a mathematics degree, is a first-year graduate student in math at Dartmouth College. At her senior thesis presentation, her teammates showed up with a big banner that read: “Prove That Theorem!”  It now hangs proudly in the math department student lounge.

Jess Coyle ’08, who graduated magna cum laude with degrees in biology and mathematics, is a first-year graduate student in ecology at the University of North Carolina. She spent a year before graduate school teaching at a school for HIV orphans in Malawi.

“These NSF fellowships are very prestigious, so for three students from a small college to get them in one year is a really amazing accomplishment,” said David Brown, associate math professor. “It is a real testament to the talent of our students and to the educational opportunities available at Colorado College.  It is a privilege to work with bright young scientists like these, and we couldn’t be prouder of them.

The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based masters’ and doctoral degrees. Past fellows include numerous Nobel Prize winners, U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, Google founder Sergey Brin and “Freakonomics” co-author Steven Levitt.