{"id":73030,"date":"2023-05-10T16:09:08","date_gmt":"2023-05-10T21:09:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=73030"},"modified":"2023-05-10T16:09:10","modified_gmt":"2023-05-10T21:09:10","slug":"fhsus-first-barry-goldwater-scholar-receives-nsf-fellowship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=73030","title":{"rendered":"FHSU\u2019s first Barry Goldwater scholar receives NSF fellowship"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This week, Brynn Wooten will finish an incredible four years at Fort Hays State University when she crosses the graduation stage on May 13 and receive degrees in biology and geosciences. In her time at FHSU, Wooten has had many outstanding accomplishments.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to winning five national awards and two honorable mentions for her academic achievements and being FHSU\u2019s first Barry Goldwater scholar, Wooten was recently awarded a $147,000 graduate research fellowship from the National Science Foundation to support her graduate studies in paleontology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI applied for the NSF Fellowship in October mainly for the experience, not expecting that I would get it, but I thought it was a good opportunity to hone my scientific writing skills,\u201d Wooten said. \u201cThe main aspects of the application were a three-page personal statement and a one-page research proposal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her research proposal, Wooten discussed plans for a comparison study between several historical mass extensions. Her idea was to examine survival patterns from those events and apply those patterns to current animal extinctions today to see if she could create survival projections for modern mammals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had a lot of fun researching and writing a proposal that was all my own,\u201d Wooten commented. She realizes this may not be what she ends up studying, at least not right away, as her initial graduate research will depend upon where she goes to graduate school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Completing a double major in both biology and geosciences\/geology with an emphasis in paleontology, as well as certificates in museum studies and zoology, Wooten has received numerous offers for continuing her education, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  \u2022 Vanderbilt<\/em><\/strong>  \u25e6 Admitted to Biological Sciences and to Earth & Environmental Sciences \u25e6 Awarded a five-year College of Arts & Sciences Graduate Fellowship<\/p>\n\n\n\n

   \u2022 Ohio State<\/em><\/strong>  \u25e6 Admitted to the School of Earth Sciences \u25e6 Awarded a one-year University Fellowship + four-years GTA\/GRA support <\/p>\n\n\n\n

   \u2022 University of Kansas<\/em><\/strong>  \u25e6 Admitted to the Department of Geology \u25e6 Awarded a one-year Graduate University Fellowship + three-year departmental Smith Fellowship<\/p>\n\n\n\n

   \u2022 Idaho State<\/em><\/strong>  \u25e6 Admitted to the Department of Biological Sciences \u25e6 Awarded a GTA assistantship<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI applied to five schools and was accepted to four,\u201d Wooten said. After weighing all her offers, she has committed to Vanderbilt and will head to Nashville for the fall 2023 semester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an amazing program with a great reputation, and they made me a great offer,\u201d Wooten said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hard work has been one of the secrets of Wooten\u2019s success, but it is not the only one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have had so many amazing professors help me along the way,\u201d Wooten said. \u201cI am the biggest advocate of Fort Hays State.\u201d While she admits that many professors deserve her thanks because they were willing to give their time, share knowledge, and write letters of recommendation, Wooten acknowledges two people in particular that she believes were key to her success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDr. Laura Wilson, the paleontologist here, and Dr. Kevin Amidon, the director of the honors college, have been astronomically helpful to me in my time here,\u201d Wooten explains. \u201cThese were the main two people that I felt like I could turn to no matter what.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBrynn is the rare student that is willing to take a chance, fill out applications, apply for positions she thinks will help her grow, take on leadership roles and responsibilities in clubs and organizations, and really go the extra mile,\u201d said Dr. Laura Wilson, Professor of Geosciences and Chief Curator at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History. \u201cIn addition to her studies and clubs, Brynn has been doing outstanding work at the Sternberg as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wooten admits that leaving Hays will be bittersweet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI stepped on campus and knew this was where I wanted to be. It is so gorgeous here. I routinely go on walks and just take in the beauty of campus. I walk around campus and look at the fossils in the walls of the buildings. Where else can you find fossils in the walls of the buildings?\u201d Wooten asks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a fantastic school,\u201d Wooten said. \u201cI genuinely believe that I have gotten a better education here than I would have at a state flagship school.\u201d When comparing her education to that of her brother, who happened to attend a large state school, Wooten believes the personal attention she received at FHSU was something she was unlikely to get at other, larger universities. She admits this has significantly impacted her and contributed greatly to her success.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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