Chemistry & Biochemistry

MSUM student Kelsey Leach selected as Goldwater Scholar

The Goldwater Scholarship Foundation is pleased to announce that 396 new scholarships are being awarded for the 2020 competition. The Goldwater reviewers faced the difficult task of selecting scholarship recipients from a pool of 1,343 outstanding undergraduates nominated by 461 institutions, and this year MSUM’s own Kelsey Leach was selected as a scholar. Congratulations, Kelsey!

Kelsey is a double major in Biochemistry/Biotechology and Cellular and Molecular Biology and is in the Honors Program. After graduating from MSUM, Kelsey plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and lead a research lab investigating genetic diseases on a biochemical level and exploring the effects of mutations on gene products that are produced by cells. Kelsey’s application was supported by her faculty mentors Sara Anderson, Michelle Tigges, and Craig Jasperse.

MSUM nominated four outstanding students for this award in 2019-20: Abigail Bormann, Elizabeth Erber, Kelsey Leach, and Joshua Schmiess.

MSUM has a strong history of Goldwater Scholars:

  • 2018 – Jenna Wegscheid, Honorable Mention
  • 2017 – Erin Aadland, Honorable Mention
  • 2014 – Evangeline Holley, Scholar
  • 2013 – Amy Moorhouse, Scholar
  • 2010 – Morgan Elfelt and Heather Cegla, Scholars
  • 2008 – Kristine Knoll, Scholar
  • 2005 & 2004 – Rachel Sang, Scholar
  • 2004 – Heidi Johnson, Scholar
  • 2002 – Hilary Thronson, Scholar
  • 2001 – Nichole Korpi & Daniel McEwen, Scholars
  • And our current AVP Ellen Fagerstrom was the first Goldwater Scholar in the state of North Dakota!

Thank you to the CSHE Goldwater Nominating Committee: David Kramar, Adam Stocker, Adam Goyt, Juan Cabanela, and Craig Jasperse.