A junior with a knack for interdisciplinary exploration has been cited by a national foundation that promotes promising scientists, engineers and mathematicians. His classmate has received an honorable mention.
Michael S. Bono Jr. ’09, a mechanical engineering major from Clifton Park, N.Y., has won a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. A Union Scholar and visual arts minor, Bono is a member of the College’s Aerogel Research Team, an interdisciplinary group of chemists and mechanical engineers that investigates the ultra-light materials, which are used as insulators, catalysts and sensors.
He plans to pursue a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and to conduct research in advanced materials, nanotechnology, alternative energy and sustainability. He is a 2005 graduate of Shenendehowa High School. At Union, he is also a member of the College’s track team, kendo club, and ballroom dancing club.
Chemistry major Christopher J. Backlund received an honorable mention. Backlund, also a member of the Aerogel Team, plans to pursue a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry and then conduct research in pharmaceuticals and drugs and teach at the university level. A native of Tannersville, N.Y., he is a 2005 graduate of Hunter-Tannersville Central High School.
Bono’s selection brings to seven the number of Union students to be so honored since 2002. Others are Fatima Mahmood ’06, David Olson ’06, Shira Mandel ’05, Mark Hoffman ’03, Desiree Plata ’03 and Will Johnson ’02. Bono is the third Goldwater – along with Mandel and Plata – who was a member of the Aerogel Research Team, according to Prof. Ann Anderson, who co-directs the program with Prof. Mary Carroll.
“I’ve always enjoyed learning about science and creating art,” Bono said. “These may seem different, but both are fundamentally about creating something. I’ve always admired people like DaVinci and Franklin, who pursued science, art and politics. When you explore between different fields, that’s when interesting things happen.”
The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation recently announced 321 scholarships nationwide to cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year.
The scholarship, named for the man who served for 30 years in the U.S. Senate, was established in 1986 to provide a source of highly qualified scientists, engineers and mathematicians by awarding scholarships to college students who intend to pursue careers in those fields.