Two Goshen College students receive science awards for 2005-06;
Alicia Showalter Reynolds Scholarships for Women in Science honors late alum

GOSHEN, Ind. — Two Goshen College students majoring in the sciences are receiving scholarships for the 2005-06 academic year to honor the memory of Alicia Showalter Reynolds, a 1992 Goshen graduate who was abducted and murdered in 1996.

Sarah Thiessen, a senior molecular biology and chemistry double major from Austin, Texas, will receive the scholarship for the first time. Repeating as a recipient is senior Teresa Bartal, a physics major from Lupton, Mich.

Thiessen is the daughter of Dannie and Judy Thiessen of Austin, Texas. She is a 2003 graduate of Westwood High School and attends Austin Mennonite Church.

Bartal is the daughter of Harvey and Angeline Bartal of Lupton, Mich. She is a 2002 graduate of Ogemaw Heights High School and attends Prince of Peace Church.

Alicia Showalter Reynolds majored in biology and chemistry at Goshen College. She dreamed of serving others through scientific research and college teaching. She was a fourth-year doctoral student at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., in 1996 when she was abducted and murdered near Culpeper, Va. Despite widespread news coverage, no suspect has been apprehended or charged.

Harley and Sadie Showalter, the parents of Alicia Showalter Reynolds from Harrisonburg, Va., said, “We are encouraged by this opportunity to help high-quality students pursue their dreams. We are heartened by the character, diversity of interests, and high sense of motivation and purpose these young women demonstrate as they pursue their career goals. We extend our congratulations and very best wishes to each recipient as they honor the legacy that Alicia left us.”

The Alicia Showalter Reynolds Scholarship for Women in Science, an award ranging from $3,000 to $3,500, aims to identify and encourage outstanding women who aspire to pursue a career in science, particularly in scientific research and teaching. A secondary goal is to reward students who demonstrate involvement or leadership in co-curricular activities on campus and in the community. This endowed fund provides at least two scholarships annually to women majoring in biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, natural science or physics at Goshen College.

Thirteen students have received the Showalter Reynolds scholarship since it began in the 1997-98 academic year. Faculty members in the college’s natural sciences and mathematics departments select scholarship recipients based on the candidates’ academic achievements and involvement in co-curricular activities.

Previous recipients of the scholarship have been Leigh Sider Hurst, a 1998 biology graduate from Lancaster, Pa.; Amanda (Kate) Willems, a 1999 molecular biology graduate from Niles, Mich.; Deborah L. Lewis, a 2000 chemistry graduate from the Republic of Yemen; Jennifer Noe, a 2001 graduate with a biology major from Eureka, Ill.; Rachel E. Smith, a 2002 graduate from Gainesville, Fla., with majors in computer science and applied math; Elizabeth N. Bontrager, a 2003 graduate with a biology major from Akron, Pa.; Andrea Regier Voth, a 2003 graduate from Walton, Kan., who majored in chemistry and molecular biology; Rachelle Ramer, a 2004 physics graduate from Harper, Kan., Micah Rogel, a 2004 physics graduate from Nappanee, Ind., Angela Nugroho, a 2004 chemistry graduate from Semarang, Indonesia, and Shu Tu, a 2005 molecular biology and chemistry graduate from Chengdu, China.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a four-year residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu/.