Twins win prestigious national Goldwater scholarships

University of Colorado Boulder twin sophomores Srinidhi Radhakrishnan and Saikripa Radhakrishnan -- both chemical and biological engineering majors -- have been awarded prestigious Goldwater Scholarships.

The scholarships are worth up to $7,500 for educational expenses each year and are given to students who intend to pursue careers in the fields of math, science or engineering.

The Radhakrishnan sisters are among 282 members of the 2012 class of Goldwater Scholars, who were chosen from a field of 1,123 students nominated by college faculties nationwide, according to Deborah Viles, CU-Boulder’s top scholarship director.

“It’s a real pleasure working with students like Sri and Sai, as they represent all the best our university has to offer,” Viles said. “CU provides rich and varied opportunities for students to be involved in their fields and to develop personally, professionally and academically. Winning a prestigious award is one measure of their success and ours.”

Sri and Sai both use CU-Boulder’s research facilities to work on their own independent research, as well as a joint effort on imaging the internal fiber cells and other structures of the ocular lens.

“Our involvement with these projects is entirely due to CU’s encouragement for undergraduates to get involved with research,” Sri said. “We are very fortunate to be in a university that focuses on giving students opportunities to apply what we learn in class.”

Sri and Sai both work with Engineers Without Borders and Colorado Engineer Magazine, and they are part of the Engineering Honors Program and the Presidents Leadership Class.

“The Engineering Honors Program focuses on developing a community of motivated students who collaborate with one another,” Sri said. “The Presidents Leadership Class provides experiential learning to develop effective leadership skills. Sai and I have made long-lasting friends in both of these programs that have enhanced the quality of our learning at CU.”

“Both Sai and I are interested in research medicine,” Sri said. “Therefore, both of us aspire to attend medical school and integrate research into our studies.”

The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program is a federally endowed agency established by Congress in 1986 to honor the late Sen. Barry Goldwater who served the United States for 56 years as a soldier and statesman, including 30 years in the U.S. Senate.

For more information visit http://www.act.org/goldwater/.