POTSDAM -- Clarkson University honors students Yarong Lin and Pinguang Yang have been awarded Goldwater Scholarships.

Yarong Lin is a chemical engineering and applied mathematics and statistics double major.

Pinguang Yang is a biomolecular science and applied mathematics and statistics double major.

Kyle Z. Hancock, a chemical engineering major, was awarded an honorable mention.

The Goldwater Scholarship is given to undergraduates studying the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics. Only 271 scholarships were awarded for the 2013-2014 academic year.

A graduate of Manhattan Comprehensive Day and Night High School, Lin is a member of the honors program and a Ronald E. McNair Scholar.

She has conducted research at Clarkson with professor Sitaraman Krishnan on the calorimetric determination of degree of hydration of zwitterionic polymers.

She completed a National Science Foundation “research experience” for undergraduates on modulation of graphene at Columbia University.

She also completed a research and development internship at Procter & Gamble, where she worked on the whitening of dental products, as well as an engineering co-op in dentifrice processing.

“I’m very honored to be part of a very small group like this,” says Lin. “It’s a great honor to join the Goldwater family.”

Lin plans to do research into electronic properties of large grain size nitrogen doped monolayer graphene under the mentorship of professor Abhay Pasupathy at Columbia University.

She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in chemical engineering and conduct nano-material research in an industrial research and development department.

Also a graduate of Manhattan Comprehensive Night and Day High School, Yang is a member of the honors program and a Ronald E. McNair Scholar.

Before his freshman year he participated in summer research under the mentorship of Professor Artem Melman, and has completed a National Science Foundation “research experience” for undergraduates in developmental biology at Weill Cornell and an REU in immunology at Sloan Kettering Institute.

Yang is working with professor Craig Woodworth and plans to investigate the susceptibility of cervical transformation zone to HPV-16.

“Most cervical cancer comes from this tiny small region,” says Yang. “We’re really interested in finding out why.”

Yang plans to obtain an M.D. in oncology and a Ph.D. in cancer research, and pursue a career as a medical research scientist.

“To win this prestigious award gave me the confidence I need to apply to medical school,” says Yang. “The Goldwater will definitely will help me to stand apart.”

Lin and Yang grew up in the same region in China and immigrated to New York City several years ago. They met while attending high school in New York and started at Clarkson in 2010.

Hancock, a homeschool graduate, is a member of the honors program.

After his freshman year, he began summer research with professor Ross Taylor on mathematical modeling of binary chemical mixtures.

He also completed a National Science Foundation “research experience” for undergraduates in experimental physics at Cornell last summer.

His Goldwater application was based on developing new materials for high temperature superconductivity.

He hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in nanotechnology and plans to be a researcher and professor.

He is presently studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark, and traveling Europe during any free time.

A video featuring Lin and Yang can be seen at youtu.be/-zyZgKM97iM.

No college or university in the state has had more Goldwater Scholars in the past three years than Clarkson University. Of more than 4,000 institutions nationwide, Clarkson is in the top 1 percent for the number of Goldwater Scholars in the past five years.

Including this year’s scholars, 29 Clarkson University students have received this highly coveted award since the scholarship was first awarded in 1989.

This is the 14th consecutive year that Clarkson honors program students have received Goldwater Scholarships.