Washington, D.C. – Georgetown University students Natalie M. Pica (COL ‘06) and Jennifer L. Small (COL ‘06) were recently awarded scholarships from the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation for the 2005-2006 academic year.  The one-year scholarship will cover the cost of tuition, fees, books and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year.  

“We are so pleased to have the academic efforts of our students recognized and rewarded by this prestigious foundation,” said Jane McAuliffe, Dean of Georgetown College.  “Natalie and Jennifer are certainly deserving of such an honor and I wish them continued success in their respective fields.”  

Natalie M. Pica is a biology major with a minor in women’s studies.  In addition to her academic work, Pica is a member of the Georgetown Emergency Response Medical Service (GERMS), a professional, nonprofit, volunteer ambulance service run entirely by undergraduate students.  Pica is also a member of the university’s biology club and the Georgetown Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (GUROP), which offers students the opportunity to experience scholarly research by working with faculty members on their latest research projects.  She has engaged in additional research opportunities at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.  Pica hopes to continue her research, which focuses primarily on the molecular profiles of various cancers, throughout her final year at Georgetown and beyond as she plans to pursue an M.D. and/or Ph.D.  She is a graduate of Convent of the Sacred Heart School in New York City.  

As an undergraduate at Georgetown, Jennifer L. Small balances her time between biochemistry coursework and the varsity women’s heavyweight crew team.  She also dedicates much of her time to pursuing various research opportunities, most recently during the academic year at Georgetown and over the summer at The Albert Einstein School of Medicine of Yeshiva University in New York.  Her area of concentration ranges from working to improve genetic testing techniques to developing a more sensitive test for the diagnosis of Invasive Aspergillosis, an often fatal respiratory fungal infection that poses a serious threat to individuals with weakened immune systems.  Small hopes to continue her research experience with the Goldwater scholarship and plans to pursue a joint M.D. and Ph.D. with a Ph.D. in biochemistry.  She is a graduate of The Hackley School in Tarrytown, New York.

Pica and Small are among the 320 scholarship recipients selected for the 2005-2006 academic year.  Both were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,091 undergraduate sophomores and juniors pursuing degrees in the fields of mathematics, science and engineering.  Like their peers, both were nominated for consideration by faculty members from their university.  

The Goldwater Foundation is a federally endowed agency established in 1986.  The Scholarship Program honoring Senator Barry M. Goldwater was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering.  The Goldwater Scholarship is the premiere undergraduate award of its type in these fields.  In its seventeen-year history, the Foundation has awarded 4,562 scholarships worth approximately forty-five million dollars.  Georgetown University students and alumni make up 27 of the total scholarship recipients.

About Georgetown University

Georgetown University is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit university in America, founded in 1789 by Archbishop John Carroll. Georgetown today is a major student-centered, international, research university offering respected undergraduate, graduate and professional programs on its three campuses. For more information about Georgetown University, visit www.georgetown.edu.