Wheaton College (Ill.) Student April Futch Named Honorable Mention for Goldwater Scholarship

2017 Apr 12

Wheaton College junior April Futch and sophomore Benjamin Hess were recently named Honorable Mentions for the 2017 Goldwater Scholarship. The Goldwater Scholarship honors academic excellence among mathematics, science, and engineering students and is one of the most prestigious undergraduate academic awards in the nation.

Futch is a Physics major from Dayton, Ohio, with future plans to pursue a Ph.D. in particle physics. She currently works with Associate Professor of Physics Dr. Darren Craig to utilize computer simulations to research instabilities in plasma configurations.

“It has been amazing to watch April dive into her research on computer simulations of high temperature plasmas,” Craig said. “She is an exceptional student and has already presented her first results at a national plasma physics conference.”

This summer, Futch will participate in a Research Experience for Undergraduates at Indiana University to study particle physics before returning to Wheaton to complete her honors thesis. At Wheaton, she also plays euphonium in the Symphonic Band and is a cabinet member in the Society of Physics Students.

The Goldwater Scholarship Program was established by Congress in 1986 in honor of United States Senator Barry Goldwater to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in mathematics, science, and engineering. This year, 1,286 students from 470 schools were nominated for the Goldwater Scholarship. 240 students won scholarships and 307 were chosen as Honorable Mentions.