School Notes: Yale College
May/June 2014

Four win Goldwater scholarships

Four juniors, all of them majoring in sciences, mathematics, or engineering, have won 2014–15 Goldwater Scholarships, intended to encourage promising undergraduates to seek careers in related fields. Josh Cofsky (BK), a molecular biophysics & biochemistry major, plans to pursue a doctorate in biochemistry; Elena Perry (BR), an ecology and evolutionary biology major, plans to pursue a doctorate in chemical biology; Geoffrey D. Smith (PC), a mathematics major, is publishing a paper in the fall about modular forms; and Kevin Zhou (BK), a biomedical engineering major, plans to enter graduate school, then go on to design new medical technology.

ROTC honors students at ceremony

The second annual ROTC Joint Awards night brought an audience of over 225 to Milford, Connecticut, April 10 to recognize air force and naval ROTC students for their leadership, community service, and academic achievement. Attending the event and presenting awards were veterans groups, 17 state agencies, the Connecticut Guard, and the Institute for Far East Languages (IFEL). A total of 27 awards were given, among them IFEL’s first Robert M. Tharp Award and the Hiram Bingham III (1898) award, presented this year by Bingham’s grandson, Kim Bingham. Major Bai Lan Zhu, USAF, and Lieutenant Daniel Kohnen, USN, emceed.

Hundreds attend Asian alumni reunion

Hundreds of Asians and Asian Americans returned to campus April 11–13 for the inaugural Yale Asian Alumni reunion, presented by the Association of Asian American Yale Alumni in conjunction with the Association of Yale Alumni (AYA) and the Asian American Cultural Center (AACC) at Yale. The three-day gathering featured keynote addresses, panel discussions, cultural showcases, and opportunities for alumni and current students to meet for conversation, mentoring, and networking. The AACC opened its doors throughout the weekend to welcome returning alumni, and other campus venues hosted open houses and special events.