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Michael Lee Wins Goldwater Scholarship

The award allots up to $7,500 to incoming seniors and is given to students intending to pursue careers in math, science and engineering fields.

Lee, of Sunnyvale, is among 310 Goldwater Scholarship winners from across the United States. He was selected from a field of more than 1,100 applicants. The award will help cover the cost of tuition, fees, books and room and board. Lee is the 21st Occidental student to win a Goldwater Scholarship in the last decade.

“Simply being nominated by the school for this award was an honor,” Lee said. “It is touching to know that my professors thought of me as a candidate and spent time providing recommendations.”

“Michael Lee is academically one of the strongest students I have ever had at Occidental,” said Phoebe Dea, Fletcher Jones Professor of Chemistry. “He is tireless in his efforts in his pursuit of excellence. We are very proud of his accomplishments, and are very pleased that he has been selected as a recipient of the Goldwater Scholarship this year.”

Lee, a 2001 Homestead High School graduate, plans to pursue a graduate degree abroad. For now, he is studying how drugs interact with cell membranes, work that could translate into more effective pharmaceuticals.

The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation is a federally endowed agency honoring the late Arizona senator. In its 16-year history, the foundation has awarded nearly 4,300 scholarships worth about $42 million.