Cannon Wins Goldwater Scholarship

March 21, 2006
Contact: Andy Faught

Jeffrey Cannon, a junior chemistry major from Austin, Texas, has been awarded a prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. The award allots up to $7,500 a year to sophomores and juniors at American colleges and universities intending to pursue careers in math, science, and engineering.

Cannon is among 323 Goldwater winners. Scholars were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of nearly 1,100 students nominated by college and university faculties. The award will help cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board. Cannon is joined in the honor by Occidental sophomore James Gillan of Concord, Calif. The pair are the 30th and 31st Occidental students to win a Goldwater since 1990.

“I consider it a great honor to be selected,” Cannon said. “This is the first really competitive national award I’ve won and it does confirm the work that I’ve done and the things that I aspire to do in the future.”

Cannon’s current research lies in the area of stereochemistry, in which a molecule’s mirror image does not superimpose on itself. Such molecules are important in the production of drugs such as ibuprofen and Prozac. Stereochemical research can also create ways to reduce waste in producing drugs. Cannon plans to eventually work toward a doctorate and work in a field involving organic synthesis.

The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation is a federally endowed agency honoring the late Arizona senator. In its 18-year history, the foundation has awarded 4,885 scholarships worth about $48 million.