A University of Oklahoma Honors College student has been named a 2013 Goldwater Scholar, bringing to 43 the number of OU students named Goldwater Scholars since the competition began in 1991 and placing OU in the top ranks of universities nationally. Alexander Mann of Norman was awarded the prestigious scholarship on the basis of his potential and intent to pursue a career in the natural sciences.
“The entire University community takes pride in the selection of Alexander Mann as a Goldwater Scholar,” said OU President David L. Boren. “His record of achievements as a student is exceptional. Mann’s selection means that OU continues to rank among the top universities in the nation in the number of Goldwater scholarships awarded to our students.”
Mann is a junior majoring in microbiology with a 4.0 grade-point average. He began research while in high school in the lab of Michael McInerney, George Lynn Cross Endowed and Research Professor of Microbiology, investigating the production of hydrogen gas by bacteria. Currently working with Tyrrell Conway, Henry Zarrow Presidential Professor of Microbiology and director of the Microarray and Bioinformatics Core Facilities at OU, Mann is researching E. coli ecology, specifically the ability of mutant strains to colonize the intestine.
In addition, he conducts research in the lab of Darise Farris in the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation Arthritis and Immunology Program. Mann began in the lab as a summer intern in 2010 and has remained to continue research. Last summer, he worked at the Mayo Clinic Department of Immunology in the lab of Dr. Daniel Billadeau. This summer he will work with Dr. Wendy Havran, professor of immunology and microbial sciences, at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif. His career goal is to conduct research after obtaining a doctorate in biology of the immune system.
Mann is a National Merit Scholar and served as a Sir Alexander Fleming Summer Research Scholar at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. He is a member of the OU chapter of the American Society for Microbiology, and he placed first in the botany/microbiology category at the State Science Fair.
The national scholarship competition is conducted by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program. The one- and two-year scholarships cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year.
