UA Engineering Student Awarded Goldwater Scholarship

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — For the fourth consecutive year, a student from The University of Alabama has been named a Goldwater Scholar, receiving one of the country’s most elite academic scholarships.

The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence Foundation selected Daniel Gerber among 278 students nationwide to receive scholarships covering the costs of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to $7,500 per year.

The Goldwater Foundation Scholarship Program was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering, and it is the premier undergraduate award of its type in these fields.

Gerber, a junior in mechanical engineering, works as an undergraduate research assistant to Dr. Paul Hubner, assistant professor of aerospace engineering and mechanics, and focuses his research on using luminescent photoelastic coatings, a new experimental method for stress analysis, to advance coating calibration and performance.

Gerber also received first place recognition in the undergraduate division of the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics International Student Conference technical paper competition and first place in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers district F Student Professional Development Conference Old Guard Oral Presentation Competition.

Gerber is a member of Tau Beta Pi, Pi Tau Sigma, American Society of Mechanical Engineers and American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics.

After graduation, Gerber plans on attending graduate school pursuing a doctorate in mechanical engineering with a focus on experimental mechanics.

Gerber is the son of Robert and Mary Gerber of Lincolnshire, Ill.

In addition to Gerber, the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence Foundation selected Richard Cockrum, a junior from Tuscaloosa majoring in biochemistry, and Mike Weng Zhang, a sophomore from Tuscaloosa majoring in biology, as honorable mentions.