500 E. Capitol Ave.

Pierre, SD 57501

(605) 773-3212

 

FOR RELEASE:  Monday, July 6, 2009

CONTACT: Joe Kafka or Roxy Everson at (605) 773-3212

  

RAPID CITY, S.D. – Gov. Mike Rounds congratulated 10 South Dakota students today who received special scholarships to study deep science and another 17 students who received a second round of related scholarships.

 

 

The Davis-Bahcall Scholarships for Underground Science by 3M Company pay tuition and room and board for the 10 students in the first group.

 

“These are truly special students who share a great desire to be actively involved in science,” Gov. Rounds said. “My thanks go to 3M for funding this truly innovative study program.”

 

The science and engineering laboratory to be located deep in the former Homestake Mine at Lead has the potential for great scientific discoveries, the governor said. It is hoped that the new scholarship program will spark an interest in science among more South Dakota students, Gov. Rounds added.

 

The program is named in honor of Dr. Ray Davis Jr. and Dr. John Bahcall, whose Nobel Prize- winning experiments into the discovery of neutrinos were conducted at the Homestake Mine.

 

The annual Davis-Bahcall Scholarships are open to high school seniors and college freshman. The initiative was announced last fall at every high school and college in South Dakota.

 

Ninety students applied. The winners were selected on the basis of scholastic scores, involvement in extracurricular activities, essays, support letters and personal interviews

 

This year’s 10 successful scholarship recipients will study a variety of science-related fields, including physics, engineering and geology. They also will interact with distinguished professors from around the world, and the students will receive college credits.

 

Gov. Rounds said 17 of the remaining scholarship applicants have been selected for Summer Science Scholarships, a two-week study program. All 17 will visit the Sanford Lab for one week; eight of them will then spend a week at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, N.Y.; and nine of them will spend a week at Fermilab, near Chicago, at the invitation of directors of those facilities.

 

“We had so many good applicants for the Davis-Bahcall Scholarships that it was difficult to select just 10 finalists,” Gov. Rounds said. “Because of support from Brookhaven and Fermilab, 17 of the remaining applicants have the opportunity to participate in the Summer Science program.”

 

 

§         Mandi Durch, Newell; Newell High School