Two Franklin College juniors named 2024 Goldwater Scholars

The Division of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, take a bow.

University of Georgia juniors Elaine “Lainey” Gammon and Sara Logsdon are among 438 undergraduates across the nation to be recognized as Barry Goldwater Scholars in 2024, earning the highest undergraduate award of its type for the fields of mathematics, engineering and natural sciences. Congratulations to these amazing students – and the Franklin faculty who are teaching and mentoring them on their extraordinary journey:

Gammon is from Reno, Nevada, and is majoring in astrophysics. Logsdon is a Foundation Fellow from Potomac, Maryland, and is majoring in mathematics. Both recipients are students in the Morehead Honors College and the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, and both have received funding from the UGA Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities.

Since 1995, 67 students at the University of Georgia have received the Goldwater Scholarship, which recognizes exceptional sophomores and juniors across the United States. 

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As an undergraduate researcher, Gammon worked with Loris Magnani, professor of astronomy at the University of Georgia, looking at a high-latitude galactic cloud using archival data from the Arecibo Observatory.

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At UGA, Logsdon has researched a theory of the shapes of topological polymers with Jason Cantarella, professor of mathematics. She worked with the Quinn Research Group, led by Shannon Quinn, associate professor of computer science, to apply machine learning to public health. She also has studied with Jimmy Dillies, lecturer in mathematics, investigating the connections between group theory and conic sections and how the connection gives way to elliptic curve cryptography.

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Image: Elaine Gammon and Sara Logsdon