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Ian Dardani ME '13, a ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥ Presidential Scholar, has been named the recipient of a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship for the 2012-2013 academic year. He is one of only 282 students—and one of only 58 engineering majors—nationwide to be selected for this highly competitive award.

"My family and I are very happy about the scholarship. It helps me a lot in pursuing my interest in engineering. It involved a tough application, but I had plenty of encouragement. In the end, what really counted was the passion I had for my research," says Dardani, who is grateful for the support he received from his professors and the staff at the ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥ Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.

A mechanical engineering major and ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥ Undergraduate Research Fellow, Dardani recently conducted research on the optimization of multiple-pipe gravity-driven water networks for cost and worked in the rural area of Alto Bayano, Panama, for five weeks with a non-profit organization which carries out infrastructure projects in the region. In addition, he has been a leader in the ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥ chapter of Engineers without Borders, serving as Public Relations Director, President, and Panama Project Manager. Dardani plans to pursue a PhD in Fluid Mechanics and hopes to teach and conduct research in computational fluid dynamics and optimization.

According to the Goldwater Foundation, which funds and administers the annual scholarship program, the organization "develops a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians, and engineers by awarding scholarships to college students who intend to pursue careers in these fields." Named for Senator Barry M. Goldwater, the Foundation has awarded more than 6,200 scholarships valued at $39 million since 1989.