Students Win Fulbright, Goldwater Scholarships

Steven Ryherd, a 2006 graduate in architectural engineering, received a Fulbright scholarship for the 2006- 07 school year.

Ryherd, who is from Ankeny, Iowa, will pursue graduate studies in acoustics at the Chalmers Institute of Technology in Göteborg, Sweden. The Chalmers Institute is one of Europe’s premier centers for acoustics research. Ryherd said he was excited to continue his education and immerse himself in another culture. “I am continuing to understand the full impact of this prestigious award and hope that I can serve as a quality representative of the United States,” Ryherd said.

Ryherd was president and vice president of student chapters of the Acoustical Society of America and the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineering, respectively. His adviser was Lily Wang, assistant professor of architectural engineering.

Congress established the Fulbright program in 1946. It is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and is the country’s largest international exchange program for graduate studies, advanced research and teaching.

James D. McFarland, a junior in electrical engineering, received a Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation award. The scholarship is awarded on academic merit in the fields of mathematics, science and engineering. More than 1,000 nominations were received with only 323 awarded nationally. McFarland, a Lincoln native, plans to pursue a Ph.D. in electrical engineering at a major university and conduct research on solid-state semiconductors. He is involved in undergraduate research through the UCARE program. McFarland’s research involves parameter extraction methods for use in thermal modeling and simulation of power semiconductors and their packages. His research adviser is Jerry Hudgins, chair of electrical engineering.