RB's Neil Sapra Wins Goldwater Scholarship at UCSD

Rancho Bernardo-native Neil (Neeraj) Sapra has been selected from more than 1,100 nominees to win one of 272 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships, a national honor for college students studying math, science and engineering.

"When I saw my name on the scholarship recipients list, a big goofy smile struck my face," Sapra said in a statement from UC San Diego, where he studies computational physics and applied mathematics.

Universities can nominate up to four undergraduate students for the $7,500 scholarship, which is funded through the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation established in 1986. The award was created in honor of Senator Barry Goldwater to encourage students to pursue careers in math, science and engineering.

The foundation selected Sapra and 271 other Goldwater Scholars for the 2013-14 award cycle from 1,107 sophomore and junior nominees. The awards can be used to cover tuition, fees, books and room and board.

Sapra is researching computational methods for drug discovery and design at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, with plans for a Ph.D. in computational physics. He "aims to improve the predictive power of physics-based models used in computational drug-design by exploring new paradigms, such as quantum mechanics," according to a university announcement.

Fellow UC San Diego student Chiara Ricci-Tam, who is majoring in molecular biology and conducts research related to staph infections, also was selected for the award.