JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Her list of accolades is lengthy.
Piper Floyd, an East Tennessee State University student graduating in May 2023, landed a software developer internship with Wells Fargo and recently received the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, one of the most competitive scholarships in the United States.
Add to the list: A coveted 2022-23 Goldwater Scholarship, a widely respected award handed out to about 400 undergraduates nationally each year.
She is the first ever ETSU student to receive this honor.
“When I was awarded the Goldwater Scholarship, I was overwhelmed by a strong sense of gratitude. Often, we praise the award winner but forget to recognize the team that it took to get there,” said Floyd, who thanked mentors Drs. Ghaith Husari, Amy Johnson, Gene Bailey, Christopher Keller and Jennifer Price.
A Kingsport native and graduate of Sullivan South High School, Floyd had long been
familiar with ETSU.
“I knew it had an excellent reputation,” she said. “I came here because they had excellent
scholarship opportunities. It was also extremely financially affordable.”
Floyd is studying both information technology and Spanish. She plans to pursue graduate
degrees in robotics, and ultimately conduct research in emerging aerospace and automated
technology.
“We are so incredibly proud of Piper,” said Keller, Honors College dean and senior international officer at ETSU. “A big part of Piper’s success is
her ability to take intellectual risks and to pursue various experiential-learning
opportunities available to her at ETSU, including internships, research and studying
abroad in Spain next year.”
Keller was one of several ETSU faculty and staff members who helped guide the Goldwater
application process.
“This is a great honor for Piper and ETSU. We cannot wait to see all that she accomplishes,”
Keller said.
The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation, established in 1986 and named for the late U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater, provides a
$7,000 scholarship per year to college students who plan to pursue a career in research
related to natural sciences, computing, math or engineering.
“Receiving the Goldwater Scholarship signifies how ETSU’s community has generously
supported and assisted me in achieving my goals,” said Floyd. “I would not have been
able to do it without their unyielding support.”