Unique scholarship attracts top students

Click here for captions and links for two high resolution images.

If you took your first high school math class in third grade and completed more than 20 college courses by the age of 18, you might wonder, "Where do I go from here?" For Susan Deuell of Olympia, Washington, the answer was clear: to become a Tyco scholar at the University of New Hampshire's College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.

The scholarship is both an honor and a challenge. Each Tyco scholar must perform original research in collaboration with a UNH mentor, present the results at a professional conference, and participate in an internship here or abroad. In addition to a full scholarship for four years, the students receive financial support for their research, internships, and related travel. The program was established two years ago with a $4 million endowment from Tyco International.

Deuell, a senior at North Thurston High School in Lacey, Washington, was one of 20 students from across the country nominated for the scholarship. "The most important aspect of the school I sought was offering a combination of rigor and friendly cooperation," she explains. "UNH's engineering program is small enough to foster a good sense of community, while large enough to offer an excellent program, full of research opportunities." She intends to study electrical engineering with particular interests in robotics and networking.

"We are absolutely delighted to welcome Susan Deuell as a Tyco scholar," says Arthur Greenberg, dean of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences. "She was selected from a group of five enormously talented finalists who were recruited like student athletes over the course of a weekend." The other finalists are Michael Antosh of Wakefield, Rhode Island, and three New Hampshire residents: Joshua Grant of Deerfield, Danielle Vienneau of Lisbon, and Jeffrey Whittemore of Loudon.

Deuell and the three Tyco scholars who entered UNH this past fall have chosen to undertake an exceptionally demanding program of study. But research and real-world experience are key components in the education of many UNH students, according to , Greenberg. "In engineering and physical sciences, our undergraduate students work on projects such as designing and building a prototype three-wheeled vehicle for campus transportation, adapting donated medical equipment for use in underdeveloped countries, and descending two miles under the ocean surface to study the geochemistry of hot springs--to name just three recent examples."

Among other options, UNH's Tyco scholars have the opportunity to become interns at any one of a number of Tyco's operations worldwide. Tyco is a diversified manufacturing and service company operating in more than 100 countries. "We anticipate that the program will continue to attract some of the best students across the nation," notes Greenberg.

Captions:
Photo #1: Group Shot (Click here to download.)
Susan Deuell of Olympia, Washington, has won this year's competition for the University of New Hampshire's Tyco Scholarship, a program for exceptional students in engineering and physical sciences. Deuell is shown here with (from left) Robert Henry, associate dean of the UNH College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, and David Brownell, formerly Vice President of Tyco International, which established the program with a $4 million endowment. (UNH Photo by Doug Prince)

Photo #2: Susan Deuell (Click here to download.)
Susan Deuell of Olympia, Washington, has won this year's competition for the University of New Hampshire's Tyco Scholarship, a program for exceptional students in engineering and physical sciences. The program was established with a $4 million endowment from Tyco International. Deuell, who started taking high school math in third grade, has been educated with a combination of homeschooling, public schooling, and college courses.(Courtesy photo)