Sophomore mathematics majors named Elon Noyce Scholars

Lauren Johnson and Sarah Neuhauser will each receive $21,900 annual scholarships for their junior and senior years as they also work toward teacher licensure.

Sophomore mathematics majors Sarah Neuhauser and Lauren Johnson have been selected to participate in the Elon Noyce Scholars Program, which encourages science, technology, engineering and mathematics majors to complete a teacher education program and earn teacher licensure in addition to a bachelor’s degree in math or the sciences.

As recipients of this NSF scholarship, the duo will each receive annual $21,900 scholarships during their junior and senior years to pursue teaching licensure. Neuhauser will pursue teaching licensure in secondary mathematics and Johnson will pursue licensure in elementary education.

The duo are the latest additions to a group of Noyce Scholars who include sophomore mathematics majors Robin French, Jaime Morin and Stephanie Stanglin, as well as junior mathematics majors Crystal Edwards and Madelyne Rooney and junior biology major Emily Liberatore.

Their program will be supplemented with special experiences, including extra mentoring by university and secondary-school educators during both their undergraduate experiences as well as in their early years of teaching.

Five students in the math and sciences – Julia Finneyfrock, Shannon Madaio, Sarah Woidill, Sam McBride, and Anna Lewis – have have been selected to participate in the Elon Noyce Summer Internship Program. 

As interns, they will receive paid education and STEM-related internships. Some recipients will serve as teaching assistants for the Elon Academy, the university’s college access and success program for high school students in Alamance County. 

The national Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program provides funds to institutions of higher education “to support scholarships, stipends, and academic programs for undergraduate STEM majors and post-baccalaureate students holding STEM degrees who earn a teaching credential and commit to teaching in high-need K-12 school districts.”

The money supports 50 paid, education-related summer internships during the five-year program for Elon first- and second-year students majoring in math or the physical sciences, including biology, chemistry and physics. The NSF funding also covers scholarships of $21,900 each year for 18 students in three cohorts during both their junior and senior years. In exchange for the scholarships, students agree to work four years in high-need school systems.

For more information, visit www.elon.edu/noyce