WKU News

Two WKU students have been awarded the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship.

The SMART Scholarship is a scholarship-for-service. The SMART Scholarship funds full tuition, a living stipend, a health insurance allowance, a miscellaneous allowance, summer internships, and provides recipients with an experienced mentor. After recipients complete their degree requirements, they begin working in a civilian position for their sponsoring DoD facility.

Chloe Cooper

Chloe Cooper of Louisville is the daughter of Jean Heeb and Barry Cooper. She majors in Geography and Environmental Sciences in WKU’s Department of Earth, Environmental and Atmospheric Studies.  Cooper will use her scholarship to complete her undergraduate degree at WKU while interning in Alexandria, Virginia.

“I’ll be working at the Army Corp of Engineers’ Institute for Water Resources, which will allow me to utilize my love of water and its resources to help people,” Cooper said. “I’ve always wanted to work with water management and resources and now I get to do that in my dream job!”

Cooper has been mentored by Dr. Leslie North in the Department of Earth, Environmental and Atmospheric Studies at WKU during her undergraduate studies. She is pursuing certifications in Emergency Management Disaster Science and Geographic Information Science (GIS), and while in graduate school will be researching flooding events in the hopes of mitigating the damage they cause.

Lee-Lee Knupp

Lee-Lee Knupp of Russell is the daughter of Ellen and Matthew Knupp and is a 2020 graduate of the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky.

While studying at WKU, Knupp conducted research with Dr. Molly Dunkum of the WKU Department of Mathematics over the past two years examining the Fibonacci Array. She presented outcomes from her work last academic year at the 39^th Annual WKU Mathematics Symposium and at the 50^th WKU Student Research Conference.

“I am very thankful to my mentor at WKU, Dr. Molly Dunkum, for giving me my start in research and finding a project that I really enjoyed,” Knupp said.

Knupp will be continuing her studies at the Ohio State University majoring in Mathematics and Statistics and will intern with the Army Test and Evaluation Command at the Army Evaluation Center in Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.

Both students received support from the WKU Office of Scholar Development and the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky as they learned about the scholarship and navigated the application procedures.

“I really don’t think that I would have gotten this award without the help of the OSD advisors,” Cooper said. “I’d really like to thank them for all of their help. Receiving this award was the most wonderful feeling.”

About the Office of Scholar Development (OSD): The Office of Scholar Development is committed to helping WKU students in all majors and degree programs develop the vision, experience and skills to be independent, engaged scholars. OSD welcomes the opportunity to work with students interested in nationally competitive scholarships.

About The Gatton Academy: Established in 2007, The Gatton Academy is Kentucky’s first two-year residential STEM program for gifted and talented junior and seniors. Gatton Academy students enroll as juniors and are full-time WKU students while pursuing their interests in advanced science, technology, engineering, and mathematical careers. The Gatton Academy has been named to The Washington Post’s list of top-performing schools with elite students for nine consecutive years.