Rebecca Rodger was recently awarded a full five-year scholarship and stipend to attend graduate school at Arizona State University in the fall. Rebecca plans to study Applied Mathematics with a focus on biological applications.

“I’m excited about being able to focus on my schoolwork and perhaps even begin research my first year, because of the freedom given to me by the scholarship,” Rebecca said.

While she is looking forward to studying at ASU in the fall, Rebecca acknowledges that her professors at Samford helped prepare her for the next step in her education.

“Samford University was very encouraging in allowing me to pursue a double major,” Rebecca said. “[My professors] also strongly encouraged me to pursue research experience for undergraduates, both through an NSF grant and work in my two senior theses.”

Rebecca plans to continue on “an academic path involving reading and teaching in the biomathematical field,” she said. She aspires to become a university professor or a researcher at the Centers for Disease Control.