Nicole Spewak
News Editor
By a United States Senate voice vote, Stewart DeSoto, professor of physics at Wheaton College, was confirmed on Jan. 1, 2013, as a new member of the Board of Trustees of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.
President Barack Obama announced his nomination of DeSoto for the position in Sept. 2012. The term will expire on Aug. 11, 2016.
The Barry Goldwater Scholarship program seeks to “provide a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians and engineers by awarding scholarships to students who intend to pursue careers in these fields,” according to their website.
Dorothy Chappell, dean of natural and social sciences, said, “Dr. DeSoto is a fine scientist who has high aspirations for training scientists, mathematicians and engineers. For him to help set policy for this foundation is to further the excellence shared in science education and research by Dr. DeSoto and the Barry Goldwater Foundation.”
The Record spoke to DeSoto through an email interview to collect details about his new position, the future of the sciences and stories from his time as a Wheaton undergraduate.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The Record: How were you nominated for the Board of Trustee position at the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation? What was the process surrounding the nomination?
I was initially contacted by a member of the Senate Minority Leader’s (Mitch McConnell) staff to see if I would be interested in being nominated for the Goldwater Board. My name was then put forward to the Obama administration, and I underwent a detailed vetting process, complete with FBI visits to my home, neighborhood and colleagues in the Science Center. I was officially nominated by President Obama in Sept. 2012. This position requires confirmation by the U. S. Senate. That was completed on Jan. 1, 2013, minutes after the legislation for the Fiscal Cliff crisis was passed. I was able to watch my confirmation live in the Capitol on CSPAN. It was an amazing process from start to finish.
How did you react upon learning you were nominated as a trustee member?
It was a long process, with a series of ups and downs. I was initially very excited about the possibility of joining the Board, especially since Senators John McCain and Carl Levin are Board members as well. I was very encouraged to see our leaders in D.C. on a board that exists to further science education, especially at the undergraduate level.
What are your responsibilities in the position?
As a board of trustees, our main tasks are to ensure the ongoing financial viability of the foundation and to oversee the selection of about 300 Goldwater Scholars each year. The Goldwater Scholarship is one of the most prestigious science awards in the country. The average GPA of a Scholar is about 3.95, and they have typically participated in research and other science-focused activities. The full name of the Board is the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation, and, currently, we are brainstorming ways to increase our work and visibility in accordance with the second half of our name.
What benefits come from serving as a trustee member, personal or otherwise?
On the Board, I am able to represent the smaller liberal arts colleges, such as Wheaton. People know that there are outstanding students and great scientific research at schools like the University of Illinois and Harvard, but smaller, top-tier schools like Wheaton can “punch above their weight” in terms of the quality of our science students. I often think about ways to improve science education in the U. S., and this is an outlet for those thoughts.
Have Wheaton students won the scholarship in the past?
I believe only one Wheaton student has won the award in the past 30 years or so. (Professor of physics and astronomy) A. J. Poelarends is the new Wheaton liaison, and he is actively trying to ramp up the visibility of the program on campus and working with faculty to nominate the very best students from Wheaton. Each institution is limited to nominating four students.
When your term expires, can you continue to work with the foundation, and would you be interested in doing so?
I have just started a four-year term, so right now I want to contribute as best I can as a Board member.
What are your hopes for the fields of science, mathematics and engineering?
I could talk for hours about science, math and engineering. They are very fulfilling careers in their own right, requiring a wonderful combination of creativity and analytical rigor. I believe all of these fields are very much a core part of the liberal arts environment.
Science and the engineering disciplines are also powerful tools, and they fit in brilliantly with Wheaton’s mission statement, in which we are called to “build the church and improve society worldwide.” Our society is becoming increasingly reliant on science and technology, and it is essential that a clear evangelical Christian voice be present in the ongoing ethical and philosophical debates about the future of humanity and the tools we employ (and implant).
How have the sciences changed at Wheaton since your time as an undergraduate?
When I was an undergraduate, there were few opportunities for Wheaton students to participate in active science research programs. Now, there are many faculty who supervise students for summer research programs and throughout the year as well. Physics as a discipline is becoming more interdisciplinary, with more engagement with the life sciences, neuroscience, geology, finance. … We now have an active SPS (Society of Physics Students) group on campus, and they put on awesome shows for local elementary schools.
The cabinet of SPS is composed of three talented young female physicists, which is another new trend in the sciences and at Wheaton. Of course, we have our awesome new building, the Meyer Science Center, which is an inspiring place both to study and to carry out research. Last year I was on sabbatical studying black holes at the University of Chicago, which was a great experience, but it’s nice to be home.
What is your most striking memory from the many years you have been part of the Wheaton community?
One thing that comes to mind is when a Wheaton student couple disappeared. We searched all over Chicago, placing flyers everywhere, and they made national news. It turns out they just wanted to get away for a while, without telling anyone. Another one was when I was on SMP in Costa Rica and bumped into a good friend from Wheaton who just happened to be passing through the country. It was also a big surprise when my classmate Phil Ryken was chosen president.
Having met your wife at Wheaton, do you have any advice for current students looking for a ring?
OK, you got me. I did marry a fellow Wheatie. But we didn’t get married until about five years after graduation (after dating on and off as well as having a long-distance relationship). Although it was hard, I think waiting until we had both matured and grown up a little was very helpful for us to gain perspective and get some stability. And having that shared Wheaton experience is a valuable bond.
Photo Credit: Allison Freet
Printed in the April 5, 2013 issue of The Wheaton Record. Send comments to the.record@my.wheaton.edu.