Contact: Maridith Geuder
MSU Goldwater Scholar Eric Shows
A Mississippi State biochemistry major whose undergraduate research involves the potentially toxic effects of pesticides on humans is a 2004-05 Barry M. Goldwater National Scholar.
Eric B. Shows of Ellisville is one of 310 university students being recognized nationwide this year for outstanding achievements in mathematics, engineering or the natural sciences. He currently is ranked first in his MSU junior class of nearly 2,500 students.
More than 1,100 students were candidates for the honor that provides up to $7,500 annually for continued academic study. The scholarship program was established by Congress as the official U.S. tribute to the longtime Arizona senator and former Republican Party presidential candidate.
Shows is the son of state Rep. and Mrs. Bobby Shows and a 2001 South Jones High School graduate. A University Honors Program participant with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average, he chairs the Honors Council and recently was named the outstanding honors student.
"I've always had an interest in science," Shows said. "Mississippi State has provided many opportunities to me as an undergraduate, especially in terms of the research I've been able to do. I don't think there's a better preparation for graduate school."
Following graduation next year, Shows said he plans to pursue a doctorate in biochemical and molecular toxicology. Furthering research on the physiological effects of pesticides is an ultimate career goal, he added.
"The selection of Eric as a Goldwater confirms his capabilities, his initiative and his potential for continuing success," said Jack H. White, honors program director and head of MSU's Office of Distinguished Scholarships. "His honor continues to affirm that MSU students are recognized in rigorous national competition for their intelligence, maturity and vitality."
Since his sophomore year, Shows has conducted research in MSU's Center for Environmental Health Sciences, headed by Giles Distinguished Professor Janice Chambers.
"He has contributed some important experiments in the area of pesticide metabolism that are adding to our understanding of how certain pesticides are activated or broken down more readily than others," Chambers explained. "He also has explored how these routes of metabolism are influenced by an animal's prior exposure to other chemicals and how the rates of metabolism increase with age.
"This information advances the understanding we have of the toxicity levels of pesticides and the vulnerability of certain populations, such as children, to the toxic effects of pesticides," she added.
A member of Phi Kappa Phi and Golden Key honor societies, Shows also is a conversation partner in MSU's English as a Second Language program.
"Recently, I've been paired with a student from Nepal who is learning English," Shows said.