Two Mississippi State seniors are among those receiving prestigious recognition by a premier national scholarship organization.

Senior aerospace engineering/aeronautics major Johnie E. Sublett of Pensacola, Florida, is the land-grant university’s second student in the past four years to receive the highly coveted Barry Goldwater Scholarship, while senior chemistry major Mary E. King is MSU’s sixth student in the past four years to receive honorable mention selection by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.

Both students are members of the Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College at MSU.

Established in 1986, the Virginia-based Goldwater Foundation serves as a memorial to the former U.S. Republican senator from Arizona and 1964 presidential candidate. In annually recognizing undergraduate majors in science, mathematics, engineering and computer disciplines, it helps ensure a continuing source of highly qualified professionals in these fields. For more, visit goldwater.scholarsapply.org.

King, a native of Abbeville, also expressed appreciation for the support and guidance she received from university faculty members. They include Associate Professor Todd Mlsna of the chemistry department; Professor Richard Baird of biochemistry, molecular biology, entomology and plant pathology; and Scott Knight of the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service’s National Sedimentation Laboratory in Oxford.

“I focused on building strong relationships with each of these mentors, who were all so willing to help me,” King said, adding that she is thankful to MSU for providing her with “opportunities to solve real problems through important, meaningful research.”

“I’m enjoying doing tangible work, and I’m thrilled to be acknowledged on a national level,” she said.