Griffith earns prestigious Goldwater Scholarship

In fact, Taylor remembers a time when Griffith learned a new research protocol and immediately pivoted to helping her fellow student researchers understand it.

"She's super smart, and she has a drive that's exceedingly high and rare," Taylor said.

This was the second year Griffith applied for the Goldwater Scholarship. Dr. David Patterson, a professor of biology and assistant director of the Nationally Competitive Scholarships office, has mentored Griffith on both applications.

"She's a level above in terms of asking questions and thinking about implications and having confidence," Patterson said. "She has a very promising future in conservation biology, and she's already demonstrated a lot of the traits you need to be successful."

Taylor is grateful to see such a selfless student earn one of the nation's highest science honors.

"She's just a joy to be around. She's uplifting and empathetic," Taylor said. "She's the kind of person you want on your team. She's raised the collaborative culture of our lab."

Griffith won the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship for study abroad twice. She wasn't able to use it the first time due to scheduling conflicts. But she plans to take advantage of her second Gilman award to spend time this summer in Costa Rica researching cloud forest ecology with Dr. Erin Barding, a professor of biology, and Danyelle Dehner, a principal lecturer of biology.

Griffith is aiming to earn a master's degree and possibly a Ph.D. She is appreciative of the way her various research experiences help pave the way for her future career.

"I'm a very hands-on person," Griffith said. "I figure out what I like and don't like better when I'm actively in the field trying things."

While she excels in academics, Griffith finds purpose in a variety of pursuits. She is a leader in Delight Ministries on campus and keeps a steady work schedule at The Home Depot.

All the while, Griffith remains grounded and is grateful for the relationships she's formed at UNG.

"She's humble in the way she approaches everything," Patterson said. "We're trying to get her to realize she deserves all these honors."