JTC 24: From Goldwater to Graduate

Alexandria "Ally" Watrous was sure about being a chemistry major and joining a research group before she even graduated high school.

A native of Lexington, Kentucky, Watrous was interested in attending college out of state if she found the right program. Intent on majoring in chemistry, finding a program where she could begin research as a freshman was her top priority.

She found just that at the University of Mississippi, where she graduates in May with a bachelor's degree in chemistry, physics and German, with minors in French and mathematics. She also has received a Goldwater Scholarship, one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious scholarships in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.

Over the course of her undergraduate years, she has worked with the same computational astrochemistry research group under Ryan Fortenberry, associate professor of chemistry and her mentor.

"I was looking at a lot of different programs and this was one of the only schools where the chemistry department said I could start research as a freshman," said Watrous, who has just published her ninth peer-reviewed paper with the department. "I always knew I wanted to be a chemistry major and I realized the parts of it that I loved overlapped with physics.

"When I asked to be a double major, both of the departments really supported it."

Fortenberry fondly remembers meeting Watrous at admitted students' day and her start in the group.

"I'll never forget the high school senior who showed up in my office wanting to do research when she got to campus the next fall," he said. "She has delivered well beyond my wildest expectations.

"She is the heart of the team, the one to whom the other students look for leadership and emotional stability, and the student on whom I can count the most to get things done."

Not only will she receive multiple science degrees at graduation, but also in multiple languages. Watrous began taking French in middle school and planned to continue studying the language throughout college, but she never planned on pursuing a degree in German.

"I was in the summer intensive program for German, and I initially planned to minor in the subject but I really fell in love with the department and the professors," she said. "I didn't want to stop taking the classes."

Watrous credits her success and confidence abroad to her experience as a German major. In January 2023, she left for Berlin, where she spent a month in a semi-intensive German language course. Shortly after, she took her research international and spent the summer in a program at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria.

Apart from the community Watrous has found in chemistry, she has built another one in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College. An ambassador since her sophomore year, and head ambassador the last two, the Honors College has been an integral part of her undergraduate years.

"The Honors College has given me such a great experience," she said. "I have loved the community I made there, especially with the advisers and professors."

More than just her success in the classroom, both in Oxford and overseas, Watrous is most proud of her research in computational chemistry.

"My research is something that can extend past me and leave behind an impact," she said. "I've even tried to promote more undergraduate research at the university and get other students involved as well."

During her sophomore year, Watrous was awarded a Goldwater Scholarship, granting her two years of funding for her research. The Goldwater supports exceptional sophomores and juniors who show promise in becoming the next generation of research leaders in these fields.

Not only was Watrous part of the first group of three to win at Ole Miss, she was also the first sophomore to win.

"Winning as a sophomore made me more confident since I had so many opportunities for projects," she said. "Without the scholarship, I would have never thought to apply for international opportunities. I really was not expecting to win and get that extra year of funding."

Watrous said that her biggest piece of advice for prospective students would be to be true to your passions.

"I truly believe that the students and faculty at Ole Miss really care a lot about you finding who you want to be and teaching you how to achieve that," she said. "It is so important to just go for whatever you're interested in.

"I remember being scared as a freshman to go up to a faculty member about research, but that ended up really changing my trajectory."