Among the Best and Brightest

Robert Starr is a young computer wizard who could someday help change the world through the use of supercomputers. While he has an odyssey ahead that will require intense study, Starr will forever cherish the support, encouragement and friendship of the Beaumont - Cherry Valley Rotary Club.

With the help of his local Rotary Club, Starr received a $26,000 Ambassadorial Scholarship award by The Rotary Foundation. He will soon be earning his master's degree in high performance computing at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Founded in 1583, the University is recognized for its high performance computing program.

"Robert will be a terrific goodwill ambassador for Rotary and will help further international understanding and friendly relations," said Arlon Brubaker, past president of the Beaumont - Cherry Valley Rotary Club.

A supercomputer is one of the latest, fastest or most powerful computers in the world. They come with immense processing power and are incredibly sophisticated. Among its nearly endless uses, supercomputers can simulate how a tsunami would impact a coastline or a city; test the aerodynamics of the latest military aircraft; and model the effect of proteins on Alzheimer's disease, Cystic Fibrosis and many kinds of cancer.

Hometown scholar

Starr grew up in Beaumont and is the son of Ken and Sharon Starr. He is 2007 graduate of Beaumont High School who will earn his bachelor's degree this spring in computer science and business administration from Chapman University in Orange. A counselor at Chapman University suggested that he apply for the Rotary Scholarship. Starr will leave in September to study in Scotland.

"This is a chance of a lifetime," Starr said. "I am very thankful that my local Rotary club and Rotary International sponsored me."

Ambassadorial Scholarships, which date back to 1947, are the Rotary Foundation's oldest and best known program. Since that time, more than 40,000 people from about 100 nations have studied abroad and represented Rotary and their respective homelands. In 2009-10, the foundation awarded nearly 700 scholarships totaling more than $16 million.

Before receiving his scholarship, Starr was interviewed by local Rotarians and by Rotary officials at the district level, which includes Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Rotary officials at the national level awarded the Ambassadorial Scholarship.

This is the second Ambassadorial Scholarship that the local Rotary Club has sponsored. Two years ago, the Club sponsored Clint Lorimore who went to Singapore to study international terrorism. Lorimore, who once served as former Governor Schwarzenegger's field representative in the Inland area, is now working on his doctorate degree.

Bright future

As he prepares for a year-long master's degree program, Starr dreams about harnessing the power of technology for good in the world and fostering Rotary's core values of high ethical standards and international understanding, goodwill and peace among all people. With today's supercomputers operating on the petaflop (that's one quadrillion operations per second!), the possibilities seem endless for out hometown computer whiz with a bright future ahead.