The Barry Goldwater Scholarship application is now open for UToledo students.
The scholarship, established by Congress in 1986 to serve as a living memorial to honor the lifetime work of Senator Barry Goldwater, is one of the most prestigious undergraduate research awards in the nation. The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation seeks to identify, encourage and financially support college sophomores and juniors who show exceptional promise in becoming the Nation’s next generation of leaders in research.
Applicants must be a U.S. citizen and intend to pursue a career in research within the STEM fields. Each university can advance only four campus nominees. Therefore, all applicants will undergo an internal competition to determine which applicants will advance to the national competition. The campus deadline is Friday, Dec. 13.
In the past four years, UToledo has had four Barry Goldwater Scholars. Last year, for the first time in institutional history, UToledo had two Barry Goldwater Scholars named. This serves as a testament to the exceptional research opportunities available to UToledo undergraduates and the high level of dedication from faculty mentors.
• 2024 – Sophia Durham, biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rafael Garcia-Mata, a professor and Harold C. and Charlotte L. Shaffer Chair in the Department of Biological Sciences
• 2024 – Chloe Villa, biochemistry
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Wei Li, an associate professor and associate chair in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
• 2023 – Derek Kluczynski, biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Tomer Avidor-Reiss, a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences
• 2021- Jacob Connolly, bioengineering
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Steven Haller, r, an associate professor of medicine, and Dr. David Kennedy, an associate professor of medicine.
With its 30-year history, Goldwater Scholarships have been awarded to thousands of undergraduates, many of whom have gone on to win other prestigious awards such as the National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship, Rhodes Scholarship, Churchill Scholarship and the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship that support the Scholars’ graduate schoolwork.
Today, Goldwater alumni can be found conducting research that is helping defend the Nation, finding cures for catastrophic diseases and teaching future generations of scientists, mathematicians, and engineers.
If you are interested in learning more about the Barry Goldwater Scholarship or would like to recommend a potential campus nominee, please contact Chessica.Oetjens@utoledo.edu, program manager for the Office of Competitive Fellowships.
