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Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation Announces National Awardees

The Goldwater Foundation supports next generation’s leaders as scientists, mathematicians and engineers.

April 10, 2024 Honors Academics

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Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation announced the national awardees and UMass Amherst has three Goldwater scholars among four nominees (four is the maximum number of applications that each institution can put forward). 

The Goldwater Foundation support next generation’s leaders as scientists, mathematicians and engineers. The Goldwater, a nationally competitive scholarship, supports students with a passion for research and potential to contribute to their disciplines, and who plan to pursue a graduate degree. 

The Goldwater scholars from UMass Amherst are all honors juniors committed to a career in STEM research:

June Ahn:

Headshot of June Ahn
  • Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; career plan: Ph.D. in Virology; aiming to lead a research team that tackles genetic disorders. Their particular interest is in enhancing vectors to effectively overcome physiological barriers and deliver gene therapies directly to the affected cells.

Kevin Alexander: 

Headshot of Kevin Alexander
  • Chemistry and Physics; career plan: Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry; work as a professor conducting research in spectroscopic method development and teach at the university level.

Ryan Bahlous-Boldi:

Headshot of Ryan Bahlous-Boldi
  • Computer Science and Philosophy; career plan: Ph.D. in Computer Science; conduct research in Artificial intelligence/machine learning, and teach at the university level.

Madalina Akli, ONSA Director: “I am proud to work with UMass Amherst students and be part of a great village of faculty, mentors, and advisers who have contributed to their success and the visibility of our university nationally.”

Student nominations for the Goldwater were made possible by UMass Amherst’s Office of National Scholarship Advisement (ONSA). Director Madalina Akli encourages STEM sophomores and juniors to onsa [at] honors [dot] umass [dot] edu (contact ONSA) for advising. Each year, ONSA nominates four sophomores or juniors. ONSA is an advising service available to all UMass Amherst undergraduate and graduate students, as well as the university’s alumni community.

Article posted in Honors Academics for Faculty , Staff , Prospective students , and Current students

Contact

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Portrait of Madalina Akli at the University of Massachusetts

Madalina Akli

Director, Office of National Scholarship Advisement
Director, International Scholars Program
CHCRC Faculty in Residence
Senior Lecturer of International Studies
Email: makli [at] umass [dot] edu
Phone: (413) 577-2613

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