AMES, Iowa — Four Iowa State University students have been named 2023 Goldwater Scholars.
The prestigious Goldwater Scholarship is the premier undergraduate scholarship in mathematics, natural sciences and engineering in the United States. The scholarships are awarded by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation to encourage outstanding undergraduate students to pursue careers in STEM research.
The foundation on Friday awarded a total of 413 new scholarships this year from a pool of 1,267 applicants representing 427 institutions. Universities typically are limited to four endorsed candidates each year. The selection of all four of Iowa State’s nominees underscores the academic strength of this year’s pool, said John Milstead, coordinator of nationally competitive awards.
Iowa State’s 2023 Goldwater Scholars are:
• Daniel Howell, junior in chemistry from Cumming, plans to obtain a Ph.D. in biochemistry and conduct research on producing industrial chemicals from plant biomass.
• Victoria Kyveryga, junior in chemical engineering from Ames, plans on completing a Ph.D. in materials engineering to lead research into thermoelectric materials.
• Nicholas Oldham, sophomore in materials engineering from Rochester, Minnesota, plans to earn a Ph.D. in sustainable energy materials with the goal of advancing carbon-neutral technology and methods.
• Henry Thomas, junior in chemistry from Rockford, Illinois, plans to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry to develop solutions that allow for the efficient recycling of nuclear material.
The scholarships cover the cost of tuition, fees, books and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year. One-year scholarships are available to juniors, and two-year scholarships are available to sophomores.
Students who wish to apply must complete an application process, and a selection committee determines the university’s endorsed candidates. Iowa State’s Goldwater Scholarship Campus Committee included Milstead; Kent Kerby, assistant dean in the ISU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; Gloria Starns, associate teaching professor of mechanical engineering; Eric Underbakke, associate professor of biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology; and Svitlana Zbarska, undergraduate research coordinator.
Research, scholarship opportunities
Students interested in applying for the Goldwater Scholarship should contact John Milstead, coordinator of nationally competitive awards, at milstea5@iastate.edu.To learn more about undergraduate research opportunities, contact Svitlana Zbarska, undergraduate research coordinator, at szbar@iastate.edu.