Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.

A record number of Syracuse University students have been selected for the Goldwater Scholarship — a national merit-based scholarship awarded annually to sophomores and juniors pursuing natural science, engineering and mathematics majors — according to an SU news release.

Five SU students were selected for the merit-based scholarship — the most in the university’s history, the release states.

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation was established in 1986 by Congress to honor Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater. This year, the foundation is supporting a record number of 508 scholars for the 2024-25 academic year, according to its website.

Gianna Voce, a sophomore computer science and neuroscience major, said she was not expecting to receive the scholarship and only applied because she thought it would give her a better chance to receive the award her junior year.

“I don’t even know when it was supposed to be announced. Then, I got the email and I was in shock,” Voce said. “I called my mom … She was in shock. So, it was a lot of just disbelief because I didn’t think I would get it … there’s so many more people with so much more experience than I have.”

Serena Peters, another recipient, is a junior majoring in chemistry. She said receiving the scholarship helped increase her confidence and sense of belonging as a woman in STEM — who are statistically underrepresented in the field.

“It’s very easy to feel out of place in STEM classes. As someone who’s (assigned female at birth), you look around and it’s just a bunch of engineering bros,” Peters said. “It’s really important for there to be this sense of belonging. I deserve to be here, and I can do this as good as anyone else in this class.”

Peters said she dreams of being a professor. She wants to make sure every student feels they are capable of succeeding and are not discouraged because of their identity, she said.

According to its website, 1,353 science, engineering and mathematics students were nominated this year for the Goldwater Scholarship and only 438 were selected.

Sadie Meyer, another scholarship winner, is a sophomore studying biomedical engineering and mathematics. She said working through the application process with SU’s Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising, namely writing her personal statement, helped her develop a vision for her future career.

CFSA assisted each nominee in preparing their application. The SU nominees for the national competition were then chosen by a faculty committee led by James Spencer, a professor of chemistry, according to the release.

Kerrin O’Grady, a junior scholarship recipient who is majoring in biomedical engineering and neuroscience, said working with physically disabled communities encouraged her to pursue bioengineering. Through working with a club for neurodivergent individuals, she said she found a passion for helping people in a hands-on manner.

“I saw, through working with these communities, that I can have a real impact, especially in the physically disabled communities where there’s nerve damage because that’s what my research is on now,” O’Grady said.

O’Grady said she wants to pursue a doctoral degree in biomedical engineering with a focus on neural engineering. She then wants to work in a lab, continuing her research on nerve damage and directly helping disadvantaged communities.

Julia Fancher, another scholarship holder, is studying physics and mathematics and is a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program. She said she looks forward to seeing the networking opportunities being a Goldwater Scholar opens up.

“I can connect with a lot of different people who have different research interests that are looking for similar goals in life,” Fancher said. “Having access to people who want the same things … is going to be really cool.”

According to the Goldwater Scholarship Foundation’s website, scholarship recipients have won an “impressive array of prestigious awards” — becoming Hertz Fellows, National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellows, Rhodes Scholars, Churchill Scholars and Marshall Scholars, among others.

“We’re so proud of Julia, Sadie, Kerrin, Serena and Gianna,” Jolynn Parker, CFSA’s director, said in the release. “They are exceptional young scientists and it is gratifying to see them honored with this award.”

Published on April 18, 2024 at 1:25 am