Founded in recognition of U.S. Senator Barry M. Goldwater, a scholarship fund that recognizes distinguished students in the fields of mathematics, science and engineering, has been bestowed on Lobos, Jonathon Cordova and Randy Ko; with an Honorable Mention given to Jane Nguyen.

The Goldwater Scholarship provides financial support for juniors and seniors who are planning to pursue a Ph.D. and a career in STEM research. According to the Foundation, the Goldwater Scholars were selected based on academic merit from a field of 1,286 natural sciences, mathematics and engineering students nominated by the campus representatives from among 2,000 colleges and universities nationwide.

Cordova, a Biochemistry major, plans to conduct cutting edge biomedical research in the field of cancer genomics after obtaining a Ph.D. from a clinical and translational biomedical science program. His mentors include Maggie Werner-Washburne, Richard Cripps, Cory Johannessen and Nicole Persky.

Ko, also a Biochemistry major, plans to get a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology. Perform research on the molecular basis of cancer as a scientist in an academic research institution and teach at the graduate level. His mentors include George Bachand, Xuejun Zhang, Changbing Shen, Montaser Shaheen and Lora Grainger.

Nguyen, whom received the Honorable Mention, is an Engineering student who plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering to conduct research in nanomaterials used for biomedical applications and teach at the university level. Her mentors include Sushilla Knottenbelt, Marek Osinski and John Plumley.

“I cannot express enough how proud I am of these students,” says Kiyoko Nogi Simmons, manager of Scholarships and Outreach at NISF. “They took every opportunity available for them on- and off-UNM campus to achieve their goals and work for the betterment of people’s lives. They all grew up in New Mexico and each one is a first-generation college student. I cannot wait to see their accomplishments as researchers in the future.”

UNM’s National & International Scholarships and Fellowships (NISF) office provides students with merit-based scholarship and fellowship opportunities.

The NISF office helps undergraduate students to become competitive candidates for prestigious scholarships by coordinating the institutional endorsement and assisting the UNM nominees with the scholarship application process. Students who are interested in these scholarships must submit a preliminary application to obtain institutional endorsement.

For more information on scholarship opportunities visit the NISF website.