The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program was created to encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering and to foster excellence in these fields. The awards are made on the basis of merit to two groups of students: those who will be college juniors and those who will be college seniors in the following academic year and all have outstanding potential and intend to pursue research careers in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering.
Learn more about the Goldwater Scholarship and UW’s nomination process.
Search the Goldwater directory for more scholars and honorable mentions.
2024 – 2025 UW Goldwater Scholars:
Sofia Dahlgren
Chemical Engineering: Nanoscience & Molecular Engineering major
Sofia is a junior in Chemical Engineering pursuing the Nanoscience and Molecular Engineering program and minoring in Data Science. Since freshman year, Sofia has worked in the Nance Lab at the University of Washington to develop nanoparticle-based therapies for brain injury and disease. She has explored brain-penetrating polymeric nanoparticles to deliver antioxidant small molecules and proteins in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Her recent work extends the polymeric nanoparticle platform to encapsulate drugs for neurodegenerative disease. Sofia’s research interests in nanomaterials and biotechnology led her to Duke University as an REU student in 2024. At Duke, Sofia worked in the Payne Lab investigating the role of DNA-nanoparticle interactions in autoimmune disease.
Outside of the lab, Sofia serves as an Undergraduate Research Leader and actively mentors K-12 students through the Culture and Science Exchange program. She is passionate about increasing access to undergraduate research and developing culturally sustaining STEM curricula for diverse students. In her free time, Sofia enjoys reading, swimming, hiking, and learning different languages.
Sofia was motivated to apply for the Goldwater scholarship to support her research goals and help fund her education. Through the application, she has gained deeper knowledge of her field and strengthened her scientific communication skills. The recognition and connections from this award would be valuable in pursuing graduate school opportunities and a future research career.
Sofia would like to thank her faculty mentors Dr. Elizabeth Nance and Dr. Christine Payne, as well as the graduate students who have provided her with research training and mentorship. She is also grateful to the UW staff members Allison Perez, Alison Horn, and Richard Parra, who have helped her share research and engineering with the broader community.
Sofia’s near-term and long-term goals: I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in chemical engineering after completing my undergraduate studies. In the long term, I aim to pursue research in nanotechnology for biomedical applications. I hope this work will improve health outcomes for those suffering from complex and chronic conditions.
Sofia’s tips for future applicants: Start the application early to leave time for feedback from mentors and advisors. Highlight your journey through the research and connect the skills you have developed back to your goals. Make sure each component of your application tells a unique story. The personal touches and real-world applications of your work will make your responses compelling to readers.
Shivani Kottantharayil
Bioengineering major
I’m a junior majoring in Bioengineering with a focus on Nano and Molecular Engineering, and a minor in Music. I have been conducting research on protein-based hydrogels for drug delivery in the DeForest Lab since my freshman year. My projects have included researching a novel recombinant-protein based injectable hydrogel system that could be used for delivery of small protein drugs. Some of the techniques I’ve used in my work include protein engineering, tissue culture, and bioactivity assays. My current project focuses on developing a stimuli-responsive, Boolean-logic based hydrogel that can respond to multiple inputs and be used for targeted drug delivery. Outside of research, I enjoy baking, reading, and playing the piano, violin, and sitar.
Conducting research for the past two years has led me to want to pursue a career in research, researching novel protein engineering methods with regenerative medicine applications. To achieve this goal I plan to pursue a PhD in Bioengineering or a related field after my undergraduate studies. I was motivated to apply for the Goldwater scholarship because the funding and recognition would help me further explore a research career. I would like to thank all my research mentors, especially Dr. Cole DeForest and Murial Ross for all their support and guidance, and for encouraging me to pursue a career in research.
Shivani’s near-term and long-term goals: After graduating, I plan to pursue a PhD in Bioengineering or a related field. Long term, I hope to lead my own lab and conduct research on novel tissue engineering and regenerative medicine techniques to develop biomaterials with clinical applications.
Shivani’s tips for future applicants: Start your application early and make sure get feedback from as many people as possible, including your research mentors, family, and friends. Utilize all the resources we have on campus, including the OMSFA advisors, who have experience helping past applicants.
Keming Qiu
Biochemistry major
As a second-year biochemistry student, I’m interested in studying the intersection of biochemical processes and disease states. I have worked on several projects in Dr. Benjamin Land’s lab for more than two years, mostly studying chronic pain and its co-morbidies using biochemical, cellular, and behavioral approaches. My first project, which involved measuring animal pain behavior to evaluate drug efficacy, led me to my interest in understanding the mechanisms of disease states (such as pain) on single molecule resolutions. By exploring the mechanistic details of how biological molecules work, I can eventually better characterize previously unknown ways to alter molecular functions for the development of better treatments. Most of my current work is dissecting protein-protein interactions in the context of membrane reactive oxygen species release, a process known to contribute to inflammatory processes and potentially pain.
Outside the lab, I enjoy working on science communication and outreach to diverse communities with several clubs and organizations. In my free time, I like to read, play piano, and go skiing as often as I can.
I think applying to the Goldwater scholarship is an excellent opportunity to reflect on and explore what kinds of questions interest me and how to approach those questions during undergraduate research and in my career. I would like to thank my mentors (past and current) and the lab for their support and for providing me with so many opportunities to grow.
Keming’s near-term and long-term goals: Currently, I’m working on completing my projects for publication. After graduation, I plan to pursue a PhD in chemical biology or biophysics. As a career, I hope to run an interdisciplinary lab that studies the chemical and physical basis of macromolecular dynamics implicated in diseases related to inflammation.
Keming’s tips for future applicants: Start writing early! The Goldwater application is time-consuming and it’s important to leave yourself enough time to reflect on your experiences and come up with a story that best describes your journey.
Sahana Subramanian
Bioengineering & Biochemistry major
Sahana Subramanian is a junior pursuing degrees in Bioengineering and Biochemistry at the University of Washington. Interested in research from an early age, she joined the Zheng Lab at UW the summer before her freshman year, beginning work in the field of artificial tissue engineering. She was named a Mary Gates scholar, and a Robinson Center Experiential learning scholar in her freshman year, an Undergraduate Research Fellow by UW’s Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine in her sophomore year, and a Levinson scholar during her junior year.
Currently, she is working with the Zheng Lab to study endothelial cell (EC) response within a perfusable engineered heart tissue (EHT). 3D in vitro models, such as EHTs, have the potential to replicate human cardiac physiology, but often lack the critical element of vasculature. Vasculature networks are critical to heart function and homeostasis in vivo, and are thus key to include within in vitro models. Sahana is investigating the effects of various flow rates, and their corresponding shear stresses, on EC function within a perfusable EHT developed by the Zheng lab. With this research, she hopes to find key data regarding the function of ECs that can be used in future experiments with this perfusable EHT model.
Sahana is passionate about engagement within the scientific community. Research is highly individualized, with the questions in the field reflecting the researchers asking them. The more individuals engaged in research, the more diverse and representative questions that get asked. Scholarships not only provide funding for her to continue her work within fields of interest, but also allow her to engage with a large community of driven individuals. Engaging with this community supports her eventual goals of pursuing higher education within artificial tissue engineering, and future work as a researcher in this field.
Sahana would love to thank her fantastic mentors Dr. Ying Zheng, and Ariana Frey for their constant reassurance and never ending support. She would not be able to do this work without them!
Sahana’s near-term and long-term goals: Short-term, I intend to complete my undergraduate degree and pursue higher education within the field of artificial tissue engineering. I intend to use this degree in my long term goal of dedicating my efforts towards the development of translatable, novel, artificial tissue therapies
Sahana’s tips for future applicants: Being able to integrate different parts of your life into different application components is crucial to making your application impactful. Making connections between the various work that you do, whether it is personal interests or coursework, and seeing how it applies to your research is what I believe makes applicants stand out. Integrating these parts of your life not only helps reviewers resonate with your work, but also helps you center yourself and realize the impact of the work you are doing.
2024 – 2025 UW Goldwater Nominee:
Claire Atkinson
Physics and Applied & Computational Math Sciences majors
As a third year student double majoring in Physics as well as Applied and Computational Math Sciences (ACMS), I have had the chance to explore many applications of physics to real-world problems through research. My career as a researcher began at the UW Applied Physics Lab where I wrote code to simulate the flight dynamics of underwater gliders that take measurements of important ocean quantities. I subsequently explored the field of soft matter physics through an REU program at the University of California, Santa Barbara. My project probed the effect of constituent particle shape on the flow properties of a bulk system with applications in the design of novel materials. Most recently, I joined Professor Gundlach’s lab at UW where biological nanopores are used to sequence DNA and study enzyme function. My work on these projects has inspired me to pursue a PhD followed by a career in applied physics research. I sought out the Goldwater Scholarship because the money and recognition offered would increase my chances of getting into graduate school and help kick-start my career.
When not in the lab, I serve as the President of the Society of Physics Students and am a member of the Climate and Diversity Committee, working to increase community and inclusivity. Outside of school, I enjoy outdoor activities including soccer and hiking, playing and listening to music, reading, exploring the city, and spending time with friends and family. Lastly, I would like to thank all of the mentors and friends who have helped me become the person and researcher I am today; None of this would have been possible without their unwavering support and guidance.
Claire’s near-term and long-term goals: My goal is to perform applied physics research, where the knowledge I learn can be experimentally applied across disciplines including biology, materials, and oceanography, similar to the research I have performed already in my undergraduate career. In the short term, I plan to pursue a PhD in physics followed in the long term by a career in industry related to such research.
Claire’s tips for future applicants: Take time to reflect back upon all of your college experiences, think about how you have gotten to where you are today, and most of all have fun with it! It is much easier to write an impressive application when one finds reasons to be proud of their own accomplishments first. No matter the outcome, assembling the materials for this application is a good way to discover more about yourself and reflect back upon your path through college thus far.
Scholarship Archive
Browse our archive for more Goldwater Scholarship history.