Several South Asian American College Students Among 417 Recipients of Goldwater Scholarships
- They were selected from an estimated pool of over 5,000 college sophomores and juniors nominated by 438 academic institutions.
Several South Asian Americans are among recipients of the Barry Goldwater scholarships awarded for the 2022-2023 academic year to 417 college students from across the United States. They were selected from an estimated pool of over 5,000 college sophomores and juniors nominated by 438 academic institutions.
The scholarships are awarded by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation which was established by Congress in 1986 to serve as a living memorial to honor the lifetime work of Senator Barry Goldwater, who served his country for 56 years as a soldier and statesman, including 30 years in the U.S. Senate.
Following are the South Asian American scholarship recipients according to the state they are originally from.
ALABAMA
Sanjeev Gurshaney, University of Central Florida
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: MD/Ph.D in Immunology. I want to lead a translational research group developing novel, targeted approaches to enhance immunotherapy-based treatments.
Abhishek Kamath, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Neurobiology. Conducting cell biology research in familial Parkinson’s disease and Frontotemporal Dementia and becoming a Principal Investigator and Professor at a major institution.
CALIFORNIA
Mythili Ketavarapu, University of California-Santa Barbara
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Computational Biology. Conduct research on the biochemistry behind disease progression.
Mrunali Manjrekar, University of California-Berkeley
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Computational Biology. Lead a research group pioneering methods in quantitative, synthetic biology; develop accessible computational biology opportunities for minorities in the field.
Arvind Muruganantham, Baylor University
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: MD/Ph.D. in stem cell biology. Conduct research on organoids and stem cell-based disease modeling techniques while teaching at the university level.
Advyth Ramachandran, University of California-Riverside
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Ecology. Conduct research on understanding vegetation responses to global change. Work at a government agency to conduct and apply research that addresses environmental challenges.
COLORADO
Arjun Kudinoor, Columbia University in the City of New York
Field of Study: Physics and Astronomy
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Theoretical or Mathematical Physics. To contribute to quantum theory research as a professor at a research university and to inspire future physicists through teaching.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Aryaman Arora, Georgetown University
Field of Study: CISE
Career Goal: I plan to obtain a Ph.D. in Computational Linguistics, and eventually become an NLP researcher at a company or a professor at a research university.
FLORIDA
Dhenu Patel, Florida State University
Field of Study: Medicine
Career Goal: M.D. and Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences to conduct clinical oncology research and treat cancer patients in a clinical setting.
Nadia Sadanandan, Georgetown University
Field of Study: Medicine
Career Goal: My goal is to obtain an M.D./Ph.D. in Cancer Biology. As a physician-scientist, I aim to conduct clinical-translational research for pediatric cancer at an academic research hospital.
GEORGIA
Dipen Mehta, Augusta University
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: M.D./Ph.D., specializing in Cellular and Molecular Medicine. Conduct research in post-transcriptional regulation and as a physician-scientist, translate discoveries into patient care advancements.
ILLINOIS
Madhav Subramanian, Washington University in St Louis
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: M.D./Ph.D. in immunology. Conduct research in cancer biology with a focus on tumor immunology and teach at a university level.
KENTUCKY
Isha Chauhan, University of Kentucky
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology. Research ecological and evolutionary relationships among lipid disorders and teach at the university level.
LOUISIANA
Navya Murugesan, Tulane University of Louisiana
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: M.D./Ph.D. in Cancer Biology. Investigate mechanisms of cancer progression, lead a translational research lab, and improve patient outcomes by amplifying health literacy at an academic medical center.
MARYLAND
Samira Tavassoli, New York University
Field of Study: Psychology
Career Goal: I will pursue a Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience to conduct research on the perceptual and cognitive factors that affect how we mentally construct and neurally process stories.
Oliver Thakar, Princeton University
Field of Study: Mathematical Sciences
Career Goal: I hope to receive a Ph.D. in Mathematics, then become a professor with research specializing in low-dimensional topology and knot theory.
MASSACHUSETTS
Varshini Ramanathan, Tufts University
Field of Study: Engineering
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering. Conduct research in biomedical optics for a research institute, university, or clinical industry.
MINNESOTA
Sai Chandan Reddy, Johns Hopkins University
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: MD/Ph.D. in Neuroscience. Conduct novel brain research centered around identifying the biomolecular mechanisms that give rise to mental disorders at an accredited national institution.
NEW JERSEY
Anish Bagga, Emory University
Field of Study: Mathematical Sciences
Career Goal: M.D./Ph.D. in virology. Model viral spread and human dynamics as a faculty researcher and mentor, apply the model’s conclusions as a clinician and engage in scholarly conversations with clinicians.
Eesh Gupta, Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Field of Study: Physics and Astronomy
Career Goal: Obtain a Ph.D. in Quantum Computing. Conduct research and teach at the university level, aiming to build quantum processors for the simulation of quantum systems.
Sohaib Hassan, Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: I plan to obtain a Ph.D. in Bioinformatics and use my training to conduct biomedical research in a national laboratory with a focus on chronic muscular diseases.
Vishva Rana, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Field of Study: Engineering
Career Goal: I will obtain a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and conduct research on urban sustainability and Smart Cities.
Abhijat Sarma, Cornell University
Field of Study: Physics and Astronomy
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Physics. Conduct research in theoretical high-energy physics and teach at the university level.
NEW YORK
Rajvinder Kaur, CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: M.D/Ph.D in Neurology. Conduct Research in clinical and cognitive neuroscience and make a change in the lives of young girls who are capable of achieving everything they desire.
Syeda Jannath, CUNY Hunter College
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: MD/Ph.D. in Biochemistry. I hope to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of cancer and apply my findings to clinical therapies while teaching and mentoring future scientists at the university level.
Krish Patel, University at Buffalo
Field of Study: Physics and Astronomy
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Physics, elucidating physical models and materials implementation to guide innovative solutions that would revolutionize information technology and artificial intelligence.
OHIO
Rakesh Murugesan, Ohio State University-Main Campus
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: M.D./Ph.D. in Cancer Biology. I plan to research novel immunotherapy strategies to treat cancer as a clinical and research professor at an academic medical center.
Mentor(s): Susheela Tridandapani, Nathaniel Buteyn, John Prensner
Campus Representative: Corey Efron
PENNSYLVANIA
Shweta Gudapati, Carnegie Mellon University
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: MD/Ph.D. in Hematology. I plan to conduct translational research at an academic medical center to develop novel therapeutics for hematologic diseases.
TENNESSEE
Shriya Karam, University of Pennsylvania
Field of Study: Engineering
Career Goal: After earning a Ph.D. in civil engineering, I aspire to become a professor at a major research institution, focusing on developing quantitative transportation methods that authentically center equity.
TEXAS
Anika Chand, Austin College
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Chemical Biology. Conduct natural product research and development either in academia or industry.
Ammar Dharani, University of Southern California
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Molecular Neuroscience. Lead a research team integrating molecular biology and neuroimaging to advance our understanding of complex neurological processes and teach at the university level.
Anay Gupta, University of North Texas
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Computational Biology. Conduct bioinformatics research to discover, via deep learning and single-cell genomics, cancer therapeutics and transform healthcare through precision medicine.
Pratik Koppikar, The University of Texas at Dallas
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Neurobiology. I aim to develop genetic therapies and technologies for neurological disease applications while teaching at the university level.
Aditya Paul, Duke University
Field of Study: CISE
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering. Conduct research in quantum information systems and algorithms and teach at the university level.
Aniket Sanghi, The University of Texas at Austin
Field of Study: Physics and Astronomy
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Astronomy. As a professor, detect and characterize exoplanets to explore planet formation and evolution with a diverse research group and promote inclusion in STEM through K-12 outreach.
Neel Shanmugam, University of North Texas
Field of Study: Chemistry
Career Goal: Ph.D. in environmental chemistry. Conduct research synthesizing computational and analytical chemistry methods to develop safer replacements for existing environmentally hazardous solvents and drugs.
VIRGINIA
Neha Damaraju, Washington University in St Louis
Field of Study: Engineering
Career Goal: M.D./Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering. Conduct research that quantitatively analyzes biological systems of medical significance while teaching at the university level.
Ishika Govil, University of Delaware
Field of Study: Engineering
Career Goal: I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, with a focus on computational modeling to accelerate engineering decisions in drug delivery and biopharmaceutical laboratory experiments.
Narmeen Rashid, University of Richmond
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: M.D./Ph.D. in Cancer Biology. Conduct translational cancer research that seeks to identify new therapies for breast cancer and ovarian cancer metastases.
Medhini Sosale, George Mason University
Field of Study: Engineering
Career Goal: Pursue a Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and research climate epigenetics. Study the long-term effects of climate change on the genetics of a population.
WISCONSIN
Aayush Karan, Harvard University
Field of Study: Physics and Astronomy
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Physics or Computer Science. Conduct research in quantum computing with a particular emphasis on application to problems in protein folding and dr
Several South Asian Americans are among recipients of the Barry Goldwater scholarships awarded for the 2022-2023 academic year to 417 college students from across the United States. They were selected from an estimated pool of over 5,000 college sophomores and juniors nominated by 438 academic institutions.
The scholarships are awarded by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation which was established by Congress in 1986 to serve as a living memorial to honor the lifetime work of Senator Barry Goldwater, who served his country for 56 years as a soldier and statesman, including 30 years in the U.S. Senate.
Following are the South Asian American scholarship recipients according to the state they are originally from.
ALABAMA
Sanjeev Gurshaney, University of Central Florida
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: MD/Ph.D in Immunology. I want to lead a translational research group developing novel, targeted approaches to enhance immunotherapy-based treatments.
Abhishek Kamath, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Neurobiology. Conducting cell biology research in familial Parkinson’s disease and Frontotemporal Dementia and becoming a Principal Investigator and Professor at a major institution.
CALIFORNIA
Mythili Ketavarapu, University of California-Santa Barbara
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Computational Biology. Conduct research on the biochemistry behind disease progression.
Mrunali Manjrekar, University of California-Berkeley
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Computational Biology. Lead a research group pioneering methods in quantitative, synthetic biology; develop accessible computational biology opportunities for minorities in the field.
Arvind Muruganantham, Baylor University
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: MD/Ph.D. in stem cell biology. Conduct research on organoids and stem cell-based disease modeling techniques while teaching at the university level.
Advyth Ramachandran, University of California-Riverside
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Ecology. Conduct research on understanding vegetation responses to global change. Work at a government agency to conduct and apply research that addresses environmental challenges.
COLORADO
Arjun Kudinoor, Columbia University in the City of New York
Field of Study: Physics and Astronomy
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Theoretical or Mathematical Physics. To contribute to quantum theory research as a professor at a research university and to inspire future physicists through teaching.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Aryaman Arora, Georgetown University
Field of Study: CISE
Career Goal: I plan to obtain a Ph.D. in Computational Linguistics, and eventually become an NLP researcher at a company or a professor at a research university.
FLORIDA
Dhenu Patel, Florida State University
Field of Study: Medicine
Career Goal: M.D. and Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences to conduct clinical oncology research and treat cancer patients in a clinical setting.
Nadia Sadanandan, Georgetown University
Field of Study: Medicine
Career Goal: My goal is to obtain an M.D./Ph.D. in Cancer Biology. As a physician-scientist, I aim to conduct clinical-translational research for pediatric cancer at an academic research hospital.
GEORGIA
Dipen Mehta, Augusta University
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: M.D./Ph.D., specializing in Cellular and Molecular Medicine. Conduct research in post-transcriptional regulation and as a physician-scientist, translate discoveries into patient care advancements.
ILLINOIS
Madhav Subramanian, Washington University in St Louis
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: M.D./Ph.D. in immunology. Conduct research in cancer biology with a focus on tumor immunology and teach at a university level.
KENTUCKY
Isha Chauhan, University of Kentucky
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology. Research ecological and evolutionary relationships among lipid disorders and teach at the university level.
LOUISIANA
Navya Murugesan, Tulane University of Louisiana
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: M.D./Ph.D. in Cancer Biology. Investigate mechanisms of cancer progression, lead a translational research lab, and improve patient outcomes by amplifying health literacy at an academic medical center.
MARYLAND
Samira Tavassoli, New York University
Field of Study: Psychology
Career Goal: I will pursue a Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience to conduct research on the perceptual and cognitive factors that affect how we mentally construct and neurally process stories.
Oliver Thakar, Princeton University
Field of Study: Mathematical Sciences
Career Goal: I hope to receive a Ph.D. in Mathematics, then become a professor with research specializing in low-dimensional topology and knot theory.
MASSACHUSETTS
Varshini Ramanathan, Tufts University
Field of Study: Engineering
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering. Conduct research in biomedical optics for a research institute, university, or clinical industry.
MINNESOTA
Sai Chandan Reddy, Johns Hopkins University
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: MD/Ph.D. in Neuroscience. Conduct novel brain research centered around identifying the biomolecular mechanisms that give rise to mental disorders at an accredited national institution.
NEW JERSEY
Anish Bagga, Emory University
Field of Study: Mathematical Sciences
Career Goal: M.D./Ph.D. in virology. Model viral spread and human dynamics as a faculty researcher and mentor, apply the model’s conclusions as a clinician and engage in scholarly conversations with clinicians.
Eesh Gupta, Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Field of Study: Physics and Astronomy
Career Goal: Obtain a Ph.D. in Quantum Computing. Conduct research and teach at the university level, aiming to build quantum processors for the simulation of quantum systems.
Sohaib Hassan, Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: I plan to obtain a Ph.D. in Bioinformatics and use my training to conduct biomedical research in a national laboratory with a focus on chronic muscular diseases.
Vishva Rana, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Field of Study: Engineering
Career Goal: I will obtain a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and conduct research on urban sustainability and Smart Cities.
Abhijat Sarma, Cornell University
Field of Study: Physics and Astronomy
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Physics. Conduct research in theoretical high-energy physics and teach at the university level.
NEW YORK
Rajvinder Kaur, CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: M.D/Ph.D in Neurology. Conduct Research in clinical and cognitive neuroscience and make a change in the lives of young girls who are capable of achieving everything they desire.
Syeda Jannath, CUNY Hunter College
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: MD/Ph.D. in Biochemistry. I hope to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of cancer and apply my findings to clinical therapies while teaching and mentoring future scientists at the university level.
Krish Patel, University at Buffalo
Field of Study: Physics and Astronomy
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Physics, elucidating physical models and materials implementation to guide innovative solutions that would revolutionize information technology and artificial intelligence.
OHIO
Rakesh Murugesan, Ohio State University-Main Campus
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: M.D./Ph.D. in Cancer Biology. I plan to research novel immunotherapy strategies to treat cancer as a clinical and research professor at an academic medical center.
PENNSYLVANIA
Shweta Gudapati, Carnegie Mellon University
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: MD/Ph.D. in Hematology. I plan to conduct translational research at an academic medical center to develop novel therapeutics for hematologic diseases.
TENNESSEE
Shriya Karam, University of PennsylvaniaField of Study: Engineering
Career Goal: After earning a Ph.D. in civil engineering, I aspire to become a professor at a major research institution, focusing on developing quantitative transportation methods that authentically center equity.
TEXAS
Anika Chand, Austin College
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Chemical Biology. Conduct natural product research and development either in academia or industry.
Ammar Dharani, University of Southern California
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Molecular Neuroscience. Lead a research team integrating molecular biology and neuroimaging to advance our understanding of complex neurological processes and teach at the university level.
Anay Gupta, University of North Texas
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Computational Biology. Conduct bioinformatics research to discover, via deep learning and single-cell genomics, cancer therapeutics and transform healthcare through precision medicine.
Pratik Koppikar, The University of Texas at Dallas
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Neurobiology. I aim to develop genetic therapies and technologies for neurological disease applications while teaching at the university level.
Aditya Paul, Duke University
Field of Study: CISE
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering. Conduct research in quantum information systems and algorithms and teach at the university level.
Aniket Sanghi, The University of Texas at Austin
Field of Study: Physics and Astronomy
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Astronomy. As a professor, detect and characterize exoplanets to explore planet formation and evolution with a diverse research group and promote inclusion in STEM through K-12 outreach.
Neel Shanmugam, University of North Texas
Field of Study: Chemistry
Career Goal: Ph.D. in environmental chemistry. Conduct research synthesizing computational and analytical chemistry methods to develop safer replacements for existing environmentally hazardous solvents and drugs.
VIRGINIA
Neha Damaraju, Washington University in St Louis
Field of Study: Engineering
Career Goal: M.D./Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering. Conduct research that quantitatively analyzes biological systems of medical significance while teaching at the university level.
Ishika Govil, University of Delaware
Field of Study: Engineering
Career Goal: I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, with a focus on computational modeling to accelerate engineering decisions in drug delivery and biopharmaceutical laboratory experiments.
Narmeen Rashid, University of Richmond
Field of Study: Life Sciences
Career Goal: M.D./Ph.D. in Cancer Biology. Conduct translational cancer research that seeks to identify new therapies for breast cancer and ovarian cancer metastases.
Medhini Sosale, George Mason University
Field of Study: Engineering
Career Goal: Pursue a Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and research climate epigenetics. Study the long-term effects of climate change on the genetics of a population.
WISCONSIN
Aayush Karan, Harvard University
Field of Study: Physics and Astronomy
Career Goal: Ph.D. in Physics or Computer Science. Conduct research in quantum computing with a particular emphasis on application to problems in protein folding and drug design.