The Gold Standard

Three undergraduate students, two from the College of Creative Studies (CCS) and one from the College of Letters and Science (L&S), have been named to receive 2020 Barry Goldwater Scholarships.

Alec Cao, Veronica Hsu and Max Prichard are among 396 scholars so honored, selected from a pool of over 5,000 students nationwide.

Cao, a CCS physics major, is interested in investigating non-equilibrium quantum dynamics utilizing ultracold atoms. His mentors are physics faculty members Ania Jayich and David Weld and postdoctoral scholar Toshihiko Shimasaki.

Hsu, an L&S environmental studies and biological sciences double major, is studying the effect of species arrival order on community composition, also known as priority effects. She hopes to complete a Ph.D. in biological sciences. Her mentors are faculty members Holly V. Moeller, an assistant professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology; Peter Alagona, an associate professor of environmental studies; and Tadashi Fukami, an associate professor of biology at Stanford University.

CCS student Prichard, whose fields of study are physics and astronomy, plans to complete a Ph.D. in experimental physics and conduct research in atomic, molecular and optical physics. His mentors are physics faculty member David Weld, postdoctoral scholar Toshihiko Shimasaki and graduate student Peter Dotti.

"I extend congratulations to Alec, Veronic and Max no this extraordinary achievement, and I offer deepest thanks to all the mentors and to our National Scholarships team,” said Jeffrey Stopple, associate vice chancellor for undergraduate education. “I am especially proud to note that no other UC campus won more Goldwater Scholarships than UC Santa Barbara.”

 The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation was established by Congress in 1986 to honor the work of Senator Barry Goldwater, who served in the U.S. Senate for 30 years. the Goldwater scholarships are designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

By providing these scholarships to university sophomores and juniors who intend to pursue research careers in STEM disciplines, the Goldwater Foundation is helping ensure that the U.S. is producing the number of highly qualified professionals the country needs in these critical fields.