University of Findlay Student Named Among Elite Group of Goldwater Scholars

Justin Reed, a psychology major at the University of Findlay, was recently named to the nation’s elite group of Barry Goldwater Scholars receiving one of the most prestigious national scholarships for undergraduate students interested in pursuing a career in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields.

The Goldwater scholarship program honoring Senator Barry Goldwater was established by Congress and designed to encourage and financially support outstanding college sophomores and juniors who aspire to become the nation’s next generation of researchers. From an estimated pool of over 5,000, Reed is one of 454 new recipients. He is also believed to be the first University of Findlay student to ever earn such an honor and is being recognized for his neuroscience research in Alzheimer’s.

University of Findlay begins the Goldwater scholarship process each fall with students self-identifying their research for consideration of faculty while competing internally for institutional nominations. The University advances its finest examples of undergraduate research to the Barry Goldwater foundation for review.

“Being selected as a Goldwater Scholar is no small feat,” shared Lok Chong Lew Yan Voon, Ph.D. and dean of the College of Sciences at the University of Findlay. “The criteria include outstanding academics, extensive research experience typically measured by peer-reviewed scientific publications, examples of leadership, and convincing desire to be a future leader in STEM. In Justin’s case, I believe his research in neuroscience that could lead to a cure for Alzheimer’s sealed the deal.”

This was an opportunity that Reed used to not only strengthen his research and understanding, but also his application for consideration by the foundation. He added, “Students considering the scholarship should apply early and pace themselves throughout the process.”

“The University of Findlay helped me in multiple ways. I received countless edits from different faculty throughout the application process and was pushed to clarify my goals and research. Besides the application, I have been involved in research opportunities at Findlay that have strengthened my skills and deepened my understanding of what I would like to pursue in the future,” he continued.

This year marks the largest group of supported scholars by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship & Excellence in Education Foundation in its 40 year history. Among the impressive array of subsequent prestigious awards won by Goldwater Scholars are National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowships, National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships, Hertz Fellowships, Department of Energy Computational Sciences Graduate Fellowships, Churchill Scholarships, and Marshall Scholarships.