KU Nominates 5 Students for Top STEM Research Honor

Five University of Kansas students are competing for one of America's most prestigious undergraduate science awards, and their research is already making waves in their fields.

The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship recognizes the nation's brightest minds in science, technology, engineering and math. This year's KU nominees include Arthur Benson from Lawrence, a Free State High School graduate who's tackling sustainable energy and high-density batteries.

Benson has already published research on refrigerant flammability and won the Outstanding Presentation Award at KU's 2025 Undergraduate Research Symposium. His summer work at UC Irvine on sustainable hydrogen production is now under review at a major scientific journal.

Tatum Aikin from Westwood is investigating why autoimmune diseases affect women and men differently. Her research on Type 1 diabetes and immune cell function earned her an Undergraduate Award at the 2025 Autumn Immunology Conference.

Gabrielle Bolfing is exploring what other planets might look like, studying exoplanet atmospheric chemistry and mineral deposits. The astronomy and geology double major leads KU's Society of Physics Students chapter while conducting research that could help us understand worlds beyond our own.

Carter Gray started his research journey in high school and hasn't slowed down. He's now studying protein mutations with applications for synthetic biology, and his first-author manuscript is under review at PLOS One.

Emily Messenger transferred to KU from Northeastern University and immediately dove into advanced neuroimaging research at Children's Mercy Research Institute. She's creating processing tools to analyze infant brain development and using machine learning to study cardiac MRI data.

Why This Inspires

These students aren't waiting until graduate school to make their mark. They're publishing papers, presenting at international conferences, and tackling some of science's biggest challenges before they even graduate college.

Their research touches problems that matter deeply: cleaner energy, autoimmune diseases, understanding our universe, and improving care for the youngest patients. Each project represents not just academic excellence but a genuine desire to make the world better through science.

The Goldwater Scholarship will announce winners later this year, but these five students are already winners in the ways that count most.