William & Mary Sweeps 4 Goldwater STEM Scholarships

Four students at William & Mary just pulled off something remarkable: They all won Goldwater Scholarships, considered the most prestigious undergraduate award in science and math. In the program's 40-year history, W&M has only achieved this sweep twice before.

Cedrick Dimaranan, Alicia June, Heather Qian, and Sarah Foster will each receive up to $7,500 annually to fuel their groundbreaking research. They were selected from a pool of over 5,000 college sophomores and juniors nationwide, with only 454 scholarships awarded this year.

What makes these four students special goes beyond test scores. June switched from psychology to geology after a single field trip to Virginia's Eastern Shore, where she fell in love with studying how rising seas affect groundwater. Dimaranan discovered his calling in environmental health through a summer program, focusing on how neighborhoods shape lifelong health outcomes.

Qian is exploring synthetic biology and phage therapy, approaching medical challenges through the lens of both biology and mathematics. Foster is working on developing tools to detect harmful chemicals in drinking water, hoping to protect communities from environmental threats.

Douglas Young, who advises fellowship candidates at W&M, says the sweep reflects something deeper than individual talent. "This is indicative of the W&M mission of providing students with formative undergraduate research experiences and mentorship," he explained.

Each scholar credits their mentors with pushing them forward during moments of doubt. Qian remembers feeling pressure to have her entire career mapped out during the application process. Her advisor reminded her to focus on what excites her now, even if her goals evolve later.

The Ripple Effect

These four students represent more than personal achievement. They're tackling problems that affect millions of people: coastal communities threatened by sea level rise, cancer patients needing better treatments, bacterial infections resistant to antibiotics, and towns with contaminated water supplies.

Their work shows what happens when universities invest in undergraduate research. The Barry Goldwater Foundation created these scholarships specifically to nurture the next generation of scientific leaders, and institutions like W&M are proving the model works.

The scholarships will support their studies through graduation, allowing them to dive deeper into research without financial stress. But the recognition means something beyond money. It validates their chosen paths and opens doors to graduate programs and research opportunities.

June put it simply when reflecting on her journey from psychology student to coastal geology researcher: "I thought I was going to major in psychology, but when we went to the Eastern Shore lab, I realized, 'This is for me.'"

Four students, four different fields, one shared commitment to using science to make the world better.