For the fourth consecutive year, Florida Atlantic University students have been recognized as Goldwater Scholars.

For the fourth consecutive year, Florida Atlantic University students have been recognized as Goldwater Scholars. Aiden Geleta and Vincent Stafford have been awarded the 2025 Barry Goldwater Scholarship, the most prestigious national research fellowship for undergraduate students.

Just 441 college students from across the United States were awarded Goldwater scholarships for the 2025-26 academic year, out of an estimated pool of 1,350 science, engineering and mathematics students nominated by 445 academic institutions.

“We congratulate Aiden and Vincent on this award and for their scholarly contributions to science and society,” said Donna Chamely-Wiik, Ph.D., associate dean for undergraduate research and prestigious fellowships, and associate scientist in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry within the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. “This achievement underscores the profound impact of investing in undergraduate research, which not only fosters a rigorous academic environment, but also cultivates the next generation of innovators and change makers.”

Geleta is a junior behavioral neuroscience major at the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College . Her current research, under her research mentor Erik Duboué, Ph.D., examines the effects of early life stress on neuroanatomical development using the zebrafish model. She is also currently studying the role of the extracellular matrix in plasticity, specifically looking at the hippocampus of mice, in the lab of Simon Pieraut, Ph.D.

Geleta’s post-undergraduate goal is to pursue a Ph.D. in neuroscience, working to uncover the biological basis for psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. She also has a passion for community engagement: through her work at the FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute Mobile Minds program, she sees how bringing science to the community can impact students. She intends to continue her community engagement research in the future, hoping to become a professor who mentors and teaches future generations.

“It is a great privilege to be selected as a Goldwater Scholar this year alongside such accomplished students,” she said. “This recognition inspires me to continue growing as a neuroscience researcher, and I am excited to continue learning, growing and contributing as a researcher.”

Stafford is a junior interdisciplinary mathematical sciences major at the Wilkes Honors College, with an emphasis on computational math. Within his current research, he seeks to understand algorithmic processes using mathematical techniques, from neural networks to data structures. He published a paper with the aerospace engineering department of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and his research mentor is Terje Hill, Ph.D.

Following his planned graduation in the spring of 2026, Stafford’s goal is to pursue a Ph.D. program in computational mathematics or optimization and pursue an industry research position.

“With this fellowship, I have significantly more funding for academics, assisting me in continuing my research projects at FAU,” he said. “Since this is the leading undergraduate research scholarship, it also serves as a significant boost in my applications for graduate school.”

Geleta and Stafford applied for the Goldwater Scholarship with assistance from FAU’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry and Prestigious Fellowships. Previous FAU honorees are as follows:

• 2024: Natasha Mayorga, Cristian Pena and Dana Smith
• 2023: David Baldwin and Michael Green
• 2022: Kate Maier and Samantha Zaninelli

“The multi-year selection of FAU students is a testament to the value of prioritizing undergraduate research and supporting faculty mentors who empower our students to excel, compete at national levels, and contribute meaningfully to their fields, further enhancing FAU’s reputation and appeal as an R1 institution,” said Chamely-Wiik.

The Goldwater Foundation is a federally endowed agency. The scholarship program honoring U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue research careers in the fields of the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics. The Goldwater Scholarship is the preeminent undergraduate award of its type in these fields.

-FAU-