Three College Students Named 2023 Goldwater Scholars
Three juniors in the College of Arts & Sciences have received 2023 Goldwater Scholarships, awarded to U.S. college sophomore or junior students planning research careers in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering.
They are among the 413 students named 2023 Goldwater Scholars from more than 5,000 students nominated by 427 academic institutions in the United States, according to the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. Each scholarship provides as much as $7,500 each year for up to two years of undergraduate study.
The students are:
Andreas Ghosh, from New York City, is majoring in physics and chemical engineering in the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research, a dual-degree program in Penn Arts & Sciences and the School of Engineering and Applied Science. Ghosh’s interests include quantum chemistry and renewable energy. He conducts computational chemistry research on new photovoltaic effects with Andrew Rappe, a professor of chemistry and materials science and engineering. Ghosh also works at Penn’s Weingarten Center as a calculus and physics tutor. Currently taking voice lessons in classical singing, he is a member of the Penn Chorale. After graduating, Ghosh intends to pursue a doctorate in chemistry, with a goal of becoming a professor of chemistry who leads a research group and studies renewable energy.
Zijian (William) Niu, from Winchester, Massachusetts, is majoring in biochemistry, biophysics, and physics. As a recipient of the Roy and Diana Vagelos Science Challenge Award, he works in the Raj Lab for Systems Biology with Arjun Raj, a professor of bioengineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Science. His current research focuses on the development of new computational methods in biomedical image analysis using deep learning for tasks such as cell segmentation and small subcellular object detection. He has also worked with Sydney Shaffer, an assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine, on investigating the molecular origins of Barrett’s esophagus and its progression toward esophageal adenocarcinoma. At Penn, Niu is an organic chemistry workshop leader, a vice president of the Penn Undergraduate Chemistry Society, and an event supervisor for Science Olympiad at Penn. Recently, he co-founded Project Lucid, an initiative to promote adaptive science communication among Penn undergraduates. After graduating, he intends to pursue a Ph.D. in computational biology to continue optimizing and developing new methods for biomedical image analysis.
Jason Wang, from Lexington, Kentucky, is majoring in biophysics. He is interested in computational research methods, especially for modeling and developing clinical treatments. He is actively engaged in research with the Baumgart Group in the Department of Chemistry, where he analyzes the physical properties of lipid bilayers. Wang volunteers at Penn Medicine’s Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a resident advisor at the Gregory College House, a member of the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, and a tutor with Penn for Refugee Empowerment. After graduating, Wang plans to pursue an M.D.-Ph.D. in membrane biophysics.
Congress established the scholarship in 1986 to honor U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater.
