Four Cornellians received Barry Goldwater Scholarships in March for research in the fields of science, math and engineering, according to a University press release.
Cornell was the only Ivy League school to have all four nominees receive the scholarship, according to the release.
Shivansh Chawla ’17, one of the nominees, said having all four nominees — Robert Lee ’17, Charles Wan ’17, Zachary Ziegler ’17and herself — from Cornell win the scholarship affirmed the quality of research at Cornell.
“The research here at Cornell is top notch, so having four fellowship winners really adds to that,” Chawla said.
He added that the application process led him to reflect on his own research.
“The essay question that they had was ‘describe a significant problem in your field of study,’ and really it shows what in my field we need to work on,” Chawla said.
Chawla studies chemistry and biology and conducts research in the Yimon Aye Lab, according to the University.
“I want to help study diseases and working in Yimon Aye lab is giving me great mentorship, helping my problem solving skills and critical analysis of the data I get,” Chawla said.
Lee works in the Cornell Engineering World Health Program where he studies drinking water in rural areas.
“Right now we’re building a water monitor for wells that can track important characteristics of the water to see if the water is unsafe to drink,” Lee said.
Ziegler studies engineering physics and conducts research with Prof. Jiwoong Park, chemistry, where he works on the “growth and characterization of 2-D materials.”
Ziegler added that he plans to continue significant research in applied physics after Cornell.
“I think my experiences both through engineering physics classes and research are preparing me for interdisciplinary research that I hope will one day have significant impact in the real world,” he said.
Wan called it “an honor” to be recognized as a Goldwater scholar, saying he is happy his hard work has payed off.
“It is fulfilling to receive validation for the work I have put into my passion, and I am grateful to have won the award amidst such talented researchers,” Wan said.