Three third-year undergraduate students at Oregon State University have been designated as 2024 Goldwater Scholars by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.
Jose Naranjo Mendez from San Jose, Puerto Rico, Madalyn Gragg from Wamic, Oregon, and Roberto Ponce Velez from Silverton, Oregon, have been selected. Over the past 11 years, Oregon State has produced 21 Goldwater Scholars, with 16 of them coming in the last six years, bringing the university’s total to 48 since the program began in 1986.
Naranjo Mendez, Gragg, and Ponce Velez are among 438 Goldwater Scholars chosen from a pool of over 1,300 students nominated by 446 academic institutions across the United States.
The scholarship is available to sophomores and juniors studying natural science, engineering, or mathematics who plan to pursue research careers. Each recipient can receive up to $7,500 for tuition, fees, books, and living expenses for the 2024-25 academic year.
Naranjo Mendez, a chemical engineering major focusing on bioresource research, aims to pursue a doctorate in chemical engineering to explore sustainable options for plastic recycling.
Gragg, an OSU Honors College student studying mechanical engineering and physics, plans to pursue a doctorate in chemical physics to uncover new physical properties in optoelectronic materials for eco-friendly electronics.
Ponce Velez, majoring in fisheries and wildlife sciences, plans to earn a doctorate in fisheries biology and conduct research on redband trout native to the Pacific Northwest.
The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation, established by Congress in 1986, honors the legacy of Barry Goldwater, a U.S. senator from Arizona and the 1964 Republican presidential nominee.
