WKU News

WKU students Mykah Carden of Greenville and Gabriel Nowaskie of Elizabethtown have been awarded the 2024 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. They are two of only five students studying at Kentucky institutions to be named Goldwater Scholars in this application cycle.

The Goldwater Scholarship, established by the U.S. Congress in 1986 to recognize the former senator from Arizona, identifies and honors university sophomores and juniors who excel in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) research. To support future career researchers, winners receive $7,500 annually to apply toward undergraduate tuition, room and board, fees and books.

Mykah Carden, the daughter of Heather Carden, will graduate from the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in May 2024. She will continue studies in geological sciences with the WKU Department of Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences and the Mahurin Honors College at WKU. 

Carden plans to pursue a Ph.D in geology with interest in the geological and hydrogeological controls on hypogene cave development in karst landscapes. At WKU, she conducts research with Dr. Patricia Kambesis, which she has presented at the National Speleological Society Convention, the National Cave and Karst Management Symposium, the Kentucky Speleological Society Annual Meeting, the Tennessee Cave Survey Annual Meeting, and more. She has also interned with the Cave Research Foundation and often returns to her hometown to share her research with students at the elementary school where her mother teaches.

"Conducting good science is important but so is communicating scientific results and ideas to all levels of audiences from grade school to expert--a skill that Mykah already possesses," said Carden's research mentor, Dr. Patricia Kambesis of the WKU Department of Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences. 

Carden prepared her application with support from Dr. Sam Earls, the Assistant Director of Academic Services at the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science. After earning university nomination by a committee of WKU faculty members, she was also supported by Cory Dodds and the Office of Scholar Development at WKU.

Gabriel Nowaskie, the son of Lisa and Tim Nowaskie, is a physics major with a minor in mathematics in the Ogden College of Science & Engineering and Mahurin Honors College at WKU. He is a 2023 graduate of the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science.

Nowaskie plans to pursue a Ph.D in theoretical mechanics and quantum physics toward a career in university research and teaching. With support from research mentor Tony Simpao, he has published two research manuscripts in the International Journal of Theoretical Physics as the sole and primary author. He has also presented research at the International Science and Engineering Fair, the National Collegiate Research Conference, and more. He is also a teaching assistant in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

"Gabe continues to demonstrate a high level of enthusiasm, motivation, and intellectual acuity, both for theoretical and applied aspects of our research," said Nowaskie's research mentor, Tony Simpao of the WKU Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Nowaskie prepared his application with support from Cory Dodds and the Office of Scholar Development at WKU, earning university nomination by a committee of WKU faculty members.

"With dedicated support from exceptional WKU faculty who support scholars in early research opportunities, WKU students can compete for national recognition in their field," said Lindsey Houchin, Assistant Director of the Office of Scholar Development (OSD).

"This year we expanded the OSD team to include a specialist for STEM scholarships and external research opportunities with scholars like Mykah and Gabe in mind," said Houchin. "Their success in the Goldwater Scholarship competition is a testament to the high quality academic experience at WKU. We remain committed to helping our scholars make more possible."  

About the Office of Scholar Development (OSD): OSD helps students make more possible by applying for national scholarships to fund “academic extras” such as study abroad, research, professional experience, and more. By conceptualizing and revising the stories they tell in application essays and interviews, students better understand their strengths, interests, and purpose—and explore multiple possible pathways to that work.

Contact: Lindsey Houchin, lindsey.houchin@wku.edu