Two FAU Students Honored as 2026 Goldwater Scholars
Two Florida Atlantic University students have been recognized as Goldwater Scholars, the fifth straight year that the university has obtained this esteemed honor.
Two Florida Atlantic University students have been recognized as Goldwater Scholars, the fifth straight year that the university has obtained this esteemed honor. Danylo Fedkiv and Kyle Loh have been selected to receive the 2026 Barry Goldwater Scholarship, the most prestigious national research fellowship for undergraduate students.
Just 454 college students from across the United States were awarded Goldwater scholarships for the 2026-27 academic year, out of an estimated pool of 1,485 science, engineering and mathematics students nominated by 482 academic institutions.
“For five consecutive years, our outstanding undergraduate students have earned Goldwater Scholarships, and Kyle and Danylo embody the disciplined curiosity and creativity that define scholarly excellence,” said Donna Chamely-Wiik, Ph.D., senior 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 accolade reflects the strength of our research culture and the power of sustained faculty mentorship here at Florida Atlantic. As an R1 institution committed to prioritizing undergraduate research, we cultivate environments where emerging scholars thrive and are empowered to address complex research challenges. We celebrate their achievements and reaffirm our dedication to supporting discovery and innovation across all levels.”
Fedkiv is a double-major in chemistry and biology and plans to minor in both mathematics and philosophy at the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
. He currently conducts his research under mentor Gregg Fields, Ph.D., synthesizing inhibitors of Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) to help fight cancer and other MMP-related disorders.
Fedkiv’s goal is to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry and teach and conduct research as a university professor. He also wants to apply his training in organic chemistry to develop histopathological probes for biomedical imaging and to discover new classes of organic reactions to facilitate more convenient and efficient organic synthesis.
“To have joined the past Goldwater Scholars at FAU is an immense privilege and opportunity for me as a researcher,” he said. “This award has truly changed the trajectory of my academic career for the better, and I am certain that I will reach new, prestigious heights in chemistry that were previously unattainable for me. I hope that, through the achievements of every Goldwater Scholar from FAU thus far and myself, the university will see even more winners in the coming years.”
Loh is a third-year dual-enrolled student at FAU High School and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, pursuing a joint bachelor’s degree and Master of Science degree in mathematics. Under the mentorship of Jason Mireles-James, Ph.D., Loh’s research utilizes dynamical systems and topological methods to rigorously prove the convergence behaviors of high-dimensional machine learning optimizers, specifically RMSProp and Adam.
Following his concurrent graduations in spring 2027, Loh intends to pursue a Ph.D. in applied mathematics. His long-term goal is to lead a research lab dedicated to pioneering rigorous mathematical foundations for impactful real-world AI systems.
“I am honored to be selected as a Goldwater Scholar and am grateful to my mentors at FAU, especially Dr. Jason Mireles-James, who has shaped my trajectory as a researcher,” he said. “This award will expand access to academic opportunities and connect me with the Goldwater Scholar community, whose shared commitment to research will further support my academic development.”
Fedkiv and Loh 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:
- 2025: Aiden Geleta and Vincent Stafford
- 2024: Natasha Mayorga, Cristian Pena and Dana Smith
- 2023: David Baldwin and Michael Green
- 2022: Kate Maier and Samantha Zaninelli
The Goldwater Foundation is a federally endowed, independent agency that has been celebrating scholars for 40 years. The scholarship program honoring U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater was designed to identify, encourage and financially support outstanding undergraduates interested in pursuing research careers in the sciences, engineering and mathematics. The Goldwater Scholarship is the preeminent undergraduate award of its type in these fields.
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