Florida Atlantic: Back-to-Back-to-Back-to-Back

Florida Atlantic students Aiden Geleta and Vincent Stafford received the 2025 Barry Goldwater Scholarship, the most prestigious national research fellowship for undergraduate students. Only 441 college students from across the country received the award this year. This is the fourth consecutive year that Florida Atlantic students have been named Goldwater Scholars, for a total of nine since 2022.

"We congratulate Aiden and Vincent on this award and for their scholarly contributions to science and society," said Donna Chamely-Wiik, Ph.D., associate dean for undergraduate research and prestigious fellowships, and associate scientist in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. "This achievement underscores the profound impact of investing in undergraduate research, which not only fosters a rigorous academic environment, but also cultivates the next generation of innovators and change makers."

Aiden Geleta

Geleta is a senior studying behavioral neuroscience in the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College. Her current research — under research mentor Erik Duboué, Ph.D., associate professor — examines the effects of early life stress on neuroanatomical development using the zebrafish model. She also is studying the role of the extracellular matrix in plasticity, specifically looking at the hippocampus of mice, in the lab of Simon Pieraut, Ph.D., assistant professor, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science.

Geleta's post-undergraduate goal is to pursue a doctoral degree in neuroscience, working to uncover the biological basis for psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders.

She also has a passion for community engagement, as her work at the FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute's Mobile Minds program shows how bringing science to the community can impact students. Geleta said she plans to continue her community engagement research in the future and become a professor who mentors and teaches future generations.

"It is a great privilege to be selected as a Goldwater Scholar this year alongside such accomplished students," she said. "This recognition inspires me to continue growing as a neuroscience researcher, and I am excited to continue learning, growing and contributing as a researcher."

Vincent Stafford

Stafford is a senior studying interdisciplinary mathematical sciences with an emphasis on computational math in the Wilkes Honors College. Within his current research, his goal is to understand algorithmic processes using mathematical techniques, from neural networks to data structures. He recently published a paper with the aerospace engineering department of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and his research mentor is Terje Hill, Ph.D., professor. After graduating, Stafford plans to pursue a doctoral degree in computational mathematics or optimization.

"With this fellowship, I have significantly more funding for academics, assisting me in continuing my research projects at FAU," he said. "Since this is the leading undergraduate research scholarship, it also serves as a significant boost in my applications for graduate school."

Geleta and Stafford applied for the Goldwater Scholarship with assistance from Florida Atlantic's Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry and Prestigious Fellowships. Previous Florida Atlantic honorees include:

• 2024: Natasha Mayorga, Cristian Pena and Dana Smith
• 2023: David Baldwin and Michael Green
• 2022: Kate Maier and Samantha Zaninelli

"The multi-year selection of FAU students is a testament to the value of prioritizing undergraduate research and supporting faculty mentors who empower our students to excel, compete at national levels, and contribute meaningfully to their fields, further enhancing FAU's reputation and appeal as an R1 institution," Chamely-Wiik said.