Three University of Connecticut undergraduate students have been named Goldwater Scholars for the current year. The Goldwater Scholarship is considered the nation’s premier scholarship for undergraduates studying math, natural sciences, and engineering.

The three students are: Daniel D’Souza ’28 (CLAS) of Cheshire; Ashly Gasior ’27 (CLAS) of Seekonk, Massachusetts; and Mackenzie Robillard ’27 (CLAS) of Goshen. All three are enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and are in the Honors Program.

The Goldwater Scholarship was established by Congress to honor the late U.S. Sen. Barry M. Goldwater, with the purpose of identifying students of outstanding ability and promise and encouraging them to pursue advanced study and research careers. Scholars receive one- or two-year awards that cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year. The trio is among just 454 students selected nationally for the award this year from a pool of more than 5,000 applicants.

“I am extremely excited for Daniel, Ashly, and Mackenzie as their selection as Goldwater Scholars speaks to their exceptional talent, dedication to research, and the hard work that they put into their applications,” says Michael Cunningham, assistant director of the Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships and UConn’s Goldwater advisor. “I look forward to seeing the impact they make in their respective fields of research.”

D’Souza is a molecular and cell biology and applied mathematical science major. He is an undergraduate researcher at UConn in the Mellone Lab and the Pinter Lab and at the Panday Lab at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science in Rochester, Minnesota. A recipient of the Presidential Scholars Award for Valedictorians and Salutatorians and a 2025 Holster Scholar, he is also a peer tutor at the Quantitative Learning Center at UConn.

“Being selected as a Goldwater Scholar is a profound honor and a true reflection of the incredible mentorship I have received over the past two years,” says D’Souza. “I am deeply grateful to my principal investigators, Barbara Mellone and Stefan Pinter, as well as my graduate student mentor, Maddy O’Connor. Their generous support has fostered my love for genetics and molecular biology.

“Receiving this recognition has made me even more excited about the path ahead as I continue pursuing a career in the natural sciences.”

Gasior, a 2025 Caxide Scholar and 2026 University Scholar, is a chemistry, physics, and mathematics major. She is an undergraduate researcher in the Mani Group at UConn and is a student instructional and student tutoring specialist in the Department of Chemistry. Gasior is also an undergraduate researcher in the New Synthetic Methods Group, led by Professor Nicholas Leadbeater in the Department of Chemistry.

“Being a Goldwater Scholar is not a reflection of my past research, but the starting point for everything I am to do next,” says Gasior.

Robillard, a 2024 Holster Scholar and 2026 University Scholar, is a molecular and cell biology major. She is an undergraduate research assistant for Professor Rachel O’Neill in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and has also been an undergraduate research assistant at UConn Health.

“I found the Goldwater application to be a unique way to reflect on the path I chose and the experiences that led me here,” says Robillard. “I am extremely grateful to every mentor who has supported me in pursuing my passion for research.”

“I congratulate UConn’s three 2026 Goldwater Scholars,” says Pamir Alpay, UConn’s Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. “Their success in this competition reflects not only their individual excellence, but also the support they have received from our extraordinary faculty and the alumni donors, whose generosity supported their early research endeavors.”

Those donors include: Robert ’68 (CLAS) and Carlotta ’68 (CLAS) Holster; Tony ’80 (CLAS) ’80 (CANR) ’84 (BUS) and Alison ’81 (CLAS) Caxide.

UConn’s Goldwater nominating committee includes: Joanne Conover, professor of physiology and neurobiology; Elaine Choung-Hee Lee, professor of kinesiology; Daniel McCarron, associate professor of physics; Ion Mandoiu, professor of computing; and Gregory Sotzing, professor of chemistry.

The Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships (ONSF) is a resource for students interested in learning more about the Goldwater Scholarship and other prestigious scholarships and fellowships that support study in all fields. ONSF is part of Enrichment Programs and is open to all graduate and undergraduate students at the University, including students at the regional campuses. For more information about the Goldwater Scholarship and other prestigious, nationally-competitive awards, visit ONSF at www.onsf.uconn.edu.