Four Florida State University students have been awarded the 2026 Barry Goldwater Scholarship, a national honor recognizing outstanding sophomores and juniors pursuing research careers in the sciences, engineering and mathematics.
The winners are Alexander DeLise, a junior from Tampa; Shiv Patel, a sophomore from Tallahassee; Sebastian Ruiz, a junior from West Palm Beach; and Jacob Scalabrin, a junior from Tampa.
It is the first time four FSU students have received the scholarship in the same year.
“The Goldwater Scholarship serves as a shining example of future scientific progress, and the fact that FSU has consistently been a home for Goldwater scholars highlights the talent of our undergraduate STEM students,” said Bonnie Garcia-Gloeckner, associate director of FSU’s Office of National Fellowships. “Alex, Sebas, Shiv and Jake are already establishing themselves as leading researchers in their fields, and I am excited to see what they do next and proud to have them recognized in this way.”
Alexander DeLise
Alexander DeLise, a junior from Tampa, plans to pursue a doctoral degree in mathematical sciences with a concentration in artificial intelligence and machine learning. He aspires to develop interpretable model theory as a research scientist through open-source work at a frontier lab.
For DeLise, the path to becoming a Goldwater Scholar was paved with curiosity, determination and community support. He credits the university’s flexibility and rich interdisciplinary environment for shaping his ambitions.
“FSU has provided me with the flexibility to pursue two degrees in applied mathematics and computational science,” he said. “Although both provide the foundational mathematical, scientific and programming skills for their respective concentrations, within each degree program, I have been exposed to highly interdisciplinary research and ideas,” he said.
He highlights computational science as “a truly unique major that combines the transformative field of artificial intelligence, programming and high-performance computing with applications across the sciences and engineering.”
DeLise said that being a Presidential Scholar — FSU’s premier merit scholarship — and participating in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) and the Honors in the Major Program have provided him with opportunities and hands-on experience.
“FSU is an ecosystem where undergraduate research is both accessible and actively cultivated,” DeLise said. “At every stage, there are people, programs and resources designed to help students take the next step.”
DeLise said that receiving the Goldwater Scholarship validates his work and sets the stage for his future.
“Being a Goldwater Scholar reinforces my sense of purpose and responsibility to pursue impactful research, and to continue developing as a scientist capable of contributing to challenging, real-world problems.”
Shiv Patel
Shiv Patel, an exercise physiology major from Tallahassee, will use his Goldwater Scholarship to chase his aspirations of becoming a physician-scientist specializing in biomedical engineering and computational oncology.
A summer working with Dr. David Routman at Mayo Clinic’s Department of Radiation Oncology played a pivotal role in setting Patel’s career direction.
“While contributing to projects focused on AI-supported toxicity assessment and radiotherapy workflows, I saw firsthand how emerging computational tools are already beginning to reshape how cancer care is delivered,” he said. “That experience helped me realize that the future of medicine will depend not only on discovery, but on building reliable tools that translate research into safer and more consistent patient care. It confirmed my goal of pursuing a physician-scientist career focused on developing clinically integrated AI systems in oncology.”
The sophomore credits FSU for cultivating his growth as a researcher, including his work in Dr. Jerome Irianto’s laboratory at the College of Medicine. He said that experience introduced him to rigorous cancer research and helped shape his early scientific direction.
“Dr. Irianto’s mentorship has been instrumental in helping me grow as a student investigator and pursue increasingly translational work,” he said.
Patel also acknowledged the support from the Office of National Fellowships, which helped him pursue opportunities like the Goldwater Scholarship.
“Receiving the Goldwater Scholarship reinforces that the research direction I hope to pursue, developing clinically meaningful tools at the intersection of AI and cancer care, is both needed and impactful. It motivates me to continue building toward an M.D./Ph.D. career as a physician-scientist working to improve the safety, consistency and accessibility of oncology treatment.”
Sebastian Ruiz
Sebastian Ruiz, a junior majoring in statistics with a focus on psychology, aims to earn a doctorate in computational neuroscience, conduct research in computational psychiatry, and develop open-source tools to help communicate science to the public.
Ruiz is driven to pursue this career path for personal reasons. Before enrolling in college, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia.
“I hope to integrate my lived experiences as a patient into my research which might offer a path for even better treatments and therapies for people like me,” he said.
Ruiz, a transfer student from West Palm Beach, credits FSU’s programs and supportive faculty for helping him chart his academic path. He noted that the flexibility of the university’s statistics major allowed him to take courses across departments, including scientific computing, mathematics and psychology.
Inspired by the active campus community, Ruiz founded CompNeuroSociety, a group dedicated to connecting undergraduates interested in computational neuroscience. The organization leads workshops and collaborative research projects, fostering engagement and professional development among students.
Ruiz said that mentors from the Office of National Fellowships played a pivotal role in crafting his scholarship applications, and that participating in the Florida Fellows program expanded his research opportunities.
Looking ahead, Ruiz said recognition as a Goldwater Scholar will open doors in the future.
“This recognition will definitely give me a boost of momentum and confidence when I’ll be applying to post-baccalaureate and graduate programs next year,” he said. “I think it will give my profile more credibility when it’s being reviewed by faculty in highly selective computational neuroscience programs.”
Jacob Scalabrin
Jacob Scalabrin, a junior majoring in computational science, seeks to leverage computational techniques to deepen understanding of the relationship between Earth’s frozen water and global sea-level dynamics. After graduation, the Goldwater Scholar recipient will pursue a doctoral degree in geophysics with the goal of advancing both teaching and research in the field.
“I’ve always enjoyed being in school and learning new things, so I knew I wanted a career where I would continue learning throughout my life,” Scalabrin said. “It is also important to me that my work be math intensive and have a positive impact on others.”
The Tampa native described a pivotal moment when his fascination with Antarctica led him to discover that scientists often travel there.
“I care deeply about the climate, and I realized that being a scientist would satisfy what I wanted in a career for myself. From that realization, I became interested in cryosphere research,” he said.
Scalabrin said his experiences at FSU are preparing him for life after earning his bachelor’s degree.
“The most invaluable skill I’ve learned at FSU is how to write a cold email,” he said. “That may seem simple, but it has opened the door for nearly every research opportunity I’ve had.”
He acknowledged the support of his adviser in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Scientific Computing, Karey Fowler, and the guidance of research faculty Catherine Hancock, who taught him about perseverance in research.
Scalabrin also highlighted the role of the Office of National Fellowships in helping him secure the scholarship.
“I believe the Office of National Fellowships is one of the most underutilized resources on campus,” he said. “It was only thanks to the help and guidance of Bonnie Garcia-Gloeckner that I was able to successfully apply for and receive this scholarship.”
The Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation is a federally endowed, independent agency established by law in 1986. The scholarship program honoring Senator Barry Goldwater was designed to identify, encourage and financially support outstanding undergraduates interested in pursuing research careers in the sciences, engineering and mathematics.
For more information about the Goldwater Scholarship and working with the Office of National Fellowships, visit onf.fsu.edu.