Two Florida State University College of Arts and Sciences students, Grace Hickey and Kaya Simmons, have been awarded the 2025 Barry Goldwater Scholarship, a national honor recognizing outstanding undergraduates pursuing research careers in natural sciences, mathematics and engineering.

“FSU’s consistent success with the Goldwater Scholarship is not only a testament to the quality of our students’ research, but the quality of the guidance and mentorship they receive from their faculty mentors who demystify what it means to be a scientist,” said Jesse Wieland, associate director of the Office of National Fellowships.

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship & Excellence in Education Foundation received 1,305 applications from 445 colleges and universities for the 2024-2025 cycle, awarding 441 new scholarships. Since 1986, the program has honored 11,162 scholars for their contributions to scientific advancement.

Grace Hickey, a junior from Niceville, Fla., is pursuing dual degrees in Cell and Molecular Neuroscience and Computational Science. Since arriving at FSU, she has immersed herself in neuroscience research, laying the groundwork for her Goldwater Scholarship.

Her passion for neuroscience began in high school after reading “Patient H.M.: A Story of Memory, Madness, and Family Secrets,” a book about the history of lobotomies and a patient who underwent a brain surgery in 1953 that caused him to lose the ability to form new memories.

“I didn’t always want to be a scientist — through most of middle school I actually wanted to be a fiction author — but ‘Patient H.M.’ opened the door to neuroscience and all of the incredible things that the brain does,” Hickey said. “It opened my eyes to the brain’s complexity and set me on this path.”

For her honors thesis, Hickey has focused her studies on genetic and cellular bases of social behavior alongside Elizabeth Hammock, associate professor in the Department of Psychology. She has also worked on frog mate choice with Alan Lemmon, professor in the Department of Scientific Computing, and the study of insect vision with the Air Force Research Laboratory, where she is the lead author on a forthcoming paper.

Hickey praises the Office of National Fellowships (ONF), especially Jesse Wieland, associate director of the Office of National Fellowships, for the invaluable assistance in preparing her for such a competitive award application.

“FSU’s overall environment for undergraduates in research is fantastic; so many professors are willing to bring undergraduates into their labs, and these professors have been critical to shaping my experience and goals,” she said. “I know I would not be in the same place without the support of ONF and the amazing professors at FSU.”

Reflecting on her journey, Hickey sees this Goldwater Scholarship as both a milestone and a motivator toward her future in research.

“It’s really validating to know that I’m on the right track for a career in research,” she said. “Winning a Goldwater is an amazing reminder that all of my hard work in academics and research over the last three years is helping me grow into a scientist, both now and in the rest of my career.”

Kaya Simmons, a junior from DeLand, Fla., is pursuing a degree in behavioral neuroscience, earning a 2025 Barry Goldwater Scholarship for her innovative animal behavior research.

Her passion for research took flight while working at a local parrot sanctuary in high school, where she interacted with more than 100 parrots to address behavioral challenges.

“The variations in each bird’s response fascinated me, sparking questions about what drives behavioral differences within and across species,” she said. “Behavior ultimately starts with the nervous system, which is why neuroscience is of extra interest to me.”

Since her freshman year at FSU, Simmons has been part of the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), building a foundation for her 2025 Goldwater Scholarship.

With Emily DuVal, professor of biological science, Simmons develops machine-learning techniques to analyze dance displays of Panama’s tropical birds, preparing her for upcoming summer fieldwork there. For her honors thesis with Emily Lemmon, professor of biological science, she investigates how vasotocin, a neural hormone, shapes female frog reproductive behavior.

Last summer, Simmons secured a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates Award to study climate change’s impact on ground squirrel behavior in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. She also co-founded a campus bird-window strike study and leads the Spoonbill Society, FSU’s birding club.

“The faculty here at FSU have played a monumental role in my achievements and ultimately the awarding of this fellowship,” Simmons said. “By providing me with endless knowledge, support, opportunities and resources, I have been able to accomplish so much more than I ever thought was possible.”

Reflecting on the scholarship, she added, “This honor confirms I’m on track for a research career. It’s a milestone motivating me to keep following my academic dreams and contribute to science long-term.”

“Emily and Alan Lemmon, Elizabeth Hammock and Emily DuVal are consistent champions for the undergraduates in their research labs, and their belief in their students is invaluable in this competitive process,” Wieland said. “Grace and Kaya worked incredibly hard to earn this prestigious honor, and I am excited to see where it takes them in their academic and professional careers.”

To learn about fellowship opportunities, visit onf.fsu.edu. Applications for the 2025-2026 cycle will open Tuesday Sept. 2, 2025.

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A Florida State University student has been awarded the Barry Goldwater Scholarship, a national award that recognizes outstanding college students who intend to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering.

Shaheed Perez, a junior double majoring in physics and mathematics, will receive up to $7,500 for his final semester in the fall from the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation to be used toward tuition, fees, books and room and board. Perez was one of 438 students nationally to be awarded the scholarship for the 2024-2025 academic year.

“When you work extremely hard toward a goal and end up achieving it, it really confirms the fact that the work you put in is meaningful and will eventually pay off,” he said. “That’s what the Goldwater Scholarship means to me.”

Perez began his research in cosmology, a subfield of astrophysics.

Under FSU Department of Physics Professor Kevin Huffenberger, Perez was introduced to the first successful prediction made by the Standard Cosmological Model, which states that on large scales, the universe is spatially flat. The cosmic microwave background (CMB), a light source originating from the time of the Big Bang, offered experimental evidence of temperature variations across space.

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A pair of Florida State University students have been awarded Barry Goldwater Scholarships. The nationally coveted award goes to outstanding science, mathematics and engineering sophomores and juniors for their research experiences and potential. 

Jack Lyons, a fourth-year dual major in physics and music from Jacksonville, Florida, and Nicole Povelikin, a sophomore biology major from New York City, will receive up to $7,500 for their next two academic years from the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation to be put toward tuition, fees, books and room and board.  

It’s the second consecutive year that FSU has had two winners of the scholarship. 

“It’s a bit of a shock because I came in as a music major and I am also earning my degree in brass performance,” Lyons said, before noting that he found his love of condensed-matter physics at FSU. “From the technology in our phones and laptops to solar cells and gaming consoles, condensed-matter physics really drives our society.” 

Lyons has completed an internship focused on quantum computing and is working toward a minor in computer science. He said the Goldwater is an affirmation that he’s on the right track.  

“I am very, very thankful for this opportunity and for the advisers that just said, ‘Go for it,’” he said. “I never would have guessed I’d be named a finalist, much less win. But this reaffirms for me that, yes, I can be a physicist and have a successful career in physics research.” 

Povelikin said the Goldwater will help her continue to explore interests that began as a child when she loved to catch lizards — and any other critters she could get her hands on.

“I knew from about age five I wanted to study lizards and that I was interested in herpetology,” she said. Her love was nurtured in part by regular visits to New York’s American Museum of Natural History. That interest in lizards sparked deeper curiosities.  

“I questioned ‘How did they come to be?’ and then ‘How did we come to be where we are now?’” she said. “The answer to that of course resides in evolutionary biology. It kind of gives you a new perspective on life to unravel these questions.”   

Herpetology is a field without many women, and with that in mind, Povelikin said the Goldwater Scholarship is a reminder to continue following her curiosity no matter the perceived obstacles. It’s also an occasion to say thanks.  

“It’s a big reminder for how thankful I am to everyone in the research community and all the professors here who have been so incredible to me,” she said. “I am incredibly passionate about what I do. It’s what I devote most of my life to.” 

Jesse Wieland, associate director of the Office of National Fellowships at FSU, called this year’s Goldwater application cycle exceptionally competitive and said Lyons and Povelikin are among only 413 students selected for the award nationally.  

“Their maturity, commitment to academic excellence and the clarity with which they detailed their academic futures is what, I believe, set their applications apart,” he said. “We could not continue our success with the Goldwater without the amazing faculty we have here at FSU, from those who volunteer on our Goldwater Faculty Committee, to all those who have mentored our applicants over the years, provided feedback on their research or written a recommendation letter.” 

For more information on national awards and fellowships, visit the Office of National Fellowships website at onf.fsu.edu. For more information about the Goldwater Scholarship, visit goldwater.scholarsapply.org. 

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