Fiona Romanoschi and Dhroov Pathare, both students in The University of Texas at
Austin’s College of Natural Sciences, have been awarded the Goldwater Scholarship for
the 2026-2027 academic year.
The Barry Goldwater Scholarship is a highly prestigious award that provides $7,500
annually for educational expenses to students who intend to pursue careers in
mathematics, the natural sciences or engineering. This year, the Goldwater Scholarship was awarded to 454 students nationwide out of a pool of over 5,000 applicants.
Fiona Romanoschi, a junior studying mathematics and informatics in the School of
Information, plans to pursue a Ph.D. in statistics. Romanoschi hopes to become a
researcher at a national laboratory and develop inference methods for complex
systems. At UT, her research has focused on building models that simulate the
dynamics of ice sheets that are a major contributor to sea-level rise. In 2023,
Romanoschi founded the UT Austin Informatics Undergraduate Student Council, a
student organization focused on inclusion and student success.
“I’m deeply grateful to my research mentors, professors at UT, and earlier teachers who encouraged my interest in mathematics and science,” Romanoschi said. “This award also motivates me to continue pursuing research with the same level of curiosity and dedication, and I’m excited to be part of the broader Goldwater Scholar community.”
Dhroov Pathare, a second-year student majoring in neuroscience and Plan II honors in
the College of Liberal Arts, aims to obtain a Ph.D. in neuroengineering and develop
therapeutics that can cross the blood-brain barrier to target diseased brain tissue. As a Dean’s Scholar, Pathare conducts research for his honors thesis on engineering
antibodies that can treat brain disorders. He said receiving the Goldwater Scholarship
has been a meaningful experience that has solidified his dedication to research.
“Receiving the Goldwater Scholarship has deepened my motivation to engage with
complex biological questions and strengthened my commitment to impactful scientific discovery,” Pathare said. “This recognition motivates me to contribute to research that can ultimately translate into meaningful advances in human health.”
The university and college have scholarship staff—in UT’s Office of Distinguished and
Postgraduate Scholarships and the CNS Scholarship Office—who support students in
connecting with prestigious scholarships for U.S. STEM students.