UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Four Penn State undergraduates were named Goldwater Scholars for 2025-26, based on their outstanding academic merit and research experience. Goldwater Scholars are selected for their potential as leaders in the fields of natural sciences, mathematics and engineering.
This year’s recipients of a Goldwater Scholarship are Zach Badinger, Elisabeth Groff, Luc Schrauf and Megan von Abo.
Zach Badinger
Badinger, of Reading, is a third-year chemical engineering major in the College of Engineering, with a minor in environmental engineering.
For the last year and a half, Badinger has worked under Andrew Zydney, Bayard D. Kunkle Chair and professor of chemical engineering. A key focus in the lab is on the development of novel processes for the continuous purification of monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of cancer and a range of other immunological disorders. Badinger has worked towards this goal by studying the filtration characteristics of precipitated proteins. He co-authored a journal article in the May 2024 edition of “Protein Science,” summarizing his contribution of analyzing the effect of sodium malonate, a small salt that was used to enhance the particle morphology and filtration of the precipitated protein.
“Research has had a very serious impact on my academic and professional goals because it has provided me with clarity that it is something I want to pursue long-term,” Badinger said. “Professionally, research played a large part in landing a co-op at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, a leading biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes medicines to treat serious medical conditions.”
The experience at Regeneron gave Badinger valuable knowledge of the industry, expanded his research abilities and gave him exposure to computational modeling, he said.
“Winning the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship has certainly meant a lot to me,” Badinger said. “It will give me the confidence to continue working on the cutting edge of science and have a career as a researcher. I cannot wait to see what the future holds. I would also like to thank all of my mentors and peers who work with me every day that made winning an award like this possible.”
Badinger said his current plan is to pursue a doctorate in chemical engineering with a focus on transport phenomena in the biopharmaceutical field. In addition to his undergraduate research experience, Badinger served as instructional assistant for both thermodynamics and process heat transfer courses, a head mentor of the engineering orientation network, a class representative for the Penn State chapter of American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AICHE) and the donor and alumni relations chair for AICHE benefiting THON.
Elisabeth Groff
Groff, of Clemson, South Carolina, is a third-year chemistry major in the Eberly College of Science and a Schreyer Scholar. She serves as an undergraduate researcher in the laboratory of Manuel Llinás, who is the Ernest C. Pollard Professor in biotechnology and co-director of the Center for Malaria Research. Groff’s work as a researcher focuses on the malaria-causing parasite P. falciparum, using metabolomics methods. Groff also spent two summers as a researcher in the College of Medicine under Laura Carrel, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology. She said undergraduate research significantly influenced her career goals.
“Before joining the Llinás lab, I knew I was interested in research, but I had no idea what kind of research I wanted to pursue,” Groff said. “Thankfully, my time in the Llinás lab helped me realize that I am passionate about research relating to human health, which led me to the MD/Ph.D. pathway. Then, my time in the Carrel lab introduced me to human genetics research, which I quickly fell in love with. Participating in undergraduate research has also taught me a great deal about collaboration and science communication, which are skills I hope to use in my future research career.”
She said earning a Goldwater Scholarship made her feel honored to be recognized among so many talented, research-driven students. Groff’s current plans are to complete an MD/Ph.D. with the Penn State College of Medicine and become a physician-scientist, with a focus on rare genetic conditions.
Beyond her undergraduate research and academic studies, Groff is active with the Penn State Music Service Club, which partners with local nursing homes, shelters and LifeLink PSU to bring music to those in need in Centre County. She is also a learning assistant for "CHEM 213M."
Luc Schrauf
Schrauf, a physics major in the Eberly College of Science who is also pursuing minors in nanotechnology and math, is a third-year student and Schreyer Scholar from State College.
He has conducted research under Nitin Samarth, George A. and Margaret M. Downsbrough department head and professor of physics. When he first joined the group, he and another undergraduate researcher spent a little over a year restoring and rebuilding a scanning tunneling microscope that had fallen into disrepair. He said this required becoming familiar with the system and its intricacies and identifying sources of unwanted external noise and finding new solutions to minimize it.
Schrauf said undergraduate research has cemented his desire to pursue a research career, and that even though it can be challenging and frustrating at times, it has also been rewarding. He said it’s also taught him the value of collaboration.
“I've found that my research projects have been the most successful when I have the opportunity to collaborate and learn from others,” Schrauf said. “We often think of scientific inspiration and groundbreaking discoveries as coming from singular minds: Einstein hatching thought experiments at the patent office or this past year’s Nobel laureate. My experience is that creativity comes from many minds poring over the same problem together.”
The Goldwater Scholarship is a culmination of the efforts of many late nights in the lab and dedication to careful planning of coursework, he said.
“But I think most of the value in Goldwater comes from the application process. It forced me to think critically about my story and where I want to go in the future. It also taught me how to tell that story. I would encourage anyone interested to apply as I found the application itself to be the most impactful,” Schrauf said.
Schrauf’s current goals are to innovate quantum computing platforms and use his experience in low-noise instrumentation to help develop noise-tolerant quantum computers. After earning his undergraduate degree, he plans to pursue a doctorate in physics and join an experimental research group working on quantum computing technology and qubit candidates. This summer, Schrauf will be working at Waterloo’s Institute of Quantum Computing.
Outside of the lab, Schrauf served as the Eberly College of Science’s elected representative to the University Park Undergraduate Association and as the college’s elected student representative to Faculty Senate for two terms. He is also active in the PAW+ organization’s PAW Pals, an outreach program that visits local elementary schools to do demonstrations and help teach science. He said he also enjoyed his time as a learning assistant for courses such as intro to quantum information science and engineering.
Megan von Abo
Von Abo, of Landsdale, is a third-year student enrolled in the biotechnology integrated undergraduate-graduate degree program, Eberly College of Science, and is pursuing minors in neuroscience and entrepreneurship and innovation (ENTI). She is also a Schreyer Scholar.
During her senior year of high school, von Abo worked at the University of Pennsylvania investigating neuronal, astrocyte and oligodendrocyte responses to neuroinflammatory stimuli and the resulting neuroprotective mechanism in neurodegenerative diseases. When she arrived at Penn State, von Abo began working in the Kwapis Lab under Janine Kwapis, assistant professor of biology and director of the Center for Molecular Investigation of Neurological Disorders. In the Kwapis Lab, von Abo works to discover whether specific transcript variants of the circadian clock gene Per1 contribute to Per1's role in memory while others contribute to its role in the circadian system. Von Abo interned at Regeneron in 2024 and developed a novel high-throughput proteome extraction method for tissue and cell samples to support target identification for therapeutic focus areas.
Von Abo said undergraduate research solidified her desire to continue neuroscience research in the future, excel in courses and advance her communication skills.
“Having the background and experience in laboratory techniques gives me a clearer understanding of the topics discussed in class as well as conducting the lab classes themselves,” she said. “While explaining my research at poster presentations, I also learned the importance of effective communication and framing my research in a relevant way for my audience.”
She said earning a Goldwater Scholarship was a moment of celebration and a reminder of how much she has dedicated to her academics and research. In the future, von Abo said she plans to pursue a doctorate in neuroscience and apply that knowledge to therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease, with the main motivation that her grandmother has Alzheimer’s disease.
Von Abo is the vice president of Science LionPride in the Eberly College of Science, for which she danced in THON, a Schreyer Leadership intern, an Undergraduate Research Ambassador and was a security leader for the THON Rules and Regulations committee.
About the Goldwater Scholarship
Each year, the scholarship, named for statesman Barry Goldwater, awards 300 undergraduates in their second or third year of study in the fields of natural science, engineering and mathematics.
Those interested in competing for a Goldwater Scholarship next year should contact Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring (URFM) to learn more about the scholarship program, verify that they meet the eligibility criteria and begin the application process. Applicants must be U.S citizens, U.S. nationals or permanent residents in their second or third years and demonstrate an interest in a research career in select STEM fields. Applicants must submit a pre-application form and complete a full application during the fall semester to be considered for University nomination. Each Penn State campus can nominate four to six students each year.
Students looking to explore their potential for research and fellowships can begin by meeting with an undergraduate research ambassador, attending a workshop from URFM or applying to the Spark Program.
This year’s Goldwater nomination committee at Penn State consisted of:
- Jim Pawelczyk, associate professor of physiology and kinesiology
- Denise Okafor, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, and of chemistry
- Beatrice Sirakaya, assistant teaching professor of biochemistry and molecular biology
- Jacob Bourjaily, associate professor of physics
- Erin Hostetler, director of Student Research and Learning Equity, Center for Engineering Outreach and Inclusion
Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring is part of Penn State Undergraduate Education.