Four from MIT named 2025 Goldwater Scholars
Avani Ahuja ’26: “Explore and be open to fields you never thought you would be interested in”
MIT students Avani Ahuja ’26, Julianna Lian ’26, Jacqueline Prawira ’26, and Alex Tang ’26 have been awarded the Barry Goldwater Scholarships for the 2025-2026 academic year. This year’s application cycle featured 441 recipients selected from a pool of over 5,000 college sophomores and juniors across the country. 1,350 students were nominated by their academic institution to compete for the scholarship. All four MIT recipients plan to pursue a Ph.D. in their respective fields after graduation.
Established by Congress in 1986, the Barry Goldwater Scholarship financially supports talented college sophomores and juniors who plan to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics, or engineering. Each scholar receives up to a maximum of $7,500 per full academic year to help pay for their college tuition and fees.
The Tech had the opportunity to interview the recipients about their research interests and advice for undergraduate researchers.
Avani Ahuja, a electrical and mechanical engineering major, has been conducting research in the Conformable Decoders research group under Prof. Canan Dagdeviren at the MIT Media Lab since 2022. Her project focuses on developing a “wearable conformable breast ultrasound patch,” which would allow ultrasounds for breast cancer to be more accessible. Ahuja recommends students to “explore and be open to fields you never thought you would be interested in.”
Julianna Lian, a chemistry major, studies the intersection of “polymer chemistry and mechanochemistry,” specifically molecules that respond to mechanical force. Lian is grateful for the many people who have been part of her research journey, including her UROP supervisor, Prof. Jeremiah Johnson, her labmates, and her teachers.
Lian believes that the value in research comes from working in a collaborative team setting.
“No work is done in solidarity, and there is so much value (and fun) in learning from and growing with others,” she wrote.
Jacqueline Prawira, a materials science and engineering major, is supervised by Prof. Yet-Ming Chiang Ph.D. ’85. She is coinventor on a "silica subtraction process,” relevant for decarbonization of cement production. Currently, she is continuing research to commercialize the patented technology's additional applications in "greener critical mineral refining". Her interest in sustainable materials research started before college, as she has always wanted society to not have to “choose between quality of life and the health of the environment.”
Prawira encourages students to “be the author of [their] own story” and take initiative when pursuing their interests. “If there’s something in life you want to do, then do it passionately, and do it now,” she wrote.
Alex Tang, a chemistry and biology major, studies the impact of immunotherapy and targeted molecular therapy on the tumor microenvironment in colorectal cancer. He is supervised by Prof. Jonathan Chen at Northwestern University and Prof. Nir Hacohen at the Broad Institute, and is thankful for their “generosity and support while mentoring [him].”
Tang advises students to “seek opportunity” when doing research. “The biggest growth comes from when you go from answering questions that others ask of you to pursuing questions of your own asking,” he wrote. “Trust the process — great results and findings are years in the making.”
Note from the Editor-in-Chief: Alex Tang is an Editor-at-Large of The Tech and was not involved in the writing of this article.