Read the full story about all the recipients on the Hub. 

Four Johns Hopkins University students have been awarded Goldwater Scholarships for their research and achievements in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.

Juniors Bruce Enzmann, Min Jae Kim, Shiker Nair, and Aaditya Rau are among a cohort of 410 Goldwater Scholars selected for 2021–22 from an estimated pool of more than 5,000 applicants. Additionally, as part of JHU’s Research Experience for Undergraduates program, faculty member Muyinatu Bell mentored Reese Dunne from Mississippi State University who also won a Goldwater Scholarship citing research conducted at JHU in his application.

Established in 1986, the Goldwater Scholarship was one of the first significant national scholarships focusing on STEM fields. The program awards winners $7,500 for tuition, fees, books, and room and board. The national recognition has also been known to give students a competitive edge when pursuing graduate fellowships in their fields, as the Goldwater Scholarship website notes: “Goldwater Scholars have been awarded 94 Rhodes Scholarships, 150 Marshall Scholarships, 170 Churchill Scholarships, 109 Hertz Fellowships, and numerous other distinguished awards like the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships.”

Schools nominate up to four students from a pool of sophomores and juniors, selected for their research record and potential for leadership in STEM fields.

Bruce Enzmann, a junior materials science and engineering major, focuses on biomaterials design to enhance tissue regeneration for post-injury repair. Working in Hai-Quan Mao‘s group in the Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Enzmann has led the development of a nerve-wrapping device that prevents the formation of painful neuromas and decreases inflammation during recovery after peripheral nerve damage. He was awarded PURA and HOUR NOVA grants for this project. This summer, Enzmann made the most of a truncated, virtual NSF REU at the University of Pennsylvania to develop expertise in imaging analysis and data visualization in studying the interplay of cells and engineered hydrogels. He also recently worked on a project with the Mao group on the design of face mask filters to limit droplet transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Outside the lab, Enzmann is active in the JHU Materials Research Society and Society for Biomaterials.