Driven by a passion to heal and discover, two UC Davis third-year biological science students received the prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship for their research focused on the improvement of care for critically ill children and tissue regeneration. 

Kush Narang of Santa Clara, California, and Azucena Virgen of Woodland, California, are among the 441 Goldwater Scholars this year. They each secured a $7,500 scholarship — Goldwater funds scholars for up 2 years if they are in their second year — for their exceptional promise in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM. Both students were selected from a national pool of more than 5,000 nominees.

Continued UC Davis Goldwater dynasty

The Goldwater Scholarship program has recognized 37 UC Davis students over the last 33 years. This is the eighth consecutive year that one or more UC Davis students earned the coveted Goldwater Scholar title. UC Davis also continues to rank among the top producers of Goldwater Scholars within the UC system.

Scott Palmer, UC Davis prestigious scholarship advisor, said this Goldwater streak reflects the multitude of undergraduate research opportunities at UC Davis and the quality of students drawn to them. The scholarship, considered the nation’s leading undergraduate STEM research award, continues to spotlight the university’s role in shaping top-tier scientists.

“Every year, we see an increase in incredibly competitive applicants,” Palmer said. “That consistency speaks to the caliber of our nominees and the collaborative research culture that makes UC Davis such a strong launchpad for future scientists.”

Innovation in drug design

Narang combines his experience as a senior emergency medical technician, or EMT, with his research in machine learning to tackle some of medicine’s biggest challenges.

At UC Davis, he works in the Yarov-Yarovoy lab to design AI-based algorithms to find creative ways to make non-addictive painkillers. Narang plans to become a pediatric emergency medicine physician and professor. He hopes this dual experience will guide research that expands access to lifesaving drugs for sick and injured children.

“UC Davis taught me to think about health on every scale — from the molecular level to the whole patient,” Narang said. “I found a team of mentors here who push me to challenge assumptions and connect ideas across disciplines.”

The potential of regeneration 

Inspired by a high school zoology class during the COVID-19 pandemic, Virgen now investigates regeneration using Hydra, a small freshwater invertebrate, as a model organism in the Juliano Lab at UC Davis. Her research explores the mechanisms that enable tissue regeneration and aims to translate those insights into advances for human health.

She plans to pursue a doctorate in developmental biology with the goal of eventually leading her own lab and teaching at a university. There, she hopes to mentor the next generation of scientists and foster a collaborative research environment modeled after her positive experiences at UC Davis.

“I dealt with imposter syndrome for a long time, but this research community helped me grow,” Virgen said. “Being honored at a national level feels like validation that I belong — and I want to pay that forward and create a space for others, especially other Latinas in STEM, to feel empowered to pursue a research career.”