Three Caltech Students Named Goldwater Scholars in 2024
Three Caltech undergraduates, Jessie Gan, Miguel Liu-Schiaffini, and Sophia Wu, have been awarded the esteemed Goldwater Scholarship for 2024. The scholarship recognizes outstanding students and provides each recipient with $7,500 to cover tuition and expenses for each remaining year of their degree program. Colleges and universities can nominate up to four sophomores or juniors for the award each year, or five if one is a transfer student.
All three of Caltech's new Goldwater Scholars are third-year undergraduates with significant academic accomplishments and aspirations to continue their research in graduate school.
Jessie Gan, a chemistry major in the biochemistry track, has conducted research in computational chemistry with Steve Mayo, Bren Professor of Biology and Chemistry and Merkin Institute Professor.
"In the Mayo lab, I've been testing the accuracy and efficiency of different computational models on antibody structure prediction," Gan says of her research. "When developing antibodies, it's difficult to know how mutations can change their structures and viability as drugs. Better understanding their structures computationally could save both time and effort when developing antibody therapeutics, such as those in cancer treatment."
Gan says she is honored to be among the group of 438 new Goldwater Scholars this year and is looking forward to developing more computational models to better understand proteins, particularly in the drug-discovery realm, in graduate school. She adds: "I am grateful for support from my mentors, [graduate student] Lucas Schaus and Professor Steve Mayo, and my work wouldn't be possible without the support of the Student-Faculty Programs Office."
Miguel Liu-Schiaffini is a computer science major who has worked with Anima Anandkumar, Bren Professor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, to apply machine learning tools to science.
"Specifically, I have been working on the methods and applications of neural operators, a class of deep learning models that we have been using to accelerate physics simulations," Liu-Schiaffini says. "For instance, I have worked on using neural operators to model highly turbulent fluid flows and for forecasting tipping points of complex systems (like the earth's climate) far in advance."
Liu-Schiaffini says he is eager to further his contributions to the field of machine learning and pursue a PhD, and adds: "I am immensely grateful to my research mentors for their support over the past few years."
Sophia Wu, a bioengineering major, has conducted research with Nobel Laureate Frances Arnold [Linus Pauling Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering and Biochemistry; director, Donna and Benjamin M. Rosen Bioengineering Center] since her first year at Caltech.
"I have been working on engineering enzymes to catalyze chemical reactions that could revolutionize drug discovery," Wu says. "Some of the projects I've done include engineering enzymes that can purify chemical mixtures for safer drugs and engineering molecules in innovative ways to streamline the creation of new treatments. Currently, I'm exploring new methods to synthesize α-aminonitriles, which are a chemical present in many FDA-approved drugs, aiming to develop more efficient pathways to drug production."
Wu says her ultimate goal is to leverage enzyme engineering to forge new cancer treatments.
"I am super grateful to be awarded the Goldwater Scholarship. This scholarship allows me to continue pursuing my passion for enzyme engineering with even greater enthusiasm and focus. I want to thank all my incredible mentors and peers who have guided and inspired me throughout my journey in science. Looking ahead, I'm excited about the potential to transform how we approach cancer treatment, making significant strides toward innovative and more effective therapies."
