The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation has awarded Tulane junior Brady Jin-Smith with a Goldwater Scholarship. The Goldwater Scholarship Program is one of the oldest and most prestigious national scholarships in the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics in the United States. The award seeks to identify, encourage, and financially support college sophomores and juniors who show exceptional promise of becoming the nation’s next generation of research leaders in these fields.
Brady, of Aloha, OR will graduate early in May 2025 as a double major in cell and molecular biology and sociology. Learning about this fellowship as a first-year student, Brady set his sights on gaining the experience needed to position himself for this opportunity.
“I believe my relentless pursuit of research and discovery made me a strong candidate for this award. I developed very close bonds with my mentors, who helped me to formulate a strong application without directly helping me. Their intense demands made writing the application simpler and I was better able to concisely convey my research.”
In addition to financial support, winning this award also provided Brady with reassurance in his capacities and the path that he is on.
“It is an extreme blessing and honor for me and my mentors. In part, I also used this process to assess my abilities as a research scientist. Winning the Goldwater Scholarship has confirmed that I belong in this field despite the many structural and physical (limb differenced) barriers I have overcome along the way.”
After taking a gap year to conduct translational tumor detection research, Brady plans to apply for MD-PhD programs in cancer biology. Brady has also come away with a newfound appreciation of the support NTC offers, specifically the Office of Fellowship Advising.
“The Office of Fellowship Advising was brilliant throughout the application process! I have never asked others to stringently review my writing, but the guidance they provided has completely changed my perspective on this. They specifically helped me communicate my passion for research throughout the entire application.”
Brady looks forward to the mentorship he will receive as a Goldwater Scholar and is eager to continue his passion for research.
“I will continue to pursue the development of noninvasive soft-tissue sarcoma detection modalities using cutting-edge technologies and novel, disseminating tumor cell populations. Winning this award also motivates me to give back to others who share the same passion for world-changing research.”
