Local WKU Scholars from Greenville and Elizabethtown Awarded Prestigious Goldwater Scholarship

Two students from Western Kentucky University (WKU), Mykah Carden of Greenville and Gabriel Nowaskie of Elizabethtown, have received the 2024 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. They are among five scholars from Kentucky recognized this year. The scholarship, named after former Senator Barry M. Goldwater and established in 1986, supports students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Mykah Carden, a student at the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science, will graduate in May 2024. She studies geological sciences at WKU’s Department of Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences and participates in the Mahurin Honors College. Her research examines geological and hydrogeological factors in hypogene cave development. Carden has presented her work at national and state conferences and interned with the Cave Research Foundation. She also promotes science communication by engaging with students in her hometown.

Gabriel Nowaskie, a Gatton Academy alumnus, is majoring in physics with a minor in mathematics at WKU’s Ogden College of Science & Engineering. He is also a member of the Mahurin Honors College. Nowaskie plans to pursue a Ph.D. in theoretical mechanics and quantum physics and aims for a career in academia. He has published research as the primary author and presented at the International Science and Engineering Fair.

Both students had support from WKU faculty and the Office of Scholar Development in preparing their scholarship applications. This support is part of WKU’s effort to provide early research opportunities and help students gain national recognition. The university has expanded its Office of Scholar Development to assist STEM students like Carden and Nowaskie.

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