A Colorado School of Mines student has been awarded a 2026 Goldwater Scholarship, one of the most prestigious STEM scholarships for undergraduate students in the U.S.
Anna Williams, a junior majoring in geophysics, was among the 454 students selected nationwide for the 2026-27 academic year, out of 1,485 nominated college sophomores and juniors majoring in science, engineering and mathematics across the country.
“I am incredibly grateful to have been awarded the Goldwater Scholarship," Williams said. “From the application process, I have come away with more clarity on my career and research goals and feel empowered to pursue them.”
Juniors are awarded $7,500 for their senior year, while sophomores can receive up to $15,000 for the junior and senior years. Award winners can also participate in Goldwater’s professional development programming.
“We are so proud of Anna and the dedication she has already shown to the pursuit of discoveries in service of a better world," said Ashley Weibel, Mines’ assistant director of undergraduate research and nationally competitive scholarships. “This accomplishment is evidence of her promise as a future leader in STEM research."
At Mines, Williams took part in FIRST, a fellowship that supports highly motivated first-year students to participate in research over the course of an academic year. She has also participated in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, which provides funding for undergraduate students to participate in concentrated, full-time research over the summer under the mentorship of a Mines faculty member.
Williams’ research mentor is Bia Villas Bôas, assistant professor of geophysics. Williams is contributing to Villas Bôas’ research on air-sea interactions in intense tropical cyclones that’s part of a $9 million Office of Naval Research project with the University of Notre Dame, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, University of Washington and Colorado State University.
Through the Study on Air-Sea Coupling with WAves Turbulence and Clouds at High winds (SASCWATCH), researchers hope to enhance the predictive capabilities of extreme weather events by improving understanding of the physics that govern and describe how ocean waves affect the atmosphere and upper ocean properties. The project includes three field campaigns during hurricane season over five years.
“I am planning to pursue my master’s thesis at Mines with Dr. Bia Villas Bôas, finishing up the research I am currently working on," Williams said. “Afterwards, I hope to either pursue a PhD in physical oceanography or work on adjacent research at a national lab.”
Established in 1986, the Goldwater Foundation is a federally endowed agency. The scholarship program honors Sen. Barry Goldwater and was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue research careers in the fields of the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics. Goldwater Scholars have impressive academic and research credentials that have garnered the attention of prestigious post-graduate fellowship programs. Goldwater Scholars have gone on to win an impressive array of prestigious post-graduate fellowships, including the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, Rhodes Scholarship, Marshall Scholarship, Churchill Scholarship, Hertz Fellowship, DOE Computation Science Graduate Fellowship and the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship.
The Goldwater Scholarship is administered at Mines through the Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships. Mines students seeking information about applying for the Goldwater or other national and international scholarships can contact Ashley.weibel@mines.edu and visit the Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships website.
About Mines
Colorado School of Mines is a public R1 research university focused on applied science and engineering, producing the talent, knowledge and innovations to serve industry and benefit society – all to create a more prosperous future.
