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Natalia Beans, a sophomore in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, has earned the prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship, a program that seeks to identify, encourage and financially support students in STEM fields in the United States who show exceptional promise of becoming the next generation of research leaders in these fields.
Beans is one of 441 recipients for 2025-26, out of a pool of more than 5,000, nearly all of which have intentions of completing a Ph.D. As a Goldwater Scholar, she will receive a $7,500 scholarship in each of her junior and senior years of college.
“The Goldwater Scholarship is a prestigious honor that rewards true potential in STEM field research and we are proud of Natalia in receiving this award,” said Marquette President Kimo Ah Yun. “Her personal story and the impact mentored research opportunities can have stand as great examples of what the Marquette community has to offer. I look forward to following Natalia’s journey toward her goals and know she will continue to inspire more Goldwater Scholars at Marquette.”
Beans is a Milwaukee native majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology. She is a survivor of childhood cancer. It is this experience, and her exposure to faculty-mentored research, which formed her career ambitions of earning a Ph.D. in cell biology to pursue advancements in drug discovery for cancer research.
“In October 2006, I was diagnosed with Pre-B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (Standard Risk) and my battle with cancer taught me that cancer hurts more than just the patients,” Beans says of her inspiration for research. “After my treatment ended, I used this struggle and the belief that God saved me for a reason as motivation to help other kids facing the same challenges I survived. Once I got involved in mentored independent research, it was an experience that opened my eyes to the possibility of pursuing a Ph.D. and an academic research career.”
Beans serves as an undergraduate researcher in the lab of Dr. Anita Manogaran, associate professor of biological sciences, and was a co-author on the lab’s recent publication in Molecular Biology of the Cell. The Manogaran Lab, which focuses on protein misfolding, is working on a grant from the National Science Foundation to address fundamental questions about how cells respond to and manage misfolded and aggregating proteins. Misfolded proteins are associated with many neurodegenerative and systematic diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s.
“It is quite unique to have an undergrad on a major peer reviewed publication,” Manogaran said. “It’s more impressive that Natalia is a sophomore. She is an exceptional undergraduate student who has demonstrated intellectual curiosity and dedication while contributing to the research of a major research paper.”
Beans also counts among her faculty mentors Dr. Rosemary Stuart and Dr. Martin St. Maurice, professors of biological sciences, for their encouragement and guidance on her path to choosing a career in research.
The Goldwater Foundation is a federally endowed agency established by Public Law 99-661 on Nov. 14, 1986. The Scholarship Program honoring Sen. Barry Goldwater was designed to identify, encourage and financially support outstanding undergraduates interested in pursuing research careers in the sciences, engineering and mathematics. The Goldwater Scholarship is the preeminent undergraduate award of its type in these fields.
The Goldwater Foundation has awarded 11,162 scholarships since 1989, the first year the scholarship was bestowed, and Goldwater Scholars have gone on to win an impressive array of prestigious awards, becoming National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellows, NSF Graduate Research Fellows, Hertz Fellows, DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellows, Astronaut Scholars, Churchill Scholars, Marshall Scholars, and Rhodes Scholars.
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