Three Miami University students selected as 2026-2027 Goldwater Scholars
Sara McGinnis, Thomas McKenzie, and Hannah Stevens among 454 to receive honor
Three Miami University students selected as 2026-2027 Goldwater Scholars
Sara McGinnis, Thomas McKenzie, and Hannah Stevens among 454 to receive honor
Three Miami University students have been named Goldwater Scholars for 2026-2027.
Sara McGinnis, Thomas McKenzie, and Hannah Stevens are among 454 students nationwide to receive the prestigious scholarships. The undergraduate award is given annually to students who intend to pursue a research career in mathematics, natural sciences, and engineering.
The Miami students were selected from 1,485 nominees from 482 academic institutions. They are three of 10 students from an Ohio public university to receive the scholarship.
Sara McGinnis
McGinnis, a junior Physics major and Environmental Science co-major from Okeana, conducts research investigating the properties of topological materials with faculty member Perry Corbett. (Watch a video on Sara McGinnis)
Corbett, the James C. and Carole E. Garland Assistant Professor of Physics, said what sets McGinnis apart is her ambition and drive after she joined his lab in fall semester of her first year at Miami.
“Sara … dove right in with huge enthusiasm and no fear to just start to use the equipment to analyze the data and research,” Corbett said. “Sara also has a good eye for catching the kind of nuances that you’d see in some of the data that other students would pass over, a little blip here or a shape there that really stands out.”
McGinnis hopes her research contributes to advances in the fields of spintronics and quantum sensing.
“I really want to be able to use science to improve the lives of those around me,” McGinnis said. “I have been able to really grow as a researcher and as a person, and I think that is a direct result of the support that I’ve had at Miami University and in the Physics department.”
Thomas McKenzie
McKenzie is a junior Physics major and Honors College member from Loveland who works with Mahmud Khan, associate professor of Physics. McKenzie works in Khan’s magnetism lab with a focus on condensed matter physics. (Watch a video on Thomas McKenzie)
Through Khan’s encouragement, McKenzie applied to Miami’s Undergraduate Summer Scholar program, which was a positive research experience.
“The Physics department faculty are just so incredibly supportive,” McKenzie said. “Whatever your endeavors are, they will help you achieve them. If you’re curious about something, they’ll help you learn more about it.”
Khan said McKenzie showed great promise from his very first day in the lab.
“He was really on top of the reading, and anything I told him to do, he did beyond that,” Khan said. “He also put his own ideas into the research, and he did really impactful research. He even published a paper in a very short period of time.”
Hannah Stevens
A junior Physics and Data Science and Statistics double major from Mason, Stevens works with faculty mentor Burçin Bayram, professor of Physics, on molecular spectroscopy research. She is also a member of Miami’s Honors College and president of the Society of Physics Students. (Watch a video on Hannah Stevens)
Stevens’ research focuses on the interactions that light has with matter, with specific attention to molecules. She joined Bayram’s lab because of her interest in astrophysics.
“Spectroscopy has all sorts of applications for astrophysics, things like measuring the chemical composition of stars or the temperature and distance in faraway objects,” Stevens said. “And spectroscopy is also a great tool for measuring length scales across the universe.”
Research at Miami allows students to go beyond established knowledge, Bayram said, and helps them gain skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, and persistence. Intellectual curiosity and determination help set Stevens apart, according to Bayram.
“She’s not only talented but also highly motivated to learn science at a fundamental level,” Bayram said.
Miami students are encouraged to explore and engage in research, creative works and scholarly activities. Learn about opportunities and resources for faculty-mentored research at Miami’s Office of Research for Undergraduates. The office hosts the annual Undergraduate Research Forum this year on April 24.