Gabrielle Cruz, with her research adviser, Dr. Jonathan Kniss, in a Science Center laboratory.

Gabrielle Cruz, a State University at Fredonia junior majoring in molecular genetics, is one of just over 400 students nationwide chosen to receive a $7,500 Goldwater Scholarship for the 2023-2024 academic year.

Cruz, from Fredonia, who was selected from an estimated pool of over 5,000 juniors and sophomores from 423 academic institutions, is believed to be the first SUNY Fredonia student to receive the prestigious academic award. The Goldwater Scholarship recognizes and rewards students who are committed to pursuing a research career in the natural sciences, mathematics or engineering. “Gabrielle epitomizes that commitment to research,” said Department of Biology Assistant Professor Jonathan Kniss. “From our very first meetings, Gabrielle expressed a strong interest in becoming a research scientist and someday working at the cutting edge of drug development. As a student in my research lab, she has demonstrated the attributes of a successful scientist – dedication, intelligence, humility and most of all intellectual curiosity. This scholarship is a fantastic honor and a deserved reward for her hard work,” added Kniss, Cruz’s research adviser. Virtually all scholarship recipients list obtaining a Ph.D. as their highest degree objective. Applicants are pre-screened before being invited to apply for a scholarship. For her essay, Cruz explained why she has chosen to pursue a career in research and a doctoral degree in Molecular Biology.

Cruz isn’t SUNY Fredonia’s only connection to Goldwater scholarships. Department of Geology and Environmental Sciences Assistant Professor Thomas Hegna was awarded the scholarship in his junior year, when he was a Geology major, at the University of Iowa in 2003. “This award had a huge impact on my ability to pay for college,” Dr. Hegna recalled.

A first-generation college student, Cruz, who also has a minor in Chemistry and is enrolled in the Honors aarship to help pay for tuition in her senior year. She is currently a recipient of a Department of Biology scholarship supported by the Constantine Barker Memorial Fund through the Fredonia College Foundation.