Macalester Junior Awarded 2024 Goldwater Scholarship

Among 437 other awardees, Macalester junior Camellia Schwartzman ʼ25 (Galesburg, IL) has received the 2024 Barry Goldwater scholarship, an award that supports college sophomores and juniors who intend to pursue research in STEM-based fields. The Goldwater Foundation helps the US to produce a number of highly-qualified professionals in fields critical to the nation. 

As a physics major with a minor in environmental studies, Schwartzman is interested in pursuing research in renewable energy.

“This research is important to me because I think that in the next couple of years, the US and many other countries will need to transition into renewable energy systems, and the best way I can help with that is to invent new technology for long-term energy storage problems,” she says. 

With a record of various research experiences, such as studying nanowires in South Korea and soon-to-be researching solar cells in Japan this summer, Schwartzman hopes to continue to develop some of the skills she has picked up already.

“I’ve learned how to become more fluent in research in general, such as writing research papers and presenting my research in a way so that people without a STEM background can understand it,” she says. 

After college, Schwartzman plans on going to graduate school to continue her research in renewable energy. Though she isn’t certain what particular path awaits her, she’s interested in solutions for long-term energy storage.

Her time at Macalester has provided her with skills to succeed in research, but has also allowed her to explore a diverse set of interests and provided extensive mentoring.

“Having really close ties to my advisor, Jim Doyle, has really helped me take advantage of all of these opportunities,” she says. “I’ve gotten to explore a lot of different things such as tennis and orchestra, all while being content with what I’ve accomplished in my research.”