Nico Bers, a junior physics major at Northwestern University concentrating in astronomy, has been named a 2026 Goldwater Scholar—one of the nation’s highest honors for undergraduates pursuing research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering.
Awarded by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation, in partnership with UWorld and the Department of Defense’s National Defense Education Program (NDEP), the scholarship recognizes exceptional students with strong potential for research leadership in STEM fields. In addition to its prestige, the award provides critical financial support to help scholars advance toward graduate study and research careers.
Bers was selected from a highly competitive national pool. More than 5,000 sophomores and juniors were considered for nomination, with 1,485 students ultimately nominated by 482 colleges and universities. Of those, only 454 students were awarded scholarships for the 2026–2027 academic year.
Bers conducted research with the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA), working in the group of Professor Vicky Kalogera. He was mentored by former CIERA Fellow (NASA Einstein Fellow) Sylvia Biscoveanu, now a faculty member at Princeton University. Looking ahead, Bers plans to pursue a PhD in astrophysics and build a career as a researcher and professor, advancing the study of high-energy astrophysical phenomena and cosmology at the university level.
“The Goldwater Scholarship is extremely meaningful to me as it recognizes my research as an undergraduate and inspires me to pursue graduate school in astrophysics,” said Bers. “I am honored to be in the 2026 cohort along with incredible peers across various STEM fields.”