UVA Wise Student Isabella Maggard Wins Goldwater Scholarship

Isabella Maggard of Pound, Va., a student of UVA Wise, won a prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. A first-generation college student majoring in environmental science, Maggard will graduate from UVA Wise May 2024. She was chosen for the Goldwater honor from a pool of more than 5,000 potential applicants from across the U.S. Only 413 recipients of the Scholarship were named. She is the second UVA Wise student to receive the honor. The first student won as a then-Clinch Valley College (CVC) student in 1993.

“I literally cried happy tears when I received the email stating that I was selected as a Goldwater Scholar,” says Maggard. “It was a dream come true that I was awarded this very prestigious and national award. As the first Goldwater Scholar from UVA Wise, I hope to inspire my fellow classmates and demonstrate that UVA Wise students are competitive on a national level.”

The Goldwater Scholarship Program is one of the oldest and most prestigious national scholarships in the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics in the U.S. It helps identify, encourage and financially support college students who show exceptional promise of becoming this Nation’s next generation of research leaders.

Goldwater Scholars receive an amount equal to the cost of tuition, mandatory fees, books and room and board minus the amount of support provided for by other sources, up to a maximum of $7,500 per full academic year.

“Isabella’s success shows how UVA Wise students can, when given opportunity, not only compete for but earn national recognition for their intellect and drive,” says Donna P. Henry, Chancellor of UVA Wise.

Maggard says that, of all the opportunities that the Scholarship presents, she’s most looking forward to being part of the Goldwater Scholarship Community, which is a network of scholars helping scholars. The community provides mentorship, professional development and opportunities to meet my peers.

No Experience Required

Maggard’s career at UVA Wise has been a prestigious one. She was drawn to UVA Wise because of the College’s National Science Foundation Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (NSF S-STEM) program, which provides scholarships for academically talented low-income students.

“I have thrived because of the program’s efforts to broaden participation in STEM to underserved groups with financial need,” Maggard says. “I am grateful for the academic support, mentoring and opportunities, and it has inspired me to help others. I am a peer mentor for freshmen and a tutor in chemistry and physics.”

Maggard has also been a part of undergraduate research at UVA Wise. The NSF S-STEM program funded studies she completed in environmental genomics in fall 2021 and 2022, which Maggard says helped her gain valuable skills in performing DNA extractions, DNA amplification using PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis. Through this work, she was also able to gain experience analyzing data using bioinformatics platforms such as Qiime2, Geneious and R Studio. To top it off, Maggard presented about this research project at the Association of Southeastern Biologists in 2022 and 2023 and the American Society of Microbiology conferences.

Additionally, Maggard worked with Buchanan Endowed Chair of Biology Bruce Cahoon testing the dietary preferences of freshwater mussels and a U.S. Department of Agriculture-supported evaluation of the soil microbiome of healthy versus diseased ginseng to understand if microbial communities correlate to ginseng health. She presented on both of these projects at the Association of Southeastern Biologists conference.

“Isabella entered UVA Wise with no lab or research experience and within a relatively short period of time learned not only basic laboratory skills but also cutting-edge metagenomic analytical techniques which she and her classmates have applied to several systems, including ginseng rhizosphere analyses and the diet of Clinch River mussel populations,” Cahoon says. “Her extraordinary work and dedication have allowed her to present at scientific conferences, prepare manuscripts which are under review for publication, and now earn a Goldwater scholarship, which is simply amazing. She is an excellent example of the potential of the young people within our local community and what is possible at UVA Wise.”

In May 2022, Maggard earned a Virginia Space Grant Consortium STEM Bridge Scholarship, which provides scholarships and recognition to leading undergraduate scientists from Virginia’s top universities. She attended the recognition luncheon with UVA Wise Associate Professor of Biology Josephine Rodriguez, who secured the NSF S-STEM grant which brought Maggard to the College.

“Isabella has this exceptional combination of intelligence, determination and ambition,” says Rodriguez. “As an awardee of the most prestigious undergraduate STEM award in the country, Isabella adds to the mountain of evidence showing that our best students can compete anywhere and at any stage.”

Rodriguez has been part of a cadre of faculty mentors, including Cahoon, Assistant Professor of Geology Teresa Brown and Associate Professor of Physical Chemistry Galen Sedo, who have continued to help Maggard find and seize opportunities to grow, which they do day in and day out for many UVA Wise students.

“I have had outstanding mentors at UVA Wise who have nurtured my curiosity to ask questions, and I’m thankful,” Maggard concludes.

New Support for National and International Scholarships

Maggard adds that she also attributes her success with earning the Goldwater to Neva Bryan, senior director of academic enhancement and coordinator of national awards and fellowships at UVA Wise.

UVA Wise, or more specifically Bryan and UVA Wise Provost Trisha Folds-Bennett, recently worked to establish an Office of National Awards and Fellowships at the College to help students interested in research, study abroad, leadership development and other premier experiential learning opportunities find external funding through internationally and nationally competitive awards, scholarships and fellowships.

“Over the past couple years, we have put in place a guided pathways approach to help students identify and build their core competencies, linking these to their dreams and aspirations. Adding an Office of National Awards and Fellowships was part of that and has allowed us to work with students intentionally to achieve preeminent outcomes,” says Folds-Bennett. “The fact that one of our students was awarded a Goldwater Scholarship in the first year this Office’s operation is a testament to that vision. Most importantly, though, it provides proof that UVA Wise students have the preparation and talent to achieve remarkable goals.” 

Bryan, who heads up the Office, helped Maggard with the application, where Maggard provided career goals and aspirations, described an activity that was impactful in helping her discover why she wanted to do research, listed skills used for research projects, and listed her service. She uploaded research projects with charts, photos and other findings, as well as references.

“The applications for premiere awards are a lot of work, but they help students reflect and articulate their goals,” Bryan says. “We look at the whole process as an opportunity for thinking ahead.”

Throughout the past year, as Bryan has built the Office, she’s looked to Andrus Ashoo, director of the office of citizen scholar development at UVA.

“Neva started in her role just this past summer,” Ashoo says. “She creates structures to support students with a vision toward their success regardless of the outcome. While Neva has lots of work left to do, one thing got a lot easier the day Isabella was named a Goldwater. Neva can now say what we already know, ‘Yes! Students from UVA Wise can compete for these super competitive opportunities.’”

What’s Next

While the College’s Office of National Awards and Fellowships, including Bryan, helps even more students seek premiere awards to support their fulfilling futures, summer 2023 holds yet another opportunity for Maggard. She will soon serve as a student researcher at the University of Tennessee Knoxville after being accepted to their NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates program. There she’ll continue her study of microbial community interactions and functions.

Eventually, Maggard plans to earn a Ph.D. in soil and crop sciences, conduct research on environmental microbiology and genomics, and teach at the university level. She hopes all these endeavors, and her work as a Goldwater Scholarship recipient, allow her to help create additional opportunities in STEM for underserved students like the ones she was given at UVA Wise.

Maggard is the daughter of Scottie and Denise Maggard of Pound, Va.