Alvi Khan Becomes Baruch’s First Goldwater Scholar

Alvi Khan Becomes Baruch's First Goldwater Scholar

April 14, 2025

Since its inception in 1989, the Barry Goldwater Scholarship has recognized outstanding students pursuing research careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). For the first time in Baruch College's history, a student is the recipient of this coveted award.

Meet Alvi Khan ('26), who is enrolled in the CUNY BA program majoring in biophysics at Baruch's Weissman School of Arts and Sciences.

Khan was among the 441 applicants selected from a pool of more than 5,000 college students across the U.S. for the scholarship, which is awarded by the Excellence in Education Foundation in honor of U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater's legacy.

"I was in disbelief when I opened the email," Khan recalls. "Despite having a breadth and depth of research experience, I was competing with students from schools like Harvard and Caltech which tend to have better research infrastructure and opportunities for students to win this Scholarship. Despite coming from a disadvantaged background, I realized that my perseverance and ability to make the best of my situation is what garnered me this award."

The Scholarship provides up to $7,500 per academic year to cover expenses, such as undergraduate tuition, fees, books, and room and board.

Inspired by Mentors, Driven by Curiosity

Khan's mentors at Baruch College-Department of Natural Sciences Professors Zachary Calamari, Ramzi Khuri, and Pablo Peixoto-inspired him to apply for this award.

"All of my mentors granted me independence in some shape or form, which has allowed me to nurture and develop myself as a budding scientist," said Khan, who also serves as a research volunteer in the Herbert Wu Lab in the Department of Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Advancing Research in Neuroscience

Khan received the Goldwater Scholarship in the field of Life Sciences and is currently leading three neuroscience-focused research projects.

At Mount Sinai, he is investigating the role of motivation on cooperative decision-making in mice. Closer to home at Baruch, Khan is continuing research on elucidating the genes responsible for nerve development in horned mammals. The Goldwater Scholarship will also support his thesis research, which explores mitochondrial dynamics in a computer model of spatial navigation.

Looking ahead, Khan plans to build on his research momentum with advanced studies in neuroscience at graduate school.

"My ultimate goal is to become a physician-scientist that treats patients, while also running a basic science research lab," Khan says. "I plan on specializing in either neurology or psychiatry, with a research focus on the molecular basis of decision-making and how it can go awry in neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's disease.

Khan added, "With the Goldwater Scholarship, I will be able to open new doors that may have been previously closed to me, such as other scholarships and fellowships, enabling me to broaden my clinical and scientific horizons and pursue the highest level of training to launch my academic career."

How Baruch Helps Students Compete-and Win-National Awards

Baruch College's Office of National and Prestigious Fellowships Advising helps guide students throughout the application process for all kinds of opportunities supporting their academic studies, including the Goldwater Scholarship, Fulbright Award, Gilman International Scholarships, Jeannette K. Watson Fellowship, Freeman-ASIA scholarship, Schwarzman Scholarship, and more.

Learn more about the office and its resources.

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