Credit: Penn State.
Chemical engineering major receives Goldwater Scholarship
Apr 15, 2025
Editor's note: A version of this article originally appeared on Penn State News.
By Sean Yoder
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Four Penn State undergraduates, including chemical engineering major Zach Badinger, were named Goldwater Scholars for 2025-26, based on their outstanding academic merit and research experience. Goldwater Scholars are selected for their potential as leaders in the fields of natural sciences, mathematics and engineering.
Badinger, of Reading, is a third-year chemical engineering major in the College of Engineering, with a minor in environmental engineering.
For the last year and a half, Badinger has worked under Andrew Zydney, Bayard D. Kunkle Chair and professor of chemical engineering. A key focus in the lab is on the development of novel processes for the continuous purification of monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of cancer and a range of other immunological disorders. Badinger has worked towards this goal by studying the filtration characteristics of precipitated proteins. He co-authored a journal article in the May 2024 edition of “Protein Science,” summarizing his contribution of analyzing the effect of sodium malonate, a small salt that was used to enhance the particle morphology and filtration of the precipitated protein.
“Research has had a very serious impact on my academic and professional goals because it has provided me with clarity that it is something I want to pursue long-term,” Badinger said. “Professionally, research played a large part in landing a co-op at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, a leading biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes medicines to treat serious medical conditions.”
The experience at Regeneron gave Badinger valuable knowledge of the industry, expanded his research abilities and gave him exposure to computational modeling, he said.
“Winning the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship has certainly meant a lot to me,” Badinger said. “It will give me the confidence to continue working on the cutting edge of science and have a career as a researcher. I cannot wait to see what the future holds. I would also like to thank all of my mentors and peers who work with me every day that made winning an award like this possible.”
Badinger said his current plan is to pursue a doctorate in chemical engineering with a focus on transport phenomena in the biopharmaceutical field. In addition to his undergraduate research experience, Badinger served as instructional assistant for both thermodynamics and process heat transfer courses, a head mentor of the engineering orientation network, a class representative for the Penn State chapter of American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AICHE) and the donor and alumni relations chair for AICHE benefiting THON.
About the Goldwater Scholarship
Each year, the scholarship, named for statesman Barry Goldwater, awards 300 undergraduates in their second or third year of study in the fields of natural science, engineering and mathematics.
Those interested in competing for a Goldwater Scholarship next year should contact Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring (URFM) to learn more about the scholarship program, verify that they meet the eligibility criteria and begin the application process. Applicants must be U.S citizens, U.S. nationals or permanent residents in their second or third years and demonstrate an interest in a research career in select STEM fields. Applicants must submit a pre-application form and complete a full application during the fall semester to be considered for University nomination. Each Penn State campus can nominate four to six students each year.
Students looking to explore their potential for research and fellowships can begin by meeting with an undergraduate research ambassador, attending a workshop from URFM or applying to the Spark Program.
This year’s Goldwater nomination committee at Penn State consisted of:
- Jim Pawelczyk, associate professor of physiology and kinesiology
- Denise Okafor, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, and of chemistry
- Beatrice Sirakaya, assistant teaching professor of biochemistry and molecular biology
- Jacob Bourjaily, associate professor of physics
- Erin Hostetler, director of Student Research and Learning Equity, Center for Engineering Outreach and Inclusion
Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring is part of Penn State Undergraduate Education.
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