USF is celebrating a record-breaking achievement — four Honors students have been named 2025 Goldwater Scholars, one of the nation’s highest honors for undergraduate research. In this episode, we chat with Taylor Rand, Peter Alspaugh, and Abdul-Malik Zekri about their passion for discovery, ambitious mindsets, and how they’re contributing research that affects everything from our human bodies to the forest floor. From studying the Florida insects to creating 3D cell maps and exploring the potential of DNA origami, these students are at the cutting-edge of emerging STEM research. They share how hands-on research opportunities at USF and mentorship from the Office of National Scholars helped them bring their groundbreaking projects to life.
USF is celebrating a record-breaking achievement — four Honors students have been named 2025 Goldwater Scholars, one of the nation’s highest honors for undergraduate research. In this episode, we chat with Taylor Rand, Peter Alspaugh, and Abdul-Malik Zekri about their passion for discovery, ambitious mindsets, and how they’re contributing research that affects everything from our human bodies to the forest floor.
From studying the Florida insects to creating 3D cell maps and exploring the potential of DNA origami, these students are at the cutting-edge of emerging STEM research. They share how hands-on research opportunities at USF and mentorship from the Office of National Scholars helped them bring their groundbreaking projects to life.
Guests: Taylor Rand, Peter Alspaugh, Abdul-Malik Zekri
Hosts: Fabiana Requena and Calvin Pham
Audio Production: Sandra Napolitano, Vama Shah, and Nicholas Henry
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