Two UA Students Named Goldwater Scholars

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program has selected two University of Alabama students as Goldwater Scholars for 2023-2024.

The latest selections bring UA’s number of Goldwater Scholars to 62.

The two students are Skylar Elliott, from Harvest, and Riley Nold, from Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Skylar Elliott is a Randall Research Scholar studying metallurgical engineering. Elliott, a UA Honors College student, has been working under Dr. Gregory Kubacki in the metallurgical and materials engineering department to determine how novel surface processes and fabrication techniques affect localized corrosion for high-strength alloys.

Elliott plans to pursue a doctorate in materials science and engineering to conduct research in corrosion mechanisms of load-bearing alloys for aerospace and defense applications while teaching as a professor.

Outside of research, Elliott is a research leader for the Randall Research Scholars Peer Resource Organization, secretary of the metallurgical engineering UA chapter and a representative to the Honors College Student Advisory Board. She is also a member of UA’s Cast in Steel competition team. Her parents are Clyde and Kristy Elliott.

Riley Nold is a physics and mathematics major. As a member of the Randall Research Scholars Program and Honors College, Nold is currently working under Dr. Adam Hauser to characterize the crystalline and electronic structure of novel Heusler compounds via computational density functional theory.

Nold plans on pursuing a doctorate in experimental condensed matter physics and continuing into academia as a university professor, with a research focus in thin-film fabrication.

Outside of research, Nold is a member of UA’s chapter of Society of Physics Students, where he leads the program’s undergraduate physics journal club and organizes professional development events. His parents are James and Tamara Nold.

The UA Office of External Scholarships and Fellowships assists students in the pursuit of national and international awards including the Goldwater, Rhodes, Marshall and Boren, among others. Students interested in applying for awards that require an institutional endorsement can learn more on the External Scholarships and Fellowships website.