Lex de Asis (Psychology) and Adrianna N. Tsao (Biological Sciences; Neuroscience) were named 2026 Barry Goldwater Scholars.The Goldwater Scholarship is the nation’s premier undergraduate award for students pursuing research careers in the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics. This year, 1,485 students from 482 institutions were nominated, and 454 scholarships were awarded for the 2026-2027 academic year.
Asis plans to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and conduct research on anxiety disorders and OCD, particularly as they affect people with physical disabilities, while also running a mental health clinic. Tsao plans to earn a Ph.D. in Neuroscience and pursue industry-based translational research in Alzheimer’s disease, with a focus on biologically informed clinical trial design.
This achievement reflects the extraordinary talent of our students, the strength of undergraduate research at UNLV, and the outstanding faculty mentorship that supports it.
