Two UNLV students have been named 2026 Barry Goldwater Scholars, earning the nation’s premier award for undergraduates pursuing research careers in the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics.

UNLV students Lex de Asis and Adrianna N. Tsao were selected from a highly competitive national pool of more than 5,000 college sophomores and juniors, earning two of the 454 scholarships awarded this year. The scholarship provides up to $7,500 per year and is widely regarded as a distinction that opens doors to top-tier graduate programs.

For the third time in recent years, UNLV has had two students earn the Goldwater Scholarship in a single cycle, an achievement that reflects the university’s continued momentum in undergraduate research.

Lex de Asis

For Lex de Asis, research is not just an academic pursuit; it is deeply personal.

An Honors College student double majoring in psychology and film, de Asis studies anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder with the goal of pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. Working under the mentorship of professor Nicole Short in UNLV’s STAR Clinic, de Asis focuses on OCD in individuals with physical disabilities, an area that remains largely unexplored in existing research.

De Asis has seen firsthand how existing mental health frameworks often overlook individuals with disabilities.

“Being born physically disabled myself, it gets frustrating living in a system that wasn’t developed with you in mind,” de Asis said. “I couldn’t help but feel invisible when I discovered how little research has been done around mental health for people with disabilities.”

That gap became the focus of their research, examining how disability-related factors shape mental health outcomes and how treatment approaches can become more inclusive. Being named a Goldwater Scholar, de Asis said, has helped reframe how they see their own work and potential.

“This feels like real, tangible evidence that what I’m doing matters, and I could not be more grateful to those who have believed in me along the way.”

Adrianna N. Tsao

Adrianna N. Tsao, a biological science major with a minor in neuroscience, was first inspired to pursue research in high school during a class visit from UNLV’s Neuroscience Undergraduate Research Organization.

That experience sparked her interest in neurodegenerative disease and led her to UNLV’s Pipe-UP program, where she was connected with faculty mentor Jefferson Kinney and began working in his lab during her first year. There, she encountered a central challenge in the field: despite decades of study, much remains unknown about what drives the most common, late-onset form of Alzheimer’s disease.

Under Kinney’s mentorship, Tsao studies the biological pathways underlying Alzheimer’s disease, with a focus on translating discoveries at the molecular level into more effective therapies.

“I hope to contribute to clinical research for Alzheimer’s disease by helping to translate what we discover in the lab into effective, evidence-based therapies that meaningfully improve people’s lives,” Tsao said.

The Goldwater Scholarship, she added, has reinforced her commitment to that path.

“Winning this award has reaffirmed my commitment to pursue a career that advances our understanding of neurodegenerative disease.”

National Recognition and Research Growth

Behind each nationally competitive award like the Goldwater Scholarship is a rigorous application process that can be both demanding and, at times, intimidating.

At UNLV, that process is guided by Martha Lizabeth Phelps, an associate professor in residence in the Honors College and the university’s nationally competitive awards advisor, who works closely with students across disciplines to identify opportunities and navigate their application journey.

“Having the opportunity to work with students like Lex and Adrianna as they clarify their research goals, strengthen their applications, and see themselves as nationally competitive scholars is one of the most rewarding parts of my work,” Phelps said.

De Asis and Tsao, she added, exemplify what that preparation and mentorship can make possible.

“They earned this national recognition through extraordinary talent, discipline, and intellectual ambition, and I am proud that UNLV can support students at that level.”