Two Augsburg undergraduate students, Ethiopia Kebede 鈥�25 and Mitchel Munzing 鈥�26, have been named 2025鈥�26 Goldwater Scholars. The Goldwater Scholarship, one of the top undergraduate STEM awards in the country, recognizes outstanding students who intend to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering.聽
Kebede, a physics major, aims to pursue a PhD in astrophysics with a focus in stellar physics and eventually teach at the undergraduate level. In addition to conducting space physics research at Augsburg with Professor Emeritus Mark Engebretson, she creates and shares free math videos via YouTube to address the shortage of STEM educators in remote places.聽
鈥淥ne of my memories from grade school is rotating the handle of a generator in a physics lab,鈥� said Kebede. 鈥淚 remember feeling satisfied when the generator finally lit up the bulb attached to it. From then on, I enjoyed science as a clever way of solving problems. I am excited to pursue a lifelong career in the subject that I love鈥攑hysics.鈥澛�
Munzing, a biochemistry major, intends to pursue a PhD to continue research in organic and green chemistry. Outside of the classroom, he is a member and incoming captain of the Augsburg men鈥檚 soccer team, where he has been recognized with the Ed Saugestad Award for outstanding student-athlete.
鈥淭his past summer I had the opportunity to conduct research in an organic chemistry lab with Dr. Michael Wentzel,鈥� said Munzing. 鈥淲hile at the start the experiments I ran didn鈥檛 go as planned, eventually I was able to synthesize biologically significant compounds. Spending the necessary time to [become an expert in a specific field] requires patience, but the reward of discovery makes it worth it.鈥�
This year, Augsburg is one of Minnesota鈥檚 top producers of Goldwater Scholars. Applicants for the Goldwater Scholarship are nominated by faculty, sponsored by their academic institutions, and selected by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. Kebede and Munzing were chosen from a pool of 1,350 applicants nationwide.聽
鈥淭o have two winners is really terrific,鈥� said Professor Jacqueline deVries, who supports students through the application process as director of major grants and fellowships in Augsburg鈥檚 Office of Undergraduate Research and Graduate Opportunity (URGO). 鈥淭he Goldwater Scholarship is one of the most prestigious scholarships an undergraduate can win in science, engineering, and mathematics.鈥�
When he arrived at Augsburg College several years ago, Alex Garver ’10 didn’t think he had a talent for any certain discipline. It turns out he was indeed talented鈥攊n mathematics.