CU Boulder student lands prestigious Goldwater Scholarship
CU Boulder student Arianna McCarty is among 441 college students from across the United States in 2025 to be awarded Goldwater Scholarships, which reward sophomores and juniors who are actively conducting research in math, science and engineering.
McCarty, a junior from Lafayette, Colorado, majoring in chemical and biological engineering, joins 51 previous CU Boulder Goldwater Scholars and will receive up to $7,500 for the 2025–26 academic year.
“It’s so exciting to see Arianna’s work recognized,” said Deborah Viles, director of the Office of Top Scholarships. “Beyond the significant contributions she is making to her field, her work underscores the value of strong collaborations across our campuses and with the Boettcher Foundation. We all benefit from these relationships.”
McCarty's work in the Clark Lab, located at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, explores interactions between respiratory pathogens and the airway microbiome. Her research seeks to understand the role of Prevotella bacteria in reducing infection by Streptococcus pneumoniae, a leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia. By harnessing these interactions, the lab aims to identify new approaches to treating respiratory infection and inflammation.
“I would like to thank Dr. Sarah E. Clark for her invaluable mentorship and consistent encouragement in pursuing new ideas,” McCarty said. “I am also grateful for support from the Boettcher Foundation, Dr. Wendy Young, my labmates, and my brother Bryan McCarty."
Learn more about McCarty and her research.
How did you choose CU Boulder for your studies?
I was fortunate enough to receive a Boettcher Scholarship fully funding me for four years of undergraduate study at a Colorado university. Having already been involved in high school with the Layer Lab at CU Boulder researching computational genomics, I aimed to continue my work at CU.
Beyond research, I fell in love with the Engineering Honors Program (EHP) and waking up to the Flatirons each morning!
How did you become interested in studying respiratory pathogens?
The Boettcher Foundation has a collaboration grant program that matches Boettcher Scholars with Boettcher Webb Waring Biomedical Research Investigators (an award the foundation offers to early-career investigators). Having always been interested in the microbiome, I was overjoyed to see a project with Dr. Clark's lab studying the respiratory microbiome and joined the lab in the summer of 2023.
Throughout this time, I learned so much about the potential of the respiratory microbiome and how its interactions with pathogens can inform future therapies with genuine clinical impact. Falling in love with this work, I signed on to join the lab throughout the school year and eventually to a thesis work!
For a student who might be interested in applying for a prestigious scholarship or internship, what advice would you offer them?
Be yourself! Prestigious scholarships and internships are interested in investing in you and your potential—tell them who you are, what motivates you and what sets you apart. Spend some time really thinking about who you are and what narrative of yourself you want to focus on (I've found talking to friends and family very helpful). For me, this meant highlighting how much I value interdisciplinary research and its potential for clinical impact and showing how I plan to be effective in those spheres.
I'd also definitely recommend connecting with the Top Scholarships Office at your university—Deb Viles has been a wonderful source of support and feedback through the application process.
What has been your favorite thing(s) about going to CU?
While there are many things that have been wonderful, my favorite part of CU has to be the community. Everywhere I go I've been met with strong communities and incredible support. The chemical and biological engineering community (peers and professors alike) have been instrumental throughout my degree, and my closest friends have been found as part of the Boettcher and EHP communities.
I wouldn't be where I am today without the support of those around me, I really can't thank them enough.
What's next for you once you complete your studies?
After completing my studies, I plan to pursue a doctorate emphasizing tissue engineering and immunoengineering prior to a career in academia as a research professor at an R1 university. I've always loved the fields of tissue engineering and immunoengineering and hope to leverage the systems biology and immunology perspective I've gained with the Clark Lab toward engineering better tissues and biomaterials for the future.
Applying for the Goldwater Scholarship
Students who will be sophomores or juniors in the fall and who are engaged in research in math, science and engineering are encouraged to apply next year. Contact viles@colorado.edu and visit the Goldwater Scholarship website for more information.
The Goldwater Foundation was established in 1986 in honor of Sen. Barry Goldwater. The scholarship program is designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue research careers in the fields of the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics.