UNA Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Major, Rising Senior Lydia Uptain Awarded Prestigious Goldwater Scholarship
Apr. 09, 2026
Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@una.edu, 256.765.4392
FLORENCE, AL – Lydia Uptain, a rising senior at the University of North Alabama and a biochemistry and molecular biology major from Muscle Shoals, has been awarded a Goldwater Scholarship from the Goldwater Excellence in Education Foundation that supports talented college sophomores and juniors who aspire to become the next generation of researchers in science, engineering, and mathematics. Lydia is also a student in the Delores and Weldon Cole Honors College.
“Winning the Goldwater has been a tremendous honor,” Lydia said. “It has given me the confidence and opportunity to apply for future awards and fellowships and connected me with a network of like-minded individuals committed to advancing scientific knowledge in their respective fields. It has been a recognition of the work and effort that I have put in, and the support of my mentors in every aspect of my education and research career thus far.”
The Goldwater Board awarded 454 scholarships for the 2026-2027 academic year, and, with this number in mind, the Foundation has awarded a total of 11,616 scholarships since its inception 40 years ago.
“A Goldwater recipient is a testament to an applicant’s potential to be a leader in STEM research and also signals a university’s commitment to supporting its students,” said Dr. Matt Price, Director for Premier Awards and Scholarly Engagement. “I am so thankful to have worked with Lydia on her application and witnessed how our faculty empower our students to pursue ambitious research goals and achieve at the highest levels.”
The Goldwater Foundation is a federally endowed, independent agency established by Public Law 99-661 on Nov. 14, 1986. The scholarship program honoring Sen. Barry Goldwater was designed to identify, encourage, and financially support outstanding undergraduates interested in pursuing research careers in the sciences, engineering, and mathematics. The Goldwater Scholarship is the preeminent undergraduate award of its type in these fields.
About The University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; the Spencer College of Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: una.edu and una.edu/unaworks/.