Samantha Killmer, a University of Wyoming junior from Portage, Mich., is among nearly 500 students nationwide to receive the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship award. She is the first UW student in 10 years to receive the competitive award.
From an estimated pool of more than 5,000 college sophomores and juniors, 1,350 science, engineering and mathematics students were nominated by 445 academic institutions to compete for the 2025 Goldwater Scholarships. Nearly all of the Goldwater Scholar recipients intend to obtain Ph.D.s as their highest degree objectives, with 50 pursuing research careers in math and computer science; 240 in the sciences; 88 in medicine; and 63 in engineering and materials research.
Since its inception in 1989, Goldwater Scholarships have been awarded to 11,162 students nationwide.
Killmer, a biology and Spanish major with an Honors minor, plans to earn her doctorate in biology, with a certification in data science that will lead to studies improving methods to collect and analyze biological data.
“Becoming a Goldwater Scholar is an incredible achievement for me,” Killmer says. “It has taken so much hard work both in research and academics. It was wonderful to have the support of my recommenders during the application process.”
Adam Nelson and Nicole Bedford, both UW zoology and physiology assistant professors, and Chris Dewey, an Honors College adjunct lecturer, recommended Killmer for the award.
As a member of Nelson’s lab, Killmer developed a multivariate continuous hidden Markov model that leverages body temperature measurements to predict animal behavior. This model built upon earlier computational work, now published, to extract information about the timing and dynamics of state transitions in behavior.
“Samantha has developed some computational tools that help us use continuous, long-term physiology measurements to better understand — and predict — behavioral states,” Nelson says.
Nelson’s lab was Killmer’s introduction to working as a research assistant.
“With his help and support, I learned an incredible amount about applied biology and even decided to pursue data science as an additional certification,” Killmer says.
Killmer is extending and refining her modeling approach to the study of hibernation and memory. She is particularly interested in understanding how the organization and duration of torpor over the winter predicts changes in memory retention. Torpor is a state of decreased physiological activity in animals, usually marked by reduced body temperature and metabolic rate.
“Ultimately, this work is important because we often want to be able to use physiological measurements to better understand behavior, such as in wearable devices that track heart rate variability and body temperature,” Nelson adds.
Killmer also is now a member of the Bedford lab.
“Dr. Bedford’s lab continues my practical education in the field of research, and she has offered her invaluable support in practicing my data analysis skills,” Killmer says. “Throughout my time in research, I also have had to learn skills outside of my area of expertise. These skills include improving my writing, structuring notes and essays in a more efficient way. It has been wonderful to meet and work with these professors.”
Killmer also praises Dewey as being among her mentors.
“He taught me how to manage the difficulties of balancing both education and research through concepts such as Taiji, and this is a big reason why I have been able to manage everything and still perform at such a high level,” she adds. “I don’t think I would have been able to complete the Goldwater application process without this healthy balance.”
Becoming a Goldwater Scholar, with its support, has given Killmer many opportunities. It will both help her during the Ph.D. application process and assist her financially during her UW senior year. Additionally, the honor includes a network of support from people in various stages of life, from applying to doctoral programs to working in high-level research.
“This network will be invaluable as I complete my own applications to graduate school,” Killmer adds. “After becoming a Goldwater Scholar, my future goal of working in the world of research has not changed, but it now seems infinitely easier. It has even encouraged me to reach higher than before and apply to more difficult programs.”
About the Goldwater Scholarship
An ongoing partnership with UWorld and the U.S. Department of Defense National Defense Education Programs provides the award through the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.
The Goldwater Foundation is a federally endowed agency established Nov. 14, 1986. The Scholarship Program honors Sen. Barry Goldwater, of Arizona, and is 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.
For more information, call the Goldwater office at (703) 756-6012 or email goldwaterao@goldwaterscholarship.gov.
