Three University of Chicago undergraduate students have received Barry Goldwater Scholarships, awarded annually based on academic merit and undergraduate research in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering.

Cameron Chang, Steven Labalme and Umar Siddiqi are among the 417 U.S. college students to be selected for this award out of a pool of over 5,000 applicants. Considered the preeminent undergraduate award of its kind, the scholarship covers the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to $7,500 per year. It also helps STEM students fund their research during their final years of undergraduate study.

As third-year students in the College, Chang, Labalme and Siddiqi were supported throughout their Goldwater application process by the College Center for Research and Fellowships as well as by the UChicago Goldwater faculty nomination committee. CCRF supports undergraduates and recent College alumni through highly competitive national and international fellowships.

“The College’s commitment to funding undergraduate research through programs like the Quad Undergraduate Research Scholars program and Dean’s Fund for Research - Conference Travel, helps talented students to compete successfully for major scholarships like Goldwater,” said Dr. Nichole Fazio, associate dean of undergraduate research and scholars programs, and executive director of CCRF.

Cameron Chang was undecided about his studies as a first-year student. He originally thought he would double major in physics and art history. But math classes with Professors John Boller and Alexander Razborov completely changed his mind and reminded him of the joy he felt solving problems and understanding things on a deeper level.

“I am confident I made the right choice,” he said. “While to an outsider mathematics may seem like a rigid science with arbitrary rules and regulations, to those who study it, it is an art. I love the potential for boundless creativity—there are many different ways to prove something, and often new proofs come with increased intuition as to why something is the way it is.”

The third-year from Orlando, Fla., now aims to pursue a Ph.D. in either combinatorics or algebra, with the eventual goal of becoming a professor in mathematics. He hasn’t decided between the two but is interested in both of them as they pertain to structures, both finite and abstract.

“Combinatorics studies finite structures, and I was first drawn to it when I discovered the surprising complexity of the finite world. The notion of finding structure in randomness is incredibly beautiful to me,” Chang said. “On the other hand, my interest in algebra arose from learning about the beautiful applications and connections that its abstract point of view unearths.”

At UChicago, Chang has found a welcoming community with a strong affinity for mathematics, which he said is rare. This has made it easier for him to become excited about material he’s learning.

“When I can share the joy of the things I’ve just learned with others, it’s a really great experience for me,” he said.

Chang said he is grateful for the financial support offered by the Goldwater scholarship, which will help supplement his tuition and help him purchase costly textbooks.

“It definitely makes me want to continue working harder and delve deeper into the topics I am researching, as well as learn more math and expand my horizons,” he said. “It’s a super motivating factor, for sure.”