Chisato Kamakura ’27, Marilyn Ma ’27, and Daniel Wu ’27 are the latest CMC students to receive the prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship, the highest governmental honor for undergraduate students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM). The three selections in a single year are a record for CMC and follow a three-year streak of Goldwater winners.

Granted to college sophomores and juniors who show promise as the next generation of research leaders, the Goldwater Scholarship is among the most sought-after undergraduate scholarships in STEM. Fifteen CMC students have been named Goldwater Scholars since Congress established the scholarship in 1986 to honor U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater. In addition to monetary support up to $7,500, the scholarship provides networking and mentorship opportunities with a cohort and signals exceptionalism to graduate school admissions.

“I am immensely proud of Chisato, Marilyn, and Daniel,” said Brian Davidson ’08, Director of Fellowships Advising at CMC. “I’m confident they will all become leaders in research labs across the country, and it’s especially gratifying to see this recognition for them at such an exciting time for STEM education at CMC.”

Already accomplished researchers as college juniors, Kamakura, Ma, and Wu all expressed how motivated they are to make significant contributions in their intended fields.

A Neuroscience major also completing a Data Science sequence, Kamakura’s research focuses on the molecular mechanisms behind neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s Disease and ALS. Her aspirations to innovate regenerative treatments for such diseases emerged from a personal experience that left her unsure how to advocate for and assist a loved one with a neurodevelopmental condition.

“Joining a neurodegeneration research lab at the 5Cs transformed that uncertainty into purpose, showing me that these conditions are not just clinical realities but scientific questions I can help address,” said Kamakura, who hails from San Diego.

In addition to rigorous training in neuroscience research, Kamakura’s mentors—including Alison Harris, the Cook-Ostby Associate Professor of Psychology and George R. Roberts Fellow at CMC, and Professor Sandra Watson (Pitzer and Scripps Colleges)—helped solidify her interest in pursuing research as a career, a decision now bolstered by the scholarship.

“I’m incredibly honored to be named a Barry Goldwater Scholar,” said Kamakura. “This recognition helps affirm that I am on the right path and allows me to continue pursuing research opportunities at CMC and beyond.”

After CMC, Kamakura hopes to join the Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of California, San Francisco, and envisions clinical training at the University’s Memory and Aging Center or Movement Disorders and Neuromodulation Center.

Ma, a dual major in Computer Science and Media Studies from Hong Kong, is fascinated by perception: “How humans make sense of the world, how machines represent it, and how these two forms of perception interact.” Computer science research, she shared, has synthesized her technical interests, passion for visual experience, and concern for social impact, while media studies inspired a fascination about how technology shapes everyday human experience.

“Ultimately, I want to build responsible technology, from AI to immersive systems, that enriches human creativity and experience rather than diminishes it,” she said.

Ma has taken full advantage of CMC’s liberal arts environment to explore the intersection of her interests, including fellowships with four of the College’s 11 research centers: the Gould Center for Humanistic Studies, the Kravis Leadership Institute, the Randall Lewis Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and the Keck Center for International and Strategic Studies.

She has also utilized resources throughout The Claremont Colleges with Professors Jingyi Li and Alexandra Papoutsaki (Pomona) and Professor Calden Wloka (Harvey Mudd). Building on this research base, she is now studying abroad at the University of the Arts London’s Creative Computing Institute, exploring how interdisciplinary research is structured within an institute designed to integrate computation and human-centered inquiry.

“Being named a Barry Goldwater Scholar means a great deal to me,” Ma said. “As someone with growing confidence that research is the right path for me, the recognition feels really affirming.”

Wu, a dual major in Psychology and Data Science, focuses on developing advanced quantitative and psychometric tools to address the challenge of hidden variations. As he explained, even when researchers carefully design a study, people may unintentionally interpret or respond to the same survey question or psychological test differently. These variations, rather than being true differences in what's being studied, can distort findings and undermine the credibility of studies—and fields—that depend on human data.

Receiving the Goldwater Scholarship affirms the value of Wu’s work that seeks to alleviate this research obstacle in psychology and beyond.

“Being named a Barry Goldwater Scholar means that my quantitative perspective on psychological questions is valid beyond my immediate field,” he said. “The award gives me confidence in championing more statistical methods in a field that traditionally is viewed more as a social science rather than STEM. My research approach can fill a unique niche between these two perspectives.”

Wu, who grew up in Shanghai, China, and California’s Bay Area, highlighted CMC’s liberal arts approach as a key influence on identifying his research interest. In particular, conducting research and co-authoring papers with Psychological Science Professors Sharda Umanath and Steven Zhou, and completing a Kravis Leadership Institute project on student prioritization of racial diversity in the workplace, broadly exposed him to topics and experiences that helped refine his focus.   

“All of these projects are in separate fields, and I wouldn’t have been able to understand my interest in psychometric methods if I hadn’t first explored these different avenues in depth,” said Wu, who is considering various future paths, including becoming a professor of quantitative psychology.

Kamakura, Ma, and Wu are among 454 Goldwater Scholars selected from a pool of 1,485 undergraduate students nominated by 482 academic institutions in the United States, according to the Barry Goldwater Scholarship & Excellence in Education Foundation.

This is the fourth consecutive year for the Goldwater honor at CMC. Recent winners include: Joyce Kim ’24 in 2023, Alvin Villarosa ’25 in 2024, and Armin Hamrah ’27 in 2025. With only one liberal arts school having four honorees, CMC was also in rare company as one of only six liberal arts colleges to capture three awards this year.

“Chisato, Marilyn, and Daniel are each exemplary in their demonstrable excellence at the intersections: where disciplines converge, where liberal arts meets leadership, where the questions of our time meet the most compelling research-driven solutions,” added President Hiram Chodosh. “We are all so happy for them and grateful for the faculty and staff who have inspired and led them to this exciting opportunity.”