From agricultural molecular genetics to coastal mussels and computational studies, three undergraduates from the University of Georgia have been acknowledged for advancing research in their areas of expertise.

Juniors Oscar de la Torre, Anderson Smith, and Sloka Sudhin are among the 441 undergraduates nationwide to be distinguished as Barry Goldwater Scholars this spring. They have obtained the most prestigious undergraduate accolade of its kind in the realms of mathematics, engineering, and natural sciences.

Originating from Chicago, Illinois, de la Torre is pursuing both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in applied biotechnology, plant breeding, genetics, and genomics at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Smith, a Foundation Fellow from Virginia Beach, Virginia, is working toward his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in ecology at the Odum School of Ecology. Sudhin, also a Foundation Fellow and Stamps Scholar from Marietta, Georgia, is focused on data science and applied mathematics at the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. Each of the awardees has gained support from the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities, while Smith and Sudhin are additionally part of the Morehead Honors College.

Since 1995, 70 students from the University of Georgia have been awarded the Goldwater Scholarship, which honors outstanding sophomores and juniors throughout the United States.

“The University of Georgia takes immense pride in the achievements of Oscar, Anderson, and Sloka,” stated President Jere W. Morehead. “Throughout their tenure at UGA, these exceptional students have significantly contributed to the creation of new knowledge, and I eagerly anticipate their contributions to their respective fields in the future.”

This year’s Goldwater honorees include 50 scholars aspiring to pursue careers in mathematical and computer science, 240 in the sciences, 88 in medicine, and 63 in engineering and materials research. Fifteen scholars hail from institutions in Georgia.

“Oscar, Anderson, and Sloka are engaged in vital and impactful research alongside their faculty mentors, and we are delighted that they have been selected as Goldwater Scholars,” remarked Meg Amstutz, dean of the Morehead Honors College. “Undergraduate research at UGA is thriving, and daily these three students bring enthusiasm, intellect, and dedication to their investigations.”

Oscar de la Torre

De la Torre aspires to attain a Ph.D. in genetics, concentrating on plant science. As a molecular crop geneticist, he aims to identify and modify characteristics in crop genomes that will enhance yield, bolster disease resistance, and increase nutritional value. His objective is to employ scientific methodologies to bolster global food security.

“Being awarded the Goldwater Scholarship is a testament to all the effort I have invested in my personal and academic development, made possible by the remarkable opportunities I have been fortunate to experience at UGA,” said de la Torre. “This scholarship will support the conclusion of my undergraduate journey and aid in my pursuit of graduate education and a career in plant research. It will enable me to continue indulging in my research passions without constraints during my final year at UGA.”

While at UGA, de la Torre has collaborated with Dayton Wilde, a horticulture professor, and Chung-Jui Tsai, Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar and professor in forestry, genetics, plant biology, and bioinformatics. In Wilde’s lab, de la Torre’s research focuses on enhancing plant regeneration technology via somatic embryogenesis as a foundation for genome engineering, particularly in disease-prone flowering dogwoods. His studies explore how somatic embryos react to different light levels and cold exposure during germination. Within Tsai’s lab, he deepened his understanding of plant systems at the molecular level by investigating virus-induced gene editing in tobacco and assisting in managing experimental plant populations in the greenhouse.

Last summer, de la Torre undertook research as a DaRin Butz Research Fellow at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, collaborating with Benton Taylor, an assistant professor of organismic and evolutionary biology. He investigated the influence of various soil microbes on chemical defense strategies against insect herbivory in tree populations at the arboretum.

As a 2023-2024 Public Service and Outreach Scholar, de la Torre completed an internship at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, where he developed native plant materials for sale and utilization by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in specific restoration initiatives. Previously, he has facilitated overnight camping events as a trip leader for the UGA Outdoor Recreation Center and participated in peer discussions as a member of the UGA Biotechnology Club.

De la Torre is a competitor on the nationally ranked UGA Club Spikeball Team and serves as a research scholar in the Peach State Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation. He is a recipient of the Mensa Foundation Kuhnel Scholarship, the P.W. Fattig Entomology Scholarship Award, a 2024 CURO Research Award, and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Research Initiative Award. He earned second place at the 2025 CAES Undergraduate Research Symposium for his oral presentation.

This summer, de la Torre will engage in research at the Boyce Thompson Institute at Cornell University through the Plant Genome Research Experience for Undergraduates.

Anderson Smith

Smith intends to pursue a Ph.D. in ecology, specializing in the genetic population structures of endangered species. Her ambition is to teach and engage in research that contributes to conserving Earth’s biodiversity.

“Securing independent funding from the Goldwater Foundation enables me to continue pursuing the science I love,” she expressed. “Beyond that, it signifies that a panel of professionals valued my research connecting genes to ecosystems, linking the small estuarine mussels I investigate to broader concepts such as salt marsh restoration and climate change. It’s both humbling and immensely gratifying after a great deal of effort.”

Smith’s research encompasses three projects with John Wares, UGA associate professor of ecology and genetics, including examining the genomic diversity of estuarine mussels, analyzing the population genetics of salamanders collected from filters positioned in streams in Georgia and North Carolina, and exploring the relationship between coronuloid barnacles and whale population genetics, which she aims to advance into her master’s thesis. Additionally, she is researching pollutant-resistant killifish and its response

to contamination with Andrew Whitehead, a specialist in toxicology at the University of California, Davis.

Smith previously explored nematodes in white-tailed deer, a venture she carried out alongside Michael Yabsley, a professor of parasitology at UGA. She is the lead author of a research manuscript currently set for publication in a national journal concerning her team’s findings.

At UGA, Smith contributes to teaching a programming and statistics course for ecologists in her role as a peer learning assistant, provides tutoring for native Spanish speakers in English as a volunteer leader at Casa de Amistad, engages with potential ecology students as an Odum Ambassador, and volunteers at UGArden, a sustainable community garden that aids food-insecure families in Athens. At Southeastern Society of Parasitology conferences, she was honored with a 2023 Best Poster Award for her research on nematode phylogenetics and a 2024 Ciorida-Stewart-Porter Undergraduate Award for her oral presentation.

She studied biomedical ethics at the University of Oxford, added a minor in Spanish following a trip to Ecuador and the Galápagos, and is scheduled to return to Ecuador this summer to assess the genetic composition of amphibian and freshwater turtle populations.

Sloka Sudhin

Sudhin aims to pursue a Ph.D. in applied mathematics or computer science. She aspires to engage in research at the crossroads of optimization algorithms and predictive modeling through intricate computational experiments. Her objective is to convert real-world phenomena into mathematical challenges and utilize potent theoretical outcomes in innovative ways to discover optimal algorithms.

“I’m passionate about investigating computer experiments, which function as simulations when a physical experiment is challenging or impossible to execute in real life,” she remarked. “With applications spanning from aerospace engineering, to mapping cerebral activity, to traffic management, to weather forecasting, it’s an extensive domain that embodies what I cherish about statistics: the opportunity to explore beyond my discipline while applying my own expertise to tackle their issues. The backing of the Goldwater Foundation affirms that the work I view as significant and rewarding merits continued exploration and research.”

Sudhin’s ongoing research initiatives commenced in August 2022 through a guided study on generalized linear models under the mentorship of Abhyuday Mandal, a statistics professor at UGA. As her skills progressed and she undertook a graduate-level machine learning course, in fall 2023 she transitioned to studying the applications of particle swarm optimization with Mandal and Joshua Lukemire, an assistant research professor of biostatistics and bioinformatics at Emory University. She is currently developing a global optimization strategy for identifying effective designs, referred to as d-QPSO, in collaboration with both Mandal and Lukemire. In 2024, she could expand her research further as a CURO Summer Fellow.

As the president of Codehub, she designs weekly lesson plans for Python and exploratory data analysis to aid students’ individual projects in the School of Computing. She has also acted as an undergraduate teaching assistant for software development within the UGA School of Computing. Sudhin earned the Kossack Prize for outstanding performance in a calculus competition and the Hollingsworth Award for excelling as a top-performing student in advanced math courses at UGA. Her initial research experience took place as a data analytics intern with scoutSMART, a college recruiting analytics startup in Atlanta, starting in high school, and she completed her investigation on special teams positions and their recruiting shifts in October 2022.

Furthermore, she served as the secretary for Asha for Education Athens and has held the position of treasurer for the UGA Statistics Club. Currently, she is co-president of Cine Club, a student-organized film collective that has raised over $200 per screening to support Cine, the independent arthouse cinema in downtown Athens, one of only two remaining in the state of Georgia.

For additional details regarding the Goldwater Scholarship, visit https://goldwaterscholarship.gov/.

The major scholarships office at UGA, located in the Morehead Honors College, provides support to students across campus as they pursue national, high-level scholarships. For further information, contact Jessica Hunt at [email protected] or visit https://honors.uga.edu/scholarships/external-scholarships/.

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