NORMAN, OKLA. – Maya Ferrell, a junior at the University of Oklahoma majoring in biochemistry, has been named a 2022 Goldwater Scholar in a prestigious national competition that recognizes undergraduates for their outstanding achievements in science and mathematics.
Ferrell is among 417 students nationwide to be selected this year out of more than 1,200 nominees representing 433 institutions. Her selection brings OU’s total number of Goldwater Scholarship winners to 60 since the inception of the scholarship in 1986.
“We are so proud of Maya Ferrell for earning the Goldwater Scholarship – a prestigious honor that rightly recognizes her contributions to research and her promising future,” said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. “Throughout her undergraduate studies at OU, Maya has seized the opportunity to pursue research, setting the foundation for a fruitful and meaningful career. This award is a reflection of her impressive work and determination, the commitment of her faculty mentors and the strength of OU’s undergraduate research programs.”
Named for former U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater, the Goldwater Scholarships are awarded to college sophomores and juniors on the basis of potential and intent to pursue research careers in the fields of the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics. The one- and two-year scholarships cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year.
Ferrell, of Edmond, plans to earn a doctor of medicine degree and a doctorate in biochemistry. She has conducted research on a polymer of branched polyethylenimine that restores antibiotic activity and on duodenal organoids. While at OU, her mentors have been Charles Rice, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at OU, and Cullen Taniguchi, associate professor at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Ferrell has served as co-president of the Scientific Undergraduate Research Association and as a mentor for Miracle Mindset, an early outreach program that serves first-generation, low-income high school students from across the state. She is a member of the OU Honors College, a Withrow Leadership Scholar and a President’s Community Scholar. Last year, she received the President’s Award for Outstanding Sophomore.
Ferrell attended Edmond North High School and is the daughter of Kristy Ferrell and Sean Ferrell.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information visit www.ou.edu.
