Goldwater Scholarships, among the most prestigious national honors for undergraduates in STEM fields, are going to three students in Clemson University’s College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences.
The recipients are: Nyx Mashkow, a junior majoring in materials science and engineering; Ashton McEntarffer, a sophomore majoring in computer science; and Regan O’Neill, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering.
The Goldwater Scholarship is a national award that goes to students in engineering, science and math, providing support on their path to becoming professional researchers. All of this year’s Clemson honorees plan to pursue doctorates after completing undergraduate studies.
Thompson Mefford, associate dean for undergraduate studies in the college, said the scholarships highlight the college’s commitment to developing future leaders in research.
“These students represent the best of what our college strives to cultivate—curiosity, innovation and a drive to solve real-world problems through research and discovery,” he said. “I offer Nyx, Ashton and Regan my heartfelt congratulations.”
Robyn Curtis, director of the Office of Major Fellowships, said the Goldwater awards reflect the strength of Clemson’s undergraduate research environment and the dedication of its faculty mentors.
“These students have taken full advantage of Clemson’s research opportunities, pairing intellectual curiosity with hands-on experience—an ideal combination for national recognition and future success in STEM,” she said. “It’s exciting to see their hard work and potential recognized at the national level—this kind of achievement underscores Clemson’s growing reputation as a leading institution for undergraduate research in STEM.”
Here is a look at each of the recipients:
Mashkow transferred to Clemson from Horry-Georgetown Technical College through the SPECTRA program and has since contributed to research in self-healing polymers, smart textiles and spaceflight materials. Faculty mentors include Marek Urban, Samruddhi Gaikwad, Chris Cole and Griffin Donley.
After graduating from Clemson, Mashkow plans to pursue a Ph.D. in polymer science with a focus on the synthesis of bioinspired materials and composite applications. Mashkow aims to work at a national laboratory to develop sustainable plastics and alternatives. Mashkow is a member of Tau Beta Pi and the FIRST Generation Success Program.
McEntarffer‘s research projects focus on applied machine learning in areas such as automotive cybersecurity, autonomous systems and adversarial model testing. Faculty mentors include Mert Pese, Linxi Zhang, Joan Marler and Pedram Mohajer.
McEntarffer was part of the winning team at the inaugural SC Quantathon, has presented research at multiple conferences and is first author on a forthcoming publication. After graduating from Clemson, McEntarffer plans to pursue a Ph.D. in computer science, focusing on applied machine learning, and aims to become a research professor. He is a member of the Honors College, a member of Upsilon Pi Epsilon and the Clemson Design and Entrepreneurship Network.
O’Neill has contributed to research projects spanning propulsion, lunar drilling, alternative fuels and upper-atmosphere plasma measurement. Faculty mentors include Qiushi Chen, Steve Kaeppler, Christopher Koehler and Yuhao Xu.
O’Neill is a Brooke Owens Fellow and will intern this summer with Analytical Mechanics Associates to support research in high-efficiency propulsion technologies. After graduating from Clemson, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and conduct research on sustainable space systems. She is a member of the Honors College, a Dixon Global Policy Scholar, vice president of Engineers Without Borders and a member of Tau Beta Pi.
Students interested in the Goldwater Scholarship or other nationally competitive programs should contact the Office of Major Fellowships at 864-656-9704 or fellowships@clemson.edu.
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