PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (May 9, 2025) – This year, Prairie View A&M University proudly produced its first two Barry Goldwater Scholars: juniors Anisa Cole and Keeland Harville.
Anisa Cole
It marks a major milestone for the University, just in its second year of submitting nominations for the prestigious scholarship, both by Dr. Quincy C. Moore, director of the PVAMU Honors Program.
“To receive the notification that our student’s application status changed from nominee to scholar represents the fact that the Honors Program is doing our part in helping to elevate and push our great University to eminence,” said the tenured professor in the Department of Biology who boasts a living legacy at the University. “President Tomikia LeGrande’s vision for the University on the ‘road to eminence’ requires all stakeholders to contribute, and Goldwater recognition plays an important role.”
The Goldwater Scholarship — named in honor of Sen. Barry Goldwater to identify, encourage, and financially support outstanding undergraduates interested in pursuing research careers in the sciences, engineering, and mathematics — has awarded a total of 11,162 scholarships since the inaugural bestowment in 1989.
Keeland Harville
This year, the Goldwater Foundation awarded 441 scholarships to college students nationwide, including PVAMU’s Cole and Harville, both Class of 2026 biology majors in the Brailsford College of Arts and Sciences. They were chosen from a pool of 1,350 college sophomores and juniors nominated by 445 academic institutions.
Anisa Cole
Winning the Goldwater Scholarship was a significant milestone for Cole, a 21-year-old from Richmond, Texas.
She heard about the Goldwater Scholarship while participating in the Canary Cancer Research Education Summer Training (CREST) Program at Stanford University.
“When I first heard about the Goldwater Scholarship during my sophomore year, I was only starting to believe in my potential as a researcher,” Cole said. “There were many signs that seemed to suggest I should proceed with caution: The fact that no one from Prairie View had ever won it, that I was coming from an R2 university, and that the acceptance rate was said to be just 8%.”
However, she decided to apply anyway: “I realized that if I did end up winning, it wouldn’t have been the first time I surprised myself.”
Her perspective changed, she said, not only because of her acceptance into CREST, but also the 2024 Harvard/MIT Equitable Access to Research Training (HEART) program. She was able to study the Epstein-Barr virus, which is linked to some cancers such as Hodgkin and Burkitt Lymphomas, using a special gene editing tool and learn how the virus causes disease.
Cole, who is majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry, aims for an M.D./Ph.D. in molecular microbiology and immunology to conduct research on oncogenic viruses and their associated malignancies using advanced in vitro models and translate findings into clinical trials.
Additionally, Cole was one of eight Goldwater Scholars selected this year to receive access to a UWorld MCAT prep course and study materials for the Step 1 exam, for use after matriculating into medical school.
It was the COVID-19 pandemic that inspired her to pursue a career in medical research.
“It forced me, along with the entire world, to recognize the importance of science and how it demands our attention, even when it is acting at microscopic levels that we cannot see ourselves,” she said. “Learning about the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and its mechanism of action while in high school sparked my interest in the field of virology and a career studying pathogens.”
Cole credits PVAMU with playing a pivotal role in her journey to becoming a researcher. As a PVAMU Research & Innovation for Scholarly Excellence (RISE) scholar, she had the opportunity to conduct paid research under Dr. Naznin Sultana in a BSL2 bioengineering lab.
“This experience provided me with foundational skills in cell culture, tissue engineering, and scientific writing,” Cole said. “I contributed to a book chapter on tissue engineering and a literature review, which helped me develop a deeper understanding of the field and strengthened my commitment to pursuing a career in research.”
Next, as a 2025 Harvard-Amgen Scholar, Cole will be studying Merkel cell polyomavirus and its role in causing Merkel cell carcinoma this summer.
Keeland Harville
Harville said his own career in medicine was inspired by his allergist.
After seeing a specialist for asthma and seasonal allergies, Harville said that as he was being tested for reactions to various antigens, he found himself fascinated by the science behind immunology.
“I picked allergy and immunology as my research focus because I always had an interest in immunity,” said the 20-year-old from Bartlett, Tennessee. “Specifically, my major skill set in bioinformatics has been important in my research.”
Like Cole, Harville, a biology major with a minor in chemistry, credits PVAMU with building his essential research skills, from basic lab experience at the undergraduate research academy to GetPHIT, with hands-on experience in public health informatics.
“To be selected for the most prestigious research award as an undergraduate student and to be one of the first students at my university to receive the scholarship means everything to show that Prairie View produces distinguished researchers and excellent students,” he said.
Harville hopes to practice medicine, conduct research, and eventually give back as an educator, according to his application.
“The Barry Goldwater scholarship, to me, is a stepping stone toward dedicating excellence and
research for my career,” Harville said. “With research being so important to my academic interests, this scholarship allowed me to show my commitment to the field and my desire for growth.”
Harville is excited about what this scholarship means for his career and future: “I view research as endless; therefore, I aspire to practice the scientific method as often as I can.”
Cole and Harville now join a select group of over 11,100 scholars in Goldwater’s history, but at PVAMU, they are pioneers.
The University intends to continue on the path the two have paved.
“Prairie View A&M has amazing and talented students, and we are ensuring that they are informed about the opportunities that exist,” Dr. Moore said. “I have started to search the University for the next four students that we can nominate for the scholarship.”
The next Goldwater Scholarship online application period opens in September.
This story was originally published on pvamu.edu.