SPRINGFIELD, Mo., April 2, 2026 – Drury University junior Pauline Fouts (Fulton, Missouri) has been selected as a 2026 Goldwater Scholar, the organization recently announced. Fouts will receive one year of funding for her senior year, up to a maximum of $7,500 beginning in Fall 2026. Fouts is Drury’s fourth Goldwater Scholar in the last three years.
Fouts is one of just five students at a Missouri institute of higher learning to receive the Goldwater Scholar designation and one of just 454 scholars nationwide. A total of over 5,000 college sophomores and juniors from nearly 500 universities competed for the 2026 honor.
“It’s gratifying that her academic excellence and scientific vision have been recognized nationally and to know that her research will make an environmental impact,” Drury Fellow for National Scholarships Dr. Shelley Wolbrink said.
Fouts is a Chemistry major with a double minor in Honors & Leadership and Animal Studies. She plans to seek a Ph.D. in Chemistry and conduct research in environmental toxicology.
“I am honored to be a recipient of the Goldwater Scholarship and excited for the continuation of my academic and research career,” Fouts said. “I am grateful to the professors at Drury who encouraged me to persevere and provided me with guidance.”
In her time at Drury, Fouts has impacted her discipline through three research experiences with Assistant Chemistry Professor Dr. John Kiernicki and has delivered five research presentations at academic conferences. She was awarded an NSF-funded Research Undergraduate Experience in Chemistry at the University of Minnesota this summer.
Outside the classroom, Fouts serves as a resident assistant, orientation leader, and a member of the American Chemical Society.
About the Goldwater Scholarship Awards
The Goldwater Foundation is a federally endowed agency. The Scholarship Program honoring former U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater was designed to identify, encourage, and financially support outstanding undergraduates interested in pursuing research careers in the sciences, engineering, and mathematics. The Goldwater Scholarship is the preeminent undergraduate award of its type in these fields.
For more information on the Goldwater Scholars program, click here.
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Media Contact: Cris Belvin, Director of University Communications & Media Relations | (417) 873-7392 | gbelvin@drury.edu