Haley Jostes ’23, a Gustavus Adolphus College junior with majors in chemistry and biochemistry and molecular biology, has been named a Goldwater Scholar in recognition of her exceptional research contributions and future promise.
Established by Congress in 1986, the Goldwater Scholarship Program is one of the oldest and most prestigious national scholarships in the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics in the United States. Higher education institutions can nominate up to four sophomore and junior students, and the selected scholars receive up to $7,500 each academic year in support of their research endeavors.
Jostes is one of the 417 scholars selected from over a thousand nominees across the country. “The Goldwater Scholarship is something you can mention in the scientific research world and pretty much everyone knows what it is,” she said. “It’s a really great springboard into future research positions.”
The Goldwater Scholarship isn’t the first fellowship she’s earned as a Gustavus researcher. In 2021, she was awarded a DAAD RISE Scholarship to complete a summer research internship at TU-Bergakademie Freiberg in Germany. Her research focused on PFAS, colloquially known as “forever chemicals” due to their inability to break down in nature, and how clay nanodeposits could be used to absorb and remove PFAS from water.
Jostes’s work took place in a large international laboratory, with collaborators from Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It was a noticeable change from the labs at Gustavus, where Jostes worked closely with environmental studies and chemistry professor Jeff Jeremiason and chemistry professor Dwight Stoll.
“Both professors have been instrumental in helping me build my career and research path,” said Jostes. “They’re very different in their mentorship style, but both have your best interests at heart.”
Jostes found additional mentorship at Gustavus through the older students in her labs who introduced her to various undergraduate research scholarships. Their advice led her to the Fellowships Office, where she received valuable guidance on her applications and cover letters. “The whole application process forced me to look at exactly what I want to do with my future,” said Jostes. “‘What do you want to do and why? How are you shaping your path right now?’ That self-examination was really helpful.”
Jostes is considering several paths to continue research after Gustavus, including graduate studies in analytical and water chemistry and a year-long Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) through the National Science Foundation.
For Jostes, seeking out new research opportunities is continuing a passion she’s developed since high school, where she participated in regional, national and international science competitions. During her college search, she passed up large research institutions in favor of Gustavus, which promised a high-quality undergraduate research program in a small, personable environment that would expose her to subjects beyond her major.
“I have a minor in statistics, and I’m finishing up a minor in management. I don’t think that’s something I would have done if I wasn’t at a liberal arts college.”
Now, she encourages first-year Gusties to take advantage of the First-Year Research Experience (FYRE) Program and other opportunities to get involved with the kind of work that fuels her curiosity about the mysteries of our world.
“The thing I love most about research is that there are unanswered questions,” she said. “The answers already exist for a homework sheet, but doing research lets you look into a realm of things that are unexplored.”
Students interested in applying for a fellowship are encouraged to fill out the Fellowship Office’s first meeting form to schedule an appointment. For more information about the Gustavus Fellowships Office and the support it gives to students, please visit the fellowships website.