{"id":2168,"date":"2026-06-09T18:28:59","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T18:28:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogschapman.wpenginepowered.com\/undergraduate-excellence\/?st-import=96ffede040bf79aa2814f1161a5cc4d3"},"modified":"2026-07-20T06:23:39","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T06:23:39","slug":"2026-goldwater-recipient-ashley-agatep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/undergraduate-excellence\/2026\/06\/09\/2026-goldwater-recipient-ashley-agatep\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 Goldwater Recipient Ashley Agatep"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Ashley
Ashley Agatep<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Goldwater Scholarship<\/span><\/a>\u00a0is a prestigious\u00a0scholarship program that\u00a0seeks\u00a0to recognize and support college sophomores and juniors that are dedicated to\u00a0research\u00a0in natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering.\u00a0This scholarship is awarded to students who are seen as the next generation of research leaders.\u00a0Ashley Agatep,\u00a0a\u00a0junior Environmental Science and Policy\u00a0major\u00a0and Honors minor, was one of the 2026 Goldwater Scholarships\u00a0recipients.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since her first year at Chapman, Agatep has been working on the NASA Environmental Equity and Justice Grant. Partnered with Communities for a Better Environment, Agatep\u2019s main research focus is on environmental justice and community-based research. \u201cWe really wanted to see how scientists paired with community members could really start addressing the environmental injustices in [Los Angeles],\u201d said Agatep. Her research observes the health impacts of environmental injustices such as excess air pollution, highways cutting through cities, industry pollution, and lack of green spaces that increase urban heat. \u201cThis kind of research is something I\u2019m really passionate about … This is such a good way to combine social advocacy and science in that same way and really start translating science to action for these communities,\u201d said Agatep. Agatep\u2019s research has been published in Nature Portfolio Journal Urban Sustainability<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ashley
Ashley at JPL<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Agatep heard about the Goldwater Scholarship her sophomore year but had applied for the Udall Scholarship instead. Dr. Gregory Goldsmith, one of her primary mentors, had encouraged her to apply. Working on the Udall Scholarship was when she met Dr. John Hunter at the Center for Undergraduate Excellence. \u201c[Dr. Hunter] really emphasized to me, \u2018What is your identity as a scientist?\u2019… I think it\u2019s such an important question for people going through undergrad,\u201d said Agatep. Through working on these applications, Agatep was able to figure out who she was as a researcher and how to define the work she was doing. \u201cI think the main benefit I got out of [applying for scholarships] was figuring out what I felt was important to me in all the work I\u2019ve done,\u201d said Agatep.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ashley
Ashley presenting at conference<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Agatep reflected on how CUE has impacted her research career through the resources provided by the department.<\/span> The SURF program provided funding and concrete time for Agatep to concentrate on her research, as well as allowing her to cultivate professional relationships with her peers at Schmid College of Science and Technology. Agatep has also received travel grants from CUE so she could attend conferences and connect with people in her field. With the CUE travel grants, Agatep was able to attend and present at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) annual meeting in December 2025. CUE provided Agatep with the support to focus on her research, creating professional relationships, and exploring her field.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For\u00a0additional\u00a0information on\u00a0the Goldwater Scholarship or\u00a0other prestigious grants, fellowships, and scholarships,\u00a0visit\u00a0<\/span>CUE\u2019s website<\/span><\/a>\u00a0or email\u00a0<\/span>cue@chapman.edu<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Goldwater Scholarship\u00a0is a prestigious\u00a0scholarship program that\u00a0seeks\u00a0to recognize and support college sophomores and juniors that are dedicated to\u00a0research\u00a0in natural sciences, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5492,"featured_media":2152,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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