When Sara Desai was applying to colleges, she found herself debating between careers in medicine or research. But she knew Case Western Reserve’s close proximity to four hospital systems—and the vast educational opportunities within them—would support her career ambitions however they evolved.
That has proven to be true.
Now a rising senior majoring in biochemistry with a minor in applied data science, Desai landed a 2025 Barry Goldwater Scholarship, a highly competitive national scholarship for undergraduate students who intend to pursue research careers in science, mathematics or engineering. The award provides tuition assistance up to $7,500. Applicants must be endorsed by their university, with four selected from CWRU each year for consideration.
This year, Desai was one of 441 students selected from a pool of 1,350 nominated by their institutions. For Desai, the recognition is affirming.
“It feels like it’s really good validation that you’re on the right path,” she said, noting that the course for students in research often feels murkier than what pre-med students can expect.
Finding her focus in research
Born in the United States and raised in India, Sara Desai took a semester at the start of her undergraduate studies to adjust to the differences in educational cultures between the two countries. As she entered her second semester at CWRU, she jumped into research, landing a pivotal position in Divita Mathur’s laboratory in the Department of Chemistry.
She’s remained a committed member of the Mathur Nano Lab ever since—and has confidence now that a career in research is her calling. Earning the Goldwater Scholarship is especially meaningful for Desai, who once questioned whether the path was the right fit.
Following her first semester and summer spent conducting research in Mathur’s lab working on a biosensor to detect heavy metals in water, Desai still found herself without clarity.She spoke with Mathur, a principal investigator known for her approachability and a recent recipient of the Diekhoff Award for Graduate Mentoring, who urged Desai to stick with research until she was sure it wasn’t what she wanted to do—advice that paid off.
Desai has continued working in Mathur’s lab, spending the summer before her junior year in the lab full-time, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily for 10 weeks.
“I felt like a proper researcher for the first time and I really enjoyed that feeling,” Desai said. “I don’t think any of that would have been possible without Dr. Mathur.”
Expanding opportunities
While Mathur’s lab is home to much of Desai’s research experiences, she has made a point to explore other opportunities to determine what area she’d like to focus her studies on after completing her undergraduate degree.
Over winter break, Desai spent four weeks working alongside Rosemary J. Akhurst at the University of California San Francisco. There, Desai learned cell culture techniques and worked with postdoctoral scholars for the first time.
This summer, she secured a position at the Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute to conduct research on HIV, allowing her the chance to work with live cells, bacteria and viruses.
“I’m really hoping to just explore what these different areas of research look like to figure out which ones I enjoy more. And then they’ll hopefully help me narrow down which field I want to pursue in my PhD,” said Desai, who was initially drawn to pursue the life sciences after noting the stark differences in how infectious diseases impacted people in India and the United States.
Desai hopes to complete a PhD and move on to a postdoctoral scholar position, after which she aspires to start her own lab on the university level, a path that has added certainty as a result of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship.