Bucknell Scholar Wins Prestigious Goldwater Scholarship
Los Angeles Posse Scholar Angel Eunisse Yanga has been named a 2026 Barry Goldwater Scholar, one of the nation’s most prestigious undergraduate honors in science, mathematics and engineering. A member of Bucknell University’s Class of 2028, Angel is majoring in biology with minors in cell biology and biochemistry and international relations. She plans to pursue an M.D.-Ph.D. in immunology and build a career developing more accessible treatments for patients with complex health conditions.
Her interest in the field is deeply personal.
“My mom has a really tough autoimmune disease, and that inspired me to understand the science behind her disease,” Angel says.
At Bucknell, Angel conducts disease ecoimmunology research with biology professors Ken Field and DeeAnn Reeder. Their work examines how bats can carry viruses such as Ebola without developing symptoms. A better understanding of those immune responses could offer insights into infectious disease and inform future approaches to human health.
Angel also drew on her engineering background to develop a low-cost automated bat-tracking system. She deployed the technology while conducting fieldwork in Uganda, where she captured and tagged bats alongside researchers from Bucknell and Muni University.
The experience strengthened her commitment to scientific research while showing her how knowledge can move between laboratories and communities.
“Whenever we picked up a bat from a tree, we were also teaching the community about what was around them and what they could be doing in the future,” she says.
Established by Congress, the Barry Goldwater Scholarship recognizes college sophomores and juniors who demonstrate exceptional promise as researchers. Angel was one of 454 recipients selected from 1,485 nominees representing 482 colleges and universities in 2026.
She first learned about the award after arriving at Bucknell. To advance to the national competition, Angel had to be selected as one of the university’s nominees and then spent months refining her application with support from Bucknell faculty and staff and her Posse mentors.
Angel immigrated to the United States from the Philippines six years ago, reuniting with her mother after being raised by her grandmother for much of her childhood. As she navigated the American education system, she taught herself how to apply to college and pursue scholarships. At Bucknell, she sometimes felt that classmates from more privileged backgrounds possessed an innate understanding of opportunities and processes that she was still learning to navigate.
“Winning Goldwater was evidence and affirmation that I was working toward my goals in a productive and meaningful way,” Angel says. “I went through that rigorous process, and I do deserve that. I can keep that in mind to give myself peace and motivation to keep going.”
The Goldwater Scholarship followed Angel’s selection as one of five 2026 Jeff Ubben Posse Fellows nationwide. She was matched with Bayer CEO Bill Anderson and spent the summer working with Bayer’s global public affairs, sustainability and safety team in Washington, D.C. She later traveled to the company’s headquarters in Leverkusen, Germany, where she shadowed Anderson and members of Bayer’s board of management.
The experience gave Angel a new perspective on what happens after a scientific discovery leaves the laboratory. She saw how companies work with international institutions and community-based organizations to bring new products and technologies to people around the world.
“As a scientist, I got to see the other side,” Angel says. “What do you do once the technology is commercialized? How do you build relationships with organizations that are on the ground developing programs and bringing science and technology to people who otherwise might not have that opportunity?”
Angel now hopes to share what she learned from the Goldwater application process with other Posse Scholars, international students and peers pursuing competitive academic opportunities. She wants more students to see scholarships and fellowships not as honors reserved for people who already understand the system, but as resources that can help them identify and pursue ambitious goals.
“I really want to open that up to other people and give that experience as a resource,” Angel says. “These programs give us the opportunity to explore what we want and the freedom to chase our dreams—to grab them for ourselves and not wait until opportunity lands in our laps.”
