Chandler secures Goldwater Scholarship

Micah Chandler came into the University of North Georgia (UNG) unsure of how he would perform as a student. He said he was "terrified" and "thought I would flunk out." Now Chandler is widely known as one of the top student researchers at UNG. This spring, he gained even broader recognition by winning the Barry Goldwater Scholarship.

Chandler is one of 454 college students selected from 1,485 nominees nationwide for the 2026-27 academic year.

The scholarship program honoring Sen. 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 and provides up to $15,000 per student over two years.

"It shows that I can do this oceanography research and that I have a lot of potential," Chandler said. "Thanks to the school costs it offsets, the scholarship also means I can focus on the research I've been doing with my mentor."

Chandler, a junior from Cumming, Georgia, pursuing a degree in mathematics, is conducting research on how melting glaciers change water flows in the subpolar North Atlantic. He collaborates with Dr. Jeffrey Landgren, associate professor of mathematics, on the project, though Landgren made clear this wasn't his area of expertise and Chandler would have to take the lead on the work.

"Micah is courageous. He's willing to test the waters before people tell him what to do. That's a skill," Landgren said. "Most other students wait for direction. He's already doing those things on his own."

Chandler was so ambitious that he started reaching out to professors at Research 1 universities to set up meetings before even checking in with Landgren. His professor believes that kind of initiative made Chandler stand out on his Goldwater application.

"Micah is the kind of person who is really motivated and wants to know the answers to the questions we are trying to understand," Landgren said.

Chandler is part of UNG's Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Scholars (STEMS) Program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). STEMS provides scholarship funds up to $10,000 per student per academic year for students in STEM fields, excluding health care. He also took part in an NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in summer 2025 at Emory University.

Looking back, he said his home schooling with his mother instilled a love of reading and a thirst for knowledge that continue to pay off.

"I've always enjoyed exploring new things," Chandler said. "I realized research could be very fun if I was paired with the right people."

Dr. David Patterson, assistant director of the Nationally Competitive Scholarships (NCS) office and professor of biology, has mentored Chandler on scholarship applications and is always impressed with the thoroughness and timeliness of the student's work.

"He is humble, and he is one of the hardest-working students I've dealt with," Patterson said. "He's a joy to work with. He's one of those students you feel like you're working more with a colleague than an undergraduate."

Dr. Brittany Barron, NCS coordinator, has also supported Chandler in his scholarship applications.

Chandler earning the Goldwater Scholarship came as no surprise to Patterson.

"He has an incredibly promising future," Patterson said.