For the 14th time since 2019, a Colorado State University student is a recipient of the country’s top undergraduate award dedicated to fostering the next generation of research leaders in natural sciences, engineering and mathematics.

Paris Kiehl, an Honors Program student in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, has earned a Goldwater Scholarship Award from the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.

Established by Congress in 1986, the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation operates the educational scholarship program.

“We congratulate Paris on this outstanding accomplishment,” said CVMBS Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs Sandra Quackenbush. “Her curiosity and passion for research along with her kind personality are an inspiration for others. Her drive for excellence will contribute to her success as a leader in biomedical research.”    

Kiehl, majoring in biomedical sciences with a concentration in microbiology and infectious disease, is pursuing her dream of conducting innovative and impactful research aimed at treating infectious diseases.

In CSU’s Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, she is a researcher in the labs of Professor Gregg Dean and Assistant Professor Allison Vilander. They are leading an effort to develop a probiotic-based vaccine platform to target mucosal viruses. Paris has constructed rotavirus vaccines using the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus acidophilus and is researching the effect of lactic acid secretion on vaccine immunogenicity.  

She has also worked with Instructor Traci Kinkel, (2024 winner of CSU’s Best Teacher Award) and Associate Professor Mark Stenglein. With them, she isolated a novel, antibiotic-producing bacterium from Fort Collins soil and named it “Penny”. She published a paper describing its genome and characteristics.

“This was special for me because I was active in every step of the journey, including discovery, characterization, sequence analysis and manuscript writing,” she said.

Kiehl plans to pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences. She is confident that her time at CSU has prepared her for this next step.

“To be named a Goldwater Scholar is a huge honor,” she said, “and it means I have a fantastic support system at CSU that pushed me to be the best scientist I can be. My twin, mentors, letter writers and essay editors were invaluable in helping me achieve this award, and it would not have been possible without them.”