Rice University junior Prasi Desai wins Goldwater Scholarship

Rice University junior Prasi Desai has been named a recipient of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship, one of the most prestigious undergraduate awards in the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics in the United States.

The scholarship, established by Congress in 1986 to honor former U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater, is awarded annually to outstanding students who demonstrate exceptional potential to become the next generation of research leaders in their fields.

Desai, a computer science and mathematics major, conducts research in artificial intelligence and machine learning at Rice University. His work focuses on developing algorithms for autonomous systems.

The Goldwater Scholarship provides up to $7,500 per year for tuition, fees, books, and room and board. Desai is one of 410 scholars selected from a pool of more than 1,200 nominees nationwide.