Dual Major, Singular Focus

Goldwater Scholar Vivien Nguyen is engineering the future of physics

K-State junior Vivien Nguyen has been awarded the prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship, the nation’s premier undergraduate award for excellence in STEM research.

A dedicated dual major in physics and mechanical engineering, Nguyen has built an extraordinary research portfolio that spans multiple scientific fields. Through K-State’s Developing Scholars Program, she has already conducted several distinct mentored research projects, including exploring biomolecular phase separation alongside Physics Professor Jeremy Schmit.

"I wanted to see all the different research areas in engineering, physics, and mathematics," Nguyen said. "I added a mechanical engineering degree in my second semester when I realized I love the application of science."

That passion for application-based research ultimately led Vivien to team up with Associate Professor Suprem Das, where she is currently focusing on cutting-edge work in electrochemical sensing. This summer, Vivien’s journey comes full circle as she heads home to Dodge City to work with Koch Fertilizer as a reliability engineering intern. By blending the foundational theory of physics with practical engineering, Vivien has built the versatile skill set needed to thrive in any STEM environment.

Whether she is analyzing molecules in the lab or optimizing systems in the industry, Vivien is proving that at K-State, the future of physics is always in motion.