Melanie Eichler spent academic year researching, presenting across the country as Goldwater Scholar
ASHLAND, Ohio – As Ashland University’s first-ever Goldwater Scholar, senior biochemistry major Melanie Eichler spent the 2025-26 academic year taking her undergraduate research to national stages in Houston and Atlanta while continuing to conduct research in the lab at the Kettering Science Center.
Having been a recipient of one of the nation’s preeminent undergraduate awards—a Barry Goldwater Scholarship—Eichler was thrilled to take part in a series of unique experiences afforded to her.
“I have had several opportunities this year as a Goldwater Scholar that I wouldn’t have had otherwise,” said Eichler. “In October, I attended the Gulf Coast Undergraduate Research Symposium, hosted by Rice University in Houston. It was such an amazing opportunity. I loved sharing my research with such a diverse group of people who were as passionate about science as I (am).”
More recently, at the end of March, Eichler gave a poster presentation at the national conference of the American Chemical Society held in Atlanta. And, as a member of the AU Honors Program, she publicly presented her senior capstone project, “The Development and Purification of a Phosphazene-Based Drug Delivery System,” on multiple occasions, including at the 2026 Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Symposium.
(While not tied directly to the Goldwater Scholarship, Eichler also ventured to Portland, Oregon, for an oral presentation on another topic of interest of hers at Entomology 2025 in November.)
The research that Eichler presented came from her work in the lab of Nick Johnson, Ph.D., an associate professor of chemistry. She has spent three years advancing Johnson’s project focused on drug delivery systems for anti-cancer drugs. Over the past decade, he has guided dozens of students with a hands-on approach and helped them expand the project via new pathways.
This year, Eichler’s work concentrated on improving the fundamental drug delivery system aspect, as she experimented with a phosphazene ring.
She further explained, “I have been working on an alternative amine protecting group reaction, which would be attached to the top of the phosphazene ring. This would force full substitution on the bottom of the ring, forming the cis-2,4,6 isomer. I have spent most of this year working on attaching the amine protecting group to the phosphazene ring. After altering many different reaction conditions through 10 trials, we believe that the amine protecting group was successfully attached. These are exciting results that can be built on in the future.”
Johnson has been impressed by Eichler’s continued academic development as a student researcher and by her attention to detail and passion for the subject matter.
“Mel’s work shows a high level of independence and dedication. She engages seriously with the literature, asks good questions and is clearly thinking ahead to graduate-level research. She has continued to work diligently on a rather difficult project,” he remarked.
And, Johnson noted having Eichler as the first AU student to be a Goldwater Scholar has not only been beneficial and exciting for the chemistry department, but it offers strong evidence of what AU students are capable of across the university.
“Having a Goldwater Scholar has been a really positive development for the department,” said Johnson. “Mel’s award has brought much more attention to undergraduate research and has given us a clear example of what our students can do when they’re supported and challenged. We’ve always known our students are capable of succeeding at the national level, but this award has helped make that visible to the rest of the university and beyond.”
After graduating from AU on May 9, Eichler will continue her research as a Ph.D. student in biochemistry at The Ohio State University, building on the momentum created by her Goldwater Scholar experiences.
About the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation
The Goldwater Foundation, established in 1986, is a federally endowed, independent agency. The scholarship program honoring Barry Goldwater, a five-term Senator from Arizona, was designed to identify, encourage and financially support outstanding undergraduate students interested in pursuing research careers in the sciences, engineering and mathematics. Each Goldwater Scholar receives a $7,500 award toward academic-related expenses, as well as the opportunity to network with former and current Goldwater Scholars.
