Zein Saleh, a sophomore political science and psychology major at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, has earned a Goldwater Scholarship to support his pursuit of a research career.

The scholarship, which honors the late Sen. Barry Goldwater, was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics. The scholarship provides up to $7,500 per year for educational expenses and is the pre-eminent undergraduate award of its type in these fields.

Originally from Syria, Saleh graduated from Lincoln North Star High School and considers Lincoln to be his hometown. Through Nebraska’s Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experiences program, he has conducted research under Ingrid Haas and Pierce Ekstrom in the Political Attitudes and Cognition Lab. The research examines social categorization and the effects of racial diversity on political attitudes and intergroup relations. In April, Saleh presented at the 2024 Midwestern Psychological Association Conference. He also interned last summer at the Boston College Cooperation Lab, where he led experiments examining the social development of fairness and cooperation in children.

Within the Department of Psychology, Saleh serves as a teaching assistant and Psychology Undergraduate Committee representative. He is also a senator in the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska, representing the College of Arts and Sciences and serving as a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee co-chair. This spring, he became internal vice president-elect.

With up to two years of support from the Goldwater Scholarship, Saleh aims to advance his studies on race-related topics.

“Identifying the psychological determinants of racial conspiracy endorsement, which intensifies social divisions, is critical for informing effective intervention strategies,” he said.

Saleh plans to complete a doctoral program in social psychology and become a research professor. He hopes to positively impact the field through teaching, mentorship and service.

Saleh is among 438 college sophomores and juniors nationally who were awarded 2024 Goldwater Scholarships from a pool of 1,353 applicants.

At Nebraska, the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships advises and nominates undergraduate candidates for 30 supported scholarships and fellowships. To learn more, students and campus community members should contact Courtney Santos, director, at courtney.santos@unl.edu.