West Point Class of 2026 Cadets Named Goldwater Scholars

Cadets Hojin Han, Drew Homan, and Johnathan Pinc, Class of 2026, have been announced as Goldwater Scholars by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. West Point has earned 18 Goldwater Scholarships since competing in 2018.  

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship Program, one of the oldest and most prestigious national scholarships in the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics in the United States, seeks to identify and support college sophomores and juniors who show exceptional promise of becoming this nation’s next generation of research leaders in these fields.

About the Goldwater Scholars

Cadet Hojin Han is a Biology major from Colorado Springs, Colorado. He currently serves as the President of the West Point Pre-Medical Society and as the Forensics Team Lead on the West Point Cyber Team. Han conducts research on biophysical systems using simulation software on parallel supercomputers. Under the mentorship of Dr. Simuck F. Yuk, he explores the use of chiral metal-organic frameworks in molecular separation, models the interactions of inhibitors on cytotoxic peptides, and collaborates with a team led by LTC Keunhong Jeong at the Korea Military Academy to develop programmatic approaches in analyzing energetic properties. Han aims to reduce the cost of pharmaceutical production through his research on facilitating the efficient separation of molecules using metal-organic frameworks. He plans to pursue a Doctor of Medicine—Doctor of Philosophy (M.D./Ph.D.) program in Bioinformatics, intending to commission into the Army Medical Corps, where he will use his research and technical skills to advance Army medicine.

“I am very grateful for the support of my mentors, peers, and my family—they are the ones who enabled me to reach this point,” said Cadet Han. “I look forward to continuing my research with the opportunities provided by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship, and to applying these experiences in my future career as an Army officer.”

Cadet Drew Homan is a Mechanical Engineering major from Appleton, Wis. Homan is fascinated by the lifesaving capabilities of medicine and is committed to solving medical problems through the application of mechanics. He began his current research within West Point’s Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering under the mentorship of Dr. Emine Foust during his first year at the Academy. His research focuses on determining why fresh whole blood transfusion kits that the military uses fail in cold regions, defining their safe operational limits, and improving the functionality of the kits to expand their usability to save servicemembers’ lives in austere environments. Having gained an interest in thermal fluids study in his undergraduate research, he intends to pursue a career in research and development of microfluidic organ-on-a-chip medical devices. In the summer of 2024, he interned at Draper, a research and development laboratory in Cambridge, MA. At Draper, he was inspired by research and development engineers who use the study of mechanics to find novel solutions to complex medical problems while managing small, tightknit teams. Homan plans to develop his technical and leadership abilities by pursuing a Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering and commissioning as an Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army before beginning a career in research and development.

“I am honored to represent the U. S. Military Academy and my hometown as 2025 Scholar of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation and am deeply grateful to my research advisor Dr. Emine Foust for her mentorship,” said Cadet Homan. “The Foundation provides me with an invaluable network of peers and mentors to promote the technical component of my prospective life of service.”

Cadet Johnathan Pinc is a Chemistry major in the Department of Chemistry and Life Science from Medina, Ohio. He is the cadet in charge of the West Point chapter of the American Chemical Society and conducts research in the Protein Biophysics Group under the mentorship of Lt. Col. Lucas Fallot and Dr. Ryan Limbocker. His goal is to elucidate the fundamental science underpinning the misfolding and aggregation of proteins relevant to neurodegenerative pathologies, such that he can develop breakthrough therapeutics for presently incurable diseases like Alzheimer’s. Pinc ultimately aims to pursue a doctorate in Chemistry and lead a research group focused on innovative treatments for protein misfolding diseases. 

“I am honored to receive this recognition, and I hope to embody the innovation and leadership expected of Goldwater Scholars. I’m grateful to my mentors, Lt. Col. Lucas Fallot and Dr. Ryan Limbocker, for the amazing research opportunities they have given me. Their guidance has been instrumental in shaping my research journey and getting me to where I am today.”

About West Point 

The U. S. Military Academy at West Point is a four-year, co-educational, federal service academy located 50 miles north of New York City. It was founded in 1802 as America's first college of engineering and continues today as the world’s premier leader-development institution, consistently ranked among top colleges in the country. Its mission is to build, educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets to be commissioned leaders of character committed to the Army Values and ready for a lifetime of service to the Army and Nation. For more information, go to www.westpoint.edu.