Congratulations to Katherine Gold, selected as an Outstanding Scholarship Award Recipient!

Katherine Gold is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in Chemistry at the University of Arizona, where she conducts observational astrochemistry research under the mentorship of Prof. Lucy Ziurys. Her work focuses on the molecular composition of protoplanetary and planetary nebulae, the late evolutionary stages of stars like the Sun, using radio telescopes to detect and analyze gas-phase molecules in these environments. Through this research, she has helped expand our understanding of how molecules survive and evolve under harsh astrophysical conditions, including through the detection of unexpected organic molecules such as formaldehyde and cyclopropenylidene, as well as sulfur-bearing species, in dying stars. Her research has led to first-author publications in the Astrophysical Journal, presentations at national and international conferences, and recent honors including a 2026 Arizona Astrobiology Center Seed Grant supporting an undergraduate research student and the 2026-2027 ARCS Marley Foundation Scholar Award in Memory of Milton “Bud” Webb.

She describes her time at the University of Arizona as deeply formative and is especially grateful for the mentors, collaborators, and students who have shaped her experience. In addition to her research, she has been active in leadership and service through the ACS Astrocheminar series, PAWS, the Chemistry and Biochemistry Graduate Student Council, and as the Data Science Ambassador for the College of Science. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in observational astrochemistry research.