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FARMVILLE – Antonio Harvey first walked into a Longwood chemistry lab as a high school student and fell in love with the field. Just three years later, he has been named a recipient of the 2023 Barry Goldwater Scholarship, the country’s premier undergraduate award for students planning careers in mathematics, science, or engineering research.

As a testament to his research prowess, Harvey is one of only a handful of students across the country to earn the award in their sophomore year. Students typically apply for the Goldwater Scholarship in their junior year, but Harvey has already spent more hours in the lab and completed more research projects than many graduating seniors.

An impressive achievement 

Harvey is one of 413 Goldwater Scholars selected from a pool of 1,267 undergraduates nominated by 427 academic institutions this year. Scholars are awarded up to $7,500 each year for the remainder of their undergraduate studies.

“The Longwood community is so proud of Antonio,” said Dr. Larissa Smith, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “He has spent countless hours in the chemistry lab, and his combination of talent and hard work has earned him this recognition. I know he will continue to be an inspiration to his classmates.”

Harvey is a Farmville native who was first introduced to chemistry research as a high schooler when he was among the first students selected for the Longwood Summer Scholars: Exploring Science program.

The program pairs talented high school students with Longwood faculty and students engaged in an intense summer research project. High schoolers are introduced to high-level research methods and practices and are able to contribute fully to the team.

“Antonio has an insatiable mind,” said Dr. Sarah Porter, professor of chemistry who led the Summer Scholars program and mentored Harvey in his first research project. “He pursues research in various fields within chemistry — analytical, organic, and biochemistry — because he wants to learn as much as he can about the research process. He will certainly become a talented researcher and world-class scholar, and I am so happy to stand with the entire Longwood community and applaud his achievements.”

Harvey is Longwood’s second Goldwater Scholar. Dr. Tom Pettus ’90, a chemistry professor at University of California at Santa Barbara, won the award in 1989.