Cal State LA student Mark Raspopov has been named a 2026 Barry Goldwater Scholar, one of the nation’s most prestigious undergraduate awards in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering.
The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation recognized 15-year-old Raspopov for his academic achievement and commitment to a research career. Students selected as juniors receive up to $7,500 for one year.
“Being selected as a 2026 Barry Goldwater Scholar is an incredible honor and a meaningful milestone in my academic journey,” Raspopov said. “This achievement means so much to me, as it reflects my passion for computer science, machine learning, and research.”
Raspopov is a third-year Cal State LA student dual majoring in computer science and psychology with double minors in biomedical engineering and mathematics. He was admitted to Cal State LA at age 12 through the Early Entrance Program, which is housed in the Honors College.
A Los Angeles resident, he was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, until fifth grade, where he attended ÉÉC Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, a Francophone school. He completed sixth grade at Creekside Middle School in Carmel, Indiana, before moving to California.
With an interest in machine learning and its applications to solving real-world problems, Raspopov conducts research with graduate students under the direction of Cal State LA Professor Mohammad Pourhomayoun on a NASA-funded artificial intelligence project focused on wildfire spread prediction, in collaboration with the City of Los Angeles.
“Mark’s contributions have been both technically advanced and practically meaningful, including the development and improvement of machine learning approaches to predict wildfire risk and analyze air quality patterns,” said Pourhomayoun, professor of computer science, in a nomination letter. “He demonstrates a strong command of core artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) concepts and brings a disciplined, analytical mindset to experimentation—carefully iterating on model choices, assessing results, and communicating insights clearly.”
Raspopov also serves as president of the AI/ML Club and holds several leadership roles, including student director and fiscal committee chair on the University-Student Union Board of Directors, undergraduate academic senator, and vice president and controls lead of the RoboSubLA Club.
Additionally, he is active in community service, volunteering at outreach events and representing the AI/ML Club at campus tabling sessions. He assists with Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement Program events and helps organize hackathons, coordinating with faculty, sponsors, volunteers, and judges.
He is a member of several honor societies, including Phi Kappa Phi, Golden Key International Honour Society, and Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology.
“I am deeply grateful to my mentors and professors for their guidance, and to everyone who supported me throughout this process, especially Dr. Kathy Cooke, Dr. Mohammad Pourhomayoun, Dr. Elaine Kang, and Professor Weronika Cwir,” Raspopov said. “This award motivates me to continue pushing myself academically and in research [as I work toward] earning a Ph.D. in artificial intelligence, building a career in machine learning research, especially in areas such as disaster prediction and public safety.”
His career goal is to become an AI researcher, and he is passionate about developing models that can solve real-world problems and advance technology in significant ways.
The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation was established by Congress in 1986 to honor the work of Sen. Barry Goldwater, who served 56 years as a soldier and statesman, including 30 years in the U.S. Senate.
The foundation awards scholarships to college sophomores and juniors pursuing research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering. Many recipients go on to earn prestigious fellowships, including the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, Rhodes Scholarship, and Churchill Scholarship.
Since its creation in 1986, the Goldwater Foundation has awarded scholarships to more than 11,000 college sophomores and juniors. For a complete list of this year’s scholarship winners, please visit the Goldwater Scholarship website.
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California State University, Los Angeles is the premier comprehensive public university in the heart of Los Angeles. Cal State LA is ranked number one in the United States for the upward mobility of its students. Cal State LA is dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good, offering nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education, and the humanities. Founded in 1947, the University serves more than 22,000 students and has more than 260,000 distinguished alumni.
