Casia Steinhaus, a physics and mathematics double major at the University of North Dakota and a 2026 Barry Goldwater Scholar, is the first UND student to be named an Astronaut Scholar. The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation selected 79 students from 54 colleges and universities this year, pairing financial support with mentorship and access to a network of astronauts and industry leaders. Steinhaus, who is from Devils Lake, has also held a Department of Energy internship at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and was a semifinalist for the Brooke Owens Fellowship. Away from physics she is a national champion competitive rifle shooter, a sport she took up through 4-H.