SFSC Alumna Wins Goldwater Scholarship for Dental Research

Jenale Alfonso Cruz, a South Florida State College alumna, earned a Goldwater Scholarship this spring, one of 1,485 students selected from more than 5,000 applicants nationwide.

The scholarship awards up to $7,500 per academic year for tuition, fees, books, and room and board. Cruz graduated from SFSC in December 2023 with an Associate in Arts degree and now studies Microbiology and Cell Science at the University of Florida, where she plans to pursue both dentistry and biomedical research.

Cruz completed three undergraduate research projects at SFSC, uncommon for a community college student. Her primary project examined the oral microbiome as a cardiovascular biomarker, merging dentistry and cardiology under biology professor Dr. Mintoo Patel.

"I have watched Jenale grow from a curious student into a thoughtful and independent researcher," Patel said. "Her research on the oral microbiome as a biomarker for cardiovascular disease highlights the critical connection between oral and systemic health."

Cruz's interest in oral-cardiac connections stems from her work as a dental assistant in Dr. Albert Ruiz's Sebring office, a position she held while paying her way through college. She noticed patterns in patients with cardiovascular or systemic diseases.

A first-generation college student, Cruz also researched HIV/AIDS impacts on oral health and studied the endangered Florida Ziziphus plant with Bok Tower Gardens. She presented findings at the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference and the Florida Academy of Sciences Annual Conference.

Cruz participated in UF's McNair Scholars Program this summer, which prepares first-generation students for doctoral studies. She was the first online student accepted into the program at UF. She expects to graduate in August 2027 and plans to apply to combined dental school and Ph.D. programs.