Research record nets national award for UW-Eau Claire’s Jadyn Hartwig

Hartwig, who is studying British history and theater this term at Harlaxton College in Grantham, England, says that a “break from the hard sciences in the English countryside” has been refreshing. Receiving this award news, she says, is going to change the trajectory of her career as a scientist and has her excited for the next steps toward graduate school.

“I’m a science nerd, I admit it — I just love learning,” Hartwig says. “I think I’ll be pursuing a career in neuroscience. The human brain is so fascinating.”

Two science standouts from UW-Eau Claire

Hartwig is one of two Blugolds who received the prestigious Goldwater award this year. The other recipient is junior Cadence Cordova of Boise, Idaho, also a biochemistry/molecular biology major.

The national scholarship is awarded to second-and third-year students majoring in STEM fields, and the two Blugolds are among only five students in the state and the Universities of Wisconsin to earn the $7,500 award for the 2026-27 academic year.

The comprehensive major of these two bright scholars has two home departments, chemistry and biochemistry, chaired by Dr. Jennifer Dahl, and biology, chaired by Dr. Derek Gingerich.

“The Goldwater selection of two students in our biochemistry/molecular biology comprehensive major speaks to the strength of the major and to the efforts of the faculty in both departments. It’s great news for Cadence and Jadyn and for our departments,” Gingerich says.

Dahl congratulates these scholars and emphasizes the academic support in place at UW-Eau Claire that can foster this level of national recognition.

“Cadence and Jadyn are outstanding students who exemplify the traits of future leaders in science,” Dahl says. “What sets Cadence and Jadyn apart is their ability to balance the demands of challenging courses, laboratory research, student club activities and athletic pursuits. We hope that more students learn that UWEC is a place where you really can have it all, thanks to the faculty who set the stage for this level of success.”

An impressive record of research, presentations and publications

Hartwig’s curriculum vitae is a clear indication of why, exactly, she has been named a Goldwater Scholar. The complex timeline it lays out is hard to summarize but below is a sampling that helps depict the breadth of the undergraduate experiences that qualified her for the Goldwater honor.

• Research internship, Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora, Galápagos, Ecuador, 2025
• Research assistant, University of the Bahamas, San Salvador Island, Bahamas, 2025
• Research lab manager, UW-Eau Claire, Wisconsin Addiction Research Laboratory
• Blugold Biomedical Innovator Scholarship, 2023-27
• Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Outstanding First-Year Student, 2024
• Four poster presentation sessions in Eau Claire; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Five conference presentations in Eau Claire and Madison
• Five publications (two first author) in peer-reviewed journals or book chapters

Dr. Doug Matthews, professor of psychology and neuroscience research mentor, was proud to nominate Hartwig for this honor, a student he counts among the most accomplished he’s known.

“What makes Jadyn a uniquely gifted developing scientist is not only the depth of her scientific accomplishments at such an early stage of her career, but also the breadth of her scientific accomplishments,” Matthews says.

Matthews cites Hartwig’s five publications, international research and multiple conference presentations of her projects, including Grand Rounds at Mayo Clinic Health System Northwest.

“Jadyn has a research record to rival many final-year Ph.D. students,” Matthews says. “She shows exceptional promise of being among this nation’s next generation of research leaders.”

Dr. Stephen Drucker, a professor in the chemistry and biochemistry department, was immediately impressed by Hartwig’s initiative in her first chemistry course at UW-Eau Claire, CHEM 115: Chemical Principles.

“I was so impressed with Jadyn’s performance in that course that I recruited her to be a grading assistant for the general chemistry courses I have taught over the past two academic years,” Drucker says, adding that Hartwig fulfilled the responsibilities “scrupulously,” providing students with thoughtful and productive feedback.

“Jadyn's potential for future academic success is as great as that of any single student I have taught in the CHEM 115 course,” Drucker says.

“In my opinion, one of the strongest predictors of success in the research realm is having the mental agility to confront new problems in original ways. I am convinced that Jadyn has this crucial talent, and I predict her research career will flourish from the very beginning of her Ph.D. work.”

Next steps for Hartwig

Still soaking in the meaning of receiving this award, Hartwig knows that returning from study abroad will very quickly transition to her next big research challenge.

This summer, Hartwig is one of 38 interns in the Bernard S. and Sophie G. Gould MIT Summer Research Program in Biology (BSG-MSRP-Bio), a 10-week, paid summer internship for undergraduates to conduct full-time, supervised research at MIT. She will be working for Dr. Linlin Fan, professor of applied biology and assistant professor of brain and cognitive sciences at MIT.

This internship will be yet another big step toward her ultimate career goals.

“I plan to pursue a Ph.D. research career in neuroscience, investigating the molecular and cellular mechanisms to understand experience-driven brain plasticity,” Hartwig says. “I am fascinated by the connection between intricate molecular systems and behavioral outcomes, how experiences like stress, exercise, learning and using drugs physically alter the pathways of the brain.”