Two Trinity Students Selected as 2025-26 Goldwater Scholars

Two Trinity University students have been selected as Goldwater Scholars for the 2025-26 academic year. Chemistry major Marc Ewe ’26 and biochemistry and molecular biology major Megan Tansiongco ’26 competed against a pool of more than 1,300 science, engineering, and mathematics students nominated by 445 academic institutions to receive this prestigious scholarship, which supports students who intend to pursue research careers in these fields of study. 

This is the second time that Trinity has had two scholars for one academic year, the last time being in 2018. These Goldwater Scholarships follow Trinity’s recent designation as a Research College and Institution by the American Council on Education in the 2025 Carnegie Classifications. These two recognitions reaffirm the University’s commitment to undergraduate research and reflect the growing national recognition of Trinity as a university on the rise.  

As part of their Goldwater Scholarships, the students will work alongside faculty mentors in their fields to conduct research throughout the academic year.

Ewe will work alongside Trinity chemistry professor Adam Urbach, Ph.D., for his Goldwater Scholarship. Ewe says that his time in Urbach’s bio-organic chemistry lab has helped solidify his plan to pursue chemistry research as a career. He’s been working in the lab for the past two summers, and last summer, the project was his to design and lead, with his mentor choosing to be as hands-off as possible.

“While it was challenging to design new experiments, troubleshoot issues, and consistently step back from bench work to access data and leads, it was also one of the greatest summers of my life,” Ewe says. “I experienced what it is like to be an independent research scientist, with all of its hardships and rewards, and I knew that I wanted to make that a part of my life going forward to graduate school and my career.”

For his Goldwater Scholarship, Ewe will conduct research on the development of small molecule drugs and their interface with biologics for industry. Ewe intends to obtain a Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry after graduation. 

Tansiongco will work alongside three mentors, one from Trinity and two from UT Health San Antonio: Trinity chemistry professor Christina Cooley, Ph.D., Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator Reuben Harris, Ph.D., and Ph.D. candidate Renee Delgado. All four of them have been collaborating on a lab led by Harris that focuses on studying novel inhibitors of the main protease of SARS-CoV-2. Tansiongco is an inaugural scholar in the South Texas Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program at UT Health San Antonio. Through this program, she has participated in summer research in Harris' lab while continuing her work during the year in Cooley’s lab at Trinity. 

“These experiences have taught me the difficulty and the beauty of scientific research while further cementing my future aspirations,” Tansiongco says. “Continuous exposure to the rigor and standards that are set by my university and my lab has allowed me to build the self-esteem necessary to succeed in an undoubtedly challenging profession.”

For her Goldwater Scholarship, Tansiongco will conduct research on novel immunotherapies and translate findings into active clinical trials. After graduation, Tansiongco intends to pursue an M.D. with a Ph.D. in molecular immunology and microbiology.