Biology Major Wins Prestigious Goldwater Prize
Kurt Jancsy, a junior majoring in biology and cognitive science at UMass Boston, has been named a 2025 Goldwater Scholar. The Goldwater Scholarship Program is widely considered the most prestigious award in America for undergraduates in natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering. He is the sixth UMass Boston student in the past seven years to be named a Goldwater Scholar.
“I congratulate Kurt for this well-deserved recognition and his contributions to science and the UMass Boston research enterprise,” said Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco. “Collectively, these awards clearly demonstrate the excellence of our students and faculty, and I am grateful for their commitment.”
The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation, which allocates the awards, was founded to identify, encourage, and financially support outstanding undergraduates. From a pool of 5,000 applicants, Jancsy was one of the 411 scholars selected this year.
“I was definitely really excited when I got it,” Jancsy said, “just because of how much it's going to help me financially and expanding my network. It was a pretty big moment.”
Jancsy is planning to pursue a veterinary surgery residency and eventually a PhD in cancer biology. His goal is to become a clinician-scientist who advances cancer treatment across species through translational research and surgical innovation.
“Veterinary medicine has enormous potential to grow because it often lags behind advancements in human healthcare,” he said. “I plan to develop clinical tools that integrate advanced imaging, computational modeling, and precision medicine to improve veterinary neuro-oncology. This work aligns with broader initiatives like the NIH’s Comparative Brain Tumor Consortium and supports my long-term vision of working at an academic or specialty veterinary center, pushing veterinary medicine toward parity with human oncology.”
Jancsy, 20, is originally from Malden and attended the University of Maine his freshman year, before transferring to UMass Boston and relocating to Dorchester. He soon began working with Associate Professor of Biology Catherine McCusker, pursuing research in the McCusker Lab. The lab’s primary focus is on studying nerve and limb regeneration using the Mexican axolotl as a model species.
“Over the last year, Kurt's research has focused on understanding the molecular underpinnings of how the salamander's nerves regulate regenerative growth,” McCusker said. "He very quickly picked up complicated surgical procedures that we commonly do in the lab and then started piloting and optimizing his own! He is so skilled already, but importantly, is always open to learn more.”
Jancsy also contributes to research on tumor treating fields in the Brain Stimulation and Simulation Lab, investigating how low-intensity electrical fields disrupt glioblastoma growth. He is particularly interested in spontaneous brain tumors in dogs—naturally occurring cancers closely resembling human gliomas, he says.
“Central to everything I do is a deep respect for the human-animal bond—the relationship that ties emotional connection to medical care,” Jancsy said. “It’s what drew me into veterinary medicine and continues to guide my approach to healing, ethics, and impact.”
Jancsy credits and thanks the Veterinary Immersion Plan, the McNair Program, and his mentors in the UMass Boston community for supporting him as a first-generation student. In addition to the monetary support the Goldwater award brings, Jancsy says he particularly looks forward to the networking opportunities it will provide him in the Goldwater Scholar community and elsewhere to pursue and achieve his academic and career objectives.
The Goldwater Foundation is a federally endowed agency established in 1986 honoring Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater. It partners with UWorld and the Department of Defense National Defense Education Programs to administer the scholarship program.