Elise Hastie, a chemistry major at Cal State LA, has been named a 2026 Barry Goldwater Scholar. A first-generation college student who transferred from Long Beach City College, Hastie carries a 4.0 GPA and belongs to the university’s NIH-funded U-RISE program. Under Professor Brenda Andrade Rounds she develops cyclodextrin-based nanosponges for drug delivery and environmental remediation, work her mentor describes as spearheading porous materials for molecular capture and release. She is one of two Cal State LA students selected this year, alongside Mark Raspopov. Hastie plans a doctorate in organic chemistry and intends to become a professor running her own lab.