Senior will take next step in science with prestigious Marshall Scholarship

UW senior Evelyn Browning will use the scholarship to continue her research of genetic variants.

Evelyn Browning, a Genetics & Genomics and Data Science major from Arlington Heights, Illinois, has been named a 2026 Marshall Scholar. The prestigious award gives high-achieving young Americans the opportunity to study at the graduate level at any university in the United Kingdom.

For Browning, that will mean a return to the U.K., where she spent much of her childhood. This time, though, there may be more lab work. Browning will investigate genetic variants associated with neurodevelopmental conditions as a graduate student at the University of Cambridge and Wellcome Sanger Institute.

"Evie's scientific achievements and service to the UW-Madison community are truly remarkable," says University of Wisconsin-Madison interim Provost John Zumbrunnen. "Her research mentors believe she has exceptional potential to become a leader in genomic medicine. We couldn't be prouder and more excited to see what she accomplishes next."

Established in 1953, the Marshall Scholarship Program was created to honor the ideals of the Marshall Plan and to foster appreciation of the U.K. among future American leaders. Up to 50 scholarships are awarded each year; there are 43 winners in the 2026 class of Marshall Scholars.

Browning intends to graduate from UW-Madison in May, completing Honors in Research program and the Biology Core Curriculum Honors Certificate.

Since her freshman year, she has worked in genetics laboratories, co-authoring a study published in BioTechniques with emeritus professor of genetics and chemistry David C. Schwartz and members of his lab in 2024. Now, Browning works in the lab of Steven Schrodi, professor of genetics, using new statistical and computational approaches to study the genetics of epilepsy. Her research with Schrodi, the subject of her honors thesis, was supported by a Hilldale Undergraduate/Faculty Research Fellowship, UW-Madison's top fellowship for undergraduate scientists.

In 2025, Browning also served in a research and development internship with Exact Sciences, a Madison-based company specializing in earlier cancer detection and treatment, working on an independent project aimed at detecting new cancer biomarkers.

Browning is one of only two students from the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences invited to serve on committees with the Wisconsin Agricultural & Life Sciences Alumni Association board, and, as academic chair of the Undergraduate Genetics Association, guides fellow students in finding research and scholarship opportunities.

Outside her studies and college, she has contributed to the UW-Madison community as a former president of the university's Shorin Ryu Karate Club and as a sport club student lead for University Recreation & Wellbeing, overseeing six of the UW-Madison's student-run sport clubs. She also volunteers at a local YMCA with a class learning Okinawan Karate.

UW-Madison has had many Marshall Scholars winners and finalists. Recent Marshall Scholars include Nils Peterson (in the 2024 cohort), Lydia Nyachieo (2022), Claire Evensen (2020).