Academic and community involvement
Throughout his time at UWEC, McDermott has immersed himself in a variety of academic and community-focused roles, positively impacting the lives of others.
He participated in research opportunities with Dr. Tyler Doyon in the chemistry and biochemistry department, contributing to biocatalysis research. McDermott explained, “The goal of the research is to take fossil fuel/oil waste and turn it into commodity chemicals for commercial use.”
In addition to his research, McDermott assisted other students in the physics department as a supplemental instructor under Dr. Erik Hendrickson. He is currently volunteering in the surgery department of Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire and previously worked as a phlebotomist at Sacred Heart Hospital, taking blood samples for patients before the hospital closed. His community involvement also extends to his church youth group, helping them with programming and community outreach.
McDermott’s commitment to service is evident through his four and a half years in the National Guard, where he has grown personally and professionally. He shared that his time in the Guard helped him “develop and grow as a person coming out of high school,” and he values the opportunity to “help the community in a way a lot of people don’t get to.” He looks forward to continuing his work with the Guard in the future. Additionally, McDermott has benefited from the Army ROTC program on campus, which has offered him opportunities to develop leadership skills, engage in team building and receive generous scholarships that help with college expenses.
Being a peer mentor for the honors first-year experience course was a highlight of McDermott’s college experience. He enjoyed helping freshman students “get adjusted to college life, specifically honors and what their honors journey would look like for them.” Reflecting on all he’s accomplished during his time at UWEC, McDermott noted the mentoring experience was “the most directly valuable experience in terms of exposure to new students and helping to educate them.”
Dr. Heather Fielding, director of the Cosby Honors College, worked with McDermott in the HNRS 100 course. She noted that this course is a valuable experience for new first-year students because it connects them with students like McDermott, who have made the most of college. “It was so meaningful for new students to hear about how Matthias balanced a heavy science course load with research, ROTC and the National Guard,” she said. “Matthias is committed to service — to his peers, his country and his future patients — and it was amazing to see his freshmen asking his advice about how to get involved in the community.”
