Organic Chemistry Meets Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: ISU Chemistry Student and Noyce Scholar Wins Big

What do organic chemistry and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) have in common? For one Idaho State University student, the answer is strategy, grit, and a place on the podium. Eliana CraigSmith, a chemistry student and Noyce Scholar with the College of Education, captured gold and silver at the 2025 Idaho State BJJ Championship held at Century High School, competing against more than 200 athletes across various age and belt divisions. CraigSmith took gold in the Female No-Gi Blue Belt bracket and silver in the Female Gi Blue Belt bracket.

“I stumbled over BJJ in summer 2022 when I was home from college and looking for something social and physical to do,” CraigSmith said. “BJJ ended up being way more than just that. The BJJ community is full of people who work hard, don’t give up and love learning something new and improving every day.”

CraigSmith said she often hears BJJ described as “human chess,” and she finds many similarities between the sport and her academic work. “BJJ problem solving reminds me a lot of organic chemistry synthesis problems,” she said. “In both cases, you need to understand the underlying rules, techniques or mechanisms for what moves to make. After that, it’s up to you to try different strategies to create a solution. Both organic chemistry and BJJ have built my grit and pattern recognition skills and shown me that I am capable of succeeding in challenging tasks.”

CraigSmith is also a part of ISU’s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, which supports future STEM educators through financial assistance, mentorship, and hands-on classroom experience. The program, funded by the National Science Foundation, prepares students to become highly skilled mathematics and science teachers in high-need schools. The same perseverance, critical thinking and problem-solving she practices in BJJ are qualities she plans to bring to her future classroom, inspiring the next generation of learners.

Cory Bennett, professor of mathematics education in the College of Education and principal investigator of the ISU Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, said, “The best STEM teachers know their content inside and out but are problem solvers first and foremost. I am not surprised at all that Eliana’s success in and outside the classroom comes from this problem-solving mindset.” 

The program provides scholarships of up to $16,000 per year for committed students, pairing them with faculty mentors, offering professional development, and providing opportunities to lead STEM projects and outreach initiatives. Recipients commit to teaching in high-need districts, helping to address the nationwide demand for qualified STEM educators. CraigSmith’s success on the mat and in the classroom exemplifies the type of leadership, resilience, and dedication the program fosters in its scholars.

To learn more about the Noyce STEM program, please visit the ISU College of Education’s website.