Undergraduate Research Awards

William C. Barden
Project Title: Novel Analysis Methods for Space-Based, Multi-Temporal Hyperspectral Imaging
Mentor: Dr. David Messinger

Troy A. Church
Project Title: Bioacoustic segmentation for species identification
Mentor: Dr. Anthony Vodacek

Josephine Clapp
Project Title: Automatic Registration of a Subsea LiDAR Point Clouds; LWIR sUAS thermal camera calibration and atmospheric correction
Mentor: Dr. Carl Salvaggio

Therese Sheila Georgia
Project Title: A Multimodal Remote Sensing Assessment of Environmental Factors Driving a Phytoplankton Bloom in Lake Victoria
Mentor: Dr. Anthony Vodacek

Adele L. Jones
Project Title: Subcanopy Pathfinding and Traversability Estimation Using Sparse LiDAR Scans; Longwave thermal infrared atmospheric correction using in situ scene elements: Accurate temperature determination of blackbody and graybody targets from small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS)
Mentors: Dr. Carl Salvaggio and Dr. Jan van Aardt

Eleanor Charlotte Nixon
Project Title: Thermal modeling for Landsat Next
Mentor: Dr. Rehman Eon

Cooper O'Connell-Williams
Project Title: Automated Radiometric Calibration and Atmospheric Compensation of Longwave Thermal Infrared Imagery Collected from Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS)
Mentor: Dr. Carl Salvaggio

Gian-Mateo Tifone
Project Title: Developing an Empirical Workflow for Cultural Heritage Imaging: Statistical vs. Geometrical Detectors
Mentors: Dr. Roger Easton Jr and Dr. David Messinger

Miranda Paige Garvey
Project Title: Color Perception in Deaf or Hard of Hearing Individuals and Implications for Design
Mentor: Dr. Elena Fedorovskaya

Ella Michele Mahnke
Project Title: EEG Markers of Audiovisual Integration Impairments in Asymptomatic Individuals With a Concussion History
Mentor: Dr. Elena Fedorovskaya

Katherine Isabella Shomper
Project Title: The Relationship Between Traits of Autism Spectrum Disorder and ERP Measures of Attentional Processing
Mentor: Rebecca Houston

Richard Bouck
Project Title: Diadenosine Polyphosphatase Nudix Hydrolases from Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium leprae
Mentor: Suzanne O'Handley

Jaclyn Conley
Project Titles: Assembly of Targeted Molecular Imaging Agents for the Fluorescence-Guided Surgery of Breast Cancer; Chlorin and Bacteriochlorin-Based Targeted Molecular Imaging Probes for The Photodynamic Therapy of Breast Cancer
Mentor: Hans Schmitthenner

John Fernandez
Project Titles: Extracellular Vesicles as a Vaccine Delivery Platform; Investigating Pal–TolB Interactions in Gram-negative Bacteria
Mentor: Lea Michel

Zach Hogen
Project Titles: Bacterial Extracellular Vesicles as a Diagnostic Tool for Sepsis; Modification of Polymethine Dye Scaffold in Pursuit of a Bidentate Copper-Binding Ligand
Mentors: Lea Michel and Jeremy Cody

Abigail Hooke
Project Titles: Polyfuranoates based on substituted ethylene glycols; Antibacterial polybutylene succinate analogs containing eugenol moieties; Highly degradable polybutylene succinate copolyesters
Mentor: Matt Miri

Micah Hrubec
Project Title: Synthesis of NIR Dye–Peptide Conjugates for Molecular Imaging and Photodynamic Therapy
Mentor: Hans Schmitthenner

Morgan Long
Project Title: MELD Accelerated MD Simulations of Multivalent Vaccine Candidates for NTHi AOMs
Mentors: Emiliano Brini and Lea Michel

Katie Miller
Project Titles: Timing is Everything: Analyzing the Impacts on Topic Order for an Organic Chemistry Course Sequence; Synthesis of Conjugation Inhibitor (COIN) Analogs to Prevent Bacterial Conjugation; Polymers Used in Transparent Face Masks—Characterization, Assessment, and Recommendations for Improvements Including Their Sustainability
Mentors: Dr. Christina Goudreau Collison and Dr. Jeremy Cody

Jayla Morgan
Project Title: Phenotypic Studies of a Phosphoglycolate Phosphatase in Staphylococcus aureus
Mentor: Suzanne O'Handley

Ariana Peace
Project Title: Synthesis of a Novel Difluorometric Probe
Mentor: Christina Goudreau Collison

Gabriella Redman
Project Title: Single and Dual Modal Targeted Probes for Imaging and Photodynamic Therapy of Breast Cancer
Mentor: Hans Schmitthenner

Eva Reilly
Project Title: Nudix Hydrolase Diadenosine Polyphosphatases from Mycobacteria as Potential Novel Antibiotic Targets
Mentor: Suzanne O'Handley

Joel Salas-Osorio
Project Titles: Polyethylene Mimics with Tunable Degradation Rates; Characterization of sustainable polyesters
Mentor: Matt Miri

Ellen Shepard
Project Titles: Investigating Pal–TolB Interactions in Gram-negative Bacteria; Bacterial Extracellular Vesicles as a Diagnostic Tool for Sepsis
Mentor: Lea Michel

Mya Wynn
Project Title: Ellucidating the Intermolecular Interactions of Gamma-B Crystallin Proteins
Mentor: Lea Michel

Ryan Colburn
Project Title: Reformed Experimental Activities (REActivities): Evaluating the Student Engagement Relative to Guided Questions in the Organic Chemistry Lab” "Photography-Assistive Learning Project
Mentor: Christina Goudreau Collison

Aeden Amatulli
Project Title: Minimal Rankings and Well-Ranked Graphs
Mentor: Dr. Jobby Jacob

Aaliyan Qadri
Project Title: Modeling Filament Stability in Embedded Ink Writing Using Elastoviscoplastic Fluids
Mentors: Dr. Michael Cromer and Dr. Larry Villasmil

Joseph Bean
Project Title: Recurrence Quantification Analysis of Large-Scale Data using Dynamic Mode Decomposition
Mentor: Nishant Malik

Joseph McComas
Project Title: Higher-Order Interactions in Climate Networks
Mentor: Nishant Malik

Max Rollins
Project Title: Studying Brain Functions through Graph Theory
Mentor: Dr. Darren Narayan

Erin Ryan
Project Title: Working While Learning: Employment Effects on Math Performance and Retention of AALANA Students in Mathematical Sciences
Mentors: Dr. Tony Wong and Dr. Nonhle Mdzinizo

Cas Savage
Project Title: A Coevolving Networks-based Model for the Opioid Epidemic
Mentors: Nishant Malik and Hsuan-Wei "Wayne" Lee

Zach Zhao
Project Title: Analysis of Crop Yield, Cost, and Strategic Farmer Behavior Under Water Scarcity
Mentors: Dr. Nourridine Siewe, Dr. Matthew Coppenbarger, and Dr. Mary Lynn Reed

Aeden Amatulli
Project Title: Physics-Informed Gaussian Process Regression for Efficient Potential Energy Surface Modeling
Mentor: Nicola Lanata

Austin Kunz
Project Titles: Snapshots of Team Functioning: Development and Validation of the Team Member Perceptions of Instructional Change Collaborations (TM-PICC); Estimating Neutron-Nucleus Scattering Interaction Strengths and Neutron Separation Energies From Scattering Length Data
Mentors: Michael Kotlarchyk and Diana Sachmpazidi

Ben Masucci
Project Title: Using Text Embeddings to Facilitate Qualitative Physics Education Research
Mentor: Ben Zwickl

Ben Mulligan
Project Titles: Simulating the Assembly of Branched Actin Networks; Actin Dynamics in Cellular Wound Healing
Mentors: Lishibanya Mohapatra and Moumita Das

Brett Renaud
Project Title: Role of AGN in Galaxy Mergers and Interactions
Mentor: Jeyhan Kartaltepe

Brian Lee
Project Titles: Establishing Learning Objectives Based on Expert Knowledge Networks in Emerging Physics Fields; Path Entanglement from a Lossless Beam Splitter
Mentors: Ben Zwickl and Edwin Hach

Gavin Heil
Project Titles: Improving Predictive Accuracy of Ionically Gated Transistors for Physical Reservoir Computing; Ultralight Barrier Layers for Perovskite Space Solar Cells
Mentor: Ke Xu

Jack Cawthon
Project Title: Measuring the Effects of Molybdenum on Spin Pumping in Magnetic Heterostructures
Mentor: Priyanga Jayathilaka

Justin Roethlein
Project Title: Practical Considerations for Spin-Modulated Neutron Scattering
Mentor: George Thurston

Kurt Hahn
Project Title: Reactive Transport in Porous Media
Mentor: Shima Parsa

Luke Studt
Project Title: Physical Mechanisms Underlying Mixing in Large Moving, Deforming Cells
Mentor: Moumita Das

Mimi Harrison
Project Titles: Identifying Massive Quiescent Galaxy Candidates at 2.5<z<5 with COSMOS-Web; Revising Diffusive Shock Acceleration of Energetic Electrons using the Method of Generations
Mentors: Jeyhan Kartaltepe and Joshua Faber

Robert LaFay
Project Title: Modeling nucleoli assembly and disassembly in C. elegans worm
Mentor: Lishibanya Mohapatra

Rowen Brignon
Project Title: Observations and Modeling of an Eclipsing Binary Star
Mentor: Michael Richmond

Sarah Hicks
Project Title: Impedance Spectroscopy for Characterization of GaAs Solar Cells
Mentor: Seth Hubbard

Tai Surakan
Project Title: Evaluating Machine Learning-Based Anomaly Detection for Extragalactic Surveys
Mentor: Jeyhan Kartaltepe

Veran Stanek
Project Title: Radiation Effects on Wide Bandgap Perovskite Solar Cells for Space Applications
Mentor: Ahmad Kirmani

Zev Oberstein
Project Title: Thin Film MgO on TiO2 Substrates
Mentor: Michael Pierce

Izac Rebres
Project Title: The modified vitellaria of Ophionereis olivacea
Mentor: Dr. Hyla Sweet

Molly Regan
Project Title: Surveillance of antibiotic resistance within the commensal Neisseria
Mentor: Dr. Crista Wadsworth

Georgette Melz
Project Title: The Effects of Protein Glycosylation in Virulence Factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Mentor: Dr. Stefan Schulze

Caroline McDevitt
Project Title: Antibiotic Resistance and Metabolic Diversity in the Commensal Neisseria
Mentor: Dr. Crista Wadsworth

Katherine Palmatier
Project Title: Revisiting protein glycosylation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa reveals distinct phenotypes in motility and biofilm formation for different O-glycosylation pathway mutants
Mentor: Dr. Stefan Schulze

Caitlin Morrison
Project Title: Characterizing Microbial Diversity and Abundance in Biological Soil Crusts
Mentor: Elena Lopez Peredo

Nikhitha Boggavarapu
Project Title: Comparative proteomic analysis of multiple Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains to identify new factors contributing to antibiotic resistance
Mentors: Dr. Stefan Schulze and Dr. Crista Wadsworth

Fletcher Austin
Project Title: A look into jumbo phage characterization and formation
Mentor: Dr. Julie Thomas

Samantha Tran
Project Title: Whole genome sequencing of greater burdock (Arctium lappa) naturalized in the United States of America
Mentors: Dr. Andre Hudson and Dr. Danae Rodriguez Bardaji

Gabriella Fedus
Project Title: Isolation, identification, and characterization of antibiotic lead compounds from plants
Mentors: Dr. Danae Rodriguez and Dr. Andre Hudson

Nicole Luo
Project Title: The investigation of the development of the modified vitellaria Ophionereis olivacea
Mentor: Dr. Hyla Sweet

Eric Lian
Project Title: Investigation of the development of the modified vitellaria, Ophionereis olivacea
Mentor: Dr. Hyla Sweet

Tess Morrison
Project Title: Investigation of the Development of the modified vitellaria, Ophionereis olivacea
Mentor: Dr. Hyla Sweet