Current Academic Year Grant Recipients
The following students were awarded undergraduate student research grants from the Fisher College.
Undergraduate Research Grants in 2023 – 2024
“Rosselia and Depositional Processes in the Juniata Formation”
Student: Bilel Abderrahim
Mentor: Dr. Andrew Hawkins (Physics, Astronomy & Geosciences)
“Tunable Dye Laser for Optical Scattering Spectroscopies”
Student: Foysal Ahmed
Mentor: Dr. Jeffrey Simpson (Physics, Astronomy & Geosciences)
“Utilizing Planaria as a Model Organism to Investigate the Bacterial Virulence Factor
TCPC”
Student: Victoria Akingbehin
Mentor: Dr. Michelle Snyder (Biological Sciences)
“Behavioral Effects of Natural Compounds Using an Insect Model”
Student: Rasha Alzyoud
Mentor: Dr. Vonnie Shields (Biological Sciences)
“Identifying the Role of Apoptosis in Sea Anemone Fission”
Student: Sydney Bayne
Student: Trinity Mays
Mentor: Dr. Wilbur Ryan (Biological Sciences)
“Uncovering the Hidden Heroes of Dung Beetle Dynasty: A Metagenomic Study of Rood
Ball Microbiomes”
Student: Preeti Biraji
Mentor: Dr. Anne Estes (Biological Sciences)
“Population Genetics of Northern Map Turtles”
Student: Aislinn Bloom
Mentor: Dr. Steve Kimble (Biological Sciences)
“Does a Potential Termite Recognition Molecule Vary in Fungal Pathogens?”
Student: Makaelan Bond
Mentor: Dr. Mark Bulmer (Biological Sciences)
“Skewing of UV-induced Cell Death Pathways Using TLR4 Ligands”
Student: Sumra Chaudhry
Mentor: Dr. Erin Harberts (Biological Sciences)
“Fluorescence Imaging of Single-Particle Dynamics at the Oil-Water Lateral Interfaces”
Student: Mac Crimmins
Student: Mary McDonald
Mentor: Dr. Khanh-Hoa Tran-Ba (Chemistry)
“Identifying Counterfeit Semaglutide”
Student: Amina Daniels
Mentor: Dr. Kelly Elkins (Chemistry)
“Analyzing the Impact of HLA-C on the KSHV Viral Lifecycle”
Student: Miriam Diallo
Mentor: Dr. Elana Ehrlich (Biological Sciences)
“Water Soluble Magic Numbered Gold Nanoclusters for Cancer Therapy”
Student: Zara Freeland
Mentor: Dr. Mary Sajini Devadas (Chemistry)
“Identification of Bacteriophage Alexphander's Immunity Repressor”
Student: Margaret Galo
Mentor: Dr. Stephen Hancock (Chemistry)
“Non-Destructive DNA Quantification on Au25 and Plasmonic Gold Nanoclusters”
Student: Steven Gerguis
Mentor: Dr. Mary Sajini Devadas (Chemistry)
“Developing a Bispecifc T-cell Engager to Eliminate Anti-FVIII B-cells”
Student: Eber Guzman-Cruz
Mentor: Dr. John Weldon (Biological Sciences)
“The Search for Metal-insulator Transition in Fe-B Compounds”
Student: Lukas Hamann
Mentor: Dr. Vera Smolyaninova (Physics, Astronomy & Geosciences)
“Investigating Nonspectral Color Discrimination in Sugar Gliders”
Student: Morgan Hawkins
Mentor: Dr. Harald Beck (Biological Sciences)
“qPCR Assay Exploring Planarian Ability to Clear Escherichia Coli in the Presence of Protein TcpC
Student: Lenora Ingram
Mentor: Dr. Michelle Snyder (Biological Sciences)
“Investigating Small Proteins in a ΔlonclpP Mutant in E.coli”
Student: Nicole Kahler
Mentor: Dr. Matthew Hemm (Biological Sciences)
“The Investigation of Fga during the Course of Murine Endotoxemia.”
Student: Annie Keele
Student: Rachel Kramer
Student: John Scoffone
Mentor: Dr. Erin Harberts (Biological Sciences)
“Analyzing the Gut Microbiome of Captive Polar Bears”
Student: Dajaha Kenney
Mentor: Dr. Peko Tsuji (Biological Sciences)
“Detection of Salmonella in Lettuce Using Mouse Toll-Like Receptor 4”
Student: Areej Khan
Student: Jisela Ramos
Mentor: Dr. Erin Harberts (Biological Sciences)
“Understanding Metal Ion Influence on MeR/DinB-like DNA Binding Protein of Mycobacterium
Alexphander”
Student: Lea Kosanovic
Mentor: Dr. Stephen Hancock (Chemistry)
“The Effects of Salt Concentration on the Expression of TcpC, a Virulence Factor Found
in Uropathogenic Escherichia coli”
Student: Tatah Lamin
Mentor: Dr. Michelle Snyder (Biological Sciences)
“Digital Twins Research”
Student: Samuel LaPree
Mentor: Dr. Akshita Maradapu Vera Venkata Sai (Computer & Information Sciences)
“One Microbe's Waste is Another Microbes's Meal: How do Bacteria Interact to Degrade
Cellulose in the Bull-headed Dung Beetle?”
Student: Chloe Mateleska
Mentor: Dr. Anne Estes (Biological Sciences)
“Investigating Protein Localization in the Liver of Endotoxemic WT and TLR4-/- Mice”
Student: Glory Omodia
Mentor: Dr. Erin Harberts (Biological Sciences)
“Structural Characterization of the TIR Domain of TirB, a D. discoideum TIR Domain Containing Protein”
Student: Ayotunde Omomo
Mentor: Dr. Michelle Snyder (Biological Sciences)
“The Quantification of Organic Smokeless Powder Analytes using Gas Chromatography
with a Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer”
Student: Mackenzie Overholser
Mentor: Dr. Ellen Hondrogiannis (Chemistry)
“Effects of Fluorination on CMn03 Thin Films”
Student: Madison Previti
Mentor: Dr. Rajeswari Kolagani (Physics, Astronomy & Geosciences)
“Toll-Like Receptor Four and Sepsis-Induced Cardiomyopathy in Murine Endotoxemia Models”
Student: Cristal Salgado
Mentor: Dr. Erin Harberts (Biological Sciences)
“Total Synthesis of Acremostrictin”
Student: Olivia Sipes
Mentor: Dr. Keith Reber (Chemistry)
“Au25 Nanocluster Modification with Anthracene-Based Ligands”
Student: Desmond Smith
Mentor: Dr. Mary Sajini Devadas (Chemistry)
“Using Negative Photoresist in Fabrication of Silicon/Titanium Interface for Study
of Interfacial Electromagnetic Waves”
Student: Thomas Snarski
Mentor: Dr. Vera Smolyaninova (Physics, Astronomy & Geosciences)
“Analysis of Variation of DNA Methylation Between Smokers, E-cigarette Users, Occasional Users
and Non-users Employing PCR High Resolution Melt”
Student: Madison Strasser
Mentor: Dr. Kelly Elkins (Chemistry)
“Comparison of Fluorination Effects on La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 and CaMnO3”
Student: Luke Thress
Mentor: Dr. Rajeswari Kolagani (Physics, Astronomy & Geosciences)
“Measuring Germinal Center Activation to Evaluate Efficacy of Allergy Immunotherapy”
Student: Nathan Usi
Mentor: Dr. Erin Harberts (Biological Sciences)
“Amide Semi-Reduction”
Student: Grace Vaillancourt
Mentor: Dr. Keith Reber (Chemistry)
“sORFs as Genes Encoding Small Proteins in Lonclp Mutants”
Student: Samantha Walunas
Mentor: Dr. Matthew Hemm (Biological Sciences)
“Gold Nanoclusters Synthesized with an Electroactive Ligand”
Student: Jakob Winterle
Mentor: Dr. Mary Sajini Devadas (Chemistry)
“Metabolic Characterization of Anaerobes in the Onthophagus taurus Microbiome”
Student: Aron Winton
Mentor: Dr. Anne Estes (Biological Sciences)
“Ingestion Rate Variation Among Distinct Species of Habitat Mimicking Ecomorph Praying
Mantises and Relations to Nandible Morphology”
Student: Marlena Wood
Mentor: Dr. Chris Oufiero (Biological Sciences)