Undergraduate Research Scholars

Congratulations to all of our College of Science undergraduate research scholars!

Each year, the College of Science honors a select group of graduating students who have participated in mentored research projects as a new class of Undergraduate Research Scholars. Each academic school within the College of Science has its own process for selecting these scholars based on the unique demands and competencies required in their respective fields. Our College of Science Undergraduate Research Scholars receive a certificate and medallion acknowledging their research accomplishments.

2023-2024 College of Science Research Scholars

Anna Mason
Project Title: Demonstration of the Feasibility of using Synthetically Generated Condensed Water Vapor Plume Imagery to Train an AI Model to Automatically Segment Real Imagery
Mentor: Dr. Carl Salvaggio

Gabriel Peters
Project Title: Pre-training Architecture Design for Computer Vision Applications and Remotely-sensed Overhead Feature Transfer
Mentor: Dr. Carl Salvaggio and Dr. Derek Walvoord

Micah Ross
Project Title: Extracting Audio from High Speed Video
Mentor: Dr. Bob Kremens

Peggy Chen
Project Title: A CTPase Nudix Hydrolase from Mycobacterium Tuberculosis as a Potential Novel Antibiotic Target
Mentor: Dr. Suzanne O'Handley

Gabriela Gonzalez
Project Title: Antibiotic Impact on the Release of Extracellular Vesicles from E.coli
Mentor: Dr. Lea Michel

James Hasslebeck
Project Title: Understanding the Detailed Intermolecular Interactions Between Crystallin Proteins from the Eye Lens
Mentor: Dr. Lea Michel

Hunter Heineman
Project Title: Surface Modification of Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and Synthesis of Novel Cross-Membrane Fluorometric Probes
Mentors: Dr. Gerald Takacs and Dr. Christina Goudreau

Matt Henry
Project Title: Synthesis of NIR dyes and their Assembly into Targeted Molecular Imaging Agents for Cancer
Mentor: Dr. Hans Schmitthenner

Aidan Lynch
Project Title: Structure Determination of a Diadenosine Polyphosphatase from the Nudix Hydrolase Superfamily in M. tuberculosis
Mentors: Dr. Suzanne O'Handley and Dr. Michael Gleghorn

L. James Macisco
Project Title: Multidimensional Fluorescence Spectroscopy with Chemometrics Studies on Natural Products
Mentor: Dr. Todd Pagano

PJ Nikolai
Project Title: A Catalytic Lactone Opening Toward the Synthesis of Difluorometric Probes
Mentors: Dr. Christina Goudreau and Dr. Christopher Collison

Benjamin Rippel
Project Title: Surface Modification of Polymers Used as Membranes in Hydrogen Fuel Cells
Mentor: Dr. Gerald A Takacs

Lee Schoneman
Project Title: X-ray Crystal Structure of a Ligand–G-quadruplex Complex
Mentor: Dr. Michael Gleghorn

Andrew Seyler
Project Title: Diadenosine Polyphosphatases of the Nudix Hydrolase Superfamily in M. tuberculosis and M. leprae
Mentor: Dr. Suzanne O'Handley

Navraj Singh
Project Title: Investigating the Effects of Antibiotics on the Production of Extracellular Vesicles in E. coli
Mentor: Dr. Lea Michel

Martina Videva
Project Title: Using Bacterial Outer Membrane Vesicles to Detect Gram-negative Sepsis in Human Sera
Mentor: Dr. Lea Michel

Nidhi Baindur
Project Title: Integrating Climate Networks with Machine Learning in ENSO Prediction
Mentor: Dr. Nishant Malik

Jennifer Bogart
Project Title: Fundamentals of Markov Chain Monte Carlo Sampling and Bayesian Model Calibration
Mentor: Dr. Tony Wong

Zach Eggleton
Project Title: Cyber Actuarial Science
Mentor: Dr. Mary Lynn Reed

Taylor Kenna
Project Title: Solving Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equations using Power Series
Mentor: Dr. Tony Wong

Clara Pitkins
Project Title: Comparison of Modern Optimization Algorithms: Application to Image Deblurring
Mentor: Dr. Basca Jadamba

Ash Bista
Project Title: Empathetic Action in Physics: Faculty Perspective and Roles
Mentors: Dr. Scott Franklin and Dr. Jeyhan Kartaltepe

Owen Cheevers
Project Title: Nucleolar Growth & Decay Mechanisms Research, SAXS Through Beta-Crystallin Eye Lens Proteins, and Asymptotic Approximants
Mentors: Dr. Libishanya Mohapatra, Dr. Michael Pierce, and Dr. Nathaniel Barlow

Jake Chetney
Project Title: Ionic Transportation in Oxide Heterostructures
Mentor: Dr. Pratik Dholabhai

Vincent Fittos
Project Title: Measuring High Dimensional Spatial Photon Entanglement
Mentor: Dr. Greg Howland

Stephen Fritz
Project Title: Studying Structure-Property Relationship in Oxide Heterostructures with Molecular Dynamics
Mentor: Dr. Pratik Dholabhai

Andy Gonzalez
Project Title: Assessment of Cerebrovascular Reserve Using ASL With Acetazolamide Challenge and BOLD resting state Functional MRI; Impact of Dynamic Permeability Reduction on Flow Distribution in Porous Media
Mentors: Dr. Shima Parsa and Dr. Madalina Tivarus

Elise Guth
Project Title: Length Control of Flagella in the Microbe Giardia
Mentor: Dr. Lishibanya Mohapatra

Fiona Hufford
Project Title: TIME: Harnessing Preliminary Data with our Python Pipeline
Mentor: Dr. Jeyhan Kartaltepe and Dr. Zemcov

Wynter Petersen
Project Title: Cosmic Paleontology: Examining the Structure of Galaxies Across Cosmic Time
Mentor: Dr. Jeyhan Kartaltepe

Wren Sanders
Project Title: Quantum State Engineering Using Micro-Ring Resonators
Mentor: Dr. Greg Howland and Dr. Edwin Hach

Cori Sutton
Project Title: Linearization of Synaptic Weight Updates for Applications in Neuromorphic Computing
Mentor: Dr. Ke Xu

Ollie Yakimow
Project Title: SeSP Plinko: Dynamics of C-Shaped Particles Moving Through an Obstacle Field
Mentor: Dr. Scott Franklin

Zakia (Zak) Azad
Project Title: Optimization of Factors Impacting Phage Growth
Mentor: Dr. Julie Thomas

Skye Bixler
Project Title: Examining Viral Resistance Mechanisms for the Development of VSV as an Oncolytic Agent; Skeletogenesis and Coelomic Stacking during Brittle Star Development
Mentor: Dr. Maureen Ferran and Dr. Hyla Sweet

Zach Black
Project Title: Determination of the Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Components that Regulate NF-kB -dependent Antiviral Responses in Resistant Prostate Cancers
Mentor: Dr. Maureen Ferran

Hannah DeFelice
Project Title: The Impacts of Roadside Habitat Restoration on Animal-vehicle Accidents in New York State; Impacts of Permafrost Thaw on Methane Cycling in a Northern Peatland
Mentor: Dr. Kaitlyn Stack Whitney and Dr. Carmody McCalley

Shui Li Eu-Balint
Project Title: Characterizing Phytohormone and Lipid Signaling in Mother of Millions, an Emerging Model for Crassulacean Acid Metabolism
Mentor: Dr. Eli Borrego

Jordan Magurk
Project Title: Development of VSV as an Oncolytic Agent
Mentor: Dr. Maureen Ferran

Ethan Potter
Project Title: Effects of the Emerald Ash Borer Invasion on Methane Emissions Temperate Wetlands
Mentor: Dr. Carmody McCalley

Jack Smercynski
Project Title: Development of VSV as an Oncolytic Agent 
Mentor: Dr. Maureen Ferran

Lilly Travers
Project Title: Molecular Sex Determination in Eastern Screech Owls and Magnolia Warblers using Feather DNA
Mentor: Dr. Susan Pagano

Sarah Upwood
Project Title: Development of VSV as an Oncolytic Agent
Mentor: Dr. Maureen Ferran

Lauren Walter
Project Title: Investigating Bird Plumage Coloration using Reflectance Spectroscopy
Mentor: Dr. Susan Pagano

Past Undergraduate Research Scholars

Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science
Meg Borek
Zoë LaLena
Imergen Rosario

School of Chemistry and Materials Science
Kathryn Aumick
Yasmeen Cartwright
Julia Crandall
Jamie Crawford
Sreya Antonia Gomes
Ann Carolyn Jahn
Nathan Johnson
Mary Elizabeth Kane
Anna Kasper
Alyssa Kingston
Natalie Labbe
Andrew O’Brien
Isabelle Pilo
Adam Robinson
Molly Roesch
Jewel Samonte
Elaina Stafford
Lauren Stewart
Brian Strohm
Madeline Szwed
Alec Vent

School of Mathematics and Statistics
Morgan Holland
Hannah Sheets
Yutong Wu

School of Physics and Astronomy
Charles Arnold
Patrick Cooper
Anna Dignan
Evan Donohue
Will Ebmeyer
Kamryn Griffith
Jak Knefel
Ashley Lasko
Lily McKenna
Pete Miller
Ben Russel
Matthew Siege
Abi Von Plinsky

Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences
Lexi Anderson
Paige Arieno
Vanessa Baker
Evan Batte
Samantha Conflitti
Rachael Hoh
Mukul Kandwall
Emily Kearney
Jayson Kucharek
Gabriella Orfanides
Emily Reilly
Zachary Thierman
Liza Ward

 

Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science
Charles Brinsfield
Lily Gaffney
Max Lipitz
Erin Percy
Ethan Poole
Matthew Pupko
Ethan Snell
Emma Wilson

School of Chemistry and Materials Science
Luiza Bastos Bianco
Darren Chee
Shao Demyttenaere
Mariam Dzamukashvili
Eugene Ham
Seth Jones
Matthew Law
Elizabeth Lucas
Katherine O’Neill-Knasick
Janai Perdue
Alex Taylor
Zach Williams
Tommy Wu

Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences
Alexandra Bros
Deanna Abid
Hannah Spector
Ian Freezman
Marissa Schroeter
Safiya Gazali
Thomas Murphy
Victoria Kwasinski
Wesley Wong

School of Mathematics and Statistics
Tiana Hose
Quinn Kolt
Keegan Kresge

School of Physics and Astronomy
Nolan Ames
Ridge Bennett
Nicholas Cisco
Michaela Cohen
John Colt
John Fernandes
Muhammad Akif Qadeer
Peter Letendre
Abby Lupi
Ashley Martsen
Anthony Mazur
Luke Nearhood
Danny Proctor
Max Robbins
Latavia Thompson
Renzo Vizarreta
Alex Zades

Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science
Mackenzie Carr
Jared Gregor
Aidan Herbert
Wade Pines

School of Chemistry and Materials Science
Nana Aikins
Kristen Atkinson
Julia Biehler
Ricardo Carrion
Paige Daly
Danielle Farmer
Niaya Jackson
Maha Khokhar
Emily Mahoney
Jacey Phillips
Maddie Tebrugge

Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences
Jonathan Chu
Raquel Diaz
Nasreen Jaff
Andrew Rosato
Lauren Trumpore
Peter Wengert
Emalee Wrightstone

School of Mathematics and Statistics
Adam Giammarese
Nicholas John
Jason LaRuez
Jennie McIntosh
Justin Sostre
Vignesh Venkataramani
Gabriella Wolf

School of Physics and Astronomy
Lucas Berens
Brandon Bogner
Julia Bourdeau
Nash Flint
Zachary Gazzillo
Violet Hart
Jonathan Kroth
Jonathan Leonard
Daniel Matos
Shane McCarthy
Celia Merkovich
Dan Sabrsula
Benjamin Vaughan

Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science
Gregory Nero
Adam Reitz
Lenny Wilkinson
Haley Wiskoski

School of Chemistry and Materials Science
Morgan Bauer
Diksha Biswa
Kaitlyn Clark
Julia Faraone
Tullio Geraci
LauraAnne Hirschler
Nicolette Kulakowski
Peyton Kunselman
Sean Lewis
Micaela Nelson
Liam T. Reilly
Spencer Richman
Shreen Sachdev
Dana Murphy Soika
Red Smith-Sweetster
Wasim Zatar

Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences
Alaa Ahmed
Nicole Cavanaugh
Erica Delles
Joshua Evans
Zein Haidar
Trevor Penix
Patrick Rynkiewicz
KayLee Steiner
Zachary Ward

School of Physics and Astronomy
Baizar Alamiri
Liam Brodie
Jessica Chellino
Isabella Cox
Grace Fiacco
Christina Magagnoli
Evan Manfreda-Schulz
Timothy McNutt
Dale Mercado
Natasha Nigam
Vignesh Venkataramani
William Wainwright
Ryan Wills