Meet the 2021-2022 Undergraduate Research Fellows

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College of Agriculture
College of Architecture
College of Education
Samuel Ginn College of Engineering
School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences
College of Human Sciences
College of Liberal Arts
School of Nursing
College of Sciences and Mathematics


College of Agriculture

Kynslie Barnett Animal Sciences

Sponsor(s): College of Agriculture

Project Title: Monitoring Animal Well-being Using a Biometric Device in Swine

Mentor: Terry Brandebourg

Harrison Estes Applied Biotechnology

Sponsor(s): College of Agriculture

Project Title: The Role of Siderophores in Clinical and Agricultural Isolates of Fusarium

Mentor: Jeffrey Coleman

Samantha Harris Environmental Science and Chemistry

Sponsor(s): College of Agriculture

Project Title: The Impact of Heat-Humidity Extremes on Mortality and Morbidity Trends in Counties across the Sun Belt of the United States

Mentor: Di Tian

Susan Iott Environmental Science

Sponsor(s): College of Agriculture

Project Title:  Banana Lake: A Historical Analysis of Eutrophication

Mentor: Matthew Waters

Savannah Oglesby Animal Sciences, Pre-Vet

Sponsor(s): College of Agriculture

Project Title: Evaluating the Molecular Responses of Different Populations of Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) to Warm Temperatures 

Mentor: Ian Butts

Walker Olive Applied Biotechnology

Sponsor(s): College of Agriculture

Project Title:  Identifying Species of Bacteria that Assist in Survival in Environments with an Extremely High Salt Content or High Temperature

Mentor: Kathy Lawrence

Gavin Rankins Animal Sciences, Animal/Allied Industries

Sponsor(s): College of Agriculture

Project Title:  Developing Tools to Analyze the Reliability of Molecular Markers to Discriminate Reproductive Potential in Beef Heifers

Mentor: Paul Dyce

Kylie Weis Applied Biotechnology

Sponsor(s): College of Agriculture

Project Title:  Assessment of Microbiome Diversity found within Honeybee Hives, the Correlation of the Microbiome to Hive Health, and the Effect of Varroa Mite Treatments on the Microbiome

Mentor: Geoffrey Williams

Mary Wessel Agricultural Business and Econ

Sponsor(s): College of Agriculture

Project Title: A study of Crop Insurance Fraud in Alabama

Mentor: Ruiquing Miao


College of Architecture, Design, and Construction

James Craig Building Science

Sponsor(s): College of Architecture, Design, and Construction

Project Title:  Exploring Automation and Robotics for Construction with a Focus on Material Handling Protocols

Mentor: Jeff Kim


College of Education

Peyton Gober Exercise Science

Sponsor(s): College of Education

Project Title: Risk Factors Associated with Upper Extremity Pain in Softball Athletes

Mentor: Gretchen Oliver


Samuel Ginn College of Engineering

Johannes Allen Physics and Aerospace Engineering

Sponsor(s): College of Engineering

Project Title: Analysis of the Structure and Morphology of the Debris Field Aftermath of a Violent Outburst of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1, using the Hubble Space Telescope

Mentor: Dennis Bodewits

Carolina Amezaga Materials Engineering

Sponsor(s): College of Engineering

Project Title: Developing an Electrochemical Biosensor to Detect SARS-CoV-2 Antigens, which will Facilitate the Rapid Diagnosis of COVID-19

Mentor: Xinyu Zhang

Lucy Bone Aerospace Engineering

Sponsor(s): College of Engineering

Project Title: Global Customer Mapping for Satellite Internet over the Next Decade

Mentor: Davide Guzzetti

Toby Crump Chemical Engineering

Sponsor(s): College of Engineering

Project Title: Solvent-based Separation Analysis: Solvent Screening and Optimal Design

Mentor: Selen Cremaschi

Jacob Dewey Aerospace Engineering

Sponsor(s): College of Engineering

Project Title: 

Mentor: Joseph Majdalani

Garrett Dickinson Software Engineering

Sponsor(s): College of Engineering

Project Title:  Constructing Embedded Avionics Software for the Analysis of Terrestrial Gamma-Ray Flashes Using CubeSats

Mentor: Micheal Fogle

William Ferris Aerospace Engineering

Sponsor(s): College of Engineering

Project Title:  Self-Folding Supercapacitor: The Applications of Prestrained Polystyrene on Specialized Circuits

Mentor: Russell Mailen

Rizwan Halani Mechanical Engineering

Sponsor(s): College of Engineering

Project Title: The Design and Fabrication of a Novel Multistage Soft Robot

Mentor: Chad Rose

Brock Hunter Chemical Engineering

Sponsor(s): College of Engineering

Project Title:  Transport and Physiochemical Properties of Polyether-based Hydrogel Membranes

Mentor: Bryan Beckingham

Madeline Kunze Chemical Engineering

Sponsor(s): College of Engineering

Project Title: Integration of Bioactivity – Global Natural Product Social Molecular Network (GNPS): Proof of Concept

Mentor: Angela Calderon

Daniel Michael Mechanical Engineering

Sponsor(s): College of Engineering

Project Title:  Identifying Manual Material Handling Tasks using Wearable Sensors with Machine Learning

Mentor: Howrd Chen

Maggie Nelson  Aerospace Engineering

Sponsor(s): College of Engineering

Project Title: Processing and Application of Recycled Shape Memory Polymers 

Mentor: Russell Mailen

Andrew Parker Mechanical Engineering

Sponsor(s): College of Engineering

Project Title: 

Mentor: Vrishank Raghav

Mark Roces  Mechanical Engineering

Sponsor(s): College of Engineering

Project Title: Creating a Measurement Device for Quantifying Neuromuscular Impairment in Hands

Mentor: Chad Rose

Nicholas Rush Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering

Sponsor(s): College of Engineering

Project Title:  Data Prioritization through Machine Vision Applications for Large Scale Camera Arrays Used in Wind Tunnel Dynamics

Mentor: Michael Hamilton

Lucy Seay  Pre-Computer Science

Sponsor(s): College of Engineering

Project Title: Investigating Mechanisms of Memory Deficits and Altered Neurotransmission in Prenatal Cannabinoid Exposed Rodents

Mentor: Subhrajit Bhattacharya

Deepika Singla Aerospace Engineering

Sponsor(s): College of Engineering

Project Title:  Characterization of Shape Memory Polymer in Space Environment

Mentor: Davide Guzzetti

Justus Smith  Biosystems Engineering

Sponsor(s): College of Engineering

Project Title: Determining the Ability of Algae to Support Polyphosphate Accumulating Organisms in Vacillating Light Conditions

Mentor: Brendan Higgins

John Snitzer Materials Engineering

Sponsor(s): College of Engineering

Project Title:  Probing Mechanical Heterogeneity of Additively Manufactured Stainless Steel using Digital Image Correlation

Mentor: Xiaoyuan Lou

Qinyi Tian  Computer Science

Sponsor(s): College of Engineering

Project Title: Particle Tracking Velocimetry(PTV) Based on Image Processing

Mentor: Brian Thurow

Jonathan Ting Mechanical Engineering

Sponsor(s): College of Engineering

Project Title: 

Mentor: Dan Marghitu

Sarah Tyndall  Biosystems Engineering

Sponsor(s): College of Engineering

Project Title: The Removal of Phosphorus from Agricultural Runoff Using Biochar

Mentor: Sushil Adhikari

Harrison Walker Materials Engineering

Sponsor(s): College of Engineering

Project Title:  Fabrication and Characterization of Superconducting NbN Nanowires for use as Quantum Phase Slip Junctions

Mentor: Michael Hamilton

Emily Wilson Aerospace Engineering

Sponsor(s): College of Science and Mathematics

Project Title:  Study of the Aerodynamic Interactions Between a Coaxial Rotor and a Wing for Application in Tail-sitter UAVs

Mentor: Vrishank Raghav

Juming Xiong  Computer Science

Sponsor(s): College of Engineering

Project Title: Image Processing for the PoDiMS (Pathways of Disparities in Multiple Sclerosis) Study

Mentor: Gopikrishna Deshpande


School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences

Virginia Betbeze Wildlife Ecology and Management

Sponsor(s): College of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences

Project Title: 

Mentor: Christopher Lepczyk

Jaliyl Collins Natural Resources Management

Sponsor(s): College of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences

Project Title:  Developing Adaptations to Mitigate Water Resource Inequalities in Alabama and Mississippi through a Comparative Assessment of Public Policy

Mentor: Kelly Dunning

Brieanne Dickson Microbiology

Sponsor(s): College of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences

Project Title:  Analyzing how the Composition of Raw Materials Affects the Effectivity of an Antimicrobial Bio-based System

Mentor: Soledad Peresin

Madison McCown Wildlife Ecology and Management

Sponsor(s): College of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences

Project Title:  Why did the Squirrel not make it Across the Road? Factors Associated with Road Mortality of Squirrels in Lee County, Alabama

Mentor: Todd Steury

Kate Norrid Wildlife Ecology and Management

Sponsor(s): College of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences

Project Title:  The Effects of Urbanization on Stream Quality and Fish Nutrition and Health

Mentor: Bruce Lockaby

Victoria Stack Geospatial and Environmental Informatics

Sponsor(s): College of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences

Project Title:  Sustainability at Auburn University: Assessing Solar Energy Potential with Remote Sensing and GIS

Mentor: Lana Narine

Drake Stallworth Wildlife Ecology and Management

Sponsor(s): College of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences

Project Title: 

Mentor: Christopher Lepczyk


College of Human Sciences

Emily Barnes  Global Studies

Sponsor(s): College of Human Sciences

Project Title:  Nourish Wellness: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Combatting Nutrition Related Illness through Pediatric Care, Nutritional and Mental Wellness, and Physical Wellbeing

Mentor: Alicia Powers

Olivia Dettmering Interior Design

Sponsor(s): College of Human Sciences

Project Title: Altering Kitchen Design to Incorporate Urban Homesteading

Mentor: Taneshia West Albert

Allison Kraabel  Interior Design

Sponsor(s): College of Human Sciences

Project Title:  How Interior Design Combats the Loss of a Permanent Sense of Home for Adolescents in Orphanages or Temporary Homes and its Overall Affect on their Mental Healths

Mentor: Taneshia West Albert

Caitlin Powers Global Studies

Sponsor(s): College of Human Sciences

Project Title: Zero Hunger Pathways Project

Mentor: Alicia Powers

Hollen Terry  Global Studies

Sponsor(s): College of Human Sciences

Project Title:  Un Giardino di Comunione: Greenspace as a Restorative, Communal Site for Students Studying Abroad

Mentor: Lindsay Tan


College of Liberal Arts

Joshua Enger Biomedical Sciences

Sponsor(s): College of Liberal Arts

Project Title:  Alcohol Related Alterations in Immune Markers in Binge and Moderate Drinkers

Mentor: Sara Blaine

Lee (Taylor) Gusler Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior and Psychology

Sponsor(s): College of Liberal Arts

Project Title:  Percussion, Peer Bonding, and Pro Social Behavior: Implications of Percussion Education on the Overall Therapeutic Model in Adjudicated Youth

Mentor: Kelli Thompson

Hunter Hathorn Psychology

Sponsor(s): College of Liberal Arts

Project Title: 

Mentor: Sara Driskell

Jennifer Jones Quantitative Economics and Integrative Biology

Sponsor(s): College of Liberal Arts

Project Title:  Examining the Economic Community Effects of Nuclear Power Plant Construction

Mentor: Richard Seals

Allen Li Political Science and Economics

Sponsor(s): College of Liberal Arts

Project Title:  The U.S. Occupation of Post-World War II Germany: Media Content Analysis, 1945-1949

Mentor: Paul Harris

Anna O’Donell Speech, Language, and Hearing Science

Sponsor(s): College of Liberal Arts

Project Title:  Audiological Screening Protocol using a Novel Tablet Application: A validation study

Mentor: Aurora Weaver

Camille Preston Neuroscience

Sponsor(s): College of Liberal Arts

Project Title:  The Effect of Teacher Habit Formation on Preschoolers’ Activity Levels

Mentor: Danielle Wadsworth

Gabriella Thompson Psychology

Sponsor(s): College of Liberal Arts

Project Title: How Parental Relationships Impact Adolescents’ Social Interactions and Relationships When Entering College

Mentor: Sara Driscoll

Jordan Windham Political Science

Sponsor(s): College of Liberal Arts

Project Title:  How the White Manipulates National Crisis Narratives

Mentor: Matthew Clary

Katelyn Wolfe Theater Design and Production

Sponsor(s): College of Liberal Arts

Project Title:  Comedy or Tragedy: A Psychoanalysis on the Impact of Technical Elements on the Audience’s Perception of Absurdist Works

Mentor: Fereshteh Rostampour

Mackenzie Wood Psychology

Sponsor(s): College of Liberal Arts

Project Title:  Women’s Perceptions of Social Interactions after Sexual Violence

Mentor: Sara Driskell


School of Nursing

Blakey Blaine Nursing

Sponsor(s): School of Nursing

Project Title:  Assessing the Receptiveness to Infant Safe Sleep Counseling for SIDS Prevention in Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Populations

Mentor: Ann Lambert

Hudson Sneed Biomedical Sciences

Sponsor(s): School of Nursing

Project Title: Analyzing the Effectiveness of the Pediatric Pain Scale 

Mentor: Linda Gibson-Youngx


College of Sciences and Mathematics

Davis Arthur Physics

Sponsor(s): College of Science and Mathematics

Project Title: Development of a multi-particle spectrometer

Mentor: Guillaume Laurent

Dorelle Fawwal Microbiology

Sponsor(s): College of Science and Mathematics

Project Title: Bioactivity ccreening of novel streptomyces species 

Mentor: Mark Liles

Kerstin Glaser Geology/Psychology

Sponsor(s): College of Science and Mathematics

Project Title: Analysis of pesticide contamination among oyster farms in Mobile Bay

Mentor: Ann Ojeda

Hayleigh Hallam Biomedical Sciences

Sponsor(s): College of Science and Mathematics

Project Title: Factors associated with preventive cancer screening among diabetic patients as compared to their non-diabetic counterparts 

Mentor: Chiahung “Edward” Chou

Nathan Holden Applied Math; English

Sponsor(s): College of Science and Mathematics

Project Title: Mathematically helping solar cells absorb more light 

Mentor: Junshan Lin

Madelyn James Biochemistry

Sponsor(s): College of Science and Mathematics

Project Title: New method for preparation of gold-on-glass electrodes that enables reusable DNA-based electrochemical biosensors  

Mentor: Christopher Easley

Erin LaGrone Biomedical Sciences

Sponsor(s): College of Science and Mathematics

Project Title: Female dominance hierarchies of wild-derived mice (Mus musculus

Mentor: Wendy Hood

Regan Moss Microbiology/Neuroscience

Sponsor(s): College of Science and Mathematics

Project Title: Heterogenentiy in trauma exposure and biopsychosocial health profiles of male sex trafficking survivors

Mentor: Lauren Rulhmann

Sarah Nix Biomedical Sciences

Sponsor(s): College of Science and Mathematics

Project Title: The influence of sleep on blood vessel function in younger to middle-aged adults 

Mentor: Austin Robinson

Emma Parmer Biomedical Sciences

Sponsor(s): College of Science and Mathematics

Project Title: Quantifying emerging contaminants in Parkerson Mill Creek

Mentor: Ann Ojeda

Ryleigh Randall Laboratory Sciences

Sponsor(s): College of Science and Mathematics

Project Title: Establishing an accurate water-corrected plasma:erythrocyte ratio for glucose, lactate, and pyruvate in human, pig, and chicken erythrocytes

Mentor: Andreas Kavazes

Abbriana Robert Biomedical Sciences

Sponsor(s): College of Science and Mathematics

Project Title: Important features of Walking Adaptation: A look at the nervous systems ability to regulate and maintain Sensory input during split-belt walking 

Mentor: Jaimie Roper

Joshua Semmes Biomedical Sciences

Sponsor(s): College of Science and Mathematics

Project Title: Morphological characteristics of ant communities among habitats of Alabama 

Mentor: Bill Wills

Haley Stephens Microbiology

Sponsor(s): College of Science and Mathematics

Project Title: Developing a printable paper-based test for detection of malaria parasites in mosquitoes for global use in malaria control programs

Mentor: Sarah Zohdy

Jake Tatum Microbiology

Sponsor(s): College of Science and Mathematics

Project Title: Generating a reliable method to quantitively measure and differentiate lytic and latent replication of the KSHV virus in different cell lines and stages of the virus’s life cycle

Mentor: Joanna Sztuba-Solinska

Avery Von Eiff Marine Biology

Sponsor(s): College of Science and Mathematics

Project Title: Effects of climate change on coral reefs: Factors affecting recovery from thermal stress in Florida false corals  Ricordea Florida 

Mentor: Marie Strader

Anna Wilson Biomedical Sciences

Sponsor(s): College of Science and Mathematics

Project Title: Changes in vascular collagen density and cerebral blood flow in cats with a phosphoprotein enriched in astrocytes 15 kDa (PEA15) loss-of function mutation

Mentor: Emily Graff

Last Modified : Jul 23, 2023 @ 12:11 am