Former Members

• anthonygacasan@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs: Student Affairs Fee Advisory Board, Biomedical Sciences Association, Honors Student Council
• Awards & Distinctions: President's Endowed Scholar, Dean's Honor Roll
• Experience with: Austin Gastroenterology Internship

I am a senior Biomedical Sciences major with a minor in Business from Round Rock, Texas. I am planning on pursuing a career in medicine, with the ultimate goal of practicing as a Pediatric Gastroenterologist. When I’m not in the lab or the “Mouse House,” you may find me on a run around town, playing the piano in the All Faiths Chapel, singing in the St. Mary’s Choir, dabbling in a bit of painting, or volunteering at Family Promise of BCS, which serves to benefit homeless children and their families to achieve sustainable independence. Outside of research and academics, I’ve also had the opportunity to participate in organizations such as the Honors Student Council, MSC Freshman Leadership International, University Honors, the Biomedical Sciences Association, the Texas A&M Singing Cadets and hold one of nine seats on the Student Affairs Fee Advisory Board at Texas A&M.

I began my research experience the fall semester of my freshman year under the direction of Dr. David Threadgill in the department of Veterinary Pathobiology. My research focuses on the influence of diet and genetic background on the gut microbiome composition, which in turn is associated with health status looking specifically at colorectal cancer and its proliferation or prevention in a unique mouse model. I am currently working on a causal study in relation to the aforementioned research project, which will be the basis for my undergraduate research thesis. My experience in research has solidified and amplified my passion for science. It has allowed me the opportunity to learn a variety of skills and collaborate with a plethora of different specialties such as with a toxicology lab under the direction of Dr. Ivan Rusyn, with whom I worked with on a collaborative study over the summer. I am excited to be able to share my passion with others as an Undergraduate Research Ambassador and I hope to inspire them to join in the incredibly fun, educational, and sociable experiences that research has to offer everyone.

• dilljone@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs: Texas A&M Zoological Society, Aggie Behavior Network
• Activities: Environmental Interpreter for The Urban Interface, Co-Founder and CEM of Snipe Hunt Games, Devoted student lackey for LAUNCH
• Awards & Distinctions: Outstanding Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Senior Award
  Nomination - Texas A&M Student Employee of the Year
• Experience with: Internships, Presentations, IACUC, IRB, Summer Programs

Howdy! I am a senior Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Major extremely interested in wildlife conservation research as it relates to Herpetology (reptile and amphibians). I have been involved in projects ranging from growth rates of Agamid lizards, to oral parisitology of panamanian snakes, to radio telemetry of the white lipped mud turtle in a montane system of Belize. More recently, my interests have gravitated towards discovering core ecological concepts of reptiles and amphibians and eventually using that information to create conservation action. 

I strongly believe that research is a three step process of learning, doing, and teaching. As such, I try my hardest to implement these three actions into my everyday life. As a student, I went into my classes with the perogative to learn as oppose to memorzie. As a researcher, I am constantly striving to find a new project, a new focus, or a new avenue to dive into. As an educator, I strive to bring students, the public, and those close to me into my life and show them what I find fascinating about wildlife, conservation and ecology.

My extra curricular avenues have lead me to be president of two student organizations (TAMU Zoological Society and the Aggie Animal Behavior Network); at one point of both at the same tim. I have volunteered for several years with The Urban Interface doing wildlife education all across the state of Texas. I, with a business partner, started an educational board game company that focuses of teaching key ecological concepts through the magic of games. I also started a professional blog and instagram that focuses very heavily on teaching wildlife and ecology through social media and wildlife photography (@Contemporary_Conservationist). All of these endeavors have been so that I can educate, influence, and create change in this world. 

My goals beyond my undergraduate career are clear. I want to acquire a Ph.D. and become an research and educator in academia. While I still have not figured out what school or program I want, I has a strong idea as to the field I want to study. I think that there is so much more to know in this world and through combining traditional research with contemporary techniques, I truley believe that we can learn an incredibly amount about our planet and the creatures that share it with us.

• fgz1999@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs: Texas A&M Emergency Medical Services
  University Honors Program
  Academic Peer Mentor
  Conway-Fitzhugh Leadership Seminar student leader
• Awards & Distinctions: University Scholar
  Lechner Scholar
  Dean's Honor Roll
  Academic Excellence Scholar
  Aggie Leadership Scholar
  LAUNCH Teaching Scholar Capstone
  Eagle Scout
• Experience with: Internships, Year-round research, Leading a research team, International Conferences, Poster & Oral Presentations, Study Abroads

My name is Faris Zaibaq and I’m a senior Biomedical Sciences major & Spanish minor from Sugar Land Tx. My plans after finishing my bachelors are to attend graduate school for a research-based career in the medical field. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed classes such as biochemistry 2 and endocrinology, giving me a chemistry-oriented perspective on medicine. I joined the physical organic chemistry lab of Dr. Daniel Singleton the fall of my freshman year. Since then, I have been consistently working on one project, the enantio-selective synthesis of the amino acid L-valine. The exclusive synthesis and use of L-amino acids by cellular machinery is a ubiquitous biological feature of nearly all organisms. This indicates that homochiral L-amino acids may have existed before the appearance of life. Understanding how this homochirality originated is a key component of any theory regarding the origin of life.

In the past three years, I have made progress towards the absolute asymmetric synthesis of L-valine polypeptides without using any specialized chemical or cellular features such as enzymes, ribosomes, or even chiral molecules. When not in lab, you will find me exploring campus or different parts of town. I bike everywhere, and love to do it in my free time on a cool Saturday morning. I make it an effort to read, if not books at least short articles or news stories. I particularly enjoy current events, aviation, meteorology and cooking.

• k.yamaguchi@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs: Global Medical Missions Alliance, Asian American InterVarsity, Texas A&M Archery Team, Red Cross TAMU, University Honors
• Activities: Volunteer with Grace Bible Church
• Awards & Distinctions: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Council Scholarship Recipient
• Experience with: Internships, Summer Research, Research for Credit

I am a Junior double majoring in Biochemistry and Genetics from Phoenix, Arizona, hoping to attend medical school upon my graduation from Texas A&M. In addition to research, I enjoy shooting archery for the United States Archery Team and the university archery program. I also will be starting the Texas A&M chapter of Global Medical Missions Alliance this fall.

My current research is under Dr. Zhiye Wang and Dr. Xiuren Zhang in the Biochemistry Department. We are currently studying mechanisms of microRNA gene regulation by transforming mustard plants to produce a glowing protein and microRNA. By randomly mutating these plants and observing the relative bioluminescence, we can track the production of the protein and determine which mutations cause changes in gene expression. As the study continues, we will continue to seek the relationship between the genes discovered to change the production of the glowing protein and the biochemical pathways governing this process. Eventually, we hope that learning these mechanisms will allow us to better treat disease and benefit crop production and human health.

I love the people in my lab, and I find real value in my research. Research has allowed me to learn material prior to my upper level classes, affirmed my interest in genetics and allowed me to contribute to the scientific community. My gained understanding of genetics will also help jumpstart my career as I pursue oncology and other genetic medicine. Due to my research experience, last summer I was given the opportunity to work in the pediatric department of MD Anderson Cancer Center as a participant in the center’s Summer Externship program. This summer I am interning for the RosettaCommons, a computational biology NSF REU through Johns Hopkins. Through my internship, I have been able to see my classes come to life and learn cutting edge biochemical and biophysical techniques to elucidate the structures of protein-MHC complexes. This summer I hope my research contributes to engineering new immunotherapies for patients with advanced stages of cancer.

• ktgarlic@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs: Texas A&M Corps of Cadets
  University Writing Center
  Aggie Creative Collective
• Awards & Distinctions: Outstanding Thesis Award in Creative Works
  Kupfer Scholar
• Experience with: Internships, summer research, creative research, creative artifacts

My name is Kyrie Garlic and I am a senior English & Philosophy major from Weslaco, Texas. I have been writing creatively my entire life, but it was not until the summer after my sophomore year at Texas A&M that I turned this creative passion into undergraduate research. I applied for the Aggie Creative Collective and went through a month-long summer program where I worked with Dr. Lowell Mick White to lay the groundwork for my creative project. My novel centers on a high-school-aged protagonist growing up in Northeast West Virginia and dealing with familial trauma tied to the opioid epidemic. It contrasts nihilist and existentialist philosophical perspectives and explores the ways we can reconcile our interests in immanence (living in the moment) and transcendence (longing for the future) through love.

• morganjames.chapman@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs: Corps of Cadets, American Medical Students Association, Cannon Lab, Langford Lab
• Activities: Ice hockey, rock climbing, bouldering, mountaineering, mountain biking, hiking, fishing (but not ice fishing), cross country skiing, downhill skiing, reading, photography, research, traveling.
• Awards & Distinctions: Fuller Scholar
• Experience with: Materials Science, Medicinal Chemistry, Microbiology, Genetics, animal trials, project design, bacterial efficacy trials, international medical experience, clinical research

When I am not busy in the lab or reading papers for my research projects, you might find me climbing, reading books, spending time with the Corps, studying, and every once in a while; sleeping. I currently spend most of my time involved with research in the Cannon lab where I am working on my dermal surgical suture, a project I recently started with the goal of reducing surgical site infections and improving comfort of wounds.
Being from Alaska, almost all of my hobbies involve being outside, whether it's sliding down an ice field with an ice axe, swimming in the glacial lakes, or skiing in 12 feet of snow, you can always find me enjoying the cold. Growing up outside and being constantly surrounded by nature were huge factors in my decision to pursue microbiology and genetics, but the biggest influence was my curiosity. I love to ask questions. In all of my notebooks for class, there is often more questions than there are actual notes. This desire to learn, for the sake of learning, is what inspired me to do research. When I come into the lab, I feel like a kid in a candy store, except instead of a lollipop and twizzlers, there's an 18,000 volt battery and blood agar, yum! 

I got involved in research my freshmen year where I started on a Nursing research project examining the use of different wavelengths of light for identifying deep tissue bruises. Since then I have become active in two more labs, the Cannon lab and the Langford lab. In the Cannon lab, I am currently working on an electrospun scaffold with analgesic and antibiotic capabilities. In the Langford lab, I am currently studying how a particular neurological virus is disrupting specific biochemical pathways leading to symptoms such as paralysis. While being at Texas A&M I have also had the opportunity to have a very interesting freshman year in the Corps, travel to Tanzania to be a medical volunteer and study tropical disease, travel to Australia to study economics, politics, government, and international relations, become an Undergraduate Research Ambassador, and even meet Ms. Rev a time or two. 

Currently I am pursuing two bachelor's degrees simultaneously in Genetics and Microbiology with the hopes of minoring in Bioinformatics and Mathematics. Upon graduation I am planning on pursuing entrance to an MD/PhD program where I can study cellular biology and develop more personalized medical treatments to patients based on their genetic background as well as developing a more fundamental understanding about the workings of the cell. 

• oscargon1234@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs:

  Aggie Quiz Bowl, American Chemical Society, Texas A&M Tabletop Troupe, Century Scholars Organization

• Awards & Distinctions:

  Goldwater Scholarship Honorable Mention, Dean's Honor Roll, Astronaut Scholarship Nominee

• Experience with: Summer Research, Presentations, Internships

I am a sophomore chemistry major from San Juan, Texas minoring in physics and mathematics. I am currently doing research under Dr. Sarbajit Banerjee and my plans after graduation are to attend graduate school where I will obtain a PhD in chemistry. In addition, I plan to become a professor and lead my own research group. My current focus is on inorganic and physical chemistry, though I enjoy other areas of chemistry such as organic chemistry. When I am not in the chemistry building I am doing my duties as a Century Scholars mentor, practicing for Quiz Bowl, or playing board games. 

My undergraduate research experience began when I assisted Dr. Meigan Aronson in her lab on the second semester of my freshman year. I then joined Dr. Banerjee’s research group in the summer following my freshman year where I worked on the synthesis of magnesium nanowires and different phases of hafnium dioxide. Working under Dr. Banerjee has been an eye-opening experience and it has made me realize that I want to solve problems that hinder technological advancements. I have also been accepted into MIT’s Summer Research Program and cannot wait to share my experiences with other undergraduates, as well as incoming freshman.

• Organizations & Programs: Academy of Undergraduate Researchers Across Texas; Undergraduate Research Scholars; Explorations: The Texas A&M Undergraduate Journal; The Hon. Larry E. Kelly Bankruptcy American Inn of Court

S. Claye Epperson currently serves as Law Clerk to the Honorable Craig Gargotta of the US Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Texas. An emerging litigator, Claye's legal education and field experience focused on where criminal law meets families. She is particularly interested in finding a more appropriate way to litigate intra-family and intra-personal crime with the goal of reaching equitable outcomes addressing victim, family, and community needs. Her note titled Restoring Balance to Domestic Violence Prosecution after Crawford, published by the Virginia Journal of Criminal Law, is available on Westlaw and the VJCL website. While clerking for Judge Gargotta, she expects to learn more about equity and multiparty litigation.

Before she was a litigator, Claye was a history student and undergraduate researcher. Women professors introduced her to an academic pursuit she found deeply personal: women's history. After a professor suggested she read early American caselaw as a primary source, Claye was hooked. Stories of women using the ameliorative power of the law to assert their interests and improve their lots emerged as a central theme of Claye's undergraduate study. In her senior year, Claye piloted the Collaboration Among LAUNCH program, partnering the History Department with the Law School. Her thesis, Litigating Women: The Path to Intermediate Scrutiny in American Law, is available on OakTrust in full. A version appropriate for all audiences is published in Explorations: The Texas A&M Undergraduate Journal, Volume 10. Litigating Women won the following awards: Outstanding Thesis in Liberal Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities; Drs. Grace and Henry Jameson Prize for Best Undergraduate Research on Women; and the Best Undergraduate Paper at the 9th Annual TAMU History Conference. 

Claye's advice to undergraduate students would be to find a subject matter that excites them and start researching. Every career values the abilities to read and write clearly. More importantly, critical thought is paramount in a functioning democracy. Undergraduate researchers will undoubtedly develop these skills. Students interested in Collaboration Among LAUNCH or law school should feel free to contact Claye!

• torymartin@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs: Undergraduate Research Scholar
  Undergraduate Research Ambassador
  Glasscock Summer Scholar
  Fasken Intern
  Vice President of Global Legal Empowerment Brigades
  Aggie Research Program: Philosophy in the Classroom
  Aggie Research Program: The Ethics of Deepfakes
• Awards & Distinctions: Philosophy Honors
  Dean's List
  National Society of Collegiate Scholars
• Experience with: Litigation Case Analyst at the Hernandez Law Firm, Philosophy for Children Research, Philosophy Research

Howdy! My name is Tory Martin and I am a senior Philosophy major from Magnolia, Texas. I became involved in undergraduate research upon joining the Glasscock Summer Scholars program in conjunction with the Undergraduate Research Scholars program to write my undergraduate thesis under Dr. Linda Radzik. My thesis, recently published in the TAMU OakTrust, deals with the philosophical topics of wrongdoing, forgiveness, and punishment, answering the question of whether one can punish or endorse punishment after forgiving their wrongdoer. In addition to my thesis, I also have been involved in multiple Aggie Research Programs (ARP) under the direction of David Anderson and Jared Oliphint, respectively. Under David Anderson, I researched Philosophy for Children while also being a Fasken Intern for Dr. Claire Katz, allowing me the unique opportunity to go into College Hills Elementary School to facilitate philosophical discussion with K-12 graders. Recently, I joined Jared Oliphint’s ARP entitled The Ethics of Deepfakes and will be doing my own individual research to write about this new field of digital ethics.

My experience in research has greatly impacted my undergraduate experience, and I could not recommend it enough. Researching allows me to delve deep into topics I am interested in and passionate about and provides the unique opportunity to have hands-on experience typically found only in graduate and professional school. The skills I have developed through my various research projects are undoubtedly the most valuable skills I could have learned in preparation for professional school. Undergraduate research has also nurtured my passion for education and continued learning outside of the classroom, which I will surely carry with me throughout my life. Outside of research, I am also the Vice President of Global Legal Empowerment Brigades, a global service organization that travels to rural Central American communities to assist local lawyers in family cases, facilitate legal clinics, and host educational workshops on the topics of local law and human rights. Further, I am a Litigation Case Analyst for the Hernandez Law Firm, which allows me to gain practical experience in personal injury litigation.

• michael_lee@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs: Undergraduate Research Scholars
  The Hunger a Consortium
  First Year Eats
  SIBS
• Awards & Distinctions: University Honors
  College of Science Dean’s Honor Roll
  Texas A&M Institute of Data Science Competition (1st Place)
  Summer Institute in Biostatistics Participant
  Statistics Summer Undergraduate Research Participant
• Experience with: Summer Research, Internships

Hello! My name is Michael Lee and I am currently a Junior Statistics major from Lubbock, TX. I have been involved in various undergraduate research programs including the First Year Eats Program, Summer Institute in Biostatistics, and the TAMU Department of Statistics Summer Research programs. The First Year Eats Program is the program I have been involved in the most as I am acting as the main intern currently after a year of participating as a Sophomore intern. The program aims to reduce food insecurity on campus targeting first-year university students in select dormitories at TAMU. By providing free ingredients and snacks along with cooking lessons, we hope to relieve students of food insecurity stress so that they will be able to concentrate academically as well as maintain and improve their physical and emotional health.

I have assisted with data collection and running statistical analysis regarding participants’ academic performance. By applying statistical and mathematical analysis via R, we have been able to use regression models to determine the effects of the program regarding student academic performance. Furthermore, our findings were presented to both inside and outside the department which we were granted further funding to continue this program! This year, we hope to modify and enhance the research done last year as well as introduce stress scales to measure students’ mental well-being. It is our hope to see this program become implemented in various other dormitories around our campus but also one day have it implemented outside of our school to combat food insecurity on campus. During the past summer, my participation at SIBS was a very rewarding experience where I was able to have hands-on data from two separate studies: the Framingham Heart Study and the Jackson Heart Study. The first half involved understanding and practicing applying biostatistics analysis methods and developing regression models using JMP. The second half involved us forming groups along with faculty mentors who helped us design our own methods of research using the two datasets which we presented our findings to the entire group at the end. Finally, the Departmental Summer Research at TAMU has also allowed me to pursue further research that my professor and I were interested in the semester prior. As an interesting combination of both the arts and statistics, I was able to develop a Python program in which the user could input their name or choice of phrases to the program where it would then fit them in a residual-fitted values plot and run it through various processes where their name or phrase would be displayed in a residual plot!

Outside of research, I love to explore the world both physically and at-home. Learning about and visiting other cultures is a fascination to me and arguably one of the most important parts (food!) is something I love to be involved in. I enjoy cooking and making recipes from all around the world and really trying to perfect and make the food as authentic as possible make me excited! In addition, I love reading or watching horror stories and thrillers in my free time as well.

• michaelpit@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs: Undergraduate Research Ambassadors, Texas A&M Biology Honors Advisory Council, Memorial Student Center Hospitality, Texas A&M Jazz Ensemble, Texas A&M Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
• Activities: Fly Fishing, Scuba diving, Golf, Playing the guitar and the saxophone, Hiking, Downhill skiing
• Awards & Distinctions: Undergraduate Research Scholar, Phi Kappa Phi Gathright Dean's Excellence Award, 1st Place Undergraduate Oral Presentation -  Neuroscience Across Texas Symposium, 1st Place Undergraduate Poster Presentation - Texas A&M Biology Student/Postdoc Research Conference, Deans Honor Roll
• Experience with: Summer Research, Presentations, Research Compliance, Faculty Mentors

Howdy! My name is Michael Pitonak and I am currently a junior Biology major from Tyler, TX. After I complete my undergraduate studies, I plan on attending medical school with the hopes of becoming an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hand reconstruction. When I first began to look into potential laboratories that I could apply to, I knew I wanted to study and learn more in the field of stem cell transplantation and neuroscience. Both of these fields are on the leading edge of discovery in science, since there is still an immense amount of information we do not know. This led me to join the lab of our leading neuroscience professors, Dr. Jennifer Dulin. Spinal cord injury is a devastating injury that affects over 300,000 people in the United States alone. Transplantation of stem cells, more specifically, Neural Progenitor Cells (NPCs) into sites of spinal cord injury has a high potential for improving functional outcomes in affected individuals. However, little is understood about the many biological guidelines involved in making the NPC graft successful. My current project deals with determining the role of having a host/graft sex mismatch in the success of NPC transplants into sites of spinal cord injury. The results of my project could go on to modify some of the ways current clinical and preclinical trials perform their transplants, moving us a step closer to finding a treatment for spinal cord injuries. Being able to do this kind of research is an incredible opportunity that not many undergraduates have. The thought that I am able to implore my abilities into something that could potentially allow someone to stand from their wheelchair and walk again excites me and I am very grateful to be a part of it.

• maggiebellemartin@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs: Undergraduate Research Scholars, American Institute of Architecture Students
• Activities: Marketing Director for the Texas A&M chapter of American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS)
• Awards & Distinctions: Undergraduate Research Scholar, COA Dean's Honor Roll, Publication and Cover Artwork in Explorations Vol. 13, COA Fresh Visions Exhibition, COA Celebration of Excellence
• Experience with: Undergraduate Research, Summer Research, Presentations, Teaching Assistance

Howdy! My name is Maggie Martin, and I am an honors Environmental Design major with a double minor in New Media Art and Leadership in the Design and Construction Professions. I was born and raised in Conroe, Texas, and I am part of a line of 100 years of Aggies. My academic and professional interests are in architectural visualization, housing issues, graphic design, and design education. From these interests stems my research, which focuses on providing an accessible design education resource for cities or organizations working towards designing a permanent supportive housing neighborhood. After graduating from Texas A&M, I have plans to attend graduate school for Architecture and hope to continue contributing to research in architecture.

Throughout my time at A&M I have served as a student research assistant on three projects. I am currently assisting the Texas Freedom Colonies Project with James Michael Tate and Dr. Andrea Roberts. My work is in establishing a visual language to be used by students at both Texas A&M College Station and Texas A&M Prairie View as they contribute to research for the Texas Freedom Colonies Project. Apart from research I spend my time as the marketing director for the Texas A&M Chapter of the American Institute of Architecture Students, or in studio working on a design project. In my free time I love exploring art in many mediums, visiting museums, attending concerts, and spending time with friends. The past two summers I have served as a Camp ARCH counselor for the College of Architecture, this opportunity has reinforced my desire to become a design educator. I hope to carry what I have learned so far in research into a career in both architecture and design education.

• sunjayletchuman@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs: Maroon Coats
  Texas A&M Moderates
  University Scholars
• Awards & Distinctions: Dean’s Excellence Award
  National Merit Scholar
  President's Endowed Scholar
• Experience with: Oral Presentations, Summer Research

Howdy! My name is Sunjay Letchuman, and I am currently a junior Business Honors major from Shreveport, Louisiana. After completing my business degree, I will be attending the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. I am involved with a few research projects on topics I am incredibly excited about. My interests in business and healthcare come together with the field of health policy, which is the field I hope to dedicate my life to as a physician. Physicians play a key role in improving health policy, and 17 doctors currently serve in Congress! I am grateful for the opportunity of working on healthcare research projects at the business school under the direction of Dr. Kayla Cline and Dr. Leonard Berry. Dr. Cline and I study patient safety and healthcare-acquired infections, which are infections a patient contracts within a hospital, such as surgical-site infections. Dr. Berry is a legend in the field of service delivery in healthcare, and we are working on a project aimed at improving the patient experience, particularly among the seriously ill. To keep my love for clinical medicine close, I have the privilege of performing spinal cord injury research under the direction of Dr. Jennifer Dulin. Our lab explores clinically relevant questions, such as whether neural stem cells are effective in restoring locomotor function after injury to the spinal cord. My undergraduate thesis work from the lab explores the development of glial cells, which are the support cells of the nervous system.

• valeri.cangelosi@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs: Departmental Honors Program, Academic Success Center Supplemental Instructor, Undergraduate Research Scholars, Melbern G. Glasscock Center for Humanities Research Scholar, Texas A&M Pre-Law Society
• Activities: Entrepreneur, Texas A&M Intramural Sand Volleyball, Texas A&M Intramural Court Volleyball
• Awards & Distinctions: Undergraduate Research Scholar, Glasscock Summer Scholar, Pre-Law Certification, Departmental Honors 
• Experience with: Legal Internships, Summer Research, Presentations, Research Compliance, Entrepreneurship, Teaching, Tutoring, Public Speaking, Spanish-to-English Interpretation

Valeri Cangelosi is a senior Society, Ethics, and Law major with a double minor in Philosophy and Architectural Fabrication & Product Design. She is excited to work with her faculty advisor Dr. Rivera and fellow undergraduate researchers of the AURATX program. Valeri's research will focus on Decolonial Theory and its influence on sexuality and gender and how they challenge heteronormative values. During Valeri's time at Texas A&M, she has worked with the Academic Success Center for four semesters as a Supplementary Instructor for Introduction to Logic and is a member of the Texas A&M Pre-Law Society. Outside of school, she enjoys baking and playing sand volleyball. A fun fact about her is that she owns her own business selling her homemade kolaches and pies. After graduating from Texas A&M, Valeri plans on attending graduate school at the Texas A&M Bush School and fulfilling a career in law and public policy.