Current Ambassadors

Alexandra Bishop '21
Major: Biology
Minor: Bioinformatics, Philosophy
Research Focus: Ecology, Pathology, Biology
Years of Research Experience: 2

addieb24@tamu.edu
Organizations & Programs:
Ecological Systems Laboratory
Texas A&M Women's Lacrosse
University Honors Program
Activities:
Amazon River Tropical Biology Field Research Trip
Computation Cancer Biology Training Program Research Internship
SSI Open Water Scuba Diver
Awards & Distinctions:
President's Endowed Scholar
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Scholar
College of Science Dean's Honor Roll
Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society
Aggie Research Scholar
Experience with: Summer Research Internship, Fall/Spring Semester Research, Local, State, and National Research Conferences, Poster and Oral Presentations, Manuscript Publication, Study Abroad Field Research

My name is Alexandra Bishop (but I go by Addie), and I am a senior biology major with minors in philosophy and bioinformatics from Kingwood, Texas. I have conducted research at Texas A&M in the Ecological Systems Laboratory under Dr. Rose Wang since my second semester of college. During this time, I have worked on multiple projects. The laboratory itself focuses on using systems analysis and simulation as an integral part of ecological research investigating the movement of invasive species and disease. This past year in the lab, I conducted my capstone thesis project in which I created a computational model that used existing data of Bacillus bacterial conjugation rates to predict environmentally triggered anthrax outbreaks.

My experience in research as an undergraduate has taught me that I want to strongly incorporate research into my future career. Through my lab and field experience, I have learned that I want to attend medical school with a focus on research. Through my research experience with epidemiology, I've decided that I would like to focus on infectious disease at medical school, and throughout my career. I love the idea of a diverse career in which I can take advantage of opportunities as they arise, allowing me to perform clinical work, conduct research, teach, and possibly using my experience to transfer into other career fields down the line. My experience in research has opened my eyes to the incredible opportunities that could be part of my future.

Charlotte Nicole Deere '21
Major: Anthropology
Minor: Museum Studies
Research Focus: Nautical Archaeology, History, Artifact Documentation
Years of Research Experience: 1

ndeere@tamu.edu
Organizations & Programs:
Anthropological Society
The Femmatas
Historical Society
Awards & Distinctions:
Undergraduate Research Ambassador
Experience with: Conference Presentations

I am an Anthropology and Classics double major with a minor in Museum Studies from Cedar Park, Texas. I am planning on pursuing a PhD in History. When I am not in the lab, you can find me at Texas A&M's Historical Society meetings, watching Netflix, knitting, or painting.

I began working in the Shipwrecks of the Americas Lab in the Anthropology building as an artifact documenter in the Fall of 2017 as a freshman. Later that same semester, the Anthropology Department's Graduate-Undergraduate Mentor Program started up and I decided to join under the supervision of Carolyn Kennedy, who I was already documenting for. With her and Dr. Kevin Crisman, I tracked the spread of cholera throughout the United States in 1832 via steamboats and gave a presentation over it at the 2019 Society of Historical Archaeology Conference.

These connections led to another graduate student, Julia Herbst, asking if I would join her on the City Place Schooner Project in Toronto in Summer 2018. In the summer of 2019, I went to Fort Ticonderoga in New York to help graduate student Dan Bishop in his survey of Lake Champlain.

Starting that same summer, I began working at the Conservation Research Lab on our RELLIS campus. I've mainly worked on the conservation, documentation, and shipping of the CSS Georgia, a Confederate ironclad warship. I'm still working out there, even during the school year!

With most of my research experience being historical nautical archaeology related, I decided to take quite a turn for my senior year and work on a project that is closer to what I hope to do in graduate school one day. I'm currently working under the supervision of Dr. Christoph Konrad and Dr. Deborah Carlson on analyzing Roman imperial numismatics (coins) depicting women related to the emperor. I hope to identify trends that are maintained or changed based on dynasties to inform upon how imperial women were used as propaganda in the Principate Period of the Roman Empire.

Oula M. Eldow '21
Major: Biomedical Sciences
Minor: Psychology
Research Focus: Ex-ovo Eggs, Chicken CAM, Low Dose Radiation and Lymphatic Vessels
Years of Research Experience: 2
Advisor: Christopher Quick

oeldow@tamu.edu
Organizations & Programs: Aggie Research Scholars Program
Biomedical Research Certificate
Minority Association of Premed Students
Peer Leadership and Service Program
Texas A&M Figure Skating Club
Honors Student Council
Activities: Muslim Students Association
Drawing
Watching anime
Ice skating
Knitting and Crocheting
Volunteering
Awards & Distinctions: University Honors
Dean's Honor Roll and Excellence Award
Aggie Leadership Award
IBT Summer Research Internship Certificate

Howdy! My name is Oula (like how you say “hello” in Spanish!) and I am a junior Biomedical Sciences major and a psychology minor originally from North Sudan in Africa. I lived in several countries and states before I came to Texas. My aspirations are to study medicine and become a pediatric primary care doctor or a family doctor and work in rural areas, where healthcare is most needed. I enjoy spending time with my family, especially my older sister, and learning how to draw new poses. Besides doing schoolwork, research and volunteering, you will find me drawing anime and manga, ice skating, or telling funny and sad stories with my sister.

I started my research experience during the spring of my freshman year, when I joined the Biomedical Research Certificate. As a member of Dr. Christopher Quick’s egg lab, my focus is optimizing an ex ovo chicken model to assess the effects of low dose radiation on the lymphatic vessels of the chicken embryo chorioallantoic membrane or CAM. My team and I are working on growing chicken embryos in surrogate eggshells and increasing their survivability by adding antibiotics, fungizone and other variables that keeps them sterile and alive outside of their shells. Ex ovo chicken models are a great way to visualize the chicken’s embryo’s vasculature and lymphatic vessels and allows for measuring the changes in vessel diameter before and after interventions like administration of low dose radiation.

In addition to my research with Dr. Quick and the BRC, I did a summer research internship with Dr. Margie Moczygemba at the Institute of Biosciences and Technology and was a member of the Watson/Patrick research lab at Texas A&M Health Science Center. Through research, I came to discover the importance of teamwork in a team project, because everyone contributes their own unique skills to the success of the project. During my junior year, I was fortunate to get the opportunity to become a research team leader with Aggie Research Scholars Program, which gave me a chance to develop and enhance my leadership skills while I am working on a project that I am passionate about. Research has allowed me to grow and mature as a scientist and has given me experiences that I am going to continue thriving upon as I am working my way through college and hopefully medical school!

Cora Garcia '21
Major: Biomedical Sciences, Entomology
Minor: Public Health
Research Focus: Conservation, Apiculture, Nutrition, Pathogens
Years of Research Experience: 2
Advisor: Juliana Rangel

Patrick Hall '21
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Minor: Materials Science and Engineering
Research Focus: Bone regeneration, limb regeneration, regenerative medicine, tissue engineering
Years of Research Experience: 2
Advisor: Lindsay Dawson

patchlondon@tamu.edu
Organizations & Programs: Photography Club
Aggie Research Scholar
Activities: Photography
Cooking
Art
Prototyping
Awards & Distinctions: Undergraduate Research Scholar

Howdy! I am a senior from The Woodlands, Texas pursuing a major in biomedical engineering with a minor in materials science. I am the president of Photography Club and very passionate about art. When I'm not researching, I can be found taking pictures, cooking, hiking, or trying to learn something new. I plan on getting my Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering with a research focus on tissue engineering and synthetic biology. I want to work on generating replacement organs for people who have suffered organ failure.

I entered college as a general engineering major possibly thinking about mechanical engineering, but after meeting with the biomedical ambassadors, I decided that BMEN would be the best for me. During my physiology class, one of the professors told me about research going on in his building; researching regeneration in mammals. That conversation led me to Dr. Ken Muneoka and Dr. Lindsay Dawson. Now, I have been researching under them for almost 2 years now. Our research is in investigating the regenerative qualities of mammals, specifically focusing on limb and digit regeneration. We want to understand the processes involved in a regenerative response to an amputation, and how to improve these regenerative responses. In humans and mice, the main regenerative response studied is the amputation of the terminal phalanx bone, aka the fingertip. Our research focuses on what differentiates this response versus the typical bone amputation response that ends in bone truncation and scar formation. We hope to use this information to help people who undergo these amputations regrow lost limbs or fingers. Under their guidance, I completed the Undergraduate Research Scholars program, where my team and I compared the wound environments in a regenerative and induced-regeneration models.

My research experience has provided me with many things; experience and knowledge that will help me in my applications to graduate school, a group of friends to discuss life with, and a set of mentors that have pushed me to be a better person and student. Research has greatly improved my undergraduate experience and I’m eager to help others find research that does the same for them.

Hannah Horcha '21
Major: Political Science
Research Focus: Sociology, Childhood Food Insecurity, Political Rhetoric
Years of Research Experience: 2
Advisor: Sarah Gatson

hhorcha21@tamu.edu
Organizations & Programs: Aggie Research Program
Research Assistantship
Aggie Research Mentor
Awards & Distinctions: Undergraduate Research Scholar

Howdy! I'm a Political Science student from Houston, Texas; my area of research is Sociology. When I'm outside the classroom, I enjoy reading and playing piano.

I got involved in undergraduate research my sophomore year; I was in a sociology class about race and ethnicity, and it was one of the first classes which sparked curiosity for me outside the classroom. I found myself reading up on the subject matter outside of class out of my own volition. At the end of the semester, my professor, who was a PhD candidate at the time, gave me the opportunity to help with his research. His dissertation was about the language of state legislation as it appertains to HIV and AIDS inclusivity.

My current research project began in Fall 2019. I initially joined a research team of undergraduate students in the Aggie Research Program conducting an ethnographic service-learning research project about childhood food insecurity in the Brazos Valley. In Spring 2019, I became the team leader. Part of the project entails volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club of the Brazos Valley. I never expected research to bring me closer to my community outside of the academic space, and I’ve been both surprised and enriched by the children that we work with.

I’m also currently working as an editor for a professor in the international studies department who is writing a book about Chinese political rhetoric. Her book has engaged me in rhetorical devices which I was previously unaware of, and I’m excited about how much I’m learning.

Undergraduate research has been the most impactful activity that I have participated in. The interactive aspect of research has been incredibly rewarding, and I feel lucky that research has led me to new and exciting experiences, strengthened my work ethic, and given me knew ways to analyze the world we live in.

Sangji (David) Lee '21
Major: Biomedical Sciences
Research Focus: Neuroscience, Attention
Years of Research Experience: 2
Project(s): Kim, A. J., Lee, D. S., Anderson, B. A. (in press). The inﬂuence of threat on the efﬁciency of goal-directed attentional control. Psychological Research. DOI: 10.1007/ s00426-020-01321-4.

Alex S. Peters '21
Major: Statistics
Minor: Mathematics
Research Focus: Statistical Modeling and Inference, Food Insecurity, Data Compression
Years of Research Experience: 1
Advisor: Alan Dabney

alexpeters1208@tamu.edu
Organizations & Programs: Texas A&M Hullabaloo Band
Statistics Undergraduate Student Association
Activities: Drummer for TAMU basketball teams
Guitarist in local band
Timpanist for local church
Tutor for Spartan Tutoring
Awards & Distinctions: Undergraduate Research Scholar, College of Science Dean's Honor Roll
Experience with: The Hunger Consortium, First Year Eats

Howdy! My name is Alex Peters, and I'm a junior Statistics major from Dallas, Texas. I got involved with undergraduate research through a program called First Year Eats. First Year Eats is dedicated to combating the problem of food insecurity on college campuses through free cooking lessons and ingredients/snacks, and I was brought onto the team to create a mathematical model for understanding the impacts of First Year Eats on student GPA.

My project started with a dataset consisting of anonymized student information on demographics and membership in First Year Eats. Then, I specifically focused on identifying subsets of demographic factors that strongly correlate with GPA, and then using those factors in conjunction with information on membership in First Year Eats to build a linear model for predicting GPA. The mathematical model I created separated the impact on GPA due to the demographic factors I chose from the impact on GPA due to membership in First Year Eats, allowing an honest comparison of the GPA's between students who did and did not participate in First Year Eats. In the end, my work was used to obtain another year of funding for the program, and thus another year of helping keep freshmen fed and healthy.

In my free time, you can see me (mostly my hair) behind the drum set at Texas A&M basketball games. I also play guitar in a local band, independently write and produce my own music, and tutor for introductory statistics classes. I love the mountains, trees, rivers, and hikes; I'm quite happy with anything that lets me be outside.

I really could not be more excited to be a part of this program, and would love the opportunity to talk with anyone interested in pursing undergraduate research!

Michael Pitonak '22
Major: Biology
Research Focus: Neuroscience, Stem Cell Transplantation, Spinal Cord Injury
Years of Research Experience: 1
Advisor: Jennifer Dulin

michaelpit@tamu.edu
Organizations & Programs: Biology Honors Program
Dulin Lab
MSC Hospitality
Texas A&M Jazz Ensemble
American Medical Students Association
Activities: Fly Fishing
Scuba diving
Golf
Playing the guitar and the saxophone
Hiking
Downhill skiing
Awards & Distinctions: College of Science Dean's Honor Roll
Featured in Texas A&M “Labors of Lab” Series – Episode 37

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.

My first experience with research was through a local research externship while I was in high school. The project I was a part of dealt with determining the roles of certain chromatin remodeling complexes inhibitors and how they can be manipulated to aid in the treatment of cancer. Through this experience, I gained first hand knowledge of how research is done and learned the great impact it can have on the society we live in today. This is what drew me to continue with research when I began my undergraduate studies here at Texas A&M.

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, movings 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.

When I am not in the classroom or in the lab, you can usually find me either on one of the lakes or ponds in the Bryan/College Station area fishing and relaxing by the waterfront or at home jamming to some of my favorite jazz tunes on my guitar and saxophone. I also enjoy go out to the Texas A&M golf course with some of my friends and enjoy the beautiful outdoors we have in the area. Finally, if the weather is not looking so great, I enjoy curling up on the couch and watching Planet Earth or the Blacklist on Netflix.

If you are thinking about joining a lab or you want to learn more about undergraduate research, I would love to talk to you about it!

Emily A. Wilson '22
Major: International Studies
Minor: Economics, Arabic
Research Focus: global poverty reduction, development economics, sociology
Years of Research Experience: 1
Advisor: Samuel Cohn