Current Ambassadors

• rithika@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs: Women in Engineering, BME Ambassador, Kaunas Lab
• Activities: Hiking, Embroidery, Driving Stick Shift, Reading, Growing Houseplants, Cooking
  
  BSL-2 Certified, Solidworks Certification, and Bloodborne Pathogen Certified.
• Awards & Distinctions: Best Undergraduate Presentation at BMES Annual Symposium
• Experience with: Internships, Summer Research, Fall/Spring Research, Presentations, Symposiums, Written Manuscripts

Hi! My name is Rithika and I'm a junior biomedical engineering major from San Francisco, California. I've been involved in Dr. Roland Kaunas' Biofabrication Lab since my freshman year of college. Our lab focuses on developing materials for bone regeneration and assessing bench top models to help understand certain disease states. During my time at this lab, I've worked on a project to determine non-invasive methods to tether osteogenic stem cells to bioscaffolds in order to promote natural bone regeneration for traumas that are too severe to heal on their own. Over the years, I've been able to present at symposiums and poster presentations as well as write conference papers and get involved with publications. My journey with research started in my junior year of high school, where I was given the opportunity to conduct summer research at the University of Miami in Dr. Lucina Uddin's Brain Connectivity and Cognition Lab. While at this lab, I studied the relationship between brain connectivity and cognition in typical and atypical development. After my time there had ended, I knew that research was something I wanted to pursue in college. I'm so grateful to have been able to get involved with research early on in my college career and I look forward to utilizing my gained knowledge and experience to obtain a masters degree in biomedical engineering. I hope to eventually join industry and work within the research and development sector of a biomedical startup! My research  experience has allowed me to gain a plethora of things, such as: a close relationship with mentors who continue to motivate and support me, hands-on knowledge that I would have never otherwise gained in a classroom setting, and the ability to critically think about novel techniques that have an impact on the real world. I'm so excited to help other students discover research opportunities that spark passion and excitement within them!

• joseph.h.chen@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs: University Honors, Dulin Lab, AMSA, MORPH
• Activities: Music Production, Piano, Tennis, Fishing, Volleyball
• Awards & Distinctions: University Honors Program
• Experience with: Research, Research Presentations

Howdy!! My name is Joseph and I'm a sophomore Biology major and Computer Science minor from Houston, Texas. Upon graduation, I hope to attend medical school and become a physician in the future! I began my researching career as a freshman here at TAMU in the Dulin Lab working under our wonderful postdoc, Miriam, and I have loved it ever since! In the lab, we conduct research on spinal cord injuries and explore various therapeutic methods, such as neural progenitor cell transplantation for recovery of locomotor functions and reducing the pain associated with such injuries. The project that we are conducting right now focuses on characterizing embryonic spinal cords from the days E11.5 to E13.5 both in vivo and in vitro. The reason for this is that embryonic spinal cords generate over the span of several days, with each day exhibiting distinct phenotypes that consequently have differing ratios of cell proliferation. By characterizing these time points and collecting data on which cells are most abundant at each time point, we can begin to generate more effective and efficient cells for transplantation not only in experimental models, but eventually in humans as well! Aside from being able to conduct exciting and innovate scientific research, joining the Dulin lab has been an amazing experience, and I've found not only a group of intelligent, curious, and like minded coworkers, but a family as well. I'm happy to say that I've found some of my closest friends in the lab, and it is a joy to be side by side with them conducting research and experiencing life, and it is my hope that everyone can have the same amazing experience that I've had!

• jellard@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs: American Fisheries Society (Activities Chair), Wildlife Society
• Activities: Fishing, Camping, Drummer for Local Church, Playing Guitar and Piano, Tennis
• Awards & Distinctions: Undergraduate Research Ambassadors, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Scholarship Nominee
• Experience with: Internship - Riverscape Ecology Lab, Summer Research, Fisheries Technician, Texas Bass Brigades Adult Leader, Assessing Alligator Gar Diel Activity in Lower Brazos River Basin: Poster presented at 2021 Texas Chapter of the American Fisheries Society

Howdy! My name is Johnathan and I am a junior Wildlife and Fisheries major from Caldwell, Texas. I began my involvement with undergraduate research when I joined the Riverscape Ecology Lab under Dr. Joshuah Perkin before my Sophomore year. Since then, I have been involved with freshwater ecology research particularly studying Alligator Gar diel activity along the Brazos River. The goal of this project is to give a clearer perspective on discrete Alligator Gar movements and specific habitat uses in association with time of day. This in turn will contribute to our understanding of fine scale movements and microhabitat use to inform management of Alligator Gar not only in the Brazos River but also throughout its range. Aside from this project, I also aid in other projects as needed among our labs group of outstanding graduate and undergraduate scholars. My interest of fisheries sciences began long before my undergraduate research opportunity. As I completed courses and learned more about freshwater ecology and aquatic sciences, my desire for involvement within these fields only increased. I eventually was able to become plugged into a lab in which I have been presented the opportunity to learn and grow as a student and a person. Undergraduate research for me thus far has been an opportunity to expand my scientific mind and broaden my academic experience in a field that I have interests in. It is a way for me to engage with others on projects that are not only beneficial to this field but possibly society. After my bachelor's degree I hope to pursue a master's degree in some form of freshwater fisheries science. I am truly blessed and excited to be a part of this program and would love to talk to anyone who has questions about undergraduate research! 

• emilyha303@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs: Texas A&M Pre-Medical Society, Undergraduate Research Ambassadors, Biology Honors, University Honors, Christian Women in Medicine
• Activities: Vaccination Assistant at the Brazos County Vaccine Hub, Pianist and Piano Teacher, Calculus and Algebra Tutor on Tutorfly, Former Bible Study TA for First Communion Class
• Awards & Distinctions: University Honors, Biology Honors
• Experience with: Undergraduate Research, Presentations, Education

Howdy! My name is Emily and I am a Biology major and Psychology minor from Houston, Texas. After graduating from Texas A&M, I have very high hopes of attending medical school and becoming a Dermatologist, and specializing in surgical and cosmetic dermatology. I am currently undergraduate researcher in Dr.Blackmon's lab. As a student in the Biology Honors Program and being in Dr. MacKenzie's class I felt a strong passion for evolutionary biology and an urge to participate in undergraduate research. With my love for technology and evolutionary biology I came across Dr. Blackmon's lab and immediately felt at home. My lab specifically focuses on two major realms of biology, firstly being genome evolution and the second being the development of various methods and databases for data analysis in biology. I am currently working on my own research project regarding y chromosome evolution using beetles as a model species. In my project, I am extracting as well as sequencing multiple sets of DNA from 7 species of beetles, males and females, to later code and identify specific genes pertinent to and specific to the male sex. I will then create Y chromosome assemblies for each species to allow the first comparative genomic analysis of Y chromosome content across a large taxonomic sampling of species. In my free time, I enjoy playing piano, listening to music, working out, involving myself at church, hanging out with friends, and involving myself in creative activities. I love being able to explore and learn more about the world and if the opportunity arises I am always down for a new adventure and a way to grow my mind. If anyone has any questions about joining Undergraduate Research or have any questions about my experience I am happy to help and talk to you!

• marissahenley19@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs: Undergraduate Research Ambassadors, Fade to Black Dance Ensemble, Minority Association of Pre-Med/Health Students
• Activities: Physician Shadowing, Volunteering, Teaching Dance, Dancing 
• Experience with: Research Presentations

Howdy! My name is Marissa and I am a junior public health major from Austin, Texas! After I graduate, I plan on attending medical school and eventually becoming a pediatrician. Outside of school, I love to dance! I have been dancing since I was 18 months and have been teaching dance for a few years now. I've always known I wanted to be a doctor, but my love for medicine, helping people, especially those who are underrepresented, and working with kids solidified my plan on becoming a pediatrician. I first started my research the second semester of my freshman year. My research primarily focuses on renal lymphatic and hypertension. Throughout my two years, I have worked on different projects. My first semester, I focused specifically on lymphatic endothelial cells and its connection to hypertension. I did a lot of cell culture which allowed for me to treat different cells with hypertensive stimuli and look at different lymphatic genes to see which ones were up or down. I also performed a scratch assay to examine the migration and proliferation of the cells. This past semester, I worked with human lymphatic endothelial cells and mouse mesometrium to visualize blood and lymphatic vessels. Hypertension is a major public health problem that many people suffer with, so being able to do research on it is very rewarding. My research experience has been one of the best experience I've had in my time as an undergraduate student. I've learned so many new scientific concepts and experiences that are very helpful for the medical field and I've learned so much about myself. Research has personally given me more confidence in myself and my abilities. I want to be able to share these experiences and hopefully show other undergraduate students that research is definitely something they should participate in. 

• jdleaverton@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs: Undergraduate Research Scholars, Undergraduate Research Ambassadors, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Texas A&M University Hypervelocity Impact Laboratory
• Awards & Distinctions: Brockman Scholar, Undergraduate Research Scholar
• Experience with: Research Compliance, Export Control, Summer Research, Summer Internships

Howdy! My name is James (J.D.) and I am a senior mechanical engineering major with a minor in economics from Pearland, Texas. For almost two years, I have conducted undergraduate research under my advisor, Dr. Thomas Lacy, Jr. During this time, I have worked on multiple projects. I began my research career conducting post-crash fire forensic analysis on aerospace composites. After a short time, I joined Dr. Lacy's Hypervelocity Impact Laboratory (HVIL). The HVIL focuses on high-strain rate materials characterization through impact by projectiles accelerated to hypervelocity (up to 22,000 mph). This unique testing environment allows us to tailor structures to mitigate hypervelocity impacts for defense and aerospace applications. After a year in research, I embarked on my own research project through the Undergraduate Research Scholars program. My project focused on performing diagnostics on the state-of-the-art two-stage light gas gun that accelerates the projectiles. I investigated the performance of a sabot "œpackage" that carries the projectile towards the target. At some point, this package must be discarded through separation. I developed empirical models to help predict this separation during testing. The future of this project involves including simulation and scaling factors to understand sabot separation at a much larger testing scale. My research will help to characterize sabot separation in the novel, one-kilometer long Ballistic, Aero-Optics, and Materials (BAM) hypersonics test range currently under construction at the $130 million George H.W. Bush Combat Development Complex (BCDC) at the RELLIS campus. Over the last two years, research has become my life; it has allowed me many opportunities that my peers did not have access to. My goal is to convey the knowledge of these opportunities to other undergraduate students in the hope that they can experience everything research has to offer.

• lee73769598@tamu.edu
• Activities: Senior RA
• Experience with: Presentations and Summer Research

My name is Sangji Lee (I go by David) and I am in junior year for biomedical science from Plano, Texas. I am in a neuroscience/psychology lab under Dr. Brian Anderson since my first semester of sophomore year. I started learning coding, cognitive psychology and other basic knowledge required for lab works from no background knowledge. I struggled a lot had hard time in the beginning. However, Dr. Anderson and other graduate students showed me that all of the given resource comes together with proper approach to a question we want to figure out. I have learned research is not about being smart or significantly outstanding only but pure curiosity and passion towards your research are the main core of your fundamental base.

After first semester, I started to get some more hands on experience such as collecting data, writing analysis code, writing manuscript, and different process of research. With more experience I have now, I can clearly see my heart for research and want to share this feeling to others. I will gladly share my experience, hear any hardship in research, and be here for students to move forward.

• 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!

• 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!

• sofiaquintero@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs: Undergraduate Research Ambassadors, Texas A&M MEDLIFE
• Awards & Distinctions: National Hispanic Merit Scholar, Endowed Opportunity Award Scholar

Howdy! My name is Sofia and I am a Psychology major and Neuroscience minor, with a certificate in Applied Behavioral Health. I'm originally from Bogota, Colombia but I went to high school in Katy, Texas and I'm currently on the pre-med track. I'm very passionate about mental health and psychology and decided to pursue my degree in Psychology to dive into that befo3re going to medical school. I started my research experience in the fall of my sophomore year in Dr. Burte's Spatial Thinking and STEM Learning Lab and I'm going into my third semester in the lab. My project focuses on directional thinking in our Campus Pictures experiment. We are interested in investigating the way in which individuals navigate through space and how they think about directions. Our long term goal is to use our findings to develop interventions and strategies to assist those who struggle with their sense of direction and navigational abilities. I am also a part of Texas A&M's MEDLIFE, an organization dedicated to providing healthcare and education through mobile clinics and development projects to communities in remote areas around the world. Outside of school and research, I enjoy cooking, reading, and spending time with the people I care about. I also love traveling and trying new food! After only 2 semesters of research, I have already grown in ways that I would have never just within the classroom. I truly believe that research is an invaluable experience, especially as an undergraduate, and I'm looking forward to helping others take advantage of this opportunity!

• rr4hman17@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs: Biology Honors, University Scholars, American Medical Student Association, Swaram A Cappella, CovEducation, Gomer Lab, Diversity Committee for the Biology Department, BSW Faith Community Caregiver
• Activities: Singing, Tennis, Piano, Tutoring
• Awards & Distinctions: Undergraduate Research Scholar, Beckman Scholar, Goldwater Scholar, Astronaut Scholarship Nominee, Gathright Dean's Excellence Award, President's Endowed Scholar, Texas ASM Sarah McIntire Award
• Experience with: Summer Research, Clinical Experiences, Local, State, National, and International Research Conferences, Poster and Oral Presentations, National Fellowships, Manuscript Publication, Patents

Howdy! My name is Ryan  and I am a junior from Lubbock, Texas. I recently served as the President of the American Medical Student Association and it is my dream to become a physician-scientist. Fortunately, my experience in a translational immunology/cell biology lab has provided me with the lessons and techniques that will help me along my journey. In the Gomer lab, we seek to understand how immune cells respond to pathogens and chemicals. Specifically, I have been working to characterize the proteins involved in the signaling pathway of phagocytosis. Phagocytosis is the process by which cells engulf or eat large particles or pathogens and then degrade or digest them. Importantly, some pathogens can circumvent host defenses and survive within our immune cells after being engulfed using a secreted chain of phosphates called polyphosphate. Based on the foundational work of my fellow lab members, I was able to optimize and develop a novel assay to identify 4 proteins that are important for sensing the polyphosphate signal. If we are able to inhibit these proteins in our immune cells using new drug therapies, we may be able to induce phagocytosis of pathogenic bacteria that typically survive within our immune cells to treat diseases. Overall, research has taught me how to learn from failed experiments (which far outnumber the successful ones) using the teammates around me and critical interpretation of literature. I hope that I will be able to continue pushing science forward and that I can help incoming students become the next generation of leaders in science.

• vineshr@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs: Undergraduate Research Ambassadors, Engineering Honors 
• Activities: Chess, Table Tennis, Cubing
• Awards & Distinctions: Distinguished Student, Deans Honor Roll, National Chess Master 
• Experience with: 2 Years Research Experience in HUBBS, Presented in USC CAIS Equity & AI Symposium, Interned at Texas A&M Transportation Institute, Presented in TRANSAI Conference

Howdy! My name is Vinesh, I am a junior at Texas A&M University. I am a Computer Science major with an emphasis area in Statistics. I have been doing research since my second semester here at the HUBBS (HUman Bio-Behavioral Signals) Lab. HUBBS focuses on the computational study of well-being and human behavior. During this time, I have worked on two projects which involve proposing a novel deep learning algorithm to better predict well-being outcomes and anonymization of clinical speech signals for privacy protection. My time doing undergraduate research here has helped me gain many skills including machine learning methods, new programming languages, working with speech data, working with sensor data, and speaking skills. It has also motivated me to pursue graduate school once I finish my undergraduate degree. I would like to continue focusing on machine learning research throughout graduate school. Joining research early in my time here was one of the best decisions I have ever made. As a UGR Ambassador I am happy to help anyone that wants to get involved in research! 

• nreed14@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs: Teaching Scholars Program, Psychological and Brain Sciences Tutoring Program, Liberal Arts Student Council, Psychology Club, Undergraduate Research Ambassadors
• Activities: Emotion Science Lab Manager, Teaching Assistant, Psychology Tutor, Volunteering, Basketball, Table Tennis
• Awards & Distinctions: Undergraduate Research Scholar, The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, 2 First Place Undergraduate Poster Presentations at Student Research Week 2021, The International Honor Society in Psychology (Psi Chi), 2019 Lone Star College-CyFair Commencement Speaker, Undergraduate Student Affiliate for Association for Psychological Science
• Experience with: 10 Poster and 7 Oral Presentations at Local, Regional, and National Research Conferences, Public Speaking, Networking, Human Subjects Research

Howdy! My name is Noah  and I am a senior from Spring, Texas pursuing a major in psychology and a minor in Spanish. Before transferring to A&M, I began my research journey as an Honors student at Lone Star College-CyFair. This is ultimately what set me on the path of pursuing psychology, as I was fascinated by this subject and knew that it was something I could do for the rest of my life. Once transferring to A&M, I joined several research labs in Clinical and Social-Personality Psychology. These experiences have allowed me to develop strong relationships with mentors, conduct numerous individual research projects, and complete an honors thesis with Dr. Gerianne Alexander. My project examined the association between first names (forenames) and gender differences in psychological disorders. This was a unique project as this has never been examined before, and the results were fascinating. We found that when provided a forename with no additional information, participants' stereotypes of these names were consistent with the gender differences that we observe within personality and mental disorders. Although this research was one of the most challenging tasks I have ever completed, it has also been one of the most rewarding. Through conducting research, I have not only identified my passions and career aspirations as a future professor/researcher, but I have also become a more effective scholar, communicator, and leader. In addition to research, I am also a teaching assistant and tutor for psychology research methods and statistics. After graduating from A&M, I plan to pursue a PhD in Social-Personality Psychology. If you are intimidated by or hesitant to begin your own research journey, I would love to talk with you about it and show you that anyone can become involved regardless of their perceived capabilities, background, or experience. At the end of the day, we all have to start somewhere, so what better a time than now!

• sarahrutherford@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs: Undergraduate Research Scholars, Aggie Research Program, A&M Refugee Advocates, United Campus Ministry
• Activities: Youth Ministry, Running, Reading, Volunteering
• Awards & Distinctions: Undergraduate Research Scholar, Dean's List, National Merit Scholar, Conway-Fitzhugh International Honors Leadership Seminar, President's Endowed Scholar
• Experience with: Research Compliance, Presentations

Howdy! My name is Sarah Rutherford, and I am a senior from Dallas, Texas, majoring in University Studies - Religious Thought, Practices, and Cultures Concentration (Religious Studies) with minors in French and Sociology. After graduating, I plan to attend seminary to pursue pastoral ministry. I first became involved in research as a freshman through the Aggie Research Program team "Overchurched, Underfed: Cultural Analysis of Religious Groups and Food Insecurity," a sub-team of the "Everybody Eats" project in the Texas A&M Department of Sociology. As a part of this team, I worked on a qualitative study of religious-affiliated food pantries through taking and analyzing ethnographic field notes. Under PhD candidate Andrew McNeely, we focused on the intersection of race and religion in food distribution programs. I am currently working on leading container garden installations on the grounds of local religious congregations as a means of creating an alternative way of religious-based food provision. In the 2020-2021 academic year, I participated in the Undergraduate Research Scholars program with my independent research project, "Called and Challenged: Examining the Experiences of Women Clergy in Brazos County and Harris County, Texas." For this study, I conducted open-ended interviews with women clergy and women who formerly served as clergy to better understand the factors which lead women clergy to leave pastoral ministry at higher rates than men clergy. Outside of my research, I enjoy working in youth ministry, reading, running, volunteering, and eating ice cream with my roommates. Undergraduate research has been one of the most transformational experiences of my college experience thus far, and I would love to talk with anyone who is considering undergraduate research, especially in the College of Liberal Arts! 

• tj380744@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs: Undergraduate Research Ambassadors, Explorations: The Texas A&M Undergraduate Journal, Texas A&M National Scholar Ambassadors, Texas A&M Wind Symphony, University Honors, Engineering Honors
• Awards & Distinctions: President's Endowed Scholar, National Merit Scholar, College of Engineering Dean's Honor Roll, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
• Experience with: Fall/Spring Semester Research, Summer Research Internship (REU), Oral Presentations

Howdy! My name is Jeremy  and I am a junior biomedical engineering major/chemistry minor from Highland Village, Texas. After graduating from Texas A&M, I plan on earning a PhD in biomedical engineering with a research focus on tissue engineering. I have conducted research at TAMU since the spring of my freshman year, for one semester in Dr. Cote's Optical Bio-sensing Lab through the AggiE-Challenge program, and in Dr. Gaharwar's iNanoTE lab since then. My research centers around 3D bioprinting, which is a form of 3D printing that prints cells to mimic the behavior of natural living systems. This past year I helped develop a protocol for converting cheap 3D thermoplastic printers to functional bioprinters so that universities with less research funding still have the opportunity to conduct this type of research. Undergraduate research has completely changed my professional aspirations. I entered Texas A&M as a pre-med student without the slightest idea of what research is. At the suggestion of a friend, I enrolled in the AggiE-Challenge program, a program designed to introduce students to research by placing them on a research project. I fell in love with the research process and the direct applications it can have on our daily lives. I decided that I want to go into academia to conduct cutting-edge biomedical engineering research that will have an impact on the medical community. Undergraduate research has been instrumental in my professional development, and I am excited to help create similar experiences for other students as an undergraduate research ambassador!

• trikurm@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs: Aggie Research Program
• Activities: Cooking, Baking, Painting, Reading, Thrifting
• Experience with: Team-based Research Projects

Howdy! My name is Meera Trikur and I am a junior Materials Science & Engineering major from Frisco, Texas. I was introduced to research through the Aggie Research Program and work with Dr. J. Carlee Purdum on a project that focuses on the impact of hazards and disasters on prisons and incarcerated populations.  The research explores the social vulnerability that incarcerated people experience due to environmental and technological hazards in Texas, focusing on the issues of extreme temperatures, water quality, and medical care. We work closely with a nonprofit organization called Texas Prisons Air-Conditioning Advocates. They advocate for incarcerated people and their loved ones about the conditions that they experience within Texas Department of Criminal Justice facilities. My role within the project is to collect and analyze data within surveys, help create social media posts for TPAA, and write written reports based on news media and survey data. By analyzing these surveys filled by people who are suffering through unfair conditions, I've been able to better understand the nuances of what incarcerated people go through. I have always had multidisciplinary interests and wanted to explore outside of engineering and through research, I was given that chance. Participating in research topics that aren't directly related to my major has allowed me to interact with a more diverse set of people and even observe connections between my major and my research. I am very excited to be a part of this program and see what opportunities lie ahead!

• ktwilhoit@tamu.edu
• Organizations & Programs: Texas A&M National Scholar Ambassadors, Biomedical Sciences Association, University Honors Program, Student One Health Association
• Activities: Biomedical Sciences Association Volunteer Tutor, Disability Services Peer Note-Taking, Texas A&M Navigators, Cooking and Baking
• Awards & Distinctions: Presidents Endowed Scholar, Craig and Galen Brown Foundation Scholar, Deans Honor Roll, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
• Experience with: Summer Research Internship, State Conference Poster Presentation, Prospective Student Outreach

Howdy! My name is Kayla and I am a junior Biomedical Sciences major from Grand Prairie, Texas. I plan on obtaining a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences with a focus on genetics research. I hope to eventually pursue a career as a genetics researcher. I began my undergraduate research experience as soon as I entered my freshman year of college. I am currently working on a theoretical population modeling project in Dr. Heath Blackmon's lab in the department of Biology, where I am investigating chromosomal fusions using a model built in the programming language R. During my two years in the Blackmon lab, I have really enjoyed learning programming for the first time and exploring the field of genetics. Despite the importance of genetics to disease and speciation, there are still so many aspects of the subject that we know very little about. I am beyond excited to be producing work that can help fill some of the gaps in our knowledge of how chromosomes fuse and evolve, and I hope to continue to explore and discover new questions to answer in my research career. Outside of the lab, I am involved in several student organizations where I provide volunteer tutoring and prospective student outreach. In my free time, I enjoy cooking for my friends and trying out new recipes and techniques. Undergraduate research has been one of the most fulfilling parts of my college experience and I am excited to help others find the same fulfillment in their own research experience.