If interested in any of these projects, students must contact and meet with the relevant faculty member to discuss candidacy. If successful, students must then complete the student application form on the fellowship website.
Available Opportunities
| Faculty Name | Department | Working Title | # Openings | Working Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atterberry, Adrienne | Sociology | Exploring Adolescents’ Aspirations: Schooling, Parenting, and Dreams of Success | 1 | What are adolescents’ aspirations for their futures? How do their families and schools support their aims? These questions, and more, will be addressed through this research study that focuses on middle- and upper-class high school students who attend one of two private, English-medium high schools in Bangalore, a city in southwest India. By transcribing and analyzing seven focus group interviews with high school students, and completing readings on parenting, adolescence, and schooling you will learn more about the social and cultural factors that shape adolescents’ aspirations, and how their schools and families actively facilitate their future achievement. Time will also be granted to an exploration of how the experiences of middle and upper-class adolescents is both like and different from those who come from other class backgrounds. This project will culminate in a co-authored paper that will be submitted to journals for publication consideration. This project is best suited for a student who wants experience with qualitative data analysis, has a desire to learn more about scholarly writing for an academic audience, and has an interest in reading about schooling, parenting, and adolescence among racial and ethnic minority groups. |
| Castro Cornejo, Rodrigo | Political Science | Center for Public Opinion | 1 | Research Assistance in the СƵ Center for Public Opinion The student participating in this research project will assist in creating data visualizations, preparing reports, and contributing to literature reviews in the Center for Public Opinion. The student will also collaborate on the project “LGBT Population and Prejudice in American Public Opinion.” This project examines whether demographic increases in the LGBT population trigger anti-LGBT prejudice in American public opinion. While prior research shows that the demographic growth of racial minorities often heightens racial anxiety—particularly among white, conservative Americans—much less is known about attitudes toward America’s growing diversity in terms of sexual orientation. To address this gap, the project will analyze original survey data collected in the summer of 2025. |
| Hajian, Rozhin | Mechanical Engineering | Acoustic Analysis of Porous Airfoil Design | 2 | The study of aerodynamic loads on porous airfoils, inspired by the silent flight of owls, seeks to address the challenge of reducing aerodynamic self-noise in fluid-loaded bodies through passive design structures. The trailing edge, an inherent source of such self-noise in aerodynamic constructs, has prompted extensive research aimed at modeling, measuring, and mitigating noise generated by the interaction with turbulent eddies. Efforts to diminish turbulence noise have explored altering the acoustical impedance near the edge, with numerous theoretical studies predicting the effects of edge boundary conditions on the trailing-edge noise scattering mechanism. In this project, our objective is to utilize developed mathematical models and numerical methods to predict the aerodynamic noise produced by porous airfoils. We plan to examine different porosity distributions across the airfoil to identify an optimized configuration that minimizes noise. To corroborate our theoretical findings, we will employ 3D-printed airfoils, featuring varied porosity distributions, and conduct wind tunnel tests to measure the acoustic pressure emitted from each design. This approach not only bridges the gap between aeroacoustic research and practical application but also paves the way for innovations in the design of quieter aerodynamic structures. |
| Homann, Laura | Fine Arts Humanities & Soc Sci | Biopolitics and the Female Soldiers’ Bodies – A cross-national comparison of NATO member States | 1 | My dissertation examines why NATO member states differ so significantly in the integration of women into their armed forces, despite the alliance’s formal commitments to gender equality under the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda. While prior scholarship highlights cultural attitudes and institutional barriers, I foreground the role of body-regulating military policies as key mechanisms of institutional power. Policies governing maternity and parental leave, fitness standards, childcare, breastfeeding accommodations, and protections against sexual harassment directly shape women’s opportunities for recruitment, retention, and advancement. Building on Michel Foucault’s concept of biopolitics, I argue that these policies are not neutral but rather function as techniques of governance that regulate the female soldier’s body in ways either constrain or enable gender inclusion. This raises three core questions: (1) How do body-regulating policies vary across NATO states? (2) How do these policies influence women’s representation in the armed forces? and (3) What political and institutional conditions drive policy change over time? To address these questions, I employ a mixed-methods research design. Quantitatively, I develop a Biopolitical Regulation Index (BRI) to measure policy variation across 28 NATO countries between 2014 and 2022, and I use panel regression analysis to assess the relationship between inclusive policies and women’s military representation. Qualitatively, I conduct semi-structured interviews with NATO officials, gender advisors, and policymakers to capture the institutional dynamics behind policy reforms. This design allows me to link cross-national patterns to the lived governance of women’s bodies within military institutions, producing both empirical insight and theoretical contributions to the study of gender, security, and biopolitics. |
| Keyes, Os | Political Science | Trans Medicine, Trans Archives | 2 | The history of trans medicine is poorly-documented, with few resources for practitioners, publics and scholars to draw from in understanding the space. Over the last two years, I have conducted an extensive (200+) interview study of patients, providers, and policymakers working from the 1960s to the present. My current goal is to transcribe and analyse these interviews, using sociological (grounded theory, specifically) approaches to analysis, to best understand the themes that emerge. Students will play an active role in both transcribing and understanding this data, resulting in experience with qualitative methods and an understanding of the practices of (trans) medicine. |
| Kolias, Carisa | Library | Archives Historical Research | 1 | Using the International Institute of Lowell Collection at the Center for Lowell History, СƵ, as well as other primary and secondary sources, the fellow will conduct research into the records of people who immigrated from Armenia from 1900-1920, particularly focusing on the time of the Armenian Genocide from 1915-1916. During the Armenian genocide, up to 1.2 million Armenian people, primarily Christian, were killed by Ottoman authorities and others. Many Armenian people fled before, during, and after the genocide and emigrated from their native land. Some eventually wound up in the United States, and made their home in Lowell, Massachusetts. The goal of this project is to draw out the many stories contained in the International Institute of Lowell collection in order to highlight and learn from the personal stories of Armenian refugees. In doing so, a community that is often overlooked when celebrating the immigrant stories of Lowell, Massachusetts will have its story told. It is not our intention to replicate the work done by previous researchers, or to write a paper about the Armenian community more broadly, but to draw out stories hidden within these records. To that end, the fellow will review the most recent research into Armenians in Lowell at the start of their fellowship to familiarize themselves with the community they will be researching. Expected products at the end of this fellowship are: 1) Minimum 8-10 page paper presenting the research findings 2) Educational libGuide summarizing the findings of the paper for inclusion on the University's libGuides 3) Digital exhibit focusing on three to four people or families' stories to be added to the digital exhibit page of the International Institute of Lowell on the Omeka platform, 4) Creating an interactive map to be included in the digital exhibit 5) Create a 15-minute presentation highlighting the work done in your fellowship |
| Lee, Seungeun | Schl of Crimin & Justice Stud | Understanding the Patterns, Types, and Consequences of Cryptocurrency Fraud and Law Enforcement’s Responses | 1 | Cryptocurrency fraud involves various deceptive activities that exploit users of digital currencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Common schemes include phishing scams, Ponzi schemes, and fake initial coin offerings (ICOs), where attackers manipulate victims into investing or revealing sensitive information. The decentralized and often anonymous nature of blockchain technology makes tracing these fraudulent activities challenging, increasing the appeal of cryptocurrencies to cybercriminals. Understanding these schemes is critical for investors and users to safeguard their assets and avoid falling victim to fraud in the evolving crypto market. This project explores the following research questions: - What are the most prevalent types and patterns of cryptocurrency fraud? - How effective are existing regulatory frameworks in mitigating cryptocurrency fraud, and what improvements can be made to better protect investors? - How does the anonymity and decentralization of cryptocurrencies contribute to the rise in fraud, and what technological solutions could be implemented to reduce fraudulent activities? - How do law enforcement agencies currently investigate and prosecute cases of cryptocurrency fraud, and what challenges do they face due to the anonymity and global reach of blockchain transactions? - How can existing criminal justice policies and laws be adapted to better address the unique challenges posed by cryptocurrency fraud and related cybercrimes? |
| Long, Joshua | Financial Empowerment Class for Incarcerated Women and Program Evaluation | Jail Education Program | 1 | In coordination with the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Department, we propose to evaluate the educational and rehabilitative programs offered to the incarcerated population at the Billerica House of Corrections in Billerica, Massachusetts. In addition, we are seeking permission from СƵ to volunteer as teachers for a financial empowerment class provided to incarcerated women who live in the pre-release center. This class will help them learn how to balance their household budgets to improve their chances of success when they return to their communities. This combined effort is important for the incarcerated women as a way of helping them succeed post-release, it helps the community by potentially reducing incidents of future crime, it helps СƵ graduate students to work in a justice system setting, and it helps СƵ’s reputation as champions of education and justice system reform in Massachusetts. The project will include three phases. The first phase will include basic data collection prior to offering the financial empowerment course. During this phase, the principal investigator and СƵ graduate students will receive data from the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Department that includes the number of incarcerated people in their facilities, the types of programs they completed during incarceration, and their post-release recidivism records. In phase two we will conduct a focus group of incarcerated women at the pre-release center (average daily population = 12) and ask them what kinds of financial skills they already have, and what they would like to learn in a new course offered by СƵ volunteers. We will incorporate their responses into the curriculum and teach a 10-week financial empowerment course, concluding with a student evaluation of the program. Phase three will include a long-term follow-up with these women 1, 2, or 3 years post-release to better understand the challenges they faced as they tried to reintegrate back into society, with an emphasis on how they managed their household finances. |
| Matz, Maria | World Languages and Cultures | Border Narratives and Everyday Revolutions: Mexico–United States Cinema and Literature (2020–2025) as Archives of Cultural Transformation | 2 | This interdisciplinary research project examines how contemporary cinema and literature depicting the Mexico–United States border region (2020–2025) function as cultural archives that transcend traditional political discourse to generate transformative educational and cultural possibilities. Within the current context of political polarization and intensified migration debates in the United States, this study investigates how recent artistic productions construct alternative narratives that challenge dominant frameworks and prefigure new models of cross-cultural understanding and social organization. The project centers on a corpus of films including Dos estaciones (2022), Noche de fuego (2021), Sin señas particulares (2020), and Te llevo conmigo (2020), alongside literary works such as Valeria Luiselli's Lost Children Archive (2020), Fernanda Melchor's Paradais (2021), Kirstin Valdez Quade's The Five Wounds (2021), and Cristina Rivera Garza's El invencible verano de Liliana (2021). The central research questions explore how these cultural productions operate as "technologies of resistance" that reconfigure national imaginaries, preserve community memory, and project more inclusive alternative futures, while identifying the interconnected political, cultural, and educational dimensions that emerge from contemporary systemic crisis. The project employs a critical framework that integrates decolonial film/literary analysis, border narratology, and postcolonial theory to conduct comprehensive textual and filmic analysis. This interdisciplinary approach allows for the examination of how these works function not merely as artistic expressions but as active agents of cultural transformation—what the project terms "everyday revolutionary practices." |
| Mckenna, John | Curriculum and Instruction | Caregiver Special Education Experiences in Massachusetts | 1 | The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in Massachusetts was investigated by the federal government in 2024 due to concerns with the degree to which they provided appropriate oversight of special education practice in the state. Upon the conclusion of this investigation, Massachusetts sufficient evidence was found to support 10 civil rights violations against children with disabilities and their caregivers. During the course of this investigation, I conducted a survey study of 110 Massachusetts caregivers of children who received special education services and interviewed 43 Massachusetts caregivers regarding their special education experiences. The manuscript based on the survey study is currently in peer review and two recommendations documents have been shared with the state, which thankfully has taken steps to implement some of my recommendations. Currently, I am analyzing interview data to write papers on the following topics: (1) caregiver experiences with the Problem Resolution System (e.g., the system that caregivers may use to file a state complaint against their child's school district or against the state), (2) caregiver experiences with special education focused median (e.g., a method for resolving special education disputes), (3) caregiver experiences with due process complaints (e.g., a formal method for resolving special education complaints that involves a formal legal hearing), and (4) caregiver experiences with special education service and education placement refusals. Upon conclusion of this process, I intend to share my findings with special education administrators to obtain their perspectives and insights regarding caregiver experiences and perceptions. In regards to his proposed project, an honors student would support the project by participating in data analysis, data collection (e.g., collection of special education admin contact information, participation in recruitment), and creation of project permanent products such as working papers. The honors student would also have an opportunity to conduct a presentation about the project and their involvement at the student research symposium. Students will also have an opportunity to read peer reviewed research and discuss current events related to the provision of special education services in Massachusetts as well as nationally. |
| Mendes Fakhoury, Renato | Honors College & Political Science | Who Gets to Feel Safe? Mapping Security Literature in World Politics | 1 | Over the past two decades, security studies has exploded with work on identity, memory, and emotions, but this research is scattered - we don’t yet have a systematic picture of which actors, regions, and issues are being studied under the banner of “security.” The student will work with an existing dataset of security-related scholarship and help turn it into a clear, systematic map of the field. Together, we will track which issues get framed as security problems—such as war, climate change, migration, race, gender, or religion—and examine which regions and communities are studied, as well as which ones are noticeably absent. The end result will be a cleaned, well-documented dataset and a set of visual “snapshots” (tables, graphs, and maps) that show how security scholarship actually looks in practice and whose safety it pays attention to. |
| Ortiz, Stephanie | Sociology | Reclaiming Desire: How Men and Women Problematize Porn Use on Social Media | 2 | The broader research project is an ongoing sociological exploration of how problematic pornography consumption (sometimes referred to as "porn addiction") shapes intimate relationships. The first phase of the project used qualitative interviews with women partners of porn addicts to explore how porn addiction shapes their self-esteem and emotion work. The second phase was a qualitative content analysis of posts from an online support group for partners of porn addicts, which examined how women partners navigated their partner's pornographic preferences. The current phase of this project, which the fellow(s) will work on, will be a qualitative content analysis of TikTok to explore how men and women make meaning of porn addiction's consequences. This phase is concerned with two primary questions: (1) What emotional, intimate, or physiological consequences do users posit are linked to porn addiction? (2) Are there gendered differences in how men and women describe the harms of porn? To complete their honor's requirement, fellows can complete a literature review article related to a topic from the project or write an essay about a theme they located in the data. |
| Perliger, Arie | Schl of Crimin & Justice Stud | Elections, Disinformation and Alternative Narratives | 1 | Strategic disinformation and conspiracy theories can sow discord in societies by shaping political discourse, public perceptions, and voting behavior. This project examines how disinformation campaigns surrounding episodic or cyclical electoral events—from political party leadership transitions, political assassination attempts, and other crises—exploit high-stakes moments to influence public perceptions and rationalize extreme responses. We investigate how both unexpected political developments and scheduled electoral milestones become foundations for the emergence and dissemination of alternative narratives in the digital realm, often bearing characteristics of mis/disinformation. Our mixed-methods approach combines natural language processing approaches with qualitative content analysis to track how political events are reframed through alternative lenses, examining the relationship between digital spaces, extremism and escalating political tensions. This project advances our understanding of how digital narratives can shape political worldviews and behavior while offering practical insights for identifying and countering potentially harmful online dynamics. |
| Sajo, Erno | Physics and Applied Physics | Computational methods development for Nanoparticle Aided Radiation Therapy | 1 | Nanoparticle-aided radiation therapy is a proposed new method to treat cancer. It has significant potential to improve tumor response while reducing normal tissue complications. The Medical Physics group in the Department of Physics is one of the pioneering research groups in developing experimental and computational methods for cancer treatment at the nanoscale. For clinical translation, patient treatment planning is an essential step, which addresses radiation dose enhancement as well as inter-particle, particle-tissue and particle-organelle interactions. Our group is developing a software that simulates various aspects, including nanoparticle transport and interactions in the human body. The first version, which is for airborne particles, and can be applied for inhalation delivery, among others, is currently distributed worldwide by Oak Ridge National Laboratory. We seek a Fellow with experience in C, C++ or Fortran programming who can contribute to this research, including the following: •. Creating an interactive graphical user interface that prepares the input I/O stream. •. Contribute to the coding of the main software to simulate particle transport under various conditions. •. Benchmarking and validating the code against available data and potentially against in-house experiments. This position offers an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the development of a major production code, perform limited-scale experiments, and potentially earn contributing authorship in the next release of the software. |
| Sladkova, Jana | Psychology | Children on the Move-Unaccompanied Minors Children in Mexico | 1 | Tens of thousands of children and youth under the age of 18 leave their home communities in search of survival, safety, economic betterment, or their families. Gangs, drug trade, poverty, and climate disasters have plagued people from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala for decades, forcing them to migrate North, mostly to the United States. These children on the move (COM) experience many hardships before and during their journeys and have been increasingly more vulnerable to human trafficking by various actors for different purposes. While there is considerable research about this kind of exploitation in the European context, there has been less research focused on risks of human trafficking in this population in Mexico, along the COM’s journeys North. We will be conducting a dynamic ethnographic narrative study (Diaute, 2014; Sládková, 2010) with 8-17 years old COM and workers in migrant shelters in Tapachula, Mexico, a town on the border with Guatemala. In addition to ethnographic observations, we plan to collect a variety of narrative data (interviews, drawings, messages to others) that will enable us to understand the children’s experiences and risks they face within their socio-historical and cultural contexts. The results will help us start developing a framework to moderate the risks these children are exposed to and will lead to a larger grant proposal with more participants in different locations. |
| Socia, Kelly | Schl of Crimin & Justice Stud | Crossing the Aisle: Understanding Recreational Marijuana Legislation in New Hampshire Using Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Framework | 1 | СƵ half of the states have legalized recreational marijuana (RM), typically via ballot initiatives rather than legislative action, and other states are considering similar measures. The New Hampshire (NH) legislature came extremely close to legalizing RM in 2024 and will certainly try again in 2025. Thus, NH may become the first Republican-controlled state to ever legalize RM through rare bipartisan legislative action rather than direct democracy. This provides a timely and unique opportunity to better understand how policymakers and key stakeholders navigate the complex political environment surrounding RM legislation in its middle diffusion stage, when not all states have adopted these policies. While many issues exhibit extreme political polarization among both policymakers and the public (e.g., gun control legislation), RM legalization in NH is unique in that it has overwhelming support among the public and policymakers that crosses party lines and legislative chambers. Yet even among RM’s supporters, distinct policy disagreements have emerged between the NH House, Senate, and Governor, with many competing stakeholders seeking to influence this issue. Much of the prior research on marijuana policymaking has focused on medical marijuana (MM), and precious little is known about the policy dynamics of RM. This study capitalizes on this opportunity to better understand the current state of recreational marijuana legislation in the U.S. through a detailed case study of NH’s recent and current legislative efforts. To that end, the overall goal is to produce a nuanced understanding of legislative processes surrounding recreational marijuana in NH, through the lens of Kingdon’s (2003) Multiple Streams Framework (MSF). The part of the study specific to the Honors Fellowship project will involve an analysis of public rhetoric by NH state legislators and other stakeholders regarding RM legalization in NH between 2015 (before NH became surrounded by RM states) and early 2025. The project would run two semesters, starting spring 2025 and ending fall 2025. The data for this component comes from two main sources: a) public media, including news stories, op-eds, and press releases, and b) NH legislative transcripts. The data will be saved and imported into NVivo as OCR-readable PDFs or text files, and then qualitatively coded by the honors student and Dr. Socia. This research will answer the following questions: 1. How has NH legislators’ and other stakeholders’ rhetoric about RM changed in the last decade? 2. What are the primary factors influencing NH legislators' and other stakeholders’ attitudes towards the legalization of RM in New Hampshire, and how have these changed over time? |
| Van Dam, Noah | Mechanical Engineering | High Performance Computing for Energy Applications | 2 | The multiphase and reacting flows laboratory works on high fidelity computer simulations of multiphase and reacting flows such as fuel sprays and combustion. These flows appear in a variety of energy applications, including internal combustion engines and gas turbines. The lab always has several projects students may work on. Current primary projects are two projects funded by the US Navy. The first project is investigating the impacts of salt particles in the intake air on an atmospheric pressure burner that could be used to power future Navy vessels. In this project, students are looking at the combustion process and how the salt particles interact with the flame. Important questions include combustion efficiency, gas temperatures, and locations of salt deposits in the system. The second project is looking at using ammonia-hydrogen blends as a zero-carbon energy source for stationary power generation on remote bases. There are important questions about how the flame behavior of these blends and how to operate internal combustion engines running on these blends to maximize efficiency and minimize NOx or other unwanted combustion products. Students will run computational fluid dynamics simulations on high performance computers, and will perform post-processing of the results using several different tools, including paraview and matlab or python programs. |
| Wong, Hsi-Wu | Chemical Engineering | Waste Upcycling for Sustainability | 2 | Honors fellowship opportunities are available in Prof. Hsi-Wu Wong's research laboratory in the general area of waste upcycling for promoting sustainability. Prof. Wong in the Chemical Engineering Department has several research projects funded by government agencies (e.g., Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, etc.) looking into converting waste materials into renewable fuels or high-value chemicals. The particular waste of interest includes, biomass waste, plastics waste, and food waste. The methodologies we use include thermochemical (i.e., heat), biochemical (i.e., enzymes), and plasmachemical (i.e., high energy electrons). The student will work with graduate students and/or postdocs to perform laboratory experiments using custom-built microreactors and learn how to characterize products from the reactions using state-of-the-art analytical instruments such as gas chromatography and liquid chromatography, as well as chemical reaction engineering and kinetics theories and principles. |
| Xie, Dongming | Chemical Engineering | Research for the Immerse Fellowship in Biomanufacturing Science and Engineering Lab (BioSEL) -2024/2025 | 1 | Dr. Dongming Xie’s lab (Biomanufacturing Science & Engineering Lab, https://sites.uml.edu/dongming-xie/research/) from the department of chemical engineering is looking for a part-time undergraduate research assistant for the 2024/2025 academic year. The research projects are biomanufacturing of high-value chemicals, materials, food ingredients, and pharmaceuticals from waste materials such as CO2, waste oils/fats, and postconsumer plastics. The students will have the chance to work together with PhD graduate students for experiments in microbial cell culture and fermentation, gene editing and cellular engineering, bioprocess engineering, and product analysis. Students with academic background and experience in biology, chemistry, chemical engineering, or similar majors are encouraged to apply. For application, please send your resume/CV along with a cover letter with a brief introduction of yourself and your past research/working experience to Dr. Dongming Xie (Dongming_Xie@uml.edu). Please also submit the application form in this portal. The position will be open until it is filled with a qualified candidate. |
| Xie, Dongming | Chemical Engineering | Research with the Honors Fellowship - Biomanufacturing | 1 | Dr. Dongming Xie’s lab (BioSEL: Biomanufacturing Science & Engineering Lab, https://sites.uml.edu/dongming-xie/research/) from the department of chemical engineering is looking for a part-time undergraduate research assistant for the 2025/2026 academic year. The research projects are biomanufacturing of high-value chemicals, materials, and pharmaceuticals from waste materials such as waste oils/fats, textiles, plastics, and CO2-derived chemicals. The students will have the chance to work together with PhD graduate students for experiments in microbial cell culture and fermentation, gene edit and cellular engineering, bioprocess engineering, and product analysis via gas chromatograph (GC). This position is also supported by the Casella/Honors Sustainability Fellowship. Students who are currently in the honors college and have background and experience in chemical engineering, biology, and chemistry are encouraged to apply. For application, please send your resume/CV along with a cover letter with a brief introduction of yourself and your past research/working experience to Dr. Dongming Xie (Dongming_Xie@uml.edu). The position will be open until it is filled with a qualified candidate. |
| Yan, Mingdi | Chemistry | Developing New Click Type Cycloaddition Reactions | 2 | The goal of project is to develop new click type cycloaddition reactions based on electrophilic azides. The project will involve testing different reaction conditions and reagent scope, as well as characterization of the products using spectroscopy techniques. The candidate will have completed organic chemistry 1 and 2 and the corresponding labs, and have good academic records. |
Previous Opportunities
| Faculty Name | Department | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adili, Abiti | Mathematics & Statistics | Autonomous Vehicles can potentially transform transportation, consumer behavior, and society at large. This is not just personal cars because marine transportation is also at the leading edge, with commercial passenger and vehicle automated ferries operating in Japan and automated boats crossing the oceans. Sailboats, in particular, are not just efficient and environmentally friendly, they allow automated boats to be at sea for extended periods, which is excellent for applications such as oil and gas pipeline monitoring, ocean mapping, and data collection. Navigation is critical, and GPS provides a great option, but it can sometimes be very inaccurate or unavailable, requiring some alternative method. Dead Reckoning is an algorithm using direction and speed to continually update a track, with errors building up over time. Dead Reckoning requires real-time accurate heading and speed information, this project will use machine learning, using the GPS to provide supervised training when it is available and accurate, with the trained Dead Reckoning taking over when it is not. This project will include the development of a Machine Learning supported Dead Reckoning algorithm in Python, integrated with a control system for an autonomous sailboat running on a Raspberry Pi. Performance will be compared with and without machine learning. | |
| Agarwal, Nishant | Physics and Applied Physics | This project will explore the structure of conformal field theories (CFTs) and how renormalization group (RG) flows can connect one CFT to another. Studying these will require researching the nature of conformal symmetries and understanding how conformal field theories help describe continuous phase transitions in quantum many-body systems. This will entail relating RG flow to Infrared (IR) and Ultraviolet (UV) physics. In the study I will learn how to write a professional report by obtaining skills and proficiency in Latex, Mathematica, analytical problem solving and technical writing. The project will create a strong bridge between Theoretical Physics and Mathematics and will yield a basis and readiness for future projects such as my Mathematics and Physics capstones. | |
| Arias, Orlando | Electrical & Computer Eng | In this exploratory research fellowship, we will study various security primitives in hardware and software required to create Trusted Execution environments (TEEs), which are a secure area of a device in CPU and RAM that is also separate from the regular operating system, that ensures sensitive data is processed in a trusted and isolated environment. This technology is used in many modern applications such as creating a secure environment for fingerprint authentication on mobile phones. We will be adapting the Open Portable Trusted Execution Environment (OP-TEE), a software runtime for the ARM TrustZone (a TEE hardware primitive), to the DE1-SoC FPGA Development board which sports a heterogenous platform in which a Cyclone-V SoC provides a hard processing system (traditional CPU) as well as reconfigurable logic capabilities. Furthermore, we will prototype the other necessary hardware primitives with the Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) chip on the DE1-SoC board. Our findings will be made publicly available through the community, to facilitate further research and development in TEEs using low-cost, accessible platforms. | |
| Atterberry, Adrienne | Sociology | We will be exploring the aspirations of middle- and upper-class high school students in Bangalore, India, and examining how their families and schools support these aims. Through the transcription and analysis of group interviews, along with readings on parenting, adolescence, and schooling, my work throughout this fellowship will also delve into the social and cultural factors that shape these adolescents' aspirations. I will also aim to compare the experiences of middle- and upper-class adolescents with those from other class backgrounds. The project will then culminate in a co-authored paper intended for publication. | |
| Basara, Jeffrey | Envir,Earth&Atmos.Sciences | I will be conducting research using data from the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire to investigate whether the structure of the troposphere and the tropopause are changing significantly due to warming temperatures. I will begin the project by spending a week at the summit observatory where I will help collect data, shadow weather forecasters, get to know the database, experience the extreme weather for which the weather station is known, and begin the research project. The project will be overseen by both Dr. Basara and by meteorologists from the Observatory. I am investigating this topic because the results will have important implications for the future of winter weather in the White Mountains and Northern New England, in addition to the future of extreme weather. | |
| Bertelsen, Erin | Physics and Applied Physics | I will be continuing my research on covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and their ability to adsorb trivalent metals from solution, using radioactive europium as a surrogate. For this fellowship, I am focusing specifically on the kinetics of metal uptake by conducting time-based batch extraction experiments to observe how quickly COFs remove metal ions from nitric acid solutions under controlled conditions. Quantification will be done using a gamma counter. I chose to pursue this topic due to my interest in radiochemistry and my long-term goals in science and medicine offering hands on experience with radiation safety, experimental design, and data analysis, all during my undergraduate education. | |
| Beyranevand, Matthew | Mathematics & Statistics | Due to a variety of factors, СƵ has had an increased number of students placing in and enrolling in precalculus as the first course for students in the Kennedy College of Sciences and Francis College of Engineering. Many of these students had previously taken and passed precalculus but still placed into the course when enrolling at СƵ. The following steps/research will be taken for the project: 1. Research current СƵ in Precalculus I & II as to their previous math courses. 2. Research local high schools and community colleges to learn their syllabus, curriculum, and use of technology / calculators. 3. Understand the testing process and results for СƵ’s ALEKS system. There will hopefully be a follow-up opportunity to share results with local high schools and community colleges to educate and better prepare future СƵ students to enroll in higher level math classes upon entering the University. | |
| Beyranevand, Matthew | Mathematics & Statistics | As discussed with professor Beyranevand | |
| Cabrera, Maria | Miner Sch of Comp & Info Sci | I'd be updating the robotic platform NAO that is available in Professor Cabrera's lab to develop new code. I'd make an interaction 'script' so that children with communication issues, such as autism, could have a conversation with the robot about the emotions expressed by the robot, enhancing their ability to express or recognize emotions. I'm pursuing this because I have a personal connection to the matter, both of my siblings have autism and have issues communicating and making connections with their peers. I've made it my overall goal in life to make apps for children with disabilities, and I am going to do as much as possible in my years at СƵ to help me further my capabilities and understanding of what can be done to help my brother and sister. | |
| Camci-Unal, Gulden | Chemical Engineering | Hydrogel scaffolds for regenerative medicine Gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) is a promising biomaterial in tissue engineering because it combines the natural bioactivity of gelatin with tunable mechanical and structural properties. Its photocrosslinking ability makes it especially suitable for fabricating 3D scaffolds that mimic the extracellular matrix and support cell growth. In this project, we will fabricate GelMA-based scaffolds and study cell responses in three-dimensional environments, with the goal of understanding how scaffold properties influence cell behavior. This work will contribute to the development of advanced biomaterials for regenerative medicine and provide valuable undergraduate research experience. | |
| Castro Cornejo, Rodrigo | Political Science | Research Assistance in the СƵ Center for Public Opinion The student participating in this research project will assist in creating data visualizations, preparing reports, and contributing to literature reviews in the Center for Public Opinion. The student will also collaborate on the project “LGBT Population and Prejudice in American Public Opinion.” This project examines whether demographic increases in the LGBT population trigger anti-LGBT prejudice in American public opinion. While prior research shows that the demographic growth of racial minorities often heightens racial anxiety—particularly among white, conservative Americans—much less is known about attitudes toward America’s growing diversity in terms of sexual orientation. To address this gap, the project will analyze original survey data collected in the summer of 2025. | |
| Chain, Frederic | Biological Sciences | For my Honors Fellowship, I plan on working with Dr. Frederic Chain from the biology department. My project will be centered on the topic of figuring out the gendering of different stickleback species and populations to verify the sex of the organism without the use of sequencing. Currently, we have five known species of stickleback from various populations in which I will be investigating this sex chromosome genetic differentiation. To investigate this genetic differentiation in male/female stickleback I will be computationally (using R: coding language) to compare genome/transcriptomes in male vs female. I will then design a DNA primer to target the location of the sex chromosome from my computational investigation. To visualize that I have successfully designed the primer to figure out the genetic differentiation a PCR diagnosis test will be performed on the samples we have. DNA segments of the different species will be amplified by PCR and visualized through performing gel electrophoresis. This project will allow me to enhance my wet lab skills (pipetting, PCR, gel electrophoresis) and also dry lab skills (R-coding) for preparation for a biology graduate program in the future. | |
| Delhommelle, Jerome | Chemistry | The nature of the project involves using a language model, like Pro-GPT2, for protein topology to understand a protein’s structural elements. We are trying to understand how protein topologies form, and how proteins transition from one topology to another. The end goal is to utilize the understanding to engineer de novo artificial proteins for therapeutics. I am pursuing this topic because I am passionate about using machine learning for a greater cause, and developing artificial proteins for therapeutics can help alleviate disease pathology. Therapeutic protein design has faced many issues with clinical implementation due to time and efficiency costs, and I would like to help optimize the process with computational efforts so that those suffering from diseases, like cancer, can receive treatment that they need. | |
| Desgranges, Caroline | Physics and Applied Physics | The aim of this project is to create new theoretical frameworks, physics-based machine learning algorithms, and artificial intelligence techniques for biomedical optical imaging and image-guided intervention methods in cancer research. The project will require collaboration between two research groups, one experimental and the other theoretical, to use optical polarization imaging (OPI) as a screening tool for detecting cancers. More specifically, spectrally-encoded information captured in OPI will be utilized to develop a deep learning machine learning model capable of evaluating the extent of tumor spread, thus reducing the need for unnecessary surgeries. | |
| Desgranges, Caroline | Physics and Applied Physics | Working under Prof. Desgranges and Prof. Yaroslavsky to complete research on AI and OPI involving skin cancer margins. Possibly completing an Honors Project under their mentorship and supervision. | |
| Dubus, Andre | English | Professor Dubus has agreed to helping guide me in writing a full first draft of a novel about three characters. These characters have been living rent-free in my mind since 2021, and became a lot more developed last year. The characters are a mother and two daughters. I will likely set it in late 1700s Ukraine, but I am loosely considering setting it in 19th century Ukraine. It takes place, in substantial part, in a small town comprised of Jews and peasants. I want help writing a first draft because I don't have a clear idea for a plot, yet the three main characters are very strong, especially the mother and oldest daughter, and I feel like I know them as if they were real people in my life. I also want help because sometimes when I try to do large projects without structured, frequent guidance, I struggle to stay self-directed and pace myself properly. I also want help figuring out exactly how much historical research I need and help creating inferences from what I am reading when the information is vague. I have chosen to set this in Eastern Europe and make the characters Jewish because my heritage is Eastern European Jewish and I have taken an interest in exploring that. Instead of writing a story that is predominantly about antisemitism, I want to write about people who are extraordinary and ordinary at the same time, with curiosity and senses of humor. I want to write about people who live their lives in spite of facing both antisemitism and other problems that people today face such as classism and sexism, and also personal problems such as relationship issues and the struggle to define one's self, while keeping their historical time period and context very clear. I think that in historical fiction, when the characters feel timeless, it can help readers consider how people have always been the same, even when they are different. **I do not know whether I am going to publish it or not. For now I would like to work towards publishing this and making it a book, however, I may change my mind during the process of writing this as it may wind up being work I would rather keep to myself.** | |
| Gage, Matthew | Chemistry | For this fellowship, single molecular characterization will be performed for CaM and S100A1 Proteins using phage display technique. Ultimately, the results from this experiment should drive a more complex understanding of the binding interactions present in these proteins for therapeutic applications (both in terms of disease and future drug design). The first step of this experiment would be the phage library acquisition or creation, in which a library would be designed specifically for analysis of these 2 proteins. Once a library is acquired, the phages will be propagated for assay use and other components of the binding assay (set up, material collection, etc) can be prepared. From there, the binding selection assay can be successfully performed and the results can be sequenced for later analysis. The data analysis period, once complete, can be validated with an additional assay with purified proteins (thus requiring a protein purification step). I am pursuing this topic because learning about proteins, antibodies, and other molecules through single-molecule characterization truly interests me, and after interning this summer to perform biophysical characterization, I'd love to apply my building skills to a new and long-term project. | |
| Gautam, Ramraj | School of Nursing | For my fellowship, I want to focus on the following research question: How can interested emerita/us professors and retired faculty continue to engage with the university? After briefly reviewing literature, I discovered that there are a great number of studies performed on aging in general; However, fewer studies on Age Friendly Universities (AFU’s) have been done (Montepare et al., 2020). As a result, I have discovered that there are an unlimited number of benefits that come from being part of an Age Friendly University (Montepare et al., 2020). It is important for students to be knowledgeable about aging and older adults, so that we can make our community more age-friendly and age-inclusive (Montepare et al., 2020). СƵ is an AFU (Age Friendly University), and it strives to integrate the 10 AFU principles at the university. The article presented many ways to incorporate these initiatives into our university, in the form of campaign/theme for our campus (Montepare et al., 2020). From communication with HR, Dr. Karen Devereaux Melillo found that a few faculty members choose to participate in exit interviews. However, СƵ has identified a need and has planned workshops on pre-retirement where we can discuss issues related to pre-retirement. These workshops on pre-retirement will be organized in Spring 2024, by СƵ AFU Steering Committee. I plan to transcribe, summarize, and conduct content analysis of the table-top discussions that will be a planned part of the pre-retirement workshops. As a student, I will take the lead on some of these table-top discussions, in addition to serving as a scribe for the discussions. Also, my role is to promote awareness about the proposed pre-retirement workshops/program offered by the AFU Collaborative initiative through social media and announcements and poster announcement preparation. I will have a role in outreach to faculty and staff, such as through Departmental Chairs and ADVANCE Departmental Faculty Ambassadors. I will create a potential theme and campaign when doing so. I will be developing posters and engaging in social media messaging for pre/near-retirement faculty. Then, I will be able to offer content derived from the content analyses of the table-top discussions at pre- /near-retirement workshops for use/consideration by HR in exit interviews (Honors Student Learning Outcome #1) and for future Pre-Retirement Workshop series presentations. As I reviewed literature, I learned that AFU’s must address the needs of older adults, such as students/staff/professors/emeriti (Silverstein et al., 2019). The gerontology faculty leading these initiatives are a part of the Gerontological Society of America, both with designated Fellow status. My reading component will consist of articles from the Dropbox folder provided by Dr. Gautam. I will be doing a brief literature review on these articles (Honors Student Learning Outcome #3). My written component will be the manuscript I will write. For my presentation component, I will be presenting with the Honors College and will consider an abstract submission to the Gerontological Society of America/Mass Gerontology Association (Honors Student Learning Outcome #4). | |
| Gignoux-Wolfsohn, Sarah | Biological Sciences | Coral reefs face increasing threats due to climate change, with rising ocean temperatures driving widespread bleaching. Under stress, corals bleach by expelling their symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae), which provide corals with food through photosynthesis. While not dead, bleached corals are more susceptible to starvation, disease, and death if the stressor persists. Ultimately, bleaching events often lead to declines in reef coverage and biodiversity due to habitat loss and disruptions to the food web. My proposed project aims to investigate how the symbiont communities of Caribbean stony coral colonies are changing over time following bleaching events. To investigate my research question, Colpophyllia natans colonies in Panama reefs were identified and tagged for long-term monitoring and sample collection. A DNA extraction, amplification of the psbA region via PCR, and Sanger sequencing will be performed on each sample to determine the symbiont identity of each colony. Building a deeper understanding of the complex interaction between corals and their symbionts lays the foundation for developing conservation and restoration strategies for coral reefs, a crucial habitat for a vast majority of marine life. Moreover, identifying symbiotic community shifts will provide insights into long-term survival strategies and help predict how corals may adapt in response to climate change. Past research has shown that some corals adapt to changing environmental conditions by hosting different strains of zooxanthellae, a silver lining in reef resilience. Potentially, my research will identify vulnerable areas within reefs to target conservation and restoration efforts, as well as provide a new perspective for breeding more resilient coral to restore endangered reefs. | |
| Gignoux-Wolfsohn, Sarah | Biological Sciences | Coral reefs are an integral part of our ocean’s ecosystem, not only supporting a vast amount of all marine life, and therefore supplying many people’s income and livelihoods through fishing, but also helping boost the economy through tourism and providing coastline protection. Unfortunately, due to bleaching, disease, and pollution, among many other stressors, many coral species are now at risk of becoming extinct, threatening the health of our ocean’s coral reef ecosystems. The Gignoux-Wolfsohn lab has been monitoring ~200 tagged coral colonies in Belize since June 2019. I will be analyzing the amount of tissue loss from colonies over time as they experience an outbreak of stony coral tissue loss disease, followed by a mass bleaching event. Our previous protocol for analyzing health status was inadequate in calculating how much of the coral tissue had died over the previous years, as it only accounted for whether the coral was fully healthy, diseased, or fully dead rather than quantifying partial mortality. I will be applying a new protocol developed by the Gignoux-Wolfsohn lab to analyze these coral colonies' tissue loss percentages. My analysis will be used to detect any patterns in coral tissue loss from June 2019 through June 2025 related to bleaching and disease. I will also be calculating and analyzing nitrate concentrations in seawater collected from various transects that the Gignoux-Wolfsohn lab monitors throughout the Caribbean. My analysis will be used to help understand how the coral in those transects are being impacted by abiotic factors and to see if there are any patterns in bleaching and disease prevalence relating to nitrate levels. I will be using a NO3 protocol developed by Brooke Sienkiewicz (PhD student in the Gignoux-Wolfsohn lab) and Joy Winbourne (Assistant Professor, EEAS). Both of these projects will help our lab, and by extension, the greater scientific community, further our knowledge surrounding current mass bleaching events and stony coral tissue loss disease. | |
| Gignoux-Wolfsohn, Sarah | Biological Sciences | The idea behind this Fellowship is to help work out some of the genetic species markers that are present for the Orbicella family of coral. Up until this point, we have worked out the taxonomic history of these species and read prior genetic work that gave us a ton of prerequisite information. We are using samples collected by the GW Lab, and comparing genes between our samples and known reference genomes. We have recently acquired more sequenced specimens to compare against, so we have our work cut out for us in our next steps. This type of work is important as the Orbicella family of corals is incredibly important to Caribbean reef building, and the ability to understand who is what species, who is hybridized, and is it affecting their survival against rising ocean temps and disease? | |
| Gonzales, Joseph | Psychology | I will be helping to test a Factored Dynamic model, write-up papers using existing data sets, and learning about the application of advanced quantitative modeling methods for the social and behavioral sciences. | |
| Gu, Zhiyong | Chemical Engineering | This Fellowship will be a continuation of my work in Dr. Gu's lab this summer as an immersive scholar. The goal of our project is to make an E-textile multi-gas sensor for the military. After the summer in the lab, I am familiar with most of the processes in the lab so my work this fall will mainly be on helping the graduate students with their more redundant tasks like making nanoparticles, making inks, and making conductive fabric. I want to continue this research because I enjoyed it, and I can be very helpful for keeping our project on pace. | |
| Gu, Zhiyong | Chemical Engineering | In this Fellowship I would provide assistance to the graduate students in Dr. Gu's research lab as they try to work toward creating a commercial product used for multi-gas sensing. In this role I would assist with running experiments, creating prototypes, and working on any side project the graduate students need me to do. Through this role I will gain an understanding of how to work in a state-of-the-art research lab and have the ability to broaden my knowledge in the advanced materials field of chemical engineering. Already having done some work in this field in the past summer I already have a head start on the work and continuing to pursue it during the school year will allow me to really make an impact in this research field. | |
| Hajian, Rozhin | Mechanical & Industrial Engin | For this fellowship, I plan to investigate the aeroacoustic behavior of porous airfoil designs, inspired by the silent flight mechanisms found in owls. The main objective is to better understand how specific porosity patterns along an airfoil surface—especially near the trailing edge—can reduce aerodynamic self-noise in turbulent flow conditions. Using a combination of mathematical modeling, computational simulations, and wind tunnel experiments with custom 3D-printed porous airfoils, I aim to predict and validate how different porous configurations affect sound production. This research has the potential to contribute to the design of quieter aircraft, wind turbines, and UAVs by applying passive noise-reduction techniques directly into the structure. I am pursuing this topic because I am deeply passionate about aerospace engineering, particularly aerodynamics and fluid-structure interaction. I intend to declare an aerospace engineering minor at СƵ, and this project aligns perfectly with both my academic goals and long-term interests in aircraft design and sustainable aviation technologies. | |
| Hajian, Rozhin | Mechanical Engineering | For this fellowship, we will be researching the silent flight characteristics of owl wings. Specifically, we will be trying to understand the noise reduction caused by porosity in their wings. To do this, we will be applying various porosity distributions to a model airfoil. The project will include a theoretical and experimental component. The theoretical component will involve finding the ideal distribution of porosity on the wing in order to balance noise reduction and lift. The experimental component will involve testing these distributions using 3D printed models in a wind tunnel. The results of the experiment will then be used to inform future theory. | |
| Homann, Laura | Fine Arts Humanities & Soc Sci | Using quantitative and qualitative methods, the goal of this project is to examine how and why body regulating military policies differ between NATO countries and how this affects women’s levels of representation in NATO militaries. My main task is to code for gender related military policies. | |
| Jing, Guangming | Mathematics & Statistics | Edge coloring and edge packing could be considered partitions of the edges of a graph under certain restrictions. For example, a proper edge coloring partitions the edges into sets such that no two edges in the same set share a common endpoint, while an edge cover packing partitions the edges into sets such that the edges in each set cover all the vertices. Optimal or near-optimal solutions to these problems have important applications in network, communication, scheduling, and other optimization problems. During this project, students will gain research experience in developing and coding cutting-edge, efficient algorithms for graph edge coloring and packing. This experience can lead to a deeper understanding of both algorithmic complexities and discrete optimization. The goal is to produce work that can potentially lead to journal or conference publications. | |
| Johnson, William | Finance | The fellowship would consist of a proof of concept for a potential class Professor Johnson had wanted to create for UML called Blockchain Analytics. The fellowship would consist of me investigating the concept and ideas around and or the creation of a mappable program to track cryptocurrencies to see if it would be possible to create a full class around it. The purpose of the class would be to teach students how to code a program that tracks/maps decentralized securities through the use of decentralized global ledgers API's and full stack coding. The class objective would basically be for the students to learn how to create a program from scratch that can track, and or visualize (map) the movements and or uses of decentralized currencies, Tokens, and or even smart contracts that are on the blockchain. Both Professor Johnson and I are currently uncertain of what level of class it would be taken as (2000,3000, 4000 or even graduate class level), How long a class would be needed, or what prerequisites, at all, may be required if the class were to be created. So far we have a basic outline for how the class may be structured and how this fellowship may be split up work wise: The first half of the class: Introduction to coding: Roughly 3 programming Assignments: For the students to learn the basics of the coding languages that they’ll need to use in order to create the mapping program. Data interaction: 2 Assignments: After the students are familiar with the 3+ languages that will be required they will then start getting familiar with the implementation of them for the use of interacting with the blockchains global ledger and collecting data from it. Data Analysis: 3 Assignments: This portion of the class would be identifying and categorizing different types of common data (wallet and decentralized securities) interactions/structure and what they mean within the data of the global ledger. Basically the student would learn how to analyze the data of the blockchain. Second half of the class: Illegal use bitcoin Wallets: 1 Assignment This part of the class would give the student a list of wallets containing Bitcoin from various sources and require the students to apply what they’ve learnt about the basics of coding to pull data from the blockchains global ledger on those wallets and then use the analysis techniques they’ve learnt to identify which wallet if any is being used for suspicious activity. Basically find a wallet that is being used for theoretical nefarious purposes based on the analysis of the transaction history and coins within that wallet. Ethereum: 1 Assignment Almost the same as the “illegal bitcoin wallets.” But this would teach students about the Ethereum blockchain and the distinctions between it and the bitcoin blockchain. Students will be given a list of wallets that are under investigation for an exchange hack. Where “X” amount of coins have been stolen. Students will then use that they’ve learnt about the use of pulling, sorting, and analyzing data to track down and map the transactions and wallets the “dirty tokens” have interacted with in effort to relocate them and find the dirty wallets they reside in. Smartcontracts: 1 Assignment If needed the student can be given an additional assignment/ part of the class where they can build on what they’ve learnt about the ethereum network. Instead of just track and map Ethereum tokens on the blockchain. They would do a deep dive into the intricacies of smart contracts residing on the ethereum network and how they could go about tracking and mapping these as well. The reason for the uncertainty is due to the nature of the assignment. I will first have to investigate the concepts around this and then apply them in effort to see if this is even possible. If feasible for class, I will then try to create a program that will track and map transactions of bitcoin, Ethereum, ect to see. How hard for students this would be and in addition how long it would take, what the required skills, background knowledge, or courses would be required for students to have success in completing this course is created. The real purpose of the creation of the algorithm is so that I may design the class in a more efficient manner, basically backtracking all the most useful things I had to learn in order to complete the program and analysis of the given blockchain network. | |
| Kao, Pei-Chun | Physical Therapy & Kinesiology | For this fellowship, I will be conducting a literature review on current research examining how varying longitudinal bending stiffness levels of the shoe inserts impact gait kinematics. Changes in center of pressure, velocity, joint torque, shock absorption, and force production across varying stiffness levels across different walking/running speeds will be compared between studies. The equipment used and experimental setup explained in each article will also be examined and compared in order to determine commonalities among successful data collection methods. This literature review will provide background information for my honors thesis to aid in developing the experimental setup for data collection and expand my knowledge on current research on this subject. | |
| Keyes, Os | Philosophy | I will be assisting Dr. Keyes in transcribing many different interviews/videos related to the history of gender affirming care. I am pursuing this Fellowship because I believe creating resources for future studies is important, with the added benefit that I myself gain more knowledge from having access to these transcripts. | |
| Kim, Yu | Physical Therapy & Kinesiology | My fellowship is about studying how exosomes help our cells adapt to exercise, especially in boosting mitochondria and immune function. I’ll be looking at how these tiny messengers improve communication between cells and play a role in recovery and performance. This ties into my passion for exercise science and understanding how the body adapts at a deeper level. My goal is to connect what we know about training with what’s happening on a cellular level to help athletes and even clinical patients. I’m excited about this research because it could lead to better ways to improve performance, recovery, and overall health. | |
| Kolias, Carisa | Library | Using the International Institute of Lowell Collection at the Center for Lowell History, СƵ, as well as other primary and secondary sources, the fellow will conduct research into the records of people who immigrated from Armenia from 1900-1920, particularly focusing on the time of the Armenian Genocide from 1915-1916. During the Armenian genocide, up to 1.2 million Armenian people, primarily Christian, were killed by Ottoman authorities and others. Many Armenian people fled before, during, and after the genocide and emigrated from their native land. Some eventually wound up in the United States, and made their home in Lowell, Massachusetts. The goal of this project is to draw out the many stories contained in the International Institute of Lowell collection in order to highlight and learn from the personal stories of Armenian refugees. In doing so, a community that is often overlooked when celebrating the immigrant stories of Lowell, Massachusetts will have its story told. It is not our intention to replicate the work done by previous researchers, or to write a paper about the Armenian community more broadly, but to draw out stories hidden within these records. To that end, the fellow will review the most recent research into Armenians in Lowell at the start of their fellowship to familiarize themselves with the community they will be researching. Expected products at the end of this fellowship are: 1) Minimum 8-10 page paper presenting the research findings 2) Educational libGuide summarizing the findings of the paper for inclusion on the University's libGuides 3) Digital exhibit focusing on three to four people or families' stories to be added to the digital exhibit page of the International Institute of Lowell on the Omeka platform, 4) Creating an interactive map to be included in the digital exhibit 5) Create a 15-minute presentation highlighting the work done in your fellowship | |
| Konow, Nicolai | Biological Sciences | Anatomy of animals and people is the one thing that interests me the most. As of now I have one major goal I want to accomplish, becoming a surgeon. I want to be able to look at people, whether through X-Rays, blood tests, MRI’s, CT’s, and more, and figure out what is wrong with them and what I can do to help them. This project, even though the subjects are lungfish, will bring me one step closer to that goal. I will be able to learn how to read X-Rays and understand the movements of vertebrates due to how I will be studying lungfish. The project that I will be undertaking is examining the jaw and tongue movements of lungfish, determining how they chew and transport their food. I will be doing this by capturing X-Ray videos of the lungfish chewing and transporting their food. After capturing several trials for each specimen (N = 4), I will digitize 3D movements of implanted markers in XMAlab (Knörlein). This program is where I will be able to analyze my data and determine how the jaw and tongue moves when the lungfish are chewing and swallowing. Based on prior data collected by the Konow lab, I will be comparing my data to data about the evolution of food processing across the water-to-land transition. Did you know that lungfish can survive on land for varying amounts of time? The jaw and tongue movements are important to look at because lungfish have a unique way of chewing food when compared to other vertebrates. Not only that, but they have evolved to chew on land just like humans, which makes them fascinating study subjects. The overall goal of the Konow lab is to learn and expand our understanding of the terrestrialization of amphibians. Humans are an offshoot of this evolutionary progression. Completing this fellowship will teach me how to obtain quantitative data from X-Rays and I will learn about fundamental things such as the anatomy and biomechanics of aquatic feeding vertebrates. My intent with this fellowship would be to publish a paper that explains the way lungfish chew and transport their food and back and forth in their mouth cavity. This research requires a good deal of knowledge on muscles, joints, and bones. So, I plan on reading an article every week to help me get a deeper and better understanding of the anatomy of lungfish. That way, when the time comes, I will be able to publish an in-depth paper that dives deep into the chewing and transportation of lungfish’s food. Knörlein, B. J., Baier, D. B., Gatesy, S. M., Laurence-Chasen, J. D., & Brainerd, E. L. (2016). Validation of XMALab software for marker-based XROMM. Journal of Experimental Biology, 219(23), 3701-3711. | |
| Konow, Nicolai | Biological Sciences | One of the essential relationships for understanding a muscle’s ability to move the skeletons, the Force Velocity relationship. Traditionally, measuring this relationship for a given muscle of the body’s motion systems requires a prohibitively expensive instrument (Aurora Scientific’s 300C: Dual-Mode Muscle Lever). I will be designing and creating an experimental apparatus that utilizes commonplace materials and simple manufacturing. My apparatus will then be validated against the Dual-Mode Muscle Lever as a course module in Dr. Konow’s Biology of Muscle course. My design can then allow classrooms worldwide easy and cost-effective access to a valuable muscle physiological experiment. Along with the mechanical design, I will develop a program (either in python or IgorPro) for students to easily record and visualize the data they extract from the apparatus (which typically involve data volumes too large for Excel to handle). | |
| Kronrod, Ann | Mktg Entr & Innovation | We can learn a lot from a systematic analysis of language in business and social settings, such as customer complaint sites, advertising or social network posts. Research of the words used in these settings has proven to be insightful, providing first-hand knowledge about people’s emotions, attitudes, behaviors, decisions, intentions, and hidden motivations. Text analysis is used today in business, marketing, political science, and consumer behavior research. The project will focus on the question – what can we learn about business and people by analyzing what they say? For example, how does a fake review differ from a real review, judging only by its language? The prospect student will be able to find and read previous works that show how to analyze text in an insightful way. Students interested in experimental aspects of research will be able to take part in planning, designing and executing studies or surveys, manipulating emotions and attitudes to learn about the way these changes influence thought and language people use to achieve their goals. Students who prefer a more computational approach will be able to apply their coding abilities, to conduct text analysis depending on their level of interest and skill, and to implement it to analyze large datasets, such as Amazon reviews, health forum posts, or Twitter data. | |
| Kronrod, Ann | Mktg Entr & Innovation | For "Language and Its Effects on Business and Society," I will be researching identity. Specifically, I'll be investigating literature about what influences or helps us construct our identity. Then, I'll be conducting a study that tests if people are better able to formulate their own identities through reviewing a list of words & expressions that pertain to identity. The reason I'm interested in researching this topic & conducting this study is because my thesis is that quotes with certain types of language play a valuable part in helping us define our identities. I have interest specifically in potentially creating an app that addresses the topic of identity issues and moral issues through utilizing famous quotes and expressions from people of influence. Finding this fellowship sounds like a great opportunity to better develop the idea for this project! | |
| Kronrod, Ann | Mktg Entr & Innovation | This fellowship will focus on how to get society to understand the importance of utilizing the time they have to start investing in their future as well as providing assistance in testing an app designed to improve sleep habits. To complete the necessary research, we will collaborate with non-profits and workers to communicate about their health and retirement planning activities. I will be helping by researching specific financial institutions, writing and sending out emails, and collecting and analyzing data. | |
| Lee, Seungeun | Schl of Crimin & Justice Stud | Within the world of cryptocurrency, scams/frauds run rampant due to the easy use of exploitative digital methods. This project aims to investigate how these schemes effectively deceive users, and the methods that can be used to safeguard vulnerable investors. This project will address the following research questions: • What are the most popular types of cryptocurrencies, and how likely are they to be associated with fraudulent schemes? • What are the most common types of cryptocurrency scams, and what methodologies do they employ? • How does the anonymity of cryptocurrency influence the frequency of fraud, and what technological solutions could be implemented to better prevent it? • How is cryptocurrency fraud currently being addressed, and how effective are these solutions? • How can fraudulent practices be more effectively traced and prevented through modern technology and the criminal justice system? • How can law enforcement agencies become better equipped to handle cryptocurrency scams in today’s technological landscape? These research questions aim to develop a deeper understanding of the scope of cryptocurrency exploitation and provide valuable insight into the evolving landscape of cybercrime. The project will draw on government and corporate reports on cryptocurrency and related scams, online victimization studies, and court documents from cryptocurrency-related cases. | |
| Lee, Seungeun | Schl of Crimin & Justice Stud | Over the summer of 2024, I worked with Professor Claire Lee on the prevalence of cybercrime in the 21st century, specifically in the different methods of deception used to exploit users of digital currencies. I helped Professor Lee with data collection by web-scraping data using the PRAW API for Reddit and the ChainAbuse API. Expanding off of the work we did over the summer, Professor Lee and I hope to explore these research questions: This project explores the following research questions: What are the most common types of cryptocurrency fraud as reported by victims? How do the experiences of cryptocurrency fraud victims differ across various types of fraud (e.g., phishing, Ponzi schemes, ICO scams)? What patterns can be identified in the prosecution and sentencing of cryptocurrency fraud cases? What challenges do law enforcement and judicial systems face when dealing with cryptocurrency fraud cases? Through further data scraping from online forums and cybercrime report sites, we hope to find an answer to this question. I am pursuing this topic because I am big on working in computer science for social impact. Whether it be developing software solutions for developing regions or helping users stay safe on the internet through online safety programs, I strive to create a difference in the world through computer science. By researching this topic, I hope to educate myself and other people on the hazards that cryptocurrency scammers pose to society and provide potential solutions to recognize these scams. | |
| Lee, Teresa | Biological Sciences | I will be looking at a specific mutation in the let-418 gene. The LET-418 protein is a part of complex called NuRD (nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase) that is involved with regulating chromatin, which is important for turning gene expression on or off. The allele I will be looking for was originally found in the human homolog of the gene, which affected neurodevelopment of the patient. In C. elegans, I will be looking at the mutation’s effect on fertility by counting the total progeny of the worms in comparison to other alleles that I will know what the outcome should be. I will also be assessing other developmental phenotypes, like embryonic lethality, germline development, and developmental timing. | |
| Lee, Teresa | Biological Sciences | The topic of the fellowship will be investigating the role of lipids in transgenerational inheritance of jhdm-1; fat-7 and wdr-5; fat-7 double mutants in C. elegans which will further our understanding of longevity and fertility in these animals. This will involve me doing husbandry to maintain these strains, assessing phenotypes (fertility, lipid accumulation, and development), and visualizing and analyzing my data. | |
| Lee, Teresa | Biological Sciences | I will be working under Dr. Teresa Lee in the department of Biological Sciences on a project that is a continuation of previous work in her lab. LET-418 is a protein in the NuRD nucleosome remodeling complex, which is an important part of repairing DNA damage. CHD4 is the human homolog of let-418. Mutations have been identified from human patients for neurodevelopmental disorder and endometrial cancer, and the lab has engineered these mutations in LET-418. The lab has shown these mutations in LET-418 affect progeny production, in part because DNA damage accumulates and damages eggs. I will examine progeny size assays using different mutations in LET-418 to better understand its role in the germline. I will also examine whether there are effects on embryonic development or survival. | |
| Lewis, Sumudu | Curriculum and Instruction | Create an ad or a video that can be shown at orientations or at high schools to inspire young people to choose teaching in a STEM field. Students would need to explore what it means to be a Science teacher, perhaps interview teachers students, and come up with a creative ad campaign to attract more young people into the teaching profession. Could be a music video or something that is unique and different and appealing to the young people. Project may need to begin with some market research if we are to brand and sell UTeach as a program. | |
| Long, Joshua | Schl of Crimin & Justice Stud | In the fellowship description it states " In coordination with the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Department, we propose to evaluate the educational and rehabilitative programs offered to the incarcerated population at the Billerica House of Corrections in Billerica, Massachusetts. In addition, we are seeking permission from СƵ to volunteer as teachers for a financial empowerment class provided to incarcerated women who live in the pre-release center. This class will help them learn how to balance their household budgets to improve their chances of success when they return to their communities. This combined effort is important for the incarcerated women as a way of helping them succeed post-release, it helps the community by potentially reducing incidents of future crime, it helps СƵ graduate students to work in a justice system setting, and it helps СƵ’s reputation as champions of education and justice system reform in Massachusetts. The project will include three phases. The first phase will include basic data collection prior to offering the financial empowerment course. During this phase, the principal investigator and СƵ graduate students will receive data from the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Department that includes the number of incarcerated people in their facilities, the types of programs they completed during incarceration, and their post-release recidivism records. In phase two we will conduct a focus group of incarcerated women at the pre-release center (average daily population = 12) and ask them what kinds of financial skills they already have, and what they would like to learn in a new course offered by СƵ volunteers. We will incorporate their responses into the curriculum and teach a 10-week financial empowerment course, concluding with a student evaluation of the program. Phase three will include a long-term follow-up with these women 1, 2, or 3 years post-release to better understand the challenges they faced as they tried to reintegrate back into society, with an emphasis on how they managed their household finances. " I believe that this is a fantastic way to not only give back to the community but to also learn about what needs to be changed, updated, or looked at closer. This fellowship uses hands-on experience to promote knowledge about incarcerated women thata are in prison and a part of the pre-release program. It gives a unique insight into what people from this population deal with on a day to day basis. It breeds creativity for the participants and knowledge for those helping and analyzing data. I would like to work in forensic psychology and am interested in getting more familiar with the criminal justice field. | |
| Matz, Maria | World Languages and Cultures | Through this Fellowship, I will pursue an interdisciplinary research project examining how recent films and literary works about the Mexico–U.S. border (2020–2025) act as cultural archives that go beyond politics to inspire new ways of understanding migration and identity. I’ll focus on works such as Dos estaciones, Noche de fuego, Sin señas particulares, and Lost Children Archive, analyzing how they challenge dominant narratives and preserve community memory. I’m drawn to this topic because I believe art has the power to shape empathy and social awareness. By combining decolonial film and literary analysis with border studies, my goal is to show how these stories serve as “technologies of resistance” and everyday acts of cultural transformation. This Fellowship will allow me to deepen my research and explore how creative expression can open space for dialogue and belonging across borders. | |
| McConwell, Alison | Philosophy | We plan on covering topics related to the philosophy of historical sciences, working through a series of texts culminating in a presentation. Hands-on experience with archival works and literature pertinent to the topic. I am pursuing this topic as I am interested in accumulating research experience in order to prepare for graduate school. | |
| Mendes Fakhoury, Renato | Honors College | This research will examine why nations withdraw from international climate organizations, how these organizations respond, and strategies to strengthen the durability of national commitments. I am pursuing this topic because it directly connects to my coursework and area of study, as well as my broader interest in climate policy across large international institutions. | |
| Mendes Fakhoury, Renato | Political Science | I am looking for a student to help me in analyzing the relationship between national slogans and the way in which political administrations govern. Since the times of military dictatorship in the 1960s-1980s, Brazil has had several national slogans associated with different administrations. Some famous examples here include “Brazil: Love it or Leave it”, used during the Medici government in the military dictatorship; “Beloved Homeland Brazil”, by Jair Bolsonaro; and the current “Union and Reconstruction”, by Lula. But what can those slogans tell us about the challenges, anxieties, and opportunities different administrations saw ahead in their campaigns? And moreover, how did those slogans guide policymaking? The student would help me in gathering and analyzing data about slogans and policies put forth by certain presidential administrations in Brazil. For that reason, some previous knowledge of Portuguese is preferred, but not required. | |
| Mendes Fakhoury, Renato | Political Science | I am looking for a student to help me in analyzing the relationship between national slogans and the way in which political administrations govern. Since the times of military dictatorship in the 1960s-1980s, Brazil has had several national slogans associated with different administrations. Some famous examples here include “Brazil: Love it or Leave it”, used during the Medici government in the military dictatorship; “Beloved Homeland Brazil”, by Jair Bolsonaro; and the current “Union and Reconstruction”, by Lula. But what can those slogans tell us about the challenges, anxieties, and opportunities different administrations saw ahead in their campaigns? And moreover, how did those slogans guide policymaking? The student would help me in gathering and analyzing data about slogans and policies put forth by certain presidential administrations in Brazil. For that reason, some previous knowledge of Portuguese is preferred, but not required. | |
| Mendes Fakhoury, Renato | Honors College | The fellowship aims to explore the the use of pop culture references by political leaders when talking about major issues. This fellowship will involve research, categorization, and analysis of the examples and how they are being used. Currently, I already am familiar with a few examples of pop culture being used in speeches. I’ve also taken research methods in political science and have some experience with Excel. | |
| Mendes Fakhoury, Renato | Political Science | We are searching for a student to help us gather and analyze data for a project focusing on Russian narratives of expansionism. Much literature on Russian foreign policy since the mid-2000s has characterized the expansionist nature of Russian behavior as part of Russia’s re-emergence from a post-Cold War slumber. However, Russian understandings of foreign policy are often based on identity constructed through space. In other words, Russia’s sense of self is based on the need for space and geography – a counterintuitive thought if we consider Russia is the largest country in the world! Rather than claiming that such an identity begins only post-Cold War, we argue that such a conception began as early as the Appanage era (860-1689) and can be traced across Imperial Russia (1689-1916), Soviet-era Russia (1917-1991), through today. This has serious implications for how we can understand how Russia narrates war, conflict, and future policy engagements – as seen more recently in the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the Russo-Georgian war of 2008. This project would be a great fit to any student interested in learning more about international relations, the history of Russia, and the standing of Russia in current (and past) international developments. | |
| Miadich, Samantha | Psychology | While there has been prior research linking sleep issues and asthma or lung function in children, actigraphy methods have only recently been applied in studies including children and adolescents (Koinis-Mitchell et al., 2015; Koinis-Mitchell et al., 2017; Koinis-Mitchell et al., 2019; Martin et al., 2017; Meltzer et al., 2015; Meltzer et al., 2020; Moore et al., 2009). Furthermore, a substantial portion of the research using actigraphy methods has focused on 1)examining sleep among children and adolescents who already have an asthma diagnosis or 2) the adolescent age range (Koinis-Mitchell et al., 2015; Koinis-Mitchell et al., 2017; Meltzer et al., 2015; Meltzer et al., 2020; Moore et al., 2009). Few studies have examined the associations between lung function and actigraphy-assessed sleep in children with and without asthma. The goal of the study that I will be working on is to examine daily lung function and sleep associations with objective assessments among a community-based sample of children. In addition, weight-related health and positive caregiver attributes will be examined as moderators of these associations. For the Honors College Fellowship, I will be working on the Health Advancement and Wellbeing in Kids (HAWK) study in the Health Advancement and Resilience in Pediatrics (HARP) lab led by Dr.Miadich. Specifically, I intend to advance my knowledge on the associations between screen use (assessed in daily diaries) and sleep health in school-aged kids. This is important to understand because it contributes to the child’s healthy development. Sleep is essential for everyone but among children, sleep may contribute to their ability to develop certain skills, advance their cognitive ability, and build social skills. One task I will be working on through this fellowship is assisting with the actigraphy assessments including working on the software used to set up the watches and clean data. I will be assisting with all study procedures including participant recruitment and data collection and training families who are participating in the research study on how to use the spirometer and actigraph watch. I am a junior Biology major and Spanish minor on the pre-med track and I am interested in this project because it will better allow me to understand the effects of chronic conditions including sleep, asthma, and weight-related health, and how these health concerns affect a child’s lifestyle. I will also learn how to incorporate preventative actions by improving certain habits to reduce the effects of pediatric chronic health problems. This project will help me with my future career goals, by allowing me to advance my knowledge of how to interpret statistical data, relate the data to the condition being studied, and think about how to design prevention and intervention efforts to promote good health outcomes among children. To fulfill the portion of the fellowship I will participate in various writing assignments related to the study and lab. This may include editing protocols and writing study codebook entries. In addition, I will write a reflection describing my experience while working on this project, pinpointing what I learned, and explaining how this project will be useful as I continue to pursue a higher educational degree and how it will contribute to my future career. I will also complete the 15-minute presentation in person to the Honors College Community. I anticipate this fellowship to address the following Honors College learning outcome, “ Research, interpret, and evaluate information through critical reading” to demonstrate an understanding of the skills and dispositions needed for lifelong, self-directed learning: initiative, independence, transfer, reflection, and curiosity. It will also allow me to advance my skills in collaborating with peers and mentors from a variety of disciplines and communities to effectively contribute to the main objective of the research, aligning with another one of the Honors College learning outcomes. | |
| Miadich, Samantha | Psychology | Sleep difficulties and asthma or lung function among children have been associated in literature but the use of actigraphy methods have only recently been used in studies among children and adolescents (Koinis-Mitchell et al., 2015; Koinis-Mitchell et al., 2017; Koinis-Mitchell et al., 2019; Martin et al., 2017; Meltzer et al., 2015; Meltzer et al., 2020; Moore et al., 2009). A large amount of research using actigraphy methods has focused on 1) examining sleep among children and adolescents who already have an asthma diagnosis or 2) the adolescent age range (Koinis-Mitchell et al., 2015; Koinis-Mitchell et al., 2017; Meltzer et al., 2015; Meltzer et al., 2020; Moore et al., 2009). Only a few studies have examined associations between lung function and actigraphy assessed sleep in both children with and without asthma (Koinis-Mitchell et al., 2019; Martin et al., 2017). In addition, few studies in this body of work investigate day-to-day associations among sleep and lung function (Koinis-Mitchell et al., 2017; Meltzer et al., 2020). The student will be working on a study examining associations between sleep, lung function, and weight-related health among a community-based sample of children with and without asthma. One aspect of this study the student will focus on is using multiple assessments to account for weight-related health (BMI, body fat percentage, and waist circumference). For the Honors Fellowship I will be working in in the Health Advancement and Resilience in Pediatrics (HARP) lab led by Dr. Miadich, specifically on the Health Advancement and Wellbeing in Kids (HAWK) Study and assisting on the Caregiver Alliance with Providers Enhancing Child Health (CAPE-CH) Study as needed. I will be helping with all aspects of the study including but not limited to participant recruitment, data collection, device training and management, data entry and cleaning, and reviewing and editing protocols. I am pursuing this topic due to my interest in pediatric health in relation to a broader community context. I am a rising junior majoring in biomedical sciences with a minor in psychology. I currently partake in a variety of child-based volunteerism activities (yoga teacher, therapeutic animal therapy, homeless shelter activities with young children); therefore, I have developed a deep passion for learning about the various mechanisms behind pediatric health. With my minor in psychology, I am intrigued by the psychological aspects of understanding sleep and lung function and moderating roles of weight related health and positive parent attributes. In addition, partaking in this lab during the Spring 2024 semester has further increased my desire to delve deeper into this research through an honors fellowship. As an aspiring pediatric dentist, I hope to one day work with young patients and help to contribute to overall well-being and health promotion. | |
| Moore, Jeffrey | Biological Sciences | Cardiomyopathies affect nearly 1 in 500 individuals and often remain undiagnosed until sudden cardiac death. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a form of genetic cardiomyopathy in which the heart muscle is abnormally thick, is associated with mutations in the thin filament (TF) proteins of sarcomeres in cardiac muscle. Heart muscle contraction-relaxation cycles of the heartbeat are controlled by changes in calcium concentrations sensed by the TF, which consists of actin, tropomyosin (Tpm), and troponin (Tn). In the absence of calcium Tpm-Tn interactions in the B-state block myosin proteins from binding to actin, causing muscle relaxation while the presence of calcium exposes binding sites and promotes muscle contractions, called the C-state. Mutations in TF proteins linked to HCM tend to decrease the population of B-state TFs, leading to increased calcium sensitivity. Our preliminary data suggests D100 and K128 of Tpm are key stabilizing residues for B-state interactions with actin and Tn, respectively. These, so-called variants of unknown significance, have been associated with disease but it is not known if they are disease-causing mutations. I will test that mutations to these residues (D100N and K128N) will destabilize the B-state and increase calcium sensitivity. I will assess Tpm-actin affinity using co-sedimentation assays and assess calcium sensitivity using in vitro motility assays. These studies will provide key knowledge for mechanistic interpretation and prediction of known thin filament mutations linked to HCM. | |
| Redlich, Amanda | Mathematics & Statistics | I will be continuing my research on mechanical networks and pruning, which focuses on how randomness and pruning affect how networks shift from ordered to random behavior. My project studies how selectively removing bonds (pruning) from networks, like triangular lattices, can change the way forces travel and whether the network can be tuned for specific outcomes. Using Python simulations, I test how adding randomness influences which bonds are pruned. These insights can be applied to designing new materials | |
| Ross, Michael | Chemistry | This project will focus on how biomolecules, specifically intrinsically disordered proteins, interact with gold nanoparticles in certain environments, such as various pH levels. Synthesizing gold nanoparticles and protein-nanoparticle conjugates will be a part of the process, as well as utilizing spectroscopic instrumentation. At weekly group meetings with other students, there will be opportunities to present research updates or literature. I am pursuing this topic because I am interested in switching from a general chemistry major to biochemistry. I think this research is interesting and has a very promising future in the biochemistry or medical field. | |
| Ross, Michael | Chemistry | I will be synthesizing gold or silver nanoparticles with tin and POEGA polymer to observe the thermal properties of these mixtures when applied on textiles. The percentages of the tin and polymer, as well as the time under our heat source, will be varied to determine optimal heat absorbance. The main objective of this project is to supply soldiers with temperature-resilient fabric in order to support them in arctic conditions. I am pursuing this topic because it involves understanding how different transition metals react to one another and how their properties change as they are mixed. It will also be interesting for me to learn more about POEGA and its role in the synthesis, as well as learning about polymers as a whole. I have not learned much about polymer science yet, thus this will be a great learning opportunity for me. In addition to the academic aspect, I think it is very gratifying to see a very clear end goal with my research. There are so many different directions that I can already think of taking this project and I am very excited to begin. | |
| Ross, Michael | Chemistry | I am currently working on a project, observing the growth of Au-Bi nanoparticles over a period of 24 hours. There are three shapes being monitored, concave tetrahedra, star tetrahedra, and concave star tetrahedra. I will be synthesizing these nanoparticles, using a time-stop method and analyzing them by UV-visible spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Additionally, I will be keeping an eye out for any odd shapes that appear during the synthesis and imaging those for possible future research. | |
| Socia, Kelly | Schl of Crimin & Justice Stud | СƵ half of the states have legalized recreational marijuana (RM), typically via ballot initiatives rather than legislative action, and other states are considering similar measures. The New Hampshire (NH) legislature came extremely close to legalizing RM in 2024 and will certainly try again in 2025. Thus, NH may become the first Republican-controlled state to ever legalize RM through rare bipartisan legislative action rather than direct democracy. This provides a timely and unique opportunity to better understand how policymakers and key stakeholders navigate the complex political environment surrounding RM legislation in its middle diffusion stage, when not all states have adopted these policies. While many issues exhibit extreme political polarization among both policymakers and the public (e.g., gun control legislation), RM legalization in NH is unique in that it has overwhelming support among the public and policymakers that crosses party lines and legislative chambers. Yet even among RM’s supporters, distinct policy disagreements have emerged between the NH House, Senate, and Governor, with many competing stakeholders seeking to influence this issue. Much of the prior research on marijuana policymaking has focused on medical marijuana (MM), and precious little is known about the policy dynamics of RM. This study capitalizes on this opportunity to better understand the current state of recreational marijuana legislation in the U.S. through a detailed case study of NH’s recent and current legislative efforts. To that end, the overall goal is to produce a nuanced understanding of legislative processes surrounding recreational marijuana in NH, through the lens of Kingdon’s (2003) Multiple Streams Framework (MSF). The part of the study specific to the Honors Fellowship project will involve an analysis of public rhetoric by NH state legislators and other stakeholders regarding RM legalization in NH between 2015 (before NH became surrounded by RM states) and early 2025. The project would run two semesters, starting spring 2025 and ending fall 2025. The data for this component comes from two main sources: a) public media, including news stories, op-eds, and press releases, and b) NH legislative transcripts. The data will be saved and imported into NVivo as OCR-readable PDFs or text files, and then qualitatively coded by the honors student and Dr. Socia. This research will answer the following questions: 1. How has NH legislators’ and other stakeholders’ rhetoric about RM changed in the last decade? 2. What are the primary factors influencing NH legislators' and other stakeholders’ attitudes towards the legalization of RM in New Hampshire, and how have these changed over time? | |
| Socia, Kelly | Schl of Crimin & Justice Stud | The fellowship I am applying for explores the possibility that the state of NH will legalize recreational marijuana (RM) in the near future. NH has the opportunity to become the first Republican-run state to legalize RM through legislative means rather than a ballot. The question is what changed for NH politics and why are they pushing to legalize RM in an unprecedented way? That is what this fellowship aims to answer and analyze thoroughly, and in order to answer those questions it is my goal to form a complete understanding of the legislative policies in relation to RM using Kingdon’s (2003) Multiple Streams Framework (MSF). MSF is a tool to comprehend the policy process, with a major focus on agenda setting, through the “streams” of problems, policies, and politics. I am personally applying for this fellowship because I am a criminal justice major who wants to work as a corporate lawyer one day. I have always been curious about the inner workings of politics and business, so the fact that I found a fellowship that explores policy surrounding the vast industry of marijuana through UML’s criminal justice system, truly fascinates me. | |
| Son, Seung | Electrical & Computer Eng | Recent years have witnessed a growing adaptation of time-series data in various applications as modern time-series databases (TSDB), such as Prometheus or InfluxDB, provide an efficient and scalable mechanism to collect and storage data from various sources. In this project, the student will have an opportunity to evaluate various storage modes available, such as retention time and size, compression, erasure coding, local or remote storage, etc., in state-of-the-art TSDBs and analyze the impact of each optimization parameters on performance and other relevant evaluation metrics. The specific workloads to evaluate includes the hardware performance monitoring counters with a certain application, like sparse matrix-vector operations. The student will utilize the cloud platform to implement the scope of the project. | |
| Steinel, Natalie | Biological Sciences | For my honors fellowship, I will continue my research from the summer Immersive Scholars Program in the Steinel Lab, during which I developed tools and approaches to study behavioral fever in threespine stickleback fish. Behavioral fever is an immune response that occurs in some ectotherms as they fight infection. As a result, they move to areas of higher temperatures, which allows them to internally increase their temperature. Previous studies in other fish species have seen this response increase ectotherm’s pathogen-killing mechanisms, like upregulation of anti-viral gene expression, which improves their chance of survival. No prior research has shown this response occur in species infected with parasites, just bacterial or viral infections. My ultimate goal, using stickleback as my model organism, is to study whether the parasite Schistocephalus solidus cant induce behavioral fever. This will give us more insight how parasites alter host behavior as well as other host-pathogen responses. No previous research of this subject has been conducted in our lab so I am very excited to be piloting the research. In order to conduct the research, it is first necessary to build a thermal gradient tank, which i helped design and test this summer. With the help of the Fellowship, I will finish constructing the tank and begin pilot testing on the fish using infection mimics. The tank will consist of 5 temperature zones, with a chiller and heating system on the extreme ends being responsible for creating a thermal gradient. Theoretical logistics of the tank have been completed; the next stage will include tank construction and gradient testing. Once complete, the experimental testing will begin. We will test a variety of immune stimulants, including double-stranded RNA, lipopolysaccharide, and beta-glucan. We will compare fish treated with immune stimulants to control fish. After 24 hours, they will be individually placed in the thermal gradient tank and their movements will be tracked for 2 hours. Two GoPro cameras will be set up, one aerially and one horizontally. Recordings will be taken to see how stickleback move through each zone, with grid paper along the bottom of the tank used as a scale. Afterwards, the movements will be analyzed and the stickleback’s temperature preference in the thermal gradient tank will be noted, from before, during and after injection. From these preliminary results, we will assess whether stickleback experience a behavioral fever response with immune stimulants. These pilot experiments will develop the tools and techniques necessary, for us to test next whether the behavioral fever response will occur with stickleback infected with parasites. | |
| Steinel, Natalie | Biological Sciences | For my Honors fellowship I will continue a project I started during the summer Immersive Scholars Program. This project investigates the immune system of the threespine stickleback fish, focusing specifically on the melanomacrophage centers (MMCs) that are located in the spleen. MMCs are aggregates of pigmented phagocytes that are thought to participate in the vertebrate immune response to infection. Immune systems can vary from fish to fish or human to human. That being said, this variability can be greater across geographic spaces because of numerous differing factors. These factors can be genetics, the environment, pathogens, diet, etc., but since there are so many factors within a geographical region, it can be difficult to pinpoint which one(s) are impacting immunological variation. However, to try and characterize and understand the drivers of immunological variation, the Steinel Lab is studying threespine stickleback within eight geographically distinct lakes in Alaska. I hypothesize that MMCs will vary in and across these populations due to these contributing factors. To test this hypothesis I will be studying and comparing the MMCs within and across the different spleen samples. Specifically, for each fish, I will be cryosectioning, staining/fixing, taking pictures of, and analyzing the spleen samples of stickleback from the different Alaskan lakes. During my Immersive Scholars Program I had already sectioned and stained/fixed most of the samples. For my fellowship I will wrap up this project by finishing sectioning the remaining spleen samples with a cryostat. I will then stain and fix the sections to identify the structure of the spleen and MMCs. Next, I will take clear magnified images of the stained and fixed spleens and their MMCs with a microscope. Lastly, I will analyze those images with a software to see how many MMCs there are, how much surface area they take up, and what their average size is and compare this data across and within the lakes. During my summer in the Steinel Lab I became proficient in these techniques. With this fellowship I not only want to continue honing my laboratory skills, but I also want to be able to bring a successful conclusion to this project I had begun. This data will contribute to a manuscript studying immunity in these populations and I will be an author on this publication. | |
| Steinel, Natalie | Biological Sciences | What is the role of immune organs in teleost fish? What is the structural characterization and location of immune organs of teleost fish? In what ways do these immune organs vary in different teleost fish? To be able to answer these questions, it is important to study immune tissues from a diverse species. This also allows for a deeper understanding of host, pathogen, and environment relationships. My fellowship aims to answer these questions ,l focusing on analyzing the cellular structure of the thymus and understanding its role in the immune system. This process will include making histological images of the threespine stickleback fish’s thymus. These images will be contributing to an article that Dr Natalie Steinel is constructing on the major immunological organs of the threespine stickleback fish. The fellowship will also include tracking thymus visibility in threespine stickleback relative to their age. It is seen in many organisms that the thymus decreases in size as the fish ages. Younger fish are more likely to have distinct and visible thymus compared to older fish. This is known as involution, and can also be due to other factors such as sexual maturation and environmental factors. There is currently a gap in knowledge on this topic. Thymic involution has not been verified in stickleback, so this project would help us answer that important question. I hypothesize that the thymus will be at its optimal organ size until the fish turns one year old, where it will begin to decrease in size. To test that hypothesis, I will take embryos from 14 days post fertilization to 1 year post fertilization and create histological slides of them. This would be done through a time course of over multiple prehatch and post hatch time points, with day one being 14 dpf. Outcomes of this study should contribute to a better understanding of the structure and involution tendency of the thymus in threespine stickleback fish. As an aspiring physician, I am fascinated by the growth and regression of organs. Doctors deal with a variety of patients, ranging from fetuses undergoing organogenesis, to elderly patients suffering from age-related atrophy. This project allows me to view the life cycle of an organ first hand, and identify signs and adverse effects of generation and degeneration. The honors fellowship will allow me to share my research with others who might not have the same background in biology as myself. It will teach me how to break down complex ideas into understandable language, and gain a greater level of confidence while presenting to an audience. These are both important skills that doctors must accomplish in order to converse with patients and other medical professionals. Beyond scientific outcomes, this fellowship will teach me collaboration, teamwork, discipline, resilience, and the ability to adapt through non-ideal situations. | |
| Steinel, Natalie | Biological Sciences | Parasites affect their host’s immune system and can impair their ability to fight off infections. In mammals it has been observed that parasites (specifically helminths) can co-opt normal host regulatory pathways. One way this can occur is through the induction of anti-inflammatory cytokines. This allows parasites to suppress the host’s immune system, thereby increasing their host’s susceptibility and severity of co-infections. We have extensive knowledge of cytokines and their role within the mammalian immune system, but their expression and role in parasite-mediated immunomodulation has yet to be explored in fish species. To address this question, the cytokine profiles of infected and uninfected threespine stickleback will be explored. Within stickleback (and humans) there are soluble proteins, known as cytokines, that aid in controlling the inflammation within the body: Interleukin-17 (IL-17) and Interleukin-10 (IL-10). Interleukin-17 promotes inflammation within the body. This is important for the defense against pathogens such as bacteria and fungi present to harm the body. Conversely, Interleukin-10 promotes an anti-inflammatory cytokine which promotes the repair of damaged tissues after an infection. From work in mice and humans, we know that helminths can use this to their advantage, as they can induce the production of IL-10, thereby downregulating the host’s immunological response, allowing parasites to persist and reproduce. However, this leads to our central research question - “How does helminthiasis affect the cytokine profiles of stickleback?”. We found that the tapeworm Schistocephalus solidus can manipulate stickleback host immunity, including suppressing Melanomacrophage centers (MMCs) and B cells. My previous work in the lab examined how parasites suppress the immunological response of their host. This was done by characterizing melanomacrophage centers (MMCs) within the splenic tissues of stickleback using fluorescence microscopy and then quantifying the data. My proposed work will expand on this study and assess parasite-mediated changes in cytokine expression. Based on previous work in mice and humans, I hypothesize that infection with the tapeworm S. solidus will lead to an increase in the number of IL-10+ cells, compared to uninfected fish. To test this hypothesis and expand our limited knowledge of stickleback cytokine profiles, I will start by conducting an antibody test called immunofluorescence. Immunofluorescence is used to detect and tag antigens within tissues with fluorescent dye called fluorophores, causing them to fluoresce allowing for easier quantification of IL-10+ cells. For the procedure, three groups of stickleback: infected with S. solidus, exposed to but uninfected and unexposed (control) will be used. Then, I will cryosection the spleens, followed by staining the slides with IL-10 antibodies. After staining the slides, they will be imaged using fluorescent microscopy. Finally, using ImageJ, the fluorescent images will be analyzed in order to quantify the number of IL-10+ cells found in each sample. If we detect significant changes in IL-10 levels, the next step will be to see if there is a correlation between IL-10 and other immune pathways that we know are suppressed in infected stickleback like MMCs and B cells. Additionally, moving on to possibly investigate the levels/expression of IL-10 in other populations of stickleback can be done. We have previously found that different populations of stickleback do not experience the same MMC suppression with parasitic infections, therefore seeing if IL-10 is differentially expressed between fish populations would be interesting to observe. Finally, if we do find that IL-10 levels change with infection, it may be interesting to investigate IL-10 expression in other tissues such as the head kidney, gills, and even intestines. | |
| Steinel, Natalie | Biological Sciences | Mucous is an important barrier in the prevention of infection, as it protects mucous membranes such as areas in the lining of the gastrointestinal tubes, sinuses, and in fish; the gills. The viscosity, content and thickness of the mucosal layers can be important factors in preventing pathogens from invading the host mucosal barriers. Intestinal mucous is a physical barrier with thick gelatinous lower layers and slippery upper layers. To successfully invade the host, parasites must penetrate both of these barriers. In addition to serving as a physical barrier, mucous also has chemical properties that make it a good defense against pathogens and parasites. Antimicrobial peptides and secreted immunoglobulins are both present in mucous that have the ability to chemically degrade and/or block pathogens. Both of these mucosal functions contribute to preventing parasite infection in mammals, but as of now, we have little insight into what role the intestinal mucous membrane plays in preventing parasite infections in fish. To determine the role of mucous in fish parasite infections, we will study the threespine stickleback fish. Sticklebacks are relatively small fish that live about two years on average. They are a good choice for this study because they have short, relatively simple digestive tracts that are easy to assess. We know that stickleback become infected with a species of tapeworm known as Schistocephalus solidus by eating infected crustaceans. Infection with S. Solidus occurs in the stomach and or upper intestine, however, worms spend very little time in the digestive tract of these fish and quickly penetrate the intestinal wall and reside in the body cavity of the fish. S. solidus susceptibility varies substantially among different stickleback populations, which we suspect may be due to differences in the intestinal mucosal barrier. Variation in intestinal mucus is likely due to a combination of genetics and immune phenotypes. My project will be the first to investigate the stickleback intestinal mucous layer and the role it plays in S. solidus infection. I hypothesize that elevated intestinal mucous and/or mucous producing cells will be associated with lower S. solidus infection rates. To test this hypothesis, I will first need to develop the skills and methods needed to carry out the research. Through this fellowship, I will learn intestine dissection, cryostat sectioning, microscopy, and image analysis software. I will also determine which stains will work best to stain both the mucosal layers and mucous-producing goblet cells. Some of the stains in mind are PAS, Alcian blue, and lectins. I will develop quantitative methods to compare mucus and mucous-producing cells. This research experience will extend beyond this honors fellowship, and will be the foundation for an honors thesis in the 2024-2025 academic year. A potential future direction for this honors thesis is to compare mucosal membranes between different stickleback populations. These populations may include individuals from different freshwater lakes, or be comparisons between freshwater and marine stickleback populations. This experience will meet all six of the honors college student learning outcomes, and Furthermore, this experience will give me skills for future work as a grad student, or for industry work. The technical, disciplinary, and applied skills learned from this experience will really help me move forward in research, school, and ultimately help meet the goal of a career in biological research. | |
| Steinel, Natalie | Biological Sciences | For my honors fellowship, I will continue my project that I began during my summer as an Immersive Scholar in the Steinel Lab. The study focuses on how the threespine stickleback immune system functions within the gills. It’s essential to study the gill-associated lymphoid tissue (GIALT) of teleost fish. The GIALT plays a key role in fighting pathogens by utilizing immune cells such as T and B lymphocytes to undergo proliferation upon exposure to an antigen allowing the gills to do their job of respiration, as they perform gas exchange, ion regulation, and mucus secretion. The amphibranchial lymphoid tissue (ALT) and the interbranchial lymphoid tissue (ILT) have been described previously in other species and are the two components that make up the GIALT. The previous work in the Steinel lab focused on histological analysis using frozen, OCT-preserved gills to identify the various types of immune cells located in the gills. Moreover, at the end of the study, it was concluded that it’s possible the ALT has variation among sticklebacks due to differing anatomy. Overall this area of the GIALT requires additional studies to be done, which is why the focal point of my work this summer was to capture transversal images of gills using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) to examine the anatomy and histology of the gills as it leads to clearer images due to wax preserving and holding the tissue more effectively. To create clearer and publication quality histological images I transitioned from OCT blocks to formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE), as the tissue structure is more visible due to wax holding tissue more firmly compared to OCT. Using FFPE I learned different techniques and used various machinery to understand the histology of the gills of threespine stickleback fish. This has taught me the importance of patience and innovative thinking as a biologist, as it was a long process that required a lot of troubleshooting. Continuing my position will enhance my lab skills as I will work to identify other potential immune cells within the GIALT, allowing our research in gills to be complete and reliable as we understand the whole immune system within the gills and not just one piece of it. Moreover, it will allow us to understand how different immune cells interact with each other. Through this process I will become a better biologist, as I will gain understanding of how living systems work and be able to recognize cells by understanding the immune network. Continuation in this lab will allow me to collect data and advance in lab skills but, also interpret it and design effective experiments through troubleshooting. | |
| Van Dam, Noah | Mechanical & Industrial Engin | Throughout the next year with this Fellowship, I will be investigating Methanol Flash Boiling Sprays for Energy Applications, based on previous work I have helped with via a volunteer opportunity last semester. This work will consist of simulation modeling/ running, data analysis, and conference/ journal writing, along with other potential presentation experiences. Over the course of this semester I will be working to create an initial Volume of Fluid (VOF) simulation for methanol flash boiling sprays to compare its applications to other fuels, and once that’s done possibly future work differently modeled simulations, such as parcel-based simulations. Which contributed to last semester through a volunteering opportunity with Professor Van Dam, where I gained some basic knowledge of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations and their applications. I worked closely with a graduate student to learn and execute running simulations, tracking, and post processing/ data analysis of the Flash Boiling Ammonia Fuel Sprays, also comparing these fuels to other fuels and modeling. I'm pursuing this opportunity, not only for the experience, but for future career options as well. Due to having a long-term goal of working in a specialized area of Mechanical Engineering through Astrophysics. Having knowledge of coding, simulating, and fluid/thermodynamic theories, along with differential equations used to derive modeling and data analysis. I believe that I'll have more experience with hands-on work needed for future careers, whether it be research related or not. My first year, I was looking for experience within my major and began to find a peaked interest in computer simulations; Specifically, CFD through that work. Through this internship, which encompassed many things unknown to me, I became intrigued knowing I'd have to take classes for my major, which are actively related to the research I was helping with, research that I will continue to develop through this fellowship in the upcoming semester. | |
| Wernick-Pfaffmann, Naomi | Biological Sciences | This fellowship will explore how students’ identities influence their sense of belonging in an introductory biology classroom. My overarching research question is: How does one’s identity impact their sense of belonging in an introductory biology classroom? To address this, I will focus on four sub-questions: • How does sense of belonging in biology differ across demographic groups? • How is sense of belonging impacted by disability? • How is sense of belonging influenced by a parent/guardian’s support of the student’s chosen major? • How is sense of belonging influenced by a parent/guardian’s career field? Rationale for the project: Existing research demonstrates that a student’s sense of belonging plays a key role in their academic experience and outcomes. While belonging has been studied broadly across STEM education, fewer studies examine belonging in biology classrooms specifically. Because introductory biology often serves as students’ first exposure to higher-level science coursework, understanding belonging in this context can reveal important insights about student identity and classroom climate. This project will help identify which groups of students feel most included and supported, as well as where barriers to belonging may exist. Research framework and approach: The project will be informed by Social Identity Theory, the Science Identity Framework (Carlone & Johnson), and Noddings’ Ethic of Care. These perspectives emphasize that belonging is not only an individual feeling but also a product of recognition, representation, and supportive classroom environments. Data will be collected through surveys administered to all incoming students in introductory biology. Surveys will measure sense of belonging, demographic background, disability status, and family influences. Reflection papers will provide qualitative depth by capturing personal perspectives on belonging in the classroom | |
| Whitten, James | Chemistry | The proposed work will involve experiments to study the kinetics and mechanisms of the decomposition of thiol molecules adsorbed on metal oxide surfaces. Some semiconducting metal oxides, such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, exhibit an interesting phenomenon in which they can act as catalysts when irradiated by light. Applications of this research include the splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen and the decomposition of hazardous chemicals for environmental remediation. Long-chain aliphatic molecules terminated in a thiol (SH) functional group are important adsorbates in that they can "self-assemble" on some surfaces, such as gold, and can also change the electronic and optical properties of semiconducting metal oxides. In the case of zinc oxide films, spray-coated onto glass microscope slides from zinc oxide nanoparticle dispersions, the long-chain aliphatic molecules can form a superhydrophobic surface when the zinc oxide film is exposed to vapor of the thiol molecules. Such a surface repels water drops, and the degree of hydrophobicity can be measured using a technique called the "sessile drop" method. The measured "water contact angle" (WCA) can serve as a quantitative measure of the presence of intact, adsorbed thiol molecules. In this proposed work, the WCA will be measured as a function of time as thiol-covered metal oxide surfaces are irradiated with different wavelengths of light. The effects of different metal oxides, different surrounding atmospheres (e.g., air versus argon), and humidity will be investigated. | |
| Wong, Hsi-Wu | Chemical Engineering | I will be working with Dr. Hsi-Wu Wong in the Chemical Engineering Department and his research group to perform research related to waste biomass utilization. The research involves in using a non-thermal plasma technology to convert waste biomass into biochar, a renewable carbon material mainly used in agriculture for soil amendments. The non-thermal plasma process has significant interplay between chemistry and physics, and I would like to explore how I could use my knowledge in Physics and Chemistry to advance a new technology that could benefit global sustainability and humanity. | |
| Wong, Hsi-Wu | Chemical Engineering | It's a research about plastic waste and films and the component I would be working on is using acid to separate the layers of the plastic film. I would change the variables and record my results in order to find the most efficient way possible. I'm pursuing this research because it is good experience in a lab and getting to work with equipment and other people to reach a goal. Also, Dr. Wong is a great chemical engineering professor here at UML, and I would like to grow our relationship. | |
| Wu, Yi | Physical Therapy & Kinesiology | For this fellowship, I plan on exploring the impact of visual occlusion on movement and its relation to Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) suits. To start my research, I will read the articles provided by my mentor, Dr. Yi-Ning Wu and expand my knowledge by conducting literature search on current research relating to the impact of visual occlusion on movement while wearing helmets such as EOD suits. This past summer, I worked with Dr. Wu to research the impact of occlusion on movement, as the helmets in EOD suits have been shown to reduce a person’s visual field. I would like to dive deeper into the impact on visual occlusion from EOD suits and its impact on movement. At the end of the fellowship, I will compile and present my research through a podium presentation. | |
| Xie, Dongming | Chemical Engineering | Dr. Dongming Xie’s lab (BioSEL: Biomanufacturing Science & Engineering Lab, https://sites.uml.edu/dongming-xie/research/) from the department of chemical engineering is looking for a part-time undergraduate research assistant for the 2024/2025 academic year. The research projects are biomanufacturing of high-value chemicals, materials, and pharmaceuticals from waste materials such as waste oils/fats and plastics. The students will have the chance to work together with PhD graduate students for experiments in microbial cell culture and fermentation, gene edit and cellular engineering, bioprocess engineering, and product analysis via gas chromatograph (GC). This position is also supported by the Casella/Honors Sustainability Fellowship. Students who are currently in the honors college and have background and experience in chemical engineering, biology, and chemistry are encouraged to apply. For application, please send your resume/CV along with a cover letter with a brief introduction of yourself and your past research/working experience to Dr. Dongming Xie (Dongming_Xie@uml.edu). The position will be open until it is filled with a qualified candidate. | |
| Yan, Mingdi | Chemistry | The fellowship project will explore cycloaddition click-reactions with electrophilic azides (PFAA) and conjugated aldehydes. It will involve exploring different reaction conditions, reagent scope, and characterization of the synthesized product using spectroscopy. Base and amine catalyzed reactions with conjugated aldehydes will first be explored, while Michael reagents are a subject for possible future testing. This project will be a continuation of my senior thesis topic during the summer break. | |
| Zabalbeascoa, Julian | Honors College | I would like to thank you for the opportunity to be in a position like this. These opportunities are critical because it allows us students to network with the other students and develop our skills that we will retain in the real world. That’s why I think I am best suited to help advance the prominence of the newsletter in terms of publicity, but also in more effectively engaging people with the actions of the honors college and all governing bodies around them, that influence their day to day lives. I chose to be a Political Science major with a concentration in Political Communication and Public Opinion because I was flustered with the reactive nature that society harnessed. Particularly, towards forms of media. Media plays a pivotal role in connecting people with the activities in their community, which is why I have strived to bring joy back to our local press, by wielding the influence for good, not offbeat stories. Whether it be working as a community volunteer for local environmental organizations and than connecting the head with state representatives in my district, collaborating with Downtown Framingham Inc. as the Vice Chair of the Framingham Youth City Council to introduce industry to non-vocational high school students (particularly the unions), to representing SkillsUSA Massachusetts, the second largest state membership of 38,000 students in CTE programs across the commonwealth, where I regularly represented them as the Student Ambassador to the Board of Directors and the State Executive Parliamentarian. I did things like discuss policy changes with Secretary of Labor Julie Su and her policy team, to make vocational students more productive on the worksite in Cooperative education opportunities, while also advocating for the continued passage of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 with Senator Elizabeth Warren’s and Congressman Stephen Lynch’s policy staff, and with Congressman Jim McGovern himself. I know this is more than the word requirement, but I say this all to reiterate that I am not going to treat this as any old job. A passion of mine is utilizing systems that have potential to be better. Influencing people to get involved, to use the resources available to them, and to advocate for those resources to be equal and accessible to all. I’m ready to get started, and make an impact on СƵ. | |
| Zabalbeascoa, Julian | Honors College | This fellowship allows an honors student the opportunity to work alongside Julian Zabalbeascoa to pen the Honors College's monthly newsletter: Honorable Mentions. The newsletter will go out to all honors students, along with those on our Friends & Family listserv. The newsletter will cover many of the exciting recent events and opportunities within the Honors College over the past month, along with highlighting those on the horizon. Along with creating the content for the 3-4 page newsletter, the fellow will also assist with the design and layout of the newsletter. A great opportunity to continue developing your writing and communication skills. | |
| Zabalbeascoa, Julian | Honors College | This fellowship allows me the opportunity to work alongside Mr. Zabalbeascoa to create the Honors College's monthly newsletter: Honorable Mentions. The newsletter will go out to all honors students, along with those on the friends and families mailing list. The newsletter will cover many of the ecent events within the Honors College over the past month, along with highlighting those on the horizon in order to well-inform the honors students of current and future events. |