Summer Research Program: Alumni Projects

Summer Research Program students work in real labs on campus, getting hands-on experience doing independent research under the guidance of trained mentors. Learn more about what past students have researched during their time at UW–Madison.

2025 Alumni Projects

Headshot photo of Amna Ajaz.

“Biochemical Characterization of the Blood Cancer-Associated Protein DDX41”

Mentored by Cheng Ern Yap and Prof. Aaron A. Hoskins

Headshot photo of Jan Bilbao Del Valle.

“Identification of Safe Harbor Sites in Novosphingobium aromaticivorans for CRISPRi-based Genome Engineering”

Mentored by Dr. Nachiketa Bairagi, Rodrigo Cuellar, Chandler Holschbach, Kevin Myers, and Prof. Jason Peters

Headshot photo of Carissa Bersche.

“Examining LIP5 Domains in Plant Growth and Endosomal Sorting”

Mentored by Ethan Weiner and Prof. Marisa Otegui

Headshot photo of Savanna Blair.

“Exploring the Mechanistic Promiscuity of an E. coli Multidrug Resistance Transporter”

Mentored by Ashley Hiett, Juliet Cheng, and Prof. Katherine Henzler-Wildman

Headshot photo of Abby Criscuolo.

“Investigating Cyclic di‑AMP Inhibition of Virulence Gene Expression in Listeria monocytogenes”

Mentored by Paarangi Chawla and Prof. Tu-Anh Huynh

Generic gray outline of a head and shoulders as a headshot placeholder.

“The Effect of Carbon Growth Media on the Mutation Spectrum of Yeast”

Mentored by Denise Smith and Prof. Nathaniel Sharp

Headshot photo of Leah Cytron-Walker.

Metformin Reduces Lateral Root Formation in Arabidopsis thaliana

Mentored by Katie Klimpel and Prof. Jake Brunkard

Generic gray outline of a head and shoulders as a headshot placeholder.

“Predicting E. coli Gene Expression Under Iron and Oxidative Stress With Data Pipelines”

Mentored by Daniel Ajuzie and Prof. Elebeoba May

Headshot photo of Halima Elmahdy.

“Modeling Macrophage Population Dynamics During Infection with Mycobacteria”

Mentored by Marina Slawinski and Prof. Elebeoba May

Headshot photo of Eleanor Ford.

Eleanor Ford, Oberlin College

“Investigating genetic and morphological responses to hypobaric hypoxia in alpine ground beetles (Carabidae: Nebria)”

Mentored by Zach Farrand and Prof. Sean Schoville

Generic gray outline of a head and shoulders as a headshot placeholder.

“Coronavirus anxiety and community participation in adults with IDD: Access by region in Wisconsin”

Mentored by Jamie Koenig and Prof. Karla Ausderau

Headshot photo of Stella Genge.

“Interactions of Host Factor CTCF with Adeno-Associated Virus and Recombinant AAV Genomes”

Mentored by Clairine I. S. Larsen and Prof. Kinjal Majumder

Headshot photo of Hassan Hashmi

“Early Gene Expression Differences in Dairy Heifers and First-Lactation Milk Production”

Mentored by Dr. Alysia Vang, McKenna Crossen, and Prof. Laura Hernandez

Headshot photo of Lukas Lee.

“Evolution Without Life: Abiotic Peptide Formation Driven by Autocatalytic Chemical Systems”

Mentored by Ronan Montgomery-Taylor, Pavani Ganju, and Prof. David Baum

Headshot photo of Olivia Heling.

“Imaging voltage to study microcircuit contributions to short-term plasticity in mossy cells in the dentate gyrus”

Mentored by Sumedha Sengupta and Prof. Meyer Jackson

Headshot photo of Cristina I. Marrero Robles.

“Validating the NOD Mouse as a Translational Model for Lipid Dysregulation in Type 1 Diabetes”

Mentored by John T. Shuster and Prof. Judith Simcox

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“The role of the HIV-1 Gag Nucleocapsid domain in viral unspliced RNA trafficking and translation”

Mentored by Shanyqua Scott and Prof. Nathan Sherer

Headshot photo of Alexia Melendez.

Alexia Meléndez Rivera, Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico – Recinto Metro

“Tracking a formaldehyde‑resistance mobile genetic element and its impact on fungal fitness”

Mentored by Noah Brown and Prof. Emile Gluck-Thaler

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“Searching for Evidence of Heritable Variation in Prebiotically Plausible Small Molecule Systems”

Mentored by Ronan Montgomery, Tymofii Sokolskyi, and Prof. David Baum

Headshot photo of Laura Sanchez.

“Investigating the Mechanism Behind DAF-3-Dependent Enhancement of Presynapse Size in Caenorhabditis elegans”

Mentored by Sherlyn Wijaya and Prof. Claire Richardson

Headshot photo of Elise Spence.

“Investigating Translational Coupling of acuBC and Its Potential Modulation by Ap4A Signaling in Bacillus subtilis”

Mentored by Bobby Liu, Aude Trinquier, Leah McKinney, and Prof. Jade Wang

Headshot photo of Gabriela P. Romero-Gonzalez.

Gabriela Romero-Gonzalez, Universidad Ana G. Méndez

Effect of Angles on the Growth and Virulence of Entamoeba histolytica in vitro

Mentored by Ania Bialic and Prof. Laura Knoll

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“Mitochondrial DNA affects traumatic brain injury outcomes in Drosophila”

Mentored by Rebeccah Katzenberger and Prof. David Wassarman

Headshot photo of Elaine Torres-Lopez.

Elaine Torres-Lopez, Nevada State University

“The Effects of Flagellum-Mediated Surface Sensing on Cell Cycle Progression”

Mentored by Chandler N. Hellenbrand and Prof. David M. Hershey

Headshot photo of Noah Venable.

Noah Venable, Drury University

Mentored by Catherine Pettinger and Prof. Erica Majumder

“Aquifer Microbe Response to Varying Concentrations of Ionic Tracers”

Generic gray outline of a head and shoulders as a headshot placeholder.

“Characterizing the Role of CLE05 Peptides in Root Nodule Symbiosis During Heat Stress”

Mentored by Manish Tiwari and Prof. Jean-Michel Ané

2024 Alumni Projects

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“The Inhibition of PLK4 in Melanoma”

Mentored by Dr. Nigel Ahmad and Karla Anaya Aldrete

Headshot of Meredith Aiyenero.

“Optimizing the MEP Pathway in Zymomonas mobilis”

Mentored by Dr. Patricia Kiley, Tessa Hoffman, and Conor Harrington

Headshot of Jaja Baldeh.

“Effects of SSRIs on Mammary Gland Development & Lactation During Gestation”

Mentored by Dr. Laura Hernandez and Lydia Agnew

Headshot of Angelique Bayardo.

“The Significance of Surface Sensing on the Bacterial Cell Cycle”

Mentored by Dr. David Hershey and Chandler Hellenbrand

Headshot of Helen Beneker.

“Feeding Difficulties At 2 Sensitive Indicators of Dysarthria at 4 in Children with Cerebral Palsy”

Mentored by Dr. Katherine C. Hustad and Jennifer Soriano

Headshot of Brenda Bermudez Rivera.

“Investigating the Potential Impact of Traumatic Brain Injury on the Microbiome”

Mentored by Dr. David A. Wassarman and Rebeccah J. Katzenberger

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“Allotransplantation Between Zebrafish Using a Buc-GFP Transgene”

Mentored by Dr. Francisco Pelegri and Sara Faterioun

Headshot of Jose Chavez Orozco.

“Mining of Phages from Soil to Study Phage Defense Mechanism”

Mentored by Dr. Jade Wang and Aditya Kumar Pal

Headshot of Kyla Davis.

“Investigating the Role of Fiber Density and/or Stiffness on the Progression of High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer”

Mentored by Dr. Pamela Kreeger and Ali Abbaspour

Headshot of Pricilla De La Torre.

“Characterizing Stress Resistance Genes Carried by Giant Transposons in a Human Fungal Pathogen”

Mentored by Dr. Emile Gluck-Thaler and Samuel O’Donnell

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“Investigating the Potential Benefit of Bacterial Inoculation on Plants Grown in Lunar Highland Simulant”

Mentored by Dr. Sabrina Chin and Dr. Simon Gilroy

Headshot of Frankie Esquivel.

“Investigation of Genetic Regulation for Lysosomal Function in Caenorhabditis elegans”

Mentored by Dr. Claire E. Richardson and Sophie M. Baumberger

Headshot of Mordy Figueroa Medina.

“Expression of Human Tau in the Rat Hippocampus via AAV-Human Tau Gene Delivery”

Mentored by Dr. Corinna Burger and Sue Osting

Headshot of Marc Foster.

“Genetic Stress, ASD Genes, and the mTOR Cellular Signaling Pathway”

Mentored by Dr. Justin Wolter, Sabrina Fluharty and Aayushi Raval

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“Depression and Plasma/Serum Inflammation Markers in Adults with Down syndrome”

Mentored by Dr. Sigan Hartley and Dr. Melissa Jenkins

Headshot of Treytun Garcia.

“Studying Nitrogenase using an Archaeal Model”

Mentored by Dr. Betül Kaçar and Holly Rucker

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“Testing Promoter Strength to Enhance Resilience in Zymomonas mobilis, a Biofuel-Producing Bacterium”

Mentored by Dr. Jason Peters, Dr. Santosh Kumar, Rodrigo Cuellar, and Amy Enright

Headshot of Barbara Guevara.

“Impact of the Bacillus vallismortis ComI on Cell Viability and Transformation” Mentored by Dr. Briana Burton and Dominique Smith

Headshot of Hannah Hagen.

“RNA Interference: A Solution for Insecticide Resistance”

Mentored by Dr. Sean Schoville

Headshot of Angene Hale.

“Inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes by a Model Microbial Community”

Mentored by Dr. Tu-Anh Huynh and Yuxing Chen

Headshot of Gabby Hamvas.

“Quantifying the Effect of Oxidative Stress in Yeast”

Mentored by Dr. Nathaniel Sharp

Headshot of Ja'Nyla Holcomb.

“Effect of the lov Gene on Metabolism in Ralstonia psuedosolanacearum”

Mentored by Dr. Caitilyn Allen and Dr. Bridget O’Banion

Headshot of Gerald Ibarra.

“Effects of Drug Induced CAP Dependent Translation Inhibition on HIV-1 RNA Conformation Variants”

Mentored by Dr. Nathan Sherer and Sydney Lesko

Headshot of Sierra Jones.

“Pathogen Effectors and Their Effect on RNA Splicing in Potatoes”

Mentored by Dr. Dennis Halterman and Josh Fuller

Headshot of Jana Masse.

“Fortifying Fungal Fortresses: Glucose Influence on Candida albicans Biofilm Formation”

Mentored by Dr. Megan N. McClean and Eli G. Cytrynbaum

Headshot of Cierra May.

“The Importance of LIP5 Condensate Formation in Plant Growth”

Mentored by Dr. Marisa Otegui and Ethan Weiner

Headshot of Jillian Moncel.

“Characterization of Substrate Interaction with EmrE”

Mentored by Dr. Katherine Henzler-Wildman, Ryan Klevens, and Ashley Hiett

Headshot of Tochukwu Olie.

“Modeling the Impact of Low and High Dose Radiation on Macrophage Cells”

Mentored by Dr. Elebeoba May and Dr. Jayaraman Tharmalingam

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“Using Regression to Model Bacterial Load during Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection”

Mentored by Dr. Elebeoba May and Azka Ahmed

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“Elucidation of MyTH1 Function in Post-Golgi Vesicle Trafficking in Arabidopsis thaliana”

Mentored by Dr. Sebastian Bednarek, Eddie Hoey, and Rachel Maurice

Headshot of Qais Stovall.

“Effects of Environmental Stressors on Wisconsin Anuran Occupancy”

Mentored by Dr. Jessica Hua and Zach Gajewski

Headshot of Caroline Vanegas.

“Feline Coronavirus Spike-Receptor Interactions”

Mentored by Dr. Robert Kirchdoerfer and Phoenix Shepherd

Headshot of Aila Vazquez.

“Perinatal Fluoxetine Exposure on Infant Gut Physiology”

Mentored by Dr. Laura Hernandez and Lydia Agnew

Headshot of Jamie Voegeli.

“Effects of Overexpression of Atg8a in Maize”

Mentored by Dr. Marisa Otegui and Dr. Charlotte Steelheart

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“Glutamate Receptor Blockade of Barrel Cortex Synaptic Excitation”

Mentored by Dr. Meyer Jackson and John Judge

Headshot of Jasmine Yu.

“Predicting Dissolved Oxygen Dynamics in Lake Mendota Using Transfer Learning”

Mentored by Dr. Paul Hanson and Bennett McAfee

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Esau Allen, University of Wisconsin–Madison
“Using Recursive Seeding Dilution to Generate Seed-Dependent Autocatalytic Cycles”
Professor David A. Baum and Tymofii Sokolskyi
Danielle Amaegbo, Austin College
“Investigating the Role of PACE Transporters in Antibiotic Resistance and Susceptibility”
Professor Katherine Henzler-Wildman, Andrea Wegrzynowicz, and Maxwell McLean
Sophia Brooks, Howard University
“Characterizing the Protein Zsb to Better Understand Zymomonas mobilis“
Professor Robert Landick, Bailey Marshall, and Christi Binkley
William Bruce, Xavier University of Louisiana
“Effects of Yeast on Drosophila melanogaster Egg Laying”
Professor Daniela Drummond-Barbosa and Odette Herrand Abreu
Salvador Castillo, Reinhardt University
“Understanding GAL10 Retention Across Distantly Related Yeast Species”
Professor Chistopher Todd Hittinger and Dr. Linda Horianopoulos
Amanda Coleman, University of California, Irvine
“Comparing Allometric Leaf Traits in Cycads”
Professor Kate McCulloh and Dr. Christopher Krieg
Aliyah Easterling, Xavier University of Louisiana
“The Effects of Maternal Immune Activation on the Mother’s Brain and Offspring Behavior”
Professor Donna M. Werling and Liz M. Nouel-Saied
Fred Fouppe, Madison College
“The Effects of Cropping Systems and pH on Antibiotic Production”
Professor Jo Handelsman and Martel DenHartog
Treytun Garcia, Indian Hills Community College
“The Role of fssF in Bacterial Surface Sensing”
Professor David Hershey, Ana Cruz, and Chandler Hellenbrand
Tarry Glover, Baton Rouge Community College
“Inducing Antimicrobial Activity in Microbes Found in Soil”
Professor Jo Handelsman and Martel DenHartog
Kiara Gómez, University of Puerto Rico in Bayamón
“Characterizing Viable High Aromatic Arabidopsis thaliana Mutants”
Professor Hiroshi Maeda and Dr. Marcos Viana de Oliveira
Catishe Grignon, College of Menominee Nation
“Antibiotic Producing Bacteria In Different Environments”
Professor Jo Handelsman and Martel DenHartog
Brianna Harris, Howard University
“How Mutation in the Mixed Lineage Leukemia Gene Influences Acute Myeloid Leukemia”
Professor Marjorie Brand and Audrey Kopp
Mercedes Hernandez-Natera, Madison College
“Understanding the Genetic Diversity of the Puerto Rican Earthworm, Neotrigaster rufa”
Professor Sean D. Schoville and Roberto Carrera-Martinez
Mong Tuyen Ho, Madison College
“Innovating Bacteriotherapy with Double-Layer Coated Probiotics for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Treatment”
Professor Quanyin Hu and Yixin Wang
Ananya Hota, Howard University
“Bioinformatic Insights into Contributions of Key Proteins that Drive Interspecies Natural Transformation”
Professor Briana Burton, Jonathan Lomabrdino, and Dr. Tanya Falbel
Patricia Howell, Xavier University of Louisiana
“The Expression of the α5 GABA-A Receptor in Dorsal Root Ganglion in Mouse Models of Cystitis”
Professor LaTasha K. Crawford
Angelica Jimenez Romero, Heritage University
“Unveiling Memory’s Enigma: Exploring the Role of Mitochondrial RCC1-L in Learning and Memory in the Hippocampus”
Professor Corinna Burger and Judy Zhu
Rachel Joo, Lawrence University
“Exploring the Effects of Mutated ESCRT Proteins on the Growth and Development of Arabidopsis thaliana“
Professor Marisa Otegui and Ariadna González Solis
Tasha Miller, Madison College
“Searching for Antimicrobial Bacteria in the Bulk Soil and Rhizosphere of the Common Dandelion”
Professor Jo Handelsman and Martel DenHartog
Tochukwu Olie, Texas Southern University
“Modeling the Impact of Low and High Dose Radiation on Macrophage Cell”
Professor Elebeoba May, Danie Ajuzie, Azaka Ahmed, Jayaraman Tharmalingam, and Mark Harvey
Selassie Ricehill, Grinnell College
“Unlocking Lipid-Gene Interactions in Ketogenic Diet”
Professor Judith Simcox and Isabella James
Raysa Rivera, Ana G. Méndez University
“Characterizing the Expression of CBLN2 in Down Syndrome”
Professor André M. M. Sousa and Zachary Gómez-Sánchez
Yaretzi Rubio Martinez, San Diego City College
“Water Supplementation Reduces Mortality Following Traumatic Brain Injury in Drosophila”
Professor David Wassarman and Rebeccah Katzenberger
Carolyn Ruiz, InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico in Aguadilla
“Increasing Collateral Sensitivity to Antibiotics: a Case Study with Salmonella enterica”
Professor Jessica Hite and Eric Neeno-Eckwall
Olivia Sconyers, Howard University
“Examination of Mechanisms Responsible for Resistance to Sulfite Toxicity in Salmonella”
Professor Johanna Elfenbein, Trina Westerman, and Eddy Cruz
Shanyqua Scott, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
“Single Cell Analysis of HIV-1 RNA Packaging by Viral Gag Chimeras”
Professor Nathan Sherer and Sydney Lesko
Meyah Stephenson, Tennessee State University
“More Than Just A Sugar”
Professor Caitilyn Allen and Jose Sanchez Gallego
Qais Stovall, Columbia University
“Development of Accessible eDNA and Microplastic Sampling for Freshwater”
Professor Jessica Hua, Eve Milusich, and Mary Campbell
Janae Terrell, Tennessee State University
“Marker-Assisted Selection and Fine Mapping of Genomic Controlling Flower Pedicel Angle in Cucumber”
Professor Yiqun Weng and Hao Nguyen
Janice Tran, Wesleyan University
“Interrogating the Genetic Basis for Bioenergy Stress Tolerance in Zymomonas mobilis“
Professor Jason Peters, Amy Enright, Ashley Hall, and Amy Banta
Mya Williams, College of DuPage
“Rescuing Primary Cilia Melanoma”
Professor Nihal Ahmad and Karla Anaya Aldrete

Arjun Anumula, University of California, Los Angeles
Adaptation to Traumatic Brain Injury Across Generations of Flies
Professor David Wassarman, Rebeccah Katzenberger
Lizette Arroyo, DePaul University
Mammalian Species Identification via Scat Sampling
Professor Francisco Pelegri, Caroline Barry
Morgan Banks, Xavier University of Louisiana
Maternal-Effect Proteins and Their Effects on Cellular Division in Early Zebrafish Embryos
Professor Francisco Pelegri, Dr. Cara Moravec, Dr. Christina Hansen
Chengyu Bi, Purdue University
The Effect of Calcium on Short-Term Plasticity in Dentate Granule Cells
Professor Meyer Jackson, Wen-Chi Shu
Samantha Bjorklun, University of Vermont
Individual variation drives insecticide sensitivity in bumble bees
Professor James Crall, August Easton-Calabria
Ethan Carter, Xavier University of Louisiana
Population Genetics in Drosophila melanogaster
Professor Nathaniel Sharp
Jordan Carter, Cornell University
Microbiota Transplantation Between Two Strains of Aedes aegypti
Professor Kerri Coon, Sebastián Diáz, Serena Zhao, Holly Nichols
Liliana De Leon Garcia, Alverno College
The Effects of Exocytosis on Endocrine Cells with Dopamine
Professor Meyer Jackson, Yu-Tien Hsiao
Mataya Duncan, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Identifying Sources of Eurasian Hemp Borer Resistance in Hemp (C. sativa)
Professor Shelby Ellison
Logan Elkin, St. Norbert College
Yeast Resistance to Reactive Oxygen Species
Professor Christopher Hittinger, Dr. Linda Horianopoulos
Hunter Ford, Baton Rouge Community College
Inducing Bacterial Chemical Production With Cucumber Juice
Professor Jo Handelsman, Julie Nepper, Martel DenHartog
Mullein Francis, University of Maine at Farmington
A Molecular Analysis of CRISPR/Cas9 Induced VPS60.1 Mutations in Arabidopsis thaliana
Professor Marisa Otegui, Elizabeth Berryman
Lauren Hanna, Baton Rouge Community College
Erwinia; a pathogen of a path to new antibiotics
Professor Jo Handelsman, Chris Thomas, Martel DenHartog
Hope Hawthorne, University of Pennsylvania
Inhibiting Phosphorylation of the GAGA Factor DNA-Binding Domain using Cas9-mediated gene editing
Professor Melissa Harrison, Annemarie Branks
Ananya Hota, Howard University
RecX deficient cells are impaired at recombining divergent DNA sequences in Bacillus subtilis
Professor Briana Burton, Jonathan Lombardino
Michal Irfan, Alverno College
Identification of bacterial genes involved in polysaccharide biosynthesis
Professor David Hershey, Chandler Hellenbrand
Abby Irish, Northern Michigan University
Creating a Better Biofuel Sorghum
Dr. Rebecca A. Smith, Dr. Cullen S. Vens, Dr. John Ralph
Kadee Lawrence, University of Wisconsin–Platteville
Assessing the Power of Population Genetic Statistics to Identify Local Adaptation
Professor John Pool, Max Shpak
Charlotte Linebarger, Lawrence University
Genetic Mechanisms of Evolution: Temperature Effect on Adaptive Melanism in Drosophila melanogaster
Professor John Pool, Tiago Ribeiro
Abbey Manning, Madison College
Investigating two Pseudomonas for Antibiotic Compounds
Professor Jo Handelsman, Chris Thomas, Martel DenHartog
Luis Mercado Santiago, University of Puerto Rico–Arecibo
Characterization of a Rat Model of Tauopathy
Professor Corinna Burger, Sue Osting
Emilio Moreno, Madison College
Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Alter Somatosensory Acuity
Professor Carrie Niziolek, Dinglan Tang, Emily Tesch
Elizabeth Ouanemalay, Wesleyan University
Phages Encoding Auxiliary Metabolic Genes in Freshwater Lakes
Professor Trina McMahon, Patricia Tran
Porsha Reynolds, St. Michael’s College
The Effects of Piperonly Butoxide on the Sonic Hedgehog Signaling Pathway of the Limbs and Orofacial development
Professor Robert Lipinski, Kenneth Rivera-González
Rachell Rivera, SUNY Farmingdale
The Role of ACLY in Lipid Synthesis During Nerve Formation
Professor John Svaren, Andrew Schneider, Seong Wong
Sarah Sattar, University of North Dakota
Impact of Radiation on Mesenchymal Stromal Cell (MSC) Functionality
Professor Randy Kimple, Cristina Paz
Elaine Schumacher, St. Norbert College
Metabolic Enzyme Expression in Mice Developmentally Exposed to Environmental Contaminant, Polychlorinated Biphenyls
Professor Kim Keil Stietz, Audrey Spiegelhoff
Ellen Shales, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Contextual Learning During a Visual Search Task in Autism
Professor Ari Rosenberg
Miranda Siedelmann, University of Wisconsin–Madison
An Investigation of Fire History in the Great Lakes Region
Professor Jack Williams, Nora Schlenker, Sam Wiles
Emily Udomtanapon, Madison College
Comparing Floral Resources in Burned and Unburned Oak Savannas
Professor Claudio Gratton, Genevieve Pugesek, Murilo Alves Zacareli
Sophy Vuong, The College of New Jersey
Musashi1’s Translational Regulation of Adult Neural Stem Cell Quiescence
Professor Darcie Moore, Payton Klosa, Bo Peng
Hollie Wierschke, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Using Microbial Secondary Metabolites to Induce Antibiotic Activity in Another Species
Professor Jo Handelsman, Julie Nepper, Chris Thomas, Martel DenHartog
Tre’Von Williams, Albany State University
Grasshoppers Under Stress: Examining Heat Stress Response
Professor Sean Schoville, Roberto Carrera-Martinez, and Sydney Schumacher

Dami Aboyewa, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Understanding the Mechanisms by which the Shelterin Complex Recruits Telomerase to the 3’ End of the Telomeres
Professor Ci Ji Lim, Josh Kraus
Kaitlyn Abshire, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
A Phylogeny of Members of the Order Stylommatophora Based on the Mitochondrial cox1 and atp6 Genes
Professor Claudia Solis-Lemus, Marianne Bjorner, Sam Ozminkowski
Clare Bossert, Coe College
Exploring Mitochondrial-nuclear Incompatibility in Swine Through Mitochondrial Protein Variation
Professor Francisco Pelegri and Trevor Chamberlain
Ennovy Bravo, University of Puerto Rico–Mayagüez
Identification of genes in the light sensing pathway in C. crescentus
Professor David Hershey
Stevenson Cottiere, St. Thomas University
GC content’s effect on natural transformation in Bacillus species
Jonathan Lombardino, Professor Briana Burton, Dr. Tanya Falbel, Cody Martin
Alyssa English, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
Could northern forests serve as microrefugia for boreal species during an era of rapid climate change?
Professor Benjamin Zuckerberg, Neil Gilbert
Geremy García Mejía, Universidad Del Este- Carolina
Genetic factors associated with antibiotic resistance and virulence of atypical hemolytic Listeria innocua dairy cow isolates
Professor Tu-Anh Huynh, Dr. Aaron Gall
Jared Gracia-David, Amherst College
Exploring the Role of Splicing Factor Cus2 in Determining Splicing Patterns of Eukaryotic Introns
Professor Aaron Hoskins, David White, Sierra Love
Claire Hudson, Tulane University
Nutrient Management Solutions for United States Croplands
Dr. Tyler Lark, Professor Holly Gibbs
Ushna Jadoon, Loyola University Chicago
The Effects of Fire on Ectomycorrhizal Fungi
Professor Richard Lankau, Dr. Cassandra Allsup
Destiny King, Bloomfield College
Visualizing the Luciferin/Luciferase Reaction
Professor Dan Young, Jacki Whisenant
Miguel Mares, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Invasional Meltdown in Wisconsin: A Trifecta Amongst Earthworms, Buckthorn, and Fungi
Dr. Roberto Carerra-Martínez, Professor Sean Schoville
Tomi Akin-Olabiyi, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Impact of the environment by microbiota interaction on Mosquitoes’ fitness phenotype
Professor Kerri Coon, Holly Nichols
Laura Peña, University of Puerto Rico–Mayagüez
Understanding how immunometabolism affects host and pathogen fitness
Professor Jessica Hite
Aliya Quintal, Washington State University
The Impact of DNA Methylation and Environmental Factors on Gardnerella vaginalis Colony Phenotype
Dr. Erin Garcia, Professor Joe Dillard
Kate Seeger, Macalester College
Understanding the relationship between physiological traits and leaf longevity in tropical Saccaloma inaequale ferns
Professor Kate McCulloh, Dr. Christopher Krieg
Chamee Vang, St. Olaf College
Computer Modeling of Ventricular Hypertrophy Post-Infarction in Rat Models Ashley Hiebing, Professor Colleen Witzenburg
Abigail Wick-Lambert, University of Wisconsin–River Falls
Phenotyping udder and mammary gland of dairy cows through computer vision systems
Professor Joao Dorea

Deresha Billups-Campbell, Texas Southern University
Amyloid-Beta, the natural antibiotic for Alzheimer’s Disease
David Wassarman
Katelyn Duckworth, Cabrillo College
Is Horizontal or Vertical Gene Transfer a Greater Threat to Antibiotic Resistance in ESKAPE Pathogens?
Michael Thomas
Colman Freel, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Role of CXCL2 in Preeclampsia-Dysregulated fetal Endothelial Function
Jing Zheng
José Galván, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Modeling the Impact of Natural Selection on Genetic Variability in D. melanogaster
John Pool
Tyler Geldmacher, Madison College
Continuous Expression of FVIII in canines for treatment of Hemophilia A
Amanda Hurley
Jaitri Joshi, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Influence of gestational sleep apnea on offspring pup mammary cancer risk in a rat model
Lisa Arendt
Kyla Knauf, University of San Diego
Changing Phenology Altering Plant-Pollinator Interactions in the Face of Climate Change
Audrey Gasch
Cody Martin, Texas A&M University
What Influences Natural Transformation in Bacillus subtilis?
Briana Burton
Diana Perales, University of Puerto Rico–Mayagüez
The Life Cycle and Wildlife Impact on Nanophyetus Salmincola
Daniel Preston
Xanthe Rowe, Madison College
Prognostic Value of the Ratio of FoxP3+ Regulatory T Cells to CD8+ Effector T Cells Within the Breast Cancer Tumor Microenvironment
Amanda Hurley
Will Schroeder, Madison College
Rate of Mutation in Haploid and Diploid Strains of S. cerevisiae
Nathaniel Sharp
Fernando Vera-Urbina, University Of Puerto Rico–Rio Piedras
Drosophila Insulin-Like Peptide 4 (DILP4) Effects on Growth, Reproduction and Development
Melissa Harrison
Lauren Wartley, Fort Valley State University
Developing Biomarkers to Track Disease Progression in Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease
John Svaren
Alex Webb, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Mapping amino acids in SpoIIIE important in the DNA transportation/ATPase cycle
Briana Burton
Roniche Wilson, College of William & Mary
pbpG and Slt70 in the Regulation of Bacterial Outer Membrane Synthesis
Nathan Sherer

To see a list of alumni projects before 2020, email connect@wiscience.wisc.edu.