Undergraduate Research Fellows

VIRTUAL OFFICE HOURS: Modays & Wednesdays 8:00 - 9:00 a.m.

MAJOR: Art - 3D Studio Track
MINOR: Psychology
HONORS AND ACTIVITIES: Summer Research, Dean’s List student

As a participant in a later-in-life career change, I think it is important to be a life-long learner. Being an Undergraduate Research Fellow gives me the chance to be a support, sounding board and guiding light for other students looking to hone their skills and try something new. I want to use this position to encourage my peers in pursuing their interests and to listen to concerns or questions they may have about research programs. I too am still learning every day, and I am happy to have the opportunity to grow alongside and have new experiences with fellow students.

VIRTUAL OFFICE HOURS: Fridays 10:00 a.m. - Noon

MAJOR: Exercise Science
MINOR: Chemistry
HONORS AND ACTIVITIES: Laboratory for Human Performance, Exercise is Medicine,
Supplemental Instructor and Tutor for Chemistry

As someone who entered SU as a premed student, I was determined to think that was my only route going forward and that would be what my four years at SU consisted of. Learning and excelling in the classroom were going great, but I felt that hands-on experience was an area I was lacking in until I found the Laboratory for Human Performance. The amount of learning I was able to receive, which coincided with my courses, was something I really needed and started to shift what my future career could be as I started to really enjoy the process of research and conducting it. This is what drew me to undertaking the position of URF so students can see how the research done at SU can lead to new opportunities or fields you may have not known you enjoyed.

VIRTUAL OFFICE HOURS: Tuesdays & Thursdays 1:00 - 2:00 P.M.

MAJOR: Psychology
MINOR: Sociology
HONORS AND ACTIVITIES: Accelerated Mentoring Program, University Host,
Psi Chi - International Honor Society of Psychology, SCRA - Society for Community
Research, Sociology Front Club, Psychology Club

Growing up, I’ve witnessed many people within my community lack financial stability, educational resources and emotional support. It isn’t easy to stand back and watch people you’ve grown up with struggle without wondering what more you can do to help. With that in mind, I attended Salisbury University to pursue an education in psychology to find more effective ways to help my community. In my sophomore year, I had the opportunity to join the Accelerated Mentoring Program (AMP), and it was the starting point of discovering my love to work with community youth. It’s not surprising how brilliant and thriving the youth are in the community, but the potential and work each child puts in only motivates me to want to work harder to see us all succeed in many ways. Each adolescent has unique passions that we combined to create social justice-oriented research projects while also providing an environment where youth can expand their educational and career goals. Working with the youth allowed me to share my experience at two national conferences, the Association of Women in Psychology and the Winter Roundtable. Attending those conferences granted me the strength and commitment to challenge myself for more opportunities like those. I am so excited to be an Undergraduate Research Fellow, helping other students have the same chance to discover their calling and to experience the great opportunities that conducting research can offer.

VIRTUAL OFFICE HOURS: WEDNESDAYS 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 P.M.

MAJOR: Biology
MINOR: Chemistry
HONORS AND ACTIVITIES: Clarke Honors College, Barry Goldwater Scholar,
Henson Student Leadership Advisory Council, Michael Carter Lab, Anthony J. Rojas Lab

When I first got to SU, my heart was set on attending medical school, but during my second year, I was introduced to research. I began working with Dr. Anthony J. Rojas designing and synthesizing “intelligent” MRI contrast agents. I quickly noticed how the hands-on work in the lab helped me develop a deeper understanding of both chemistry and medicine. Throughout my two years in his lab, I realized that I am far more interested in creating medicine than prescribing it. Participating in undergraduate research has not only provided me with invaluable knowledge of my field, but it has elucidated my true passion and encouraged me to introduce other students to the field.

VIRTUAL OFFICE HOURS: Thursdays 10:00 a.m. - Noon

MAJOR: Biology and Psychology
MINOR: Cognitive Science
HONORS AND ACTIVITIES: Fulbright Canada MITACS Globalink Research Fellow,
UN Millennium Fellow, Henson Summer Research Fellow, Honors Ambassador, Laridae
Managing Editor, ASBMB Co-Vice President, Mental Health Committee

Research at SU has opened more doors for me than I ever thought possible. I joined Dr. Jessica Clark’s neuroscience laboratory the fall semester of my sophomore year and have significantly grown both academically and personally under her mentorship. I utilize a zebrafish model of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), specifically researching how the FDA-characterized drug lavendustin-A affects hyperglycemia-induced myelin degeneration. I ultimately hope to elucidate the role of the EGFR pathway (which is inhibited by lavendustin-A) in DPN. Researching in the Clark lab has not only increased my scientific thinking and collaboration skills, but it also has helped me earn grants and a prestigious research fellowship through the Fulbright Canada MITACS Globalink Program. Collaborating with researchers and physicians in Québec, I investigated how SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes COVID19, exacerbates multiple sclerosis (MS). Despite my fellowship ending in August, I will continue working with my team through December, finishing our manuscript for a publication on which I’m first author. Research has been the most valuable and enjoyable part of my college experience. As a URF, I hope to encourage fellow SU students to begin their own research journeys, no matter the field of study. Feel free to contact me or come to my office hours if you are interested in research at SU and want advice on where to start.

VIRTUAL OFFICE HOURS: Tuesday 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

MAJOR: Biology - Biomedical Science Track
MINOR: Chemistry
HONORS AND ACTIVITIES: Honors Ambassador, Medical Careers Society President,
United Nations Millennium Fellow, 2021 LAUD Summer Research Program,
2020 AFRI-EWD-REEU Program

When I began attending SU, I had little knowledge of what research entailed. A freshmen Clarke Honors College course gave me my first experience, where I selected a research topic for the first time and ended up analyzing the real-life consequences of doctor-nurse conflicts portrayed in the media. Soon after, inspired to continue contributing toward health care research, I joined the Rojas lab at SU to work toward the development of thermally induced, tissue-specific iron(II)-based MRI contrast agents. I applied my chemistry knowledge from the Rojas lab to the 2020 AFRI-EWD-REEU Program at UMES, where my team began engineering a device for gauging fruit ripeness while using Aronia mitschurinii as a unique crop model. After finishing my chemistry minor and diving further into my biology major, I found I was eager to conduct biomedical research. As a result, I joined the 2021 LAUD Summer Research Program at Loyola University in Chicago to undertake training in translational bioinformatics and microbiome metagenomics research. Now as a senior, I have been invited to join the Clark lab at SU in fall 2021. Each of these experiences has allowed me to explore unique fields, ranging from media and psychology to chemistry and biology. Through these opportunities, I also know first-hand that it can be challenging to select a research topic, formulate a plan of action for a creative project or construct a poster/presentation for a conference. Whether your goal is to sample what doing research is like or to embark on your semester-long thesis project, I am happy to offer a helping hand or guiding support as you journey forward in exploring your interests.