(Click student’s names for ePortfolio)
Marissa Balagtas
Biochemistry
Faculty Mentor: Tom Huxford
Kaylin Borders
Aerospace Engineering
Faculty Mentor: Ping Lu
Kaylin was appointed to the MARC program in September 2021. Her major is Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies.
Kaylin conducts research in Dr. Ping Lu’s lab developing the method and algorithms for integrated optimal entry, descent, and landing (EDL) guidance for human Mars missions. After graduating with her bachelor’s degree she hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering and become a research engineer at a government or industry laboratory.
Chemistry
Faculty Mentor: Christopher Harrison
Karen Campos was appointed to the MARC Program in June 2021. Her major is Chemistry.
Karen conducts research in Dr. Harrison’s Bioanalytical Chemistry Laboratory. After completing her Bachelor’s degree, Karen plans to pursue a Ph.D. focusing on toxicology.
Project Title: Exploring novel solvent mixtures for capillary electrophoresis separation buffers
Avi Martin
Astronomy
Faculty Mentor: Daniel Sousa
Avi was appointed to the MARC program in June 2021. His major is Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIS) with minors in Astronomy and Honors Interdisciplinary Studies. He is currently conducting geospatial and remote sensing research with Dr. Daniel Sousa in the Department of Geography.
After graduating with his Bachelor’s degree, he plans to pursue a Ph.D. in GIS. His career goals include conducting exoplanetology research with NASA and becoming a tenured professor at a university.
Rebecca Mendoza
Psychology 
Faculty Mentor: Aaron Blashill
Rebecca was appointed to the MARC program in August 2021. Her major is Psychology with minors in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies and Dance Studies.
Rebecca conducts research in the Body Image, Sexuality, and Health Lab under Dr. Aaron Blashill and graduate student Lexie Convertino. Their research focuses on body image and the role it plays in health behaviors across multiple populations, including sexual minorities and adolescents.
Once completing her bachelor’s degree, she plans to pursue a Ph. D. in Adolescent Clinical Psychology. Her career goals are to further research adolescent eating disorders and provide treatment for adolescent mental illnesses.
Sama Mikhail
Microbiology
Faculty Mentor: Mark Sussman
Sama was appointed to the MARC program in August 2022. She is majoring in Microbiology and minoring in Chemistry.
As an undergraduate researcher, she has studied host-microbe interaction, bioinformatics, and genetic modification of bacteria for about a year in the Shikuma Lab. Sama is now working in the Sussman Lab studying cardiopulmonary effects of vaping.
After graduation, she plans to pursue an MD/Ph.D. program and continue her career in science by working as a physician-scientist. Her professional goal is to run her research lab as a PI in a research-focused medical school.
Scott Monahan
Evolutionary Biology
Faculty Mentor: Arun Sethuraman
Scott Monahan was appointed to the MARC program in August 2022. He is majoring in Evolutionary Biology with a minor in Statistics.
After joining Dr. Sethuraman’s Lab in October 2021, he has researched the heritability and plasticity of morphological traits in the parthenogenetic parasitoid wasp Dinocampus coccinellae and the population genetics of the invasive lady beetle Coccinella septempunctata.
After graduation, he plans to pursue a Ph. D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and become a professor researching genetic applications for conservation efforts.
Poly Popova*
Environmental Engineering
Faculty Mentor: Natalie Mladenov
Poly was appointed to the MARC program in September of 2022. Her major is Environmental Engineering with a minor in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies. Poly will be conducting research in
the Water Innovation and Reuse Lab under Dr. Mladenov.
After obtaining her Bachelor’s degree, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in environmental analytical chemistry. Poly’s career goals revolve
around researching and combating water quality issues surrounding emerging agricultural and industrial contaminants.
*non-funded
Sara Rodrigue
Public Health
Faculty Mentor: Jerel Calzo
Sara was appointed to the MARC program in September 2021. Her major is Public Health.
Sara conducts research in the Action Research on Community Health Equity and Stigma Lab under Dr. Jerel Calzo. After obtaining her Bachelor’s degree, she plans to seek a Ph.D. in Public Health. Her career goals are to conduct public health research, train young researchers, and become a professor at a university.
Nicole Sierra
Biochemistry
Faculty Mentor: Christal Sohl
Nicole was appointed to the MARC program in September 2022. Her major is Biochemistry.
She is currently conducting research in Dr.Sohl’s lab, where she is studying how changes in enzymes occur in health and disease, by using kinetics and IDH1 mutations that occur in gliomas. After completing her bachelor’s degree, Nicole plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Biochemistry.
