Meet the Scholars

Danny Alex

Hometown: Tallahassee, FL
Major: Biological Sciences
Minor: Chemistry
Career Goals: Physician
Research_interests: Biological Sciences and Community Health.  I conducted a poster presentation on "Genetic Engineering of Cell Cycle Genes in Pancreatic Beta Cells" at the Undergraduate Research Symposium hosted by Florida State University in April of 2024.
Community Involvement: Student Council on Undergraduate Research and Creativity, UROP, Tennis, Pre-Med Organizations, FSU Nandana, South Asian Student Association, Asian American Student Union, Lambda Phi Epsilon International Fraternity Inc., Tallahassee Primary Care Associates, HCA Capital Hospital.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Fighter
Favorite Meal: Naan and Butter Chicken

Ainsley Amendola

Hometown: Tampa, FL
Major: Human Resource Management
Minor:
Career Goals: Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a hospital system
Research_interests: UROP- Beginning Teacher’s Use of a High Leverage Practice During Math; Pre-Health & Social Sciences
Community Involvement: Phi Mu Fraternity, The Torch Society, UROP, Dance Marathon
Last Book, Show, or Movie: 10 Things I Hate About You
Favorite Meal: Chicken Tenders & Fries

Loriz Arencibia

Hometown: Miami, FL
Major: Theatre & Commercial Entrepreneurship
Minor:
Career Goals: I would like to take over my parents' business and eventually sell it. With the money we make I want to start a new business that creates media surrounding peoples' emotional development. Eventually I would like to write and direct my own TV sitcom.
Research_interests: Through UROP, Loriz worked in a textile lab collecting the physiological responses that a mannikin (ANDI) had to the personal protective equipment of construction workers. The purpose of the research was to see if the apparel would help reduce heat stress.
Community Involvement: Student Government, Freshman Leadership Institute, Special Olympics.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: The Stranger
Favorite Meal: A cheese plate from Cheese Course. I absolutely love cheese!

Matthew Azuara

Hometown: Guilford, CT
Major: Meteorology
Minor:
Career Goals: Undecided, but hopefully something meteorology-related!
Research_interests: Meteorology, fire weather, climate change/greenhouse gas emissions, working with data/code.  Matthew worked on analyzing the EPA database for greenhouse gases and comparing these estimates with values produced by a satellite fire detection method produced by other members of Matthew's research team. This work also included producing visualizations for a research symposium with the possibility of them being published in the future. The team was led by Christopher Holmes, who works in FSU's Meteorology department, and Matthew will continue working with this team on the same project over the summer.
Community Involvement: Presidential Scholars, Cubing Club, UROP, Unconquered by Debt, Kearney Center.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Sweater Weather Sudoku - Will Shortz
Favorite Meal: Garlic bread, or Suwannee's cinnamon sticks.

Mia Biton

Hometown: Miami, FL
Major: Theatre and Political Science
Minor:
Career Goals: To work as a performer or in government.
Research_interests: Intersectional Feminism, Gendered-Racial Socialization, Discipline Gap, Feminist Rhetoric through Music, Musicians and Race.  Through her UROP research project with mentor Brittany Barron, Mia researched the different kinds of feminist rhetoric certain female artists used to contribute to their personal definitions of feminism.
Community Involvement: Jewish Student Union, Strike Magazine, Delta Gamma, Presidential Scholars, Kearney Center, Delta Gamma and Sigma Phi Epsilon Sandwich making for the unhoused community.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Maggie Nelson's Bluets
Favorite Meal: Sushi!

Blake Bole

Hometown: Lithia, FL
Major: Finance and STEM Entrepreneurship
Minor: Applied Physics
Career Goals: Corporate/Fiscal Law
Research_interests: Electricity and Electronics.  Blake's research journey from Summer 2023 to Spring 2024 has been focused on Dye Sensitized Solar Cells, conducted through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP). Under the mentorship of Professor Simon Foo at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Blake delved into this fascinating area of study. His research aimed to explore the efficiency and potential applications of dye sensitized solar cells, a promising alternative to traditional silicon-based solar cells. The research was conducted internally at FSU, providing Blake with ample resources and support from the academic community. Throughout the process, Blake found his research both enjoyable and intellectually stimulating. His findings have contributed to a deeper understanding of dye sensitized solar cells, laying a solid foundation for further advancements in the field. Looking ahead, Blake plans to dedicate his upcoming summer to writing a research paper based on his findings. This paper aims to be published, thereby disseminating the results to a wider audience and contributing to the body of knowledge in solar cell technology. Additionally, Blake intends to expand the scope of his research, exploring new avenues and potential applications of dye sensitized solar cells for a more sustainable future.
Community Involvement: Intercollegiate Varsity Debate, Alpha Delta Phi Fraternity, Interfraternity Council, Unconquered by Debt, Food for Thought Pantry, American Cancer Society.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean
Favorite Meal: Shrimp Tacos from this offroad shack in Homosassa

Whitney Bouk

Hometown: Gulf Breeze, FL
Major: Political Science
Minor:
Career Goals: Whitney plans to go to law school after undergraduate, and hopes to start a business one day. She wants to explore the different areas of law, and has interests in intellectual property and mass tort litigation.
Research_interests: Whitney is interested in researching the various areas of law and the interconnections between law and business.  Whitney conducted research through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program, working under Professor Rima Nathan at the FSU College of Law on a project determining the legal needs of the low-income elderly population across Florida. The research seeks to fill a lack of recent information about the legal needs of this often underrepresented population and help determine where resources should be focused as well as if there are any barriers currently hindering the ease of access to the resources that already exist. She plans to continue this research through the summer and into the next year.
Community Involvement: Women in Business, Torch Society, Unconquered by Debt.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
Favorite Meal: Poppyseed Chicken Casserole

Emma Brown

Hometown: Ellicott City, MD
Major: Criminology and Middle Eastern Studies
Minor: Psychology
Career Goals: Emma's career goal is to become a public defender. As a first-generation American, Emma grew up seeing how important learning other languages was and unifying people as much as possible. This fueled her passion to learn Arabic and Spanish in school. She hopes to use this in her law career, so that she can help others and be a constant source of comfort during the alienating judicial process.
Research_interests: Victimization, the private prison system, and juvenile law.  Emma conducted a research project titled "Developmental Pathways Explaining Repeat Victimization: The Influence of Delinquent Friendships." Alongside Myunghee You, she conducted a literature review to analyze victimization and how it continues later in life. This research was conducted through FSU and they concluded the research with legislature recommendations.
Community Involvement: Student Senate (as an Arts and Sciences Senator), The Torch Society, Women's Student Union, Women in Pre-Law, The Animal Society, Habitat for Humanity, women's workout group CHAARG.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: The Secret History by Donna Tart
Favorite Meal: The falafel wrap I order in Washington, D.C.

Estefania Cardenal

Hometown: Miami, FL
Major: Finance
Minor:
Career Goals: Chief Financial Officer of a big and popular company
Research_interests: Business, Finance, Marketing, Psychology, Mental Health, Music.  The research project I was a part of this year was "Stand Up Branding: Does brand activism impact consumer attitudes and behaviors for every type of brand?" This project revolves around the question: does brand activism impact consumer attitudes and behaviors for every type of brand? Specifically, we will be studying hedonic versus utilitarian brands where hedonic brands are meant for pleasure such as Coca Cola or Maybelline where as utilitarian brands are more functional such as Bounty or Tide. You may also be curious as to what specifically brand activism is. Brand activism is when companies take a stance on a socio-political topic that aligns with their personal views. Brand activism is becoming more and more important because of society’s demands for larger and more powerful groups to speak up on current issues. This is quantitative based research and will be done, once approved by the IRB, through surveying a group of participants to identify both a hedonic and utilitarian brand that they have frequently purchased from. They are then asked about their knowledge on the part those brands play in brand activism and how their consumer behaviors might be impacted by their activism.  As mentioned, we are waiting for IRB approval for data collection, but once that is completed and we gather data, we will begin data analysis as well as begin the process of publishing this research. A gap in literature present in this subject is that it is a relatively new concept, making it difficult to use previous research as a precedent. Lastly, a way this study can be used in the future is for different brands to learn how to effectively use activism to further benefit them.
Community Involvement: UROP, FSU Women in Business, FSU Mental Health Council, Kappa Delta Sorority, Kearney Center, Unconquered By Debt, Food For Thought.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Glee
Favorite Meal: Sushi (the roll with the most ingredients on the menu) followed by Dulce De Leche ice cream

Henry Castellat

Hometown: Miami, FL
Major: Civil Engineering
Minor:
Career Goals: CEO of a Construction Company
Research_interests: 3D printing and AI Technology
Community Involvement: UROP
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Kite Runner
Favorite Meal: Chicken Piccata

Thomas Cherry

Hometown: Boynton Beach, FL
Major: Computational Science
Minor:
Career Goals: To pursue a career in which I can apply some of the most unique skills I have in the fields of math and computer science.
Research_interests: Anything in the realm of math and computer science.  Thomas participated in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program throughout his first year at FSU. He researched Large Language Models (LLMs), a tool in the field of artificial intelligence, supervised under Dr. Gordon Erlebacher and Dr. Nathan Crock. By performing experiments on these tools, he explored how their reasoning processes compare to those of humans.
Community Involvement: Cubing Club, Society of Undergraduate Mathematics Students, Association for Computing Machinery, Climbing Club, Kearney Center, Food for Thought Pantry, Food Recovery Network.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Lucky Scramble
Favorite Meal: Sushi

Kylie Cowley

Hometown: Miami, FL
Major: Finance
Minor:
Career Goals: Majoring in finance, she hopes to take the next three years to explore different aspects of the business and financial world to find something that she is passionate about.
Research_interests: Feminist theory, music, and gender disparity.  Kylie worked with the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program and signed onto a project, along with another student, studying feminist themes within the Billboard Top 10 Female Artists of 2023 newest albums with PhD student Ashley Johns. Initially, a literature review was written, discussing preexisting research on feminism within the music industry and the gaps that are left to fill. The results found that the majority of studies were conducted predominantly on Rap and R&B music, with an emphasis on derogatory language use. Common themes of sexualization, degradation, and drug use were found among these genres. For the purpose of this project, this research is meant to expand upon these preexisting findings as well as explore other genres and even other languages to see if there are any overlapping themes.
Community Involvement: Kylie was heavily involved in the Cuban American Student Association (CASA), where she got to participate in the Cafecito and Espumita Mentorship Program. Within this program, she was paired with a mentor who was 2 years older than her and had similar interests and career goals. Throughout the semester, Kylie's mentor guided and encouraged her to get involved on campus in any way that she could and to take as many risks as possible. Kylie's mentor also assisted her in developing in her professional skills by editing her resume and taking headshots of her. All throughout this process, there was an emphasis on promoting Cuban culture and using that to connect with other students within the mentorship program and around campus as well. Kylie is very grateful for this program for allowing her the space to form relationships with people of her same cultural background and make the difficult transition from high school to college a little less intimidating. She also volunteered for the Kearney Center and FSU's Unconquered By Debt program.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Interstellar
Favorite Meal: Butter Chicken with Garlic Naan

Ashby Culpepper

Hometown: Tallahassee, FL
Major: Biochemistry (pre-dental)
Minor:
Career Goals: Dentist
Research_interests: Biology (mainly enzymes and field-work)
Community Involvement: Student Government, Basketball, Best Buddies, Unconquered by Debt,
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Forest Gump
Favorite Meal: Spaghetti and Meatballs

Zionne Cummings

Hometown: Orlando, FL
Major: Media-Communications
Minor:
Career Goals: Creative Director, Radio Broadcasting, News Reporting
Research_interests: Firearms and Frustration: Exploring the Intersection of Involuntary Celibacy and Weapon Access
Community Involvement: Stitch, Offbeat Mag, Club Down Under, Seminole Productions
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Bodies Bodies Bodies
Favorite Meal: Cheese Patty and Coco Bread

Tafari D'Aguilar

Hometown: West Palm Beach, FL
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Minor: STEM Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Aerodynamics Certification
Career Goals: Aerospace Engineer/Researcher & Entrepreneur
Research_interests: Flash Graphene, Zero Emission Aircraft.  STEM Outreach Through Scaled Physical Depiction of Construction Power Line Safety Through the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. This project is the creation of a display designed to showcase electricity's ability to arc towards a surface. To accomplish this, we need to make the display simultaneously entertaining and informative. The display's goal is to demonstrate the need for the safety zone that excavators and other vehicles with vertical components abide by when in close proximity to power lines. Therefore, we intend to create a diorama of a street-side construction project. This will involve an excavator which is in close proximity to a power line. The excavator will be remote controlled so that it can be operated from outside the diorama. We will raise the scooping arm up into and through the safety zone that designates how far a worker should keep machinery from a live power line to showcase the arcing electricity effect. Once complete, this display will be used to both garner interest in the research project as well as warn of the potential dangers of electricity, since you don't have to be in contact with a live wire for it to shock you.
Community Involvement: Progressive Black Man, Inc., Theta Tau Engineering Fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, CARE Royalty, Unconquered Scholars, Seminole Innovators, Kearney Center, UROP, CAPS, Theta Tau, Diamond in a Rock Foundation, St. Jude.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Hunter x Hunter
Favorite Meal: Egusi soup and Fufu

Gabriel d'Esterhazy

Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Major: Computer Engineering
Minor: Neuroscience
Career Goals: To research and develop a generation of cybernetic technology such as neural prosthetics and cognitively assisted robotics.
Research_interests: Robotics, neuroscience, and anything related to electrical or computer engineering.  I worked with Dr. Cheetham in the FSU-FAMU center for advanced power systems to work on a scale diorama that depicted construction near a power line in order to test the safety protocols that construction crews typically operate under.
Community Involvement: Mental health council, Scuba club, Film Club, Unconquered by Debt, The Kearney Center, Food for Thought Pantry.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: The Fisherman, John Langan
Favorite Meal: The grilled chese burrito from Taco Bell.

Jackson De Jesus

Hometown: Orlando, FL
Major: Biology and Finance
Minor: Chemistry
Career Goals: Equity Research
Research_interests: Likability of a city through municipality bonds.  Research reconnected was looking at liability city through this patty bonds. As where we collected the various data points that could affect an individual decision and which ones affected the municipal bars of that region.
Community Involvement: Securities Society, PEVC club, pickleball club, The Kearney Center.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: The Great Alone
Favorite Meal: Mofongo con Churrasco

Sophia Deitrich

Hometown: Colts Neck, NJ
Major: Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences: Biomedical Sciences
Minor:
Career Goals: Trauma Surgeon
Research_interests: Mental Disorders and Emergency medicine.  Sophia undertook a rigorous meta-analysis research project this year, delving into the intricate relationship between spatial navigation and Parkinson's Disease. She meticulously reviewed numerous articles, deciphering trends and patterns amidst the scientific discourse. Her dedication showed valuable insights into how spatial navigation is impacted by Parkinson's. At the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program Symposium, Soph presented her findings to other researchers and professors. Her presentation not only showcased her hard work but also sparked meaningful discussions among peers and mentors alike. Currently, Soph is crafting a comprehensive research paper, synthesizing her findings.
Community Involvement: Medical Response Unit Crew Chief, Phi Delta Epsilon Pre-medical Fraternity, Hispanic Latinx Student Union, The Kearney Center.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: One Day at a Time
Favorite Meal: Sub Sandwiches

Alexander DeLise

Hometown: Tampa, FL
Major: Applied and Computational Mathematics
Minor: Interdisciplinary Sciences
Career Goals: I aspire to pursue a career in industry as an Operations Research Analyst, utilizing mathematical and analytical techniques to solve complex problems, optimize decision-making processes, and recommend efficient strategies for improving operations and achieving organizational goals.
Research_interests: Industrial Engineering and Operations Research through mathematical modeling, specifically linear programming. In his first year, Alexander participated in the Undergraduate Research Program at FSU to perform research at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. He worked with his mentor Seyedreza Abazari, and the overseeing professor Dr. Arda Vanli on the research project Cost-Effective Location Allocation for COVID-19 Patient Assignment in Florida: A Data-Driven Approach. This research presents a mathematical model to decide the best location for healthcare facilities in Florida to minimize demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. The model proposes a hybrid approach to minimize the cost of establishing the healthcare facilities at the candidate locations and the cost of travel to the healthcare facilities. To estimate the demand for healthcare facilities, the study incorporates hospital data from all 67 counties of Florida. Budgetary constraints ensure that the optimal solution does not exceed a threshold of money spent to establish the healthcare facilities, and travel constraints ensure that demand does not exceed a threshold for money spent to travel to the candidate locations.  The implications of this research include the potential to enhance healthcare resource allocation and accessibility during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic through strategic placement of facilities based on demand and cost considerations.
Community Involvement: Pi Mu Epsilon Mathematics Honor Society and Fraternity, Club Pickleball, and Club Bowling, Unconquered By Debt, FSU Department of Mathematics Math Fun Day, Kearney Center.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey
Favorite Meal: Ice Cream

Angelique Deville

Hometown: Prairieville, LA
Major: Biological Sciences
Minor: Chemistry
Career Goals: Physician
Research_interests: Discovering more about the medical field, whether through hands-on studies of cells or through developing technology to help healthcare treatment.  Angelique has been working in the eHealth Lab with Dr. Zhe He and Dr. Balu Bhasuran on evaluating large language models (LLMs) for accurate lab test question interpretation. She helped develop reference ranges for the LLMs to determine normal lab test results, annotated case studies, developed prompts based on the annotations, prompted multiple LLMs for differential diagnoses based on the provided information, recorded their responses, evaluated the diagnoses of the LLMs for correctness, and discovered how the LLMs use each of the provided lab test information to develop their diagnoses. Her team earned a $1 million grant to fund their future research, in which they aim to develop their own medical-based LLM to help those with lower health literacy, especially the elderly, understand their lab test results and diagnoses.
Community Involvement: Tri-Beta Biological Honor Society, Alpha Epsilon Delta, Filipino Student Association, Asian American Student Union, Cajun Navy Ground Force, FSU Biology Department, Who We Play For, FSU Office Accessibility Services, FSU Garnet and Gold Goes Green, Stavros Center, Habitat for Humanity, Apalachicola Riverkeeper, Kearney Center.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Blue Giant
Favorite Meal: Lechon and white rice.

Adriana Diaz

Hometown: Miami, FL
Major: Film
Minor:
Career Goals: I aim to be a film director, using cinema as a medium for political and social commentary.  I also aim to create a philanthropy centered on disability depictions in film.
Research_interests: I conducted research on Russian Director Alexander Sokurov. I studied his influence on the films of Raoul Peck. I cross-examined the themes of each director's respective films. I conducted research through UROP under the mentorship of Lisa Wakamiya. It was done through FSU. With Wakamiya, I will be constructing a video essay in the summer that analyzes my research more critically. I also aim to study climate gentrification in Miami.
Community Involvement: Aquila Entertainment, HLSU, Lambda Theta Alpha, After They Arrive, Food Pantry, FSU Animal Society, Unconquered by Debt
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Educated by Tara Westover
Favorite Meal: Steak and mashed potatoes

Tyler Doherty

Hometown: Windermere, FL
Major: Marketing
Minor:
Career Goals: Behavioral analytics in the marketing field or something involving sports marketing.
Research_interests: Social psychology, behavior, marketing and advertising, sociology, societal patterns, social media.  Tyler participated in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program at FSU and was part of a research project under the mentorship of Dr. Vanessa Dennen. The project, titled "Social Media and Emotions", strived to observe how young adults feel about social media, especially relating to their time use. Serving as an undergraduate research assistant, Tyler helped the team sort through surveys and look for trends relating to social media platforms, uses, and feelings relating to time use. The team found that most people have negative feelings relating to their time use on TikTok, but had neutral or positive feelings when it came to platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Reddit, etc.
Community Involvement: Best Buddies, TMIC, MHC, FSU's Food Pantry, Unconquered by Debt, Kearney Center.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Book: In the Dream House // Movie: The Grand Budapest Hotel // Show: Black Mirror
Favorite Meal: My mom's shrimp alfredo.

Ross Ellis

Hometown: Nazareth, PA
Major: Cyber-Criminology
Minor: Law and Philosophy
Career Goals: Law School, with hopes of joining a field of cyber and artificial intelligence crime.
Research_interests: Artificial Intelligence research, Business Analytics.  Through UROP, Ross was able to, through presidential scholars, participate in research by acting as research assistants to current and ongoing projects. After a series of interviews and trials, students like Ross were accepted into a research project on which they then worked the whole day. Ross is hoping to continue with the research.
Community Involvement: Sigma Chi Fraternity, Bicycle House Tallahassee, Food for Thought Pantry, Unconquered by Debt.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: The Gentlemen
Favorite Meal: A classic Mexican Burrito

Christianna Ford

Hometown: Albany, GA
Major: Public Relations and Marketing
Minor: Spanish
Career Goals: Creative Director or run my own marketing firm
Research_interests: Social Media, Healthcare, and Marketing.  Christianna had the chance to be included in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) during the 2023-2024 academic year under Dr. Marcos Vasconcelos, a Computation Engineering Professor at FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. The research was about the effect of social media algorithms and recommender systems on consumer private preferences.
Community Involvement: Division of Undergraduate Studies Student Leadership Council, Freshman Leadership Institute, CHAARG, BSU
Last Book, Show, or Movie: 27 Dresses
Favorite Meal: Shrimp Alfredo

Rickerson Geneus

Hometown: Margate, FL
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Minor:
Career Goals: Opthalmologist
Research_interests: Anything related to the heart, eyes, programming, and engineering.  The research I have done this year with UROP is developing an AI to scan heart cells to notice differences in their sacromeres (little units that make up the muscles of the heart) as they react to different drugs. Supervising Faculty: Dr. Chistopher Solis.  Research was done internally.
Community Involvement: Progressive Black Men, Black Men in Medicine, Kearney Center, Food for Thought Pantry.  
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Vinland Saga
Favorite Meal: Haitian Macaroni (Macaroni Au Gratin)

Maddox Goodman

Hometown: Hollywood, FL
Major: English: Editing, Writing, and Media
Minor:
Career Goals: Criminal Defense Lawyer
Research_interests: The Rosenstrasse Protests.  This research involved searching for information on the survivors from The Rosenstrasse Protest. The protest involved non-jewish women protesting against their Jewish husbands being taken away from them during the Holocaust in Berlin. With this information that has been found, a database is created on the Rosenstrasse Foundation website. The faculty involved was Liam Wirsansky and Dr. Nathan Stoltzfus. The research was done in collaboration with the Rosenstrasse Foundation and the Department of History at FSU.
Community Involvement: Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Honors Legal Scholars, Food for Thought Panty, FSU Hillel
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Survivor
Favorite Meal: A home-cooked meal from my Mom.

Matias Gruen

Hometown: Guaynabo, PR
Major: Geography
Minor: Urban and Regional Planning
Career Goals: Urban Planner with a concentration on Transportation
Research_interests: Gentrification in modern society, Historical Urban Planning, politics and human geography.  Matias did his UROP project on the barriers youth face in running for political office.
Community Involvement: UROP, Club Tennis, Intramural Volleyball, Esports Club, DEI Institution, Torch Society, Film Club, Unconquered by Debt, Habitat for Humanity.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Dance Moms
Favorite Meal: Pastelon de Amarillos

Sabrina Jacques

Hometown: Belle Grade, FL
Major: Nursing
Minor:
Career Goals: To become a nurse who is not drained but rather happy and living a fulfilling life.
Research_interests: The Dark Triad of Psychology, Marine Biology (shark/manta ray gestation), depression amongst low-income mothers, Caribbean women, health disparities, and cancer curing foods. Through UROP, I conducted research on the sexual and reproductive health disparities of Afro Caribbean women in the US.  I was supervised by my research mentor Brittany Lane, who also conducts research at the College of Nursing.
Community Involvement: National Society of Black Women in Medicine, Unconquered Scholars, Big Sister Little Sister, the Circus, Research Opportunities, and Studying Abroad.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: 90210
Favorite Meal: Haitian Spaghetti

Dylan Kramer

Hometown: Saint Petersburg, FL
Major: Exercise Physiology
Minor:
Career Goals: Orthopedic Surgery
Research_interests: Stem Cells and Cartilage Repair
Community Involvement: Fraternity and Sorority Life, Presidential Scholars, IM Athletics
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Impractical Jokers
Favorite Meal: Seafood Pasta

Aishat Lawal

Hometown: Saint Petersburg, FL
Major: English Editing, Writing, and Media
Minor: Film Studies
Career Goals: Playwright/Screenwriter/Director
Research_interests: The intersection of Social Justice and Film and Television
Community Involvement: Club Down Under Programming Intern, Fine Arts Ticket Office Agent, Student Life Center Cinema and Film Committee
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Young Mungo
Favorite Meal: Pho ( from Special Pho in my hometown)

Charlie Manuel

Hometown: Saint Augustine, FL
Major: Biochemistry
Minor: General Buisness
Career Goals: Physician
Research_interests: UROP, Chemistry Laboratory, Biology Laboratory, Biochemistry Laboratory.  Conducted a Meta Analysis Study.
Community Involvement: Medical Response Unit, Club Rugby, Crisis Textline, UROP, Unconquered by Debt, Cells, LA Program
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Lucy
Favorite Meal: Chipotle Bowl

Collin May

Hometown: Lake Mary, FL
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Minor: Music, Math
Career Goals: I wish to be working for an engineering firm like NASA or Lockheed Martin, preferably in something having to do with space.
Research_interests: STEM/Music.  This last year I participated in a game development project based on teaching students how to create a healthy diet.
Community Involvement: Trumpet Studio, Marching Chiefs, Theta Tau, Big Bend Habitat for Humanity, The Kearney Center, Unconquered by Debt.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Outliers - Malcolm Gladwell
Favorite Meal: Philly Cheesesteak or Tacos

Alyson Mizanin

Hometown: Venice, FL
Major: Media/Communication Studies and Religion
Minor: Spanish
Career Goals: Broadcast Journalism
Research_interests: Social media, media representation, journalistic transparency.  Under the guidance of FSU religion professor Rebecca Peters, Alyson analyzed the ways in which female directors tend to uphold misogynistic tropes in their portrayals of female characters. She found that, although strides are being made in the industry to move past these flawed characterizations, they prevail regardless, given how difficult it is for movies that push these boundaries to succeed.
Community Involvement: FSView, PeaceJam, Circle-K International, Habitat for Humanity, Student Government, The Center for Leadership & Service, The Kearney Center, Leon County Humane Society, Goat House Farm, Tallahassee Marathon Medaling, Tallahassee Trunk or Treat, Champ's Chance, Unconquered by Debt, FSU Homecoming, Kiwanis Home Football Game Parking, Cajun Navy Hurricane Relief.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live
Favorite Meal: Mostaccioli

Luke Morrison

Hometown: Mineola, TX
Major: Hospitality and Tourism Management
Minor:
Career Goals: Luke does not have a goal for a specific job position in the future. Instead, he is exploring futures in his major pathway, Hospitality and Tourism Management.  He is researching internship and job opportunities in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry that he might find growth and interest in.  Luke's goal is to experiment with internship opportunities throughout these next three years that will provide the best opportunities for him to grow in the industry and major.
Research_interests: Music Education, Environmental science, Hospitality and Tourism Management.  Luke conducted his first undergraduate research project ever through UROP. His project focused on the perception of General Music Education. Luke worked under a mentor, Crystal Berner, who is pursuing a doctoral degree through the College of Music, and he worked alongside another student in the College of Music. Throughout their project, Crystal guided them through the basics of conducting research, teaching them about the different sections of a research paper, poster, or presentation. After learning the fundamentals of research, they began their project by studying other research similar to theirs, and then forming a plan. Luke, his partner, and his mentor organized and created an online questionnaire, that they released to pre-servce and in-service music teachers, in order to gauge their “perception” of general music education. The survey measured whether respondents’ thought music education was important, as well as if it should be required across certain grade levels in primary school. This research was done internally and was presented at the Undergraduate Research Symposium.
Community Involvement: Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity, FSU Interfraternity Council, Unconquered By Debt, Forward FSU (SGA), FSU Skate Club, FSU Hiking Club, Food For Thought Food Pantry, The Kearney Center, RENEW, Relay For Life, Homecoming Delegate for Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity for Homecoming 2024.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: The Great Gatsby
Favorite Meal: Beef and Cheese Chile Relleno with Verde Sauce. Or Cajun wings from Wingstop.

Collin Mungall

Hometown: Windermere, FL
Major: Finance and Management Information Systems
Minor: Computer Science
Career Goals: I am still undecided, but leaning towards personal financial planning. My goal is to work under an organization and earn my CFP so that I can eventually open my own company.
Research_interests: Financial skills for those with intellectual disabilities and general data analysis.  My research was focused on the ability to teach algebra to students with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism. We found that through quality instruction, not only can they learn the information, but they will also improve their quality of life based on these skills. The only limitations were the generalizability of it. I would like to thank my mentor, Deidre Gilley, for bringing me through this experience. I researched with her at the College of Education here at FSU.
Community Involvement: Financial Management Association, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Best Buddies, UROP, Project Annie, Kearney Center, Dance Marathon, Unconquered by Debt.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: The Great Gatsby
Favorite Meal: Truffle-Honey Chicken from Cheesecake Factory

Ryan Napoleon

Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Major: Insurance and Risk Management
Minor: Political Science
Career Goals: Ryan wants to pursue a career in the Insurance field. Directly after college, we plans to work with a big name insurance brokerage, in order to gain experience in the field. He then wants to start his own insurance brokerage practice.
Research_interests: Insurance and Poltiical Science.  This past year, Ryan worked on an Insurance and Risk Management/Political Science project through the RMI department. This project observed the potential correlations between Insurance Commissioners' jobs before and after their time in office, and the insurance rates/premiums that came out of their office. Insurance commissioners are either elected or appointed in every state, and they play a big role in regulating how much consumers in that respective state pay for insurance. Ryan's research statistically analyzed if an Insurance Commissioners job before and after their time in office had an effect on these prices. The results of this research indicate that insurance commissioners who has experience in the industry before their time in office generally produce lower insurance premiums or prices.
Community Involvement: Gamma Iota Sigma (FSU Insurance Fraternity),
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Succession
Favorite Meal: Sushi

Carter Parent

Hometown: Salem, OR
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Minor: Spanish
Career Goals: To go into Biomedical Engineering (Medical Device/ Prosthetics development).
Research_interests:  Pre-health topics, especially research that involves the Spanish language and health.  Carter has been conducting research with FSU Anthropology Professor Dr. Eric Shattuck on health care access of the Wixarika people of Mexico. Interviews of Indigenous patients and physicians were conducted in Jalisco, Mexico, and Carter has worked with his research team to produce various resources for Mexican physicians outlining the problem of Indigenous Health Inequality and possible solutions. Carter presented his research at the Undergraduate Research Symposium in April.
Community Involvement: FSU Club Beach Volleyball Team, UROP, Sinfonia Orchestra, Unconquered By Debt, Seminole Organic Garden,
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Hacksaw Ridge
Favorite Meal: Al Pastor Tacos

Blake Pu

Hometown: Orange Park, FL
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Minor:
Career Goals: After completing my undergrad I'd like to go to law school
Research_interests: Law, history, sociology, engineering, aerospace, mechanics, energy.  Conducted research on Selective Reporting in Chinese State media, with Qing Wang (PHD candidate), internally at FSU.
Community Involvement: Student Government Association - Student Senate, Honors Legal Scholars, Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers, Chinese American Student Organization, FSU Cheerleading, Phi Alpha Delta, Unconquered by Debt.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Fallout
Favorite Meal: cha siu bao (roast pork buns)

Owen Ritter

Hometown: Hartland, WI
Major: Accounting, Finance
Minor:
Career Goals: Undecided; Financial Management, Investment Banking, Insurance
Research_interests: Financial Literacy, Health Literacy.  Through UROP, Owen studied the financial barriers to accessing health care. It was done at FSU with Dr. Carli Culjat.
Community Involvement: Financial Management Association, Unconquered by Debt, Securities Society, Habitat for Humanity
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Money Heist
Favorite Meal: Burritos

Carlos Rodriguez

Hometown: Miami, FL
Major: Finance
Minor:
Career Goals: Accountant, Lawyer, others
Research_interests: Agent Based Modeling
Community Involvement: Intramural sports
Last Book, Show, or Movie: The Silent Patient (Book)
Favorite Meal: Anything Italian

Nora Romano

Hometown: Nolensville, TN
Major: Criminology and Psychology
Minor:
Career Goals: Criminal Psychologist or FBI Agent
Research_interests: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Crime within Indigenous Communities, Media and Crime Relations.  For her FSU UROP project, Nora conducted research with Dr. Davis Houck. Their project was entitled: "Writing His Life: The Life and Death of John Brown in Letters." The project consisted of discovering letters that John Brown wrote on death row and rhetorically analyzing them. Although they did not end up publishing a paper, Nora developed many skills through the process of researching: critical thinking, time management, and communication.  Nora will not be continuing research with this specific project, but she will keep in touch with her mentor, Dr. Houck. The second research project that Nora conducted was not through a program, but started from a simple email inquiring interest on a possible research study. The research is on crime within Indigenous communities -- specifically the Seminole Tribe of Florida -- and it is being led by the Dean of the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Dr. Thomas Blomberg. The research is very much in the beginning stages, and Nora hopes to continue this research in the form of a DIS in the following years.
Community Involvement: Presidential Scholars, Marching Chiefs, Lambda Alpha Epsilon, Catholic Student Union, Synthesis Dance Co., Salt Company, Food For Thought Pantry, Kearney Center, Unconquered by Debt.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King
Favorite Meal: My mom's homemade fettuccine alfredo.

Gabriel Segurola

Hometown: Miami, FL
Major: Finance
Minor:
Career Goals: Real Estate Investor
Research_interests: Finance, Real Estate, and Sports.  I will be conducting more real estate investment research in the hopes to find a good formula to easily underwrite properties and provide affordable housing for countless communities.  I presented at the Research Symposium on the effects of sports gambling on society and the economy since it first really emerged in the US.
Community Involvement: AARP, Kearney Center, Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Ozark
Favorite Meal: Korean BBQ

Maegan Smarkusky

Hometown: New Port Richey, FL
Major: Political Science
Minor: Philosophy of Law
Career Goals: To to attend law school and work in labor law.
Research_interests: Second-order thinking, subconscious, and constitutional interpretation.  Maegan worked as a research assistant for FSU PhD candidate Mrs. Marli Dunietz in understanding second-order thinking in the political science field.
Community Involvement: U.S. Senator Marco Rubio's Tampa Office, The Triangle Factory Memorial Coalition, Public Defender (2nd Circuit), State Attorney's (2nd Circuit) Office, the Center for Health Advocacy and Wellness, Unconquered by Debt.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: The World Behind the World
Favorite Meal: Philadelphia rolls!

Samyuktha Sridhar

Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Major: Political Science
Minor: Interdisciplinary Social Sciences
Career Goals: Constitutional Lawyer
Research_interests: Juvenile Justice and governmental processes.   Samy worked as a research assistant for Dr. Alexandra Cockerham through UROP. In collaboration with the North Carolina Juvenile Justice Department, the team sought to assess the effects of North Carolina Teen Court on recidivism. She will be continuing this research into the summer.
Community Involvement: UROP, Noles Engaged in Politics, FSView Newspaper, Office of Representative Jessica Baker, Honors Legal Scholars, APPLE program, Surge Executive Board, and the Committee of the Academic Honor Policy, as well as Unconquered by Debt and Habitat for Humanity.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Dune
Favorite Meal: There's too many; I can't decide!

Tristny Ta

Hometown: Yulee, FL
Major: Biological Sciences
Minor: Chemistry, STEM Entrepreneurship
Career Goals: Medical school: Surgery
Research_interests: Neuroscience, Cardiovascular disorders
Community Involvement: Alpha Phi Sorority, Phi Delta Epsilon Pre-Medical Fraternity, Light the Night, Orientation Leaders, Faith Presbyterian Church, Unconquered by Debt.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Legally Blonde
Favorite Meal: Acai bowls

Matthew Turner

Hometown: Safety HArbor, FL
Major: Finance
Minor:
Career Goals: My goals are to obtain a successful job in international finance and to give back to my community.
Research_interests: Business, History.  My research conducted in the UROP program was an analysis of territorial Tallahassee, with a focus on the methods of exchange in the time period. The research project has been concluded.
Community Involvement: Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, Relay for Life, Kearney Center, Unconquered by Debt, UROP.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Spongebob Squarepants
Favorite Meal: Chipotle burrito bowl

Marie Weber

Hometown: Sarasota, FL
Major: Biology
Minor:
Career Goals: As of right now, I do not have any career goals set in stone. I see myself pursuing a masters or a doctorate after college and then doing research. I am not exactly sure exactly what I want to study, but I do know I want to be challenged and be a life-long learner.
Research_interests: genetics, neuroscience, CRISPR, biomedical
Community Involvement: Catholic Student Union (CSU), SCURC, Clay Club, WSU, Unconquered by Debt, Renew/The Center for Health Advocacy and Wellness, Kearney Center, Sleep in Heavenly Peace.  
Last Book, Show, or Movie: They Turned the World Upside-Down by Charles Martin
Favorite Meal: Anything Asian or with carbs

Harper West

Hometown: Orlando, FL
Major: History, Environment & Society
Minor: Economics
Career Goals: Environmental law and initiatives towards environmental justice and climate justice.
Research_interests: Environmental Sciences, Marine research (specifically oysters in Apalachicola Bay), clean energy efforts, Sustainability, and Climate Justice/Environmental Justice Initiatives.  Through UROP, Harper was able to complete research at the FSU Coastal and Marine Laboratory. In partnership with PhD candidate Donaven Baughman, she helped to assess the survivability of algae at various salinity levels. These results are imperative for marine science experiments, especially those involving oysters, and the both of them hope to compile these results into a future publication.
Community Involvement: Phi Alpha Delta, Her Campus at FSU, Environmental Service Program, Campus sustainability/environmental service, Outdoor Pursuits.  Harper's most impactful service experience within the Tallahassee community has been the work at the Kearney Center. There, she was able to prepare and serve food to local unhoused and or food-insecure Tallahassee.
Last Book, Show, or Movie: Turtles All The Way Down by John Green
Favorite Meal: Sushi or pasta (any kind)