Summer Research Fellows

Each year, an elite group of Summer Research Assistants are named Summer Research Fellows. SRFs demonstrate exceptional work ethic, curiosity, independence, and intellectual rigor. SRFs produce work comparable to the quality shown on a professional conference.

Nominated by their faculty mentors, SRFs are selected by the Engaged Learning Faculty Steering Team.

Summer Research Fellows receive

  • Funding to reimburse expenses related to conference presentations, such as poster printing, registration, and travel

  • Opportunity to present their work on the Fall Research Symposium in October

  • Pre-acceptance to the SMU Journal of Undergraduate Research

2023 Summer Research Fellows

  • Headshot of Paige Edwards, SMU Summer Research Fellow

    Paige Edwards '24

    Mentor: Brad Klein (Human Rights)

    Project: Re-Imagine Paradise: The Impacts of the Illegal Annexation of Hawai'i and Tourism on Native Hawaiians

  • Picture of Summer Research Fellow Kevin Nguyen in Dr. David Son's chemistry lab

    Kevin Nguyen '24

    Mentor: David Son (Chemistry)

    Project: Synthesis of HEMI and Biodegradable Polymers

     

2022 Summer Research Fellows

  • Headshot of Joshua Ange

    Joshua Ange '25

    Mentor: Rob Calkins (Physics) 

    Project: Characterization of XIA UltraLo-1800 Response to Measuring Charged Samples

  • Brynn Price

    Brynn Price '24

    Mentor: Jeanna Wieselmann (Teaching & Learning)

    Project: A Marriage of Two Minds: Integrating STEM and PBI Elements in Teacher-Developed Curriculum Units

     

2021 Summer Research Fellows

  • Abigail Hays

    Abigail Hays '22

    Mentor: Paul Krueger (Mechanical Engineering)

    Project: Air Entrapment in Small-Scale Fin Propulsion Systems to Maximize Thrust

  • Maria Katsulos

    Maria Katsulos '22

    Mentor: Emma Wilson (English)

    Project: Queer Networks of Patronage in Restoration England Theater

  • Regina Nguyen

    Regina Nguyen

    Mentors: Janille Smith-Colin & Jessie Zarazaga (Civil Engineering)

    Project: Developing Human-Centered Participatory Design Frameworks in Community Environmental Ju

2020 Summer Research Fellows

  • David Troxell, Summer Research Fellow 2020

    David Troxell '21

    Mentor: Miju Ahn (EMIS)

    Project: Employing a Cardinality of Upper-Tail Penalty Approximation in a Radiation Therapy Setting

  • Hannah Webb

    Hannah Webb '22

    Mentor: Dustin Grabsch (Student Affairs)

    Project: Thriving in College: International, First-Generation, and Transfer Students

  • Samiah Woods

    Samiah Woods '21

    Mentor: William Barnard (Religious Studies)

    Project: Ketamine's Role in Spirituality

2019 Summer Research Fellows

  • Trevor Heinzmann

    Trevor Heinzmann '20

    Mentor: Peng Tao (Chemistry)

    Project: Force Field Development for beta-Lactam Antibiotics

  • Kyle Pekar

    Kyle Pekar '22

    Mentor: Tomče Runčevski (Chemistry)

    Project: Preparation and Structural Characterization of Salts and Cocrystals of Creatine

  • Jaymie Ruddock

    Jaymie Ruddock '21

    Mentor: Annie Wilhelm (Teaching and Learning)

    Project: Informal Professional Development on Twitter: Exploring the Online Communities of Mathematics Educators

Previous Summer Research Fellows

Jordan Hardin '19 is studying and classifying human and funerary remains under NAGPRA guidelines. This project aims to bring this collection up to curation standards by investigating the human remains and AFOs from four sites in this collection.

Kasi Holcomb-Webb '19 implements Real-Time PCR used to quantitatively measure the level of expression of P-glycoprotein and Breast Cancer Resistant Protein in cancer cell lines, as part of the Vogel-Wise lab research for reducing toxicity to healthy cells, while increasing the success of chemotherapeutic drugs.

Becky Jenkins is working with a luminescent probe to test a Ru(II) complex's potential as a hydrogen sulfide donor from the irradiation of a red light source both in vitro and in vivo. She is also synthesizing a hydrazinyl naphthalimide fluorescent probe to detect the reactive carbonyl species acetaldehyde.

Cheyenne Murray '19 is compiling a comprehensive database of over twenty years of U.S. school shooting fatalities and performing a demographic analysis to understand how school gun violence impacts underrepresented student populations.

Lamisa Mustafa '21 and Tannah Oppliger '20 research North Texas HS students with an interest in human rights to tailor recruiting strategies to better guide and mentor college-bound high school students interested in human rights.

Jett Ballou-Crawford: Reconstitution of P-glycoprotein in Nanodiscs using the MSP1D1 Scaffold Protein for Biochemical Inhibitor Screens

Kristin Connors: Electrical Impedance of Human Cancerous vs Primary Cells

Madeline Hamilton: Dimensionality Reduction of Parton Density Data with Shallow Autoencoders

Brianna Hogg: The Anti-Apartheid Movement in North Texas

Kasi Holcomb-Webb: Determining Expression of Multidrug Transporters in Human Cells Using PCR

Kylie Madry: Give Me a ©

Angela Wang: Relationship Conflict in Bipolar Disorder

Mackenzie A. Young: Further Characterization of Antimicrobial Polyphosphazenes

Patricia Nance: Polyphosphazenes as an Antimicrobial Surface Coating for Breast Implants

Allison Garcia: Cell-Aware vs. Traditional Fault Models and ATPG Statistics for Individual Standard Cells

Daniel Gum: Variable Star Search Using ROTSE-I Data

Collette Marchesseault: Heterologous Expression of Multidrug Resistance Proteins

Joseph Di Pane: The Role of Bambi and Gem in Cell Death

Gillian Wright: Pathways through Care: Decision-Making and Treatment Drop-Out in Early Psychosis

Miguel Quimbar: Smartphone-based Chemiluminescent Point-of-Care Imaging Device for Asthma using Exhaled Breath Condensate

Carmen Maciel: The Implications of DACA for Hispanic Populations in North Texas

Rosangelica Castillo: Social Anxiety and Assertiveness in Socially Dangerous Situations.

Jenna Kleiman: Computational Simuplation of Unimolecular Micelles.

Elise Lebiga: iPhone based Paper/Plastic Hybrid Microfluidic Chemiluminescence sensor for H202 detection

Adam Gannon: The Role of Peroxiredoxins in Alleviating Alzheimer’s Pathology

Camille Biard: Computational Chemistry Calculations of 1,2-dioxetane Chemiluminescent Molecules

Hilary Hopkins: Structure and Kinetics of Fungal Circadian Clock Protein Envoy