2024-2025 Chancellor’s Undergraduate Award Ceremony

About this award

Supported by the Provost’s Office and the Hilldale Fund, this fellowship provides undergraduate students with $4,000 to pursue an independent research project under the mentorship of UW–Madison faculty or staff.

One Hilldale Fellowship is sponsored by the McPherson Eye Research Institute.
One Hilldale Fellowship is sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum.
One Hilldale Fellowship is sponsored by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, with support from the J & H Wang Family Fund.

Aidiel Ikmal Abu Hassan
Major: Chemical Engineering
Project: Effect of Ion Solvation Strength on the Nanoscopic Structure of Single-ion Conducting Polymer Blend Electrolytes
Faculty Advisor: Whitney Loo

Ruben Aguilo Schuurs
Majors: Computer Sciences, Physics
Project: Optical Phase Noise Analysis and Correction through Feedforward Cancellation for Neutral-Atom Quantum Computation
Faculty Advisor: Mark Saffman

Yasmin Ali
Majors: Environmental Studies, Global Health
Project: Microbial Melees in Mosquitoes: Bacteria Battling for Gut Dominance via Type VI Secretion Systems
Faculty Advisor: Kerri Coon

Owen Antholine
Majors: Chemistry, Materials Science and Engineering
Project: Investigating the Tumor Targeting Efficacy of FUD Functionalized Micelle Nanocarriers
Faculty Advisor: Glen Kwon

Muhammad H. Ashiq
Majors: Computer Sciences, Mathematics
Project: A Mathematical Characterization of Out-of-Distribution Generalization in Diffusion Models
Faculty Advisor: Grigoris Chrysos

Norisha Badhwar
Majors: Genetics and Genomics, Neurobiology
Project: Identifying the Neuropathologic and Molecular Features of Labrador Retriever Late-Onset Peripheral Neuropathy at the Neuromuscular Junction
Faculty Advisor: Susannah Sample

Madison Barnes
Major: Molecular and Cell Biology
Project: Determining the Role of the Alternative Oxidase Aox1 During Hypoxic Germination of the Human Fungal Pathogen Cryptococcus
Faculty Advisor: Christina Hull

Melis Baskaya
Majors: Global Health, Psychology
Project: Examining the Effect of Learning Schedules Across Visual, Motor, and Language Domains
Faculty Advisor: C. Shawn Green

Grace Elizabeth Benish
Major: Neurobiology
Project: Optimization of an Organoid Model to Investigate Somatostatin-Positive Cortical Interneurons
Faculty Advisor: Andre Sousa

Joseph Binzley
Major: Civil Engineering
Project: Investigating the Drivers of Latewood Formation in the Great Lakes Region
Faculty Advisor: Steven Loheide

Evelyn Browning
Majors: Data Science, Genetics & Genomics
Project: Investigating Differential DNA Methylation Associated with Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy in Families
Faculty Advisor: Steven Schrodi

Gavin Robert Chang
Majors: Biochemistry, Computer Sciences
Project: Investigating the Conditional Lethality of Deguelin in Blood Cancer Cells
Faculty Advisor: Jason Cantor

Wanyi Chen
Majors: Computer Sciences, Data Science
Project: Enhancing Public Safety Training Effectiveness in XR using fNIRS and Heart Rate Variability
Faculty Advisor: Ranjana Mehta

Isadora Collins
Majors: Chemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology
Project: Synthesizing Adipic Acid from Lignin Niomass via Metabolic Engineering of Novosphingobium Aromaticivorans
Faculty Advisor: Tim Donohue

Marisse Covin
Major: Biochemistry
Project: Molecular Study of the Lsm2-8_ ΔLsm7 Complex: Composition, Function and Structure
Faculty Advisor: Aaron Hoskins

Yibo Dai
Majors: Microbiology, Molecular and Cell Biology
Project: Mapping Germ Cell Development in the Sexual Planarian Schmidtea mediterranea Using Single-Cell Transcriptomics
Faculty Advisor: Phillip Newmark

Jacob Damro
Major: Chemical Engineering
Project: Microfluidic Modeling of Tumor Cell Extravasation to the Brian
Faculty Advisor: Mai Ngo

Nam Phuong Dao
Major: Nutritional Sciences
Project: Optimizing Cow’s Milk for Infant Nutrition: A Novel Dietary Strategy to Enhance Milk Fat
Faculty Advisor: Sebastian I Arriola Apelo

Celeste Deale
Major: History
Project: Historical Imagination in Margaret Atwood’s Oeuvre
Faculty Advisor: Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen

Khadijah Dhoondia
Majors: Biology, Global Health
Project: Targeting Cell Metabolism in Pancreatic Cancer: Pre-Clinical Insights on Oxamate and FK866 Treatment
Faculty Advisor: Randall Kimple

Kyle R. Digman
Majors: Biology, Global Health
Project: Identification of Epigenetic Regulators of Secondary Metabolite Production in Aspergillus nidulans
Faculty Advisor: Nancy Keller

Ethan Ewer
Majors: Electrical Engineering, Music
Project: Draft Model for Online LLM Hyperparameter Selection
Faculty Advisor: Kangwook Lee
(This Hilldale Fellowship is sponsored by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, with support from the J & H Wang Family Fund.)

Shayla Gilbertson
Major: Environmental Sciences
Project: Evaluating the Impact of Intercropping Intermediate Wheatgrass and Legumes on Soil Organic Matter and Nitrogen Dynamics in Agricultural Systems
Faculty Advisor: Priscila Pinto

Maribel Glodowski
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Project: Computational Model of Left Ventricular Growth and Remodeling in Rats
Faculty Advisor: Colleen Witzenburg

Aditya Gopal
Major: Neurobiology
Project: Deficits in Tonic GABAergic Inhibition in Epilepsy-susceptible Vs. Epilepsy-resistant Mice
Faculty Advisor: Mathew Jones

Amanda Grant
Majors: Art History,  History
Project: Negotiating Professional Identity: The Formation and Practice of Midwives at the Lady Coryndon Maternity Training School
Faculty Advisor: Neil Kodesh

Emily Grimes
Major: Biochemistry
Project: Contribution of Ovarian Ggranulosa Cells to Inflammation in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Faculty Advisor: Aleks Stanic-Kostic

Zijian Hao
Majors: Astronomy – Physics, Physics
Project: Turbulence Modeling in the Dimits Regime with Higher-Order Statistical Corrections
Faculty Advisor: Paul Terry

Nolan Hegge
Majors: Cartography and Geographic Information Systems, Data Science, Environmental Studies
Project: The Ecosystem Services Tool: Cultivating Sustainable Food Systems for a Thriving Planet
Faculty Advisor: Alfonso Morales

Mallory Herzog
Majors: Health Promotion and Health Equity, Nutritional Sciences
Project: Understanding Stakeholder Decision-Making Perspectives on the Adoption and Sustainability of Digital Health Tools for Alcohol Use Disorder
Faculty Advisor: Andrew Quanbeck

Lucia Hockerman
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Project: Reliability of Measuring Tendon Load using Shear Wave Tensiometry in Pathological Patellar Tendons
Faculty Advisor: Bryan Heiderscheit

Nicole Hockin
Major: Genetics and Genomics
Project: Exploring Patterns of Donor and Recipient DNA Continuity During Natural Transformation in Bacillus subtilis
Faculty Advisor: Briana Burton

Sophie Hoefer
Major: Genetics and Genomics
Project: Progressing towards Exploiting Double Enucleated, Fertilized Danio rerio (zebrafish) Embryos for Effective Cloning
Faculty Advisor: Francisco Pelegri

Isaac Homar
Majors: Data Science, Mathematics, Molecular and Cell Biology
Project: An Inhibitory Role of Rho-associated Protein Kinase in Cortical Excitability
Faculty Advisor: William Bement

Shih An Hsieh
Majors: Biology, Food Science
Project: Engineering an Artificial 1,2-Propanediol Pathway in Clostridium tyrobutyricum
Faculty Advisor: Victor Ujor

Qing Huang
Majors: Data Science, Information Science, Statistics
Project: TopoGraphNet: Enhancing Graph Learning in Cosmology with Persistent Homology
Faculty Advisor: Gary Shiu

Yibo Huang
Major: Chemistry
Project: Symmetry-Engineering of Hybrid Halide Perovskites using Interlayer Intermolecular Forces
Faculty Advisor: Song Jin

Samay Inampudi
Majors: Biology, Spanish
Project: Impact of Diabetes on Choroidal Integrity and Function
Faculty Advisor: Christine Sorenson
(This Hilldale Fellowship is sponsored by the McPherson Eye Research Institute.)

Alanah Kaufmann
Major: Microbiology
Project: Evaluating the Efficiency of Fermentate “Natural Preservative” in Inhibiting and Killing S. aureus and L. monocytogenes for Food Industry Applications
Faculty Advisor: Jae-Hyuk Yu

Lauren Kelly
Majors: Biology, History
Project: A Cultural History of the Howard Brown Queer Health Clinic in Chicago (1974-Present)
Faculty Advisor: Judith Houck

Siena Keys
Majors: Neurobiology, Psychology
Project: Promoting Sustainable Consumption through Social Norms Messaging: An Experimental Test
Faculty Advisor: Markus Brauer

Carl T. Knaack
Majors: Anthropology,  Classical Humanities, Religious Studies
Project: Continuing Research in Collaboration with the Wisconsin Palmyrene Aramaic Inscription Project
Faculty Advisor: Jeremy Hutton

Lizza Korolev
Major: Biology
Project: The Introduction of Genetic Modifications in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to Overcome the Inhibitory Effects of Saponins in Biofuel Production
Faculty Advisor: Trey Sato

Aleksandr Kralovec
Major: Electrical Engineering
Project: Investigating CF Neutrophil Metabolism and Differentiation with Optical Metabolic Imaging
Faculty Advisor: Melissa Skala

Pate Evan Lantz
Majors: Biology, Life Sciences Communication
Project: Griseofulvin and the Effects of Centrosome Amplification on Radiation Sensitivity
Faculty Advisor: Pippa Cosper

Abigail Laughlin
Major: Biochemistry
Project: Developing a Combinatory Treatment Approach Utilizing Novel Tumor Targeted Agents to Treat Multifocal Prostate Cancer
Faculty Advisor: Joshua Lang

Caleb Eunsung Lee
Major: Kinesiology
Project: Correlation Between Hamstring Strength and Jump Performance in Athletically Experienced, Resistance Trained Individuals, a Pilot Study
Faculty Advisor: Scott Crawford

Luisa Lee
Majors: Computer Sciences, Molecular and Cell Biology
Project: Analyzing Genetic Determinants of Antimicrobial Resistance and Elucidating Associated Mechanisms
Faculty Advisor: Jason Peters

Fengxu Li
Majors: Computer Sciences, Industrial Engineering, Mathematics
Project: Power Constrained Nonstationary Bandits with Habituation and Recovery Dynamics
Faculty Advisor: Yonatan Mintz

Yingyi Liu
Major: Neurobiology
Project: Does Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Act in the Mediodorsal Thalamus to Impair Working Memory?
Faculty Advisor: Craig Berridge

Mia Lor
Majors: Biochemistry, Computer Sciences
Project: 3D DNA Architectures for Enzyme-mimicking Stereoselective Catalysis
Faculty Advisor: Jeffrey Martell

Leanne Suan Xie Low
Major: Communication Sciences and Disorders
Project: The Link between Code-Switching and Inhibitory Control in English-Mandarin Bilingual Children
Faculty Advisor: Margarita Kaushanskaya

Arwen Lyons
Majors: History, Legal Studies, Political Science
Project: Backyard Bombs: Reshaping Perceptions of Property Rights Through An Investigation into Cold War Federal Land Acquisitions in The Great Plains
Faculty Advisor: Allison Powers Useche

Austin James MacIntyre
Majors: Chemical Engineering, Chemistry
Project: Linking Crystal Structure and Morphological Chirality in 2D Lead Halide Perovskites
Faculty Advisor: Song Jin

Colin Maggard
Majors: Computer Engineering, Computer Sciences, Data Science
Project: Optimizing Message Features for Automated Participant Messaging and Support Systems
Faculty Advisor: John Curtin

Ellise Markevitch
Majors: Neurobiology
Project: Assessing Gut Microbiome Composition in Depression and Asthma
Faculty Advisor: Melissa Rosenkranz

Ariel Maurer
Majors: Entomology, Genetics & Genomics
Project: Investigating Phenotypic and Genomic Cross-Resistance in the Colorado Potato Beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)
Faculty Advisor: Sean Schoville

David Meister
Majors: Economics, History
Project: Public Education Amid Polarization and Political Violence: The Case of the Second Spanish Republic
Faculty Advisor: Patrick Iber

Sophia Melnyk
Majors: Chemistry, Pharmacology and Toxicology
Project: Comprehensive Spatial Analysis for Cholesterol and Steroid Hormones with MALDI-MSI via DMAB-Based On-tissue Chemical Derivatization
Faculty Advisor: Lingjun Li

Sofia K. Merrick
Major: Molecular and Cell Biology
Project: Enhancement of the Chaperone-like Behavior of the Bacterial Ribosome by Lambda-Red-Mediated Recombineering
Faculty Advisor: Silvia Cavagnero

Brooke Miller
Major: Biology
Project: Sirtuin-6 Effects on Liver Inflammation During Normothermic Ex Vivo Perfusion
Faculty Advisor: David Al-Adra

Caroline M. Mork
Major: Pharmacology and Toxicology
Project: Development of a Novel Theranostic Agent Targeting MET in Lung Cancer
Faculty Advisor: Randall Kimple

Nadia Nackers
Majors: Cartography and Geographic Information Systems, Wildlife Ecology
Project: Seasonal Patterns of Scavenger Behavior and CWD Transmission Potential in Wolf-Occupied Landscapes
Faculty Advisor: Timothy Van Deelen

Dharshita Nellore
Major: Biology
Project: Lettuce Romaine Calm and Fight Salmonellosis
Faculty Advisor: Jeri Barak

Howard Owens
Major: Psychology
Project: The Role of Environmental Responsiveness in Infant Language Learning
Faculty Advisor: Jenny Saffran

Cady Pagel
Major: Molecular and Cell Biology
Project: A SQSTM1-GATA2 Axis Regulates Invasion in Uterine Serous Carcinoma
Faculty Advisor: Daniel Matson

Ojaswi Pasachhe
Majors: Neurobiology, Psychology
Project: Autofluorescence Lifetime Flow Cytometry for Predicting CAR-T Cell Therapy Outcomes
Faculty Advisor: Melissa Skala

Evan Pittam
Majors: Engineering Mechanics, Music
Project: Experiments of Microplastic Fibers in Wavy Conditions
Faculty Advisor: Nimish Pujara

Cole Michael Rabe
Majors: Materials Science & Engineering, Mathematics
Project: Engineering Atomically Precise and Identical Single-Photon Emitters in 2D Semiconductors
Faculty Advisor: Robert Jacobberger

Madelyn Radtke
Majors: Environmental Sciences, Political Science
Project: Assessing the Impact of Deer Herbivory on the Growth and Physiological Performance of Northern Red Oak Saplings
Faculty Advisor: Nick Balster

Josie Reeve
Majors: Genetics and Genomics, Microbiology
Project: Genetic Applications for Understanding Bacterial Metabolism of Complex Polysaccharides
Faculty Advisor: David Hershey

Jamie Lynn Resis
Major: Biology
Project: Impact of Wildfire Ash on the Ethnomedicinal Properties of Trichostema lanatum
Faculty Advisor: Amy Trowbridge

Nicholas Macalester Rienstra
Major: Engineering Mechanics
Project: A 3D Printed Flow Cell for in Situ Correlative Studies: From Light to Electron Microscopy
Faculty Advisor: Elizabeth Wright

Andrea Rodriguez Quiros
Majors: Conservation Biology, Environmental Studies
Project: Investigating the Reproductive Cycle and Distribution of New Non-Native Asian Earthworms in the Midwestern U.S.
Faculty Advisor: Bradley Herrick
(This Hilldale Fellowship is sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum.)

Orla Ryan
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Project: Development of a Multi-Functional Cranial Attachment for Stereotactic Neuronavigation in Pediatric Neuromodulatory Assessments
Faculty Advisor: Bernadette Gillick

Lateef Saheed
Major: Biochemistry
Project: Effects of Warming on Ambush Predation Risk and Dynamics in Developing Fish
Faculty Advisor: David Ehrlich

Muaz Salem
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Project: Development of a Knee Model to Simulate Trochlear Dysplasia & Evaluate Surgical Treatments
Faculty Advisor: Josh Roth

Charlotte Sawicki
Majors: Neurobiology, Psychology
Project: The Impact of Radiation Dose Heterogeneity and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors on the Immunomodulation of the Tumor Microenvironment
Faculty Advisor: Zachary Morris

Claire Schleicher
Majors: Biochemistry, Data Science
Project: Machine Learning-Guided Design of Metal Sensitive Transcription Factors
Faculty Advisor: Srivatsan Raman

Marisa Lillian Schuldes
Major: Zoology
Project: Mechanistic Drivers of Antimicrobial Resistance in Aquatic Ecosystems: Linking Environmental Stressors and Microbial Ecology
Faculty Advisor: Jessica Hite

Daniel Silverman
Major: Biology
Project: Investigating the Role of Microglia in Modulating Excitotoxicity and Neuroinflammation Following Traumatic Brain Injury: In Vitro Co- and Tri-Culture Models
Faculty Advisor: Christian Franck

Ana Sotelo Romero
Majors: Cartography and Geographic Information Systems, Geology & Geophysics
Project: Timing of Main Central Thrust Faulting, Central Nepal, from In-Situ 40Ar/39Ar Dating
Faculty Advisor: Bradley Singer

Kaelyn Stephenson
Major: Genetics and Genomics
Project: Exploring Knl1-Independent SAC Signaling Pathway for Accurate Chromosome Segregation and Cellular Viability
Faculty Advisor: Aussie Suzuki

Isabelle Sunby
Majors: Political Science, Spanish
Project: Advancing Authoritarianism: Governance Outcomes of Chinese Foreign Aid in Latin America
Faculty Advisor: Jon Pevehouse

Lia Chi Sweeney
Major: Molecular and Cell Biology
Project: Investigating Potential Targets of the Cellular Protease Caspase-8 Involved in Aantiviral Signaling during Kaposi’s Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Infection
Faculty Advisor: Marta Gaglia

Jonathan J. Sze
Major: Biochemistry
Project: Microbial Bile Acid, 3-oxo-LCA, Inhibits Colorectal Cancer Cell Growth
Faculty Advisor: Ting Fu

Kristy Tamvakis
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Project: Investigation of Ovarian Cancer Spheroid Migration Dynamics using Biomimetic Models of the Extracellular Matrix
Faculty Advisor: Paul Campagnola

Wenxuan Tan
Majors: Computer Sciences, Mathematics
Project: Attention Fuse: Efficient Kernel Co-Scheduling for LLM Serving Workloads
Faculty Advisor: Shivaram Venkataraman

Dingtong Tan
Majors: Molecular and Cell Biology, Neurobiology
Project: Determining the Effect of Fractionated Radiotherapy on Chromosomal Instability and Immune Signaling in Lung Cancer
Faculty Advisor: Pippa Cosper

Yanchuan Tang
Major:s Computer Sciences, Data Science
Project: MedPipe: Automated Medical Image Analysis Pipeline Generation via Vision-Language Models
Faculty Advisor: Yin Li

Nathaniel Tanglin
Majors: Astronomy – Physics, Physics
Project: Response of Galactic Disk Surface Density Profiles to Galaxy Fly-By and Merging Events
Faculty Advisor: Elena D’Onghia

Lily Thatcher
Majors: Chemistry, Environmental Studies
Project: The Effect of Light Source on the Photodegradation Rate of Pharmaceutical Contaminants in Surface Waters
Faculty Advisor: Christy Remucal

KK Punnawish Thuwajit
Majors: Computer Sciences, Mathematics
Project: Fast Magnetic Resonance Image Registration via Deformable Convolution Networks
Faculty Advisor: Steven Kecskmeti

Colten Tramburg
Major: Biochemistry
Project: Protection of Cryo-EM Samples at the Air-Water Interface using LEA Proteins
Faculty Advisor: Ci Ji Lim

Ethan Warrington
Major: Chemistry
Project: Copper-Catalyzed Asymmetric C-H Amination Through Mechanism-Based Ligand Design
Faculty Advisor: Jennifer Schomaker

Annika Webb
Majors: Conservation Biology, Spanish
Project: Morphological Variation and Speciation of Relict Extremophile
Faculty Advisor: Sean Schoville

Peyton Presley Woley
Majors: Legal Studies, Political Science
Project: Exploring How College Students Use Occupational Perceptions to Understand Citizenship
Faculty Advisor: Katherine Cramer

Kiara Wolfram
Major: Biochemistry
Project: Examining T Cell Regulation by a PD-L1/IDO-1 Fusion Protein in a Xenogeneic-Graft-versus-Host Disease Murine Model
Faculty Advisor: Jacques Galipeau

Pavan Yilayavilli
Major: Neurobiology
Project: Evaluating the Effect of Extracellular Matrix Composition on Stretch-Induced Arrhythmia
Faculty Advisor: Alexey Glukhov

Michael Zhao
Majors: Applied Mathematics, Engineering, and Physics, Physics
Project: Perpetual Meandering Rotation of a Sphere in a Supersaturated Fluid
Faculty Advisor: Saverio Spagnolie

Charles Zumbrunnen
Majors: Economics, Mathematics
Project: Small Business Lending by Wisconsin Banks and Credit Unions
Faculty Advisor: Tessa Conroy 

About this award

A generous grant from Carleton and Mary Beth Holstrom of Pipersville, Pennsylvania, provides undergraduates with $4,000 to pursue an independent research project related to environmental issues under the mentorship of UW–Madison faculty or staff.

Jalynn Horacek
Major: Environmental Engineering
Project: Hot Spots and Residence Time of PFAS in the Yahara River Chain of Lakes
Faculty Advisor: Chin Wu

Elliot Oquist
Major: Biology, Landscape & Urban Studies
Project: The Interactive Effects of Invasive Species and White-Tailed Deer on Forest Ecosystems
Faculty Advisor: George Meindl

Danika Wanish
Major: Biological Systems Engineering
Project: Paired Model Comparison and Sensitivity Analyses: i-Tree Canopy Stormwater Calculator and WinSLAMM for Predicting Annual Urban Stormwater Runoff Phosphorus Loads
Faculty Advisor: Anita Thompson

Houchunxiao Xia
Major: Data Science, Economics
Project: Using Morphometric Analysis and Data Science to Investigate Drivers of Bumble Bee Declines
Faculty Advisor: Claudio Gratton

About this award

Generous grants from the Brittingham Wisconsin Trust, the Knapp Bequest, and the Division for Teaching and Learning provide undergraduates with $3,000 to pursue a research project under the mentorship of UW–Madison faculty or staff.

Liv Abegglen
Major: Genetics and Genomics
Project: Defining the role of Cis-Regulatory Element 3 in Hereditary Congenital Facial Paralysis, Type 1
Faculty Advisor: Bryn Webb

William L. Anderson
Majors: Computer Sciences, Data Science, Mathematics
Project: Better Benchmarking: A Proposal for Studying LLM Reasoning
Faculty Advisor: Yiqiao Zhong

Irene Leah Angelidakis
Major: Neurobiology
Project: Investigating the Effects of KSEB 01-S2, a Novel Intravenous Anesthetic, on GABA-A Receptor Subtypes
Faculty Advisor: Cynthia Czajkowski

Anvika Annyapu
Majors: Biochemisty, Economics
Project: Postoperative Falls in Older Adults: Comparing Incidence Rates Between Laparoscopic and Major Abdominal Surgery
Faculty Advisor: Julia Berian

John Francis Aradan
Major: Computer Sciences
Project: AI-Driven Prediction of Anal Cancer Risk Using Immune Health Markers
Faculty Advisor: Robert Striker

Ava Barsness
Major: Kinesiology
Project: Identifying Carotid Endothelial Dysfunction in Young Adults with Metabolic Syndrome
Faculty Advisor: William Schrage

Ellie Baudhuin
Major: Genetics and Genomics
Project: Investigation of the Interaction Regions between Cwc15 and IPI-O1: Implications on Stress Responses to Blight in Potato Plants
Faculty Advisor: Aaron Hoskins

Ava Berdelman
Major: Biochemistry
Project: The Development of Fluorescent Protein Tags to Investigate Respiratory Syncytial Virus Assembly with Cryo-Correlative Light and Electron Microscopy
Faculty Advisor: Elizabeth Wright

Aletta Bergman
Major: Wildlife Ecology
Project: Impacts of Changing Fire Regimes and Fuels Reduction Strategies on Common Nighthawks (Chordeiles minor) in the Sierra Nevada
Faculty Advisor: Kate McGinn

Mingxuan Bi
Major: Statistics
Project: Investigating Reaction Times in Number Cognition through Digit and Word-Based Numerical Tasks [Mingxuan Bi/Anna Schellin]
Faculty Advisor: Percival Matthews

Natalie Broderick
Majors: Astronomy – Physics, Physics
Project: Realistic Gravitational Acceleration in Tallbox ISM Simulations
Faculty Advisor: Ellen Zweibel

Jonathan Buscher
Majors: Biochemistry, Statistics
Project: Investigating the Role of the Omega Subunit of RNA Polymerase in Translation Elongation in Escherichia coli
Faculty Advisor: Rachel Mooney

Sudhindra Chavadam
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Project: Multi-Scale Investigation of Maladaptive Tissue Remodelling in Porcine Aortic Valve Leaflets due to Calcific Aortic Valve Disease
Faculty Advisor: Colleen Witzenburg

Jiahao Chen
Major: Statistics
Project: Unleashing AI in Survey Research: Evaluating the Power and Pitfalls of Large Language Models in  Evaluating Survey Questions
Faculty Advisor: Jennifer Dykema

Stanislav Cherempei
Major: Chemistry
Project: Regio- and Stereoselective Intermolecular C-H Amination
Faculty Advisor: Jennifer Schomaker

Ari Collins
Majors: Education Studie, Philosophy, Political Science
Project: The Teacher-Student Relationship: Constructing a Theory of Justification
Faculty Advisor: David O’Brien

Amber DuVal
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Project: Investigating the Transition between Post-Capillary and Combined Pre/Post-Capillary Pulmonary Tension
Faculty Advisor: Colleen Witzenburg

Clare Fallon
Major: Biological Systems Engineerin
Project: Protecting Linear DNA in a Cell-Free System to Increase DNA Expression and Progress the Characterization of Glycotransferases
Faculty Advisor: Quentin Dudley

Rong Fan
Major: Physics
Project: Quantum State Tomography Using Reservoir Computation
Faculty Advisor: Roman Kuzmin

Isabel Garay
Major: Molecular and Cell Biology
Project: Assessing RyR2-WT and Mutant RyR2-V2475F Degradation in HEK293 Cells
Faculty Advisor: Francisco Alvarado Guillen

Kate Geiger
Major: Genetics and Genomics
Project: The Effect of Traumatic Brain Injury on Accelerated Aging and the Microbiome In Drosophila melanogaster Model
Faculty Advisor: David Wassarman

Krithi Gopinath
Major: Neurobiology
Project: Defining the mechanism by Which Mutations in TFG Result in Neurodegeneration
Faculty Advisor: Anjon Audhya

Linda Hao
Major: Electrical Engineering
Project: Impacts of Gridline Scattering and Reflectance on Thermophotovoltaic Cell Performance
Faculty Advisor: Eric Tervo

Ayush Harish
Major: Biology
Project: Evaluating Survival Outcomes between RPT and EBRT in HPV+ and HPV- Cell Lines
Faculty Advisor: Pippa Cosper

Lindsey Hmielewski
Major: Physics
Project: X-Ray Spectroscopy of Thorium N-Lines in Rare Earth Phosphates: Investigating Thorium Binding Energy in Monazite Minerals
Faculty Advisor: Will Nachlas

Alexander Ivey
Major: Nuclear Engineering
Project: Undergraduate Researcher of Applications of Nano-Calorimetry to Measure Defect Evolution in Irradiated Materials
Faculty Advisor: Charles Hirst

James Johnson
Major: Biochemistry
Project: Biochemical Characterization of KAT2A-MLL-PTD Interactions in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Faculty Advisor: Marjorie Brand

Hannah Justice
Major: Geology and Geophysics
Project: The Effects of Precipitation on the Chemical Composition of a Stream in a Catchment in Southwestern Wisconsin
Faculty Advisor: Ken Ferrier

Arianna Kaas
Major: Microbiology
Project: Effects of TLR4 Inhibition on Neutrophil Phagocytosis and Killing of Candida auris
Faculty Advisor: Jeniel Nett

Cameron Ann Kiger
Major: Microbiology
Project: The Use of Microgravity Simulators for a Mechanistic Understanding of Cytoskeletal-Mediated Regulation of Root Growth
Faculty Advisor: Simon Gilroy

Abigail Koch
Major: Biology
Project: The Effect of ALG12 Protein Over-Expression on BMP Lipid Levels
Faculty Advisor: Judith Simcox

Samuel David Litzau
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Project: Defining the Role of Exogenous Stimulations for 3D Myotendinous Junction Modeling from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Faculty Advisor: Masatoshi Suzuki

Elizabeth Lucas
Majors: Geology and Geophysics, Political Science
Project: Evaluating Slow Slip and Travel Time Residuals in the Cook Inlet Area of the Alaskan-Aleutian Subduction Zone
Faculty Advisor: Eva Golos

Akesh Mallia
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Project: Shaking Camp Randall Stadium: A Vibrational Analysis
Faculty Advisor: Thomas Breunung

Riley McJunkin
Major: Biology
Project: Impact of the Overexpression of 3-O-Feruloyl Sucrose Feruloyl Transferase (FSFT) on the Digestibility of Sorghum
Faculty Advisor: Rebecca Smith

Mina Meyer-Najmi
Major: Chemistry
Project: Exploring the Role of Photocatalyst Identity in Initiation of A Photoredox Deoxygenation Reaction
Faculty Advisor: Zachary Wickens

Natalie Miller
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Project: Mechanical Property Testing on 5XFAD Mice
Faculty Advisor: Colleen Witzenburg

Akshata Moorthy
Major: Genetics and Genomics
Project: Watching Protein Birth in Real Time by Monitoring the Ejection Rate of Nascent Proteins from the Ribosomal Exit Tunnel
Faculty Advisor: Silvia Cavagnero

Olaotse Ngwako
Major: Economics
Project: Transitions of Power: Understanding Changes in Voting Patterns in Botswana
Faculty Advisor: Soeren Henn

Jonah Nick
Majors: Chemistry, Engineering Physics
Project: An Automated Dissolution System for Processing of Solid-Target Produced Radionuclides
Faculty Advisor: Jonathan Engle

Quinn Alan Paulsen
Major: Molecular & Cell Biology
Project: Glyphosate (Roundup®) Conjugation in Bacillus subtilis: a Novel Mechanism
Faculty Advisor: Jue Wang

Akhilesh Peddi
Major: Undeclared
Project: A Study of a Woman’s Experience and Her Treatment in 16th Century Politics
Faculty Advisor: Kristin Phillips-Court

Ved Pendyala
Major: Undeclared
Project: Crosstalk between Hedgehog Signaling and PLK4 in Melanoma Cells
Faculty Advisor: Nihal Ahmad

Akhil Pidikiti
Major: Genetics and Genomics
Project: Serotonin-Driven Transcriptional Responses in Urethral Immunity
Faculty Advisor: Chad Vezina

Raphael Mantovani
Majors: Data Science, Statistics
Project: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Low-Cost Sensors to Monitor Greenhouses Gas Emission in Agriculture
Faculty Advisor: Joao Dorea

Alyssa Rooks
Major: Forest Science
Project: Participatory Action Frameworks in Oneida Nation Food Forest Design
Faculty Advisor: Adena Rissman

Daleep Singh Sandhu
Major: Neurobiology
Project: Neural Mechanisms of Impaired Consciousness During Focal Seizures
Faculty Advisor: Matthew Banks

Anna Schellin
Majors: Psychology, Statistics
Project: Investigating Reaction Times in Number Cognition through Digit and Word-Based Numerical Tasks [Mingxuan Bi]
Faculty Advisor: Percival Matthews

Selah Schmitt
Majors: Molecular & Cell Biology, Social Welfare
Project: Tubulin Binding Sites and Multipolar Spindle Formation: Investigating Microtubule Poisons’ Effect on Breast Cancer Cells
Faculty Advisor: Beth Weaver

Grant William Schuman
Major: Neurobiology
Project: Synaptic Homeostasis of Sleep: Investigating OFF Periods in Non-REM Sleep using Advanced Two-Photon Imaging
Faculty Advisor: Chiara Cirelli

Giulia Scimonelli
Majors: Biomedical Engineering, Neurobiology
Project: T Cell Phenotype Enrichment Through mRNA Delivery for Enhanced CAR-T Manufacturing
Faculty Advisor: Krishanu Saha

Mary Scott
Major: Neurobiology
Project: Cognitive Effects on Neural Processing of Speech Sounds in Adults Who Stutter
Faculty Advisor: Dhatri Devaraju

Manav Seth
Major: Biology
Project: The Coupling of Prebiotic Phosphorylation to the Production of Sulfur-Based Microspheres
Faculty Advisor: Zachary Adam

Sananda Shyamkumar
Major: Biochemistry
Project: Evaluating the Anti-Tumoral Immunity and Efficacy of TNFα and aCD40  Combined Treatment in Head and Neck Cancers
Faculty Advisor: Huy Dinh

Hailey Sieren
Major: Microbiology
Project: Horizontal Transmission of Mosquito Microbiota via Shared Nectar Sources
Faculty Advisor: Kerri Coon

Eva Stafne
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Project: Habitability of Multi-Planet White Dwarf Systems due to Effects of General Relativity
Faculty Advisor: Juliette Becker

Nicholas Tallon
Majors: Astronomy – Physics, Mathematics, Physics
Project: Gas for Terrestrial Planets: Measuring Trends in CO with JWST
Faculty Advisor: Ke Zhang

Jonathan Tong
Majors: Economics, Mathematics
Project: Modeling Spatial Developments of Economic Specializations
Faculty Advisor: Simeon Alder

Isaiah Trice
Major: Music: Performance
Project: Richard Strauss in America
Faculty Advisor: Laura Schwendinger

Paula Vidal-Tama
Majors: Entomology, Wildlife Ecology
Project: Genetic Diversity and Distribution of Pontoscolex corethrurus in Puerto Rico
Faculty Advisor: Sean Schoville

Raagav Vijayalakshmi Siva
Major: Agricultural Business Management
Project: Harnessing Natural Bio-Fermentates for Food Preservation: Evaluating Antifungal Efficacy in Baked Goods
Faculty Advisor: Jae-Hyuk Yu

Andrew Walter
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Project: Effects of Surface Coatings and Zirconium Oxide Deficiency on Seawater-NASICON Interface in Seawater Batteries
Faculty Advisor: Eric Kazyak

Vivian Wanjing
Major: Environmental Engineering
Project: Optimizing Plant Water Use in Agrivoltaic Systems: A Low-Cost Heat Pulse Sensor Approach
Faculty Advisor: Steven Loheide

Madelyn Watson
Major: Undeclared
Project: Old Books, New Stories
Faculty Advisor: Joshua Calhoun

Ty Weaver
Major: Molecular & Cell Biology
Project: Characterizing Metabolic Profiles in Leigh Syndrome using Patient Stem Cell Derived Cardiomyocytes and Single-Cell Fluorescence Imaging
Faculty Advisor: Melissa Skala

Elliott W. Weix
Majors: Biochemistry, Mathematics
Project: Exploring the Roots of Multicellularity Using a Synthetic Inheritance System
Faculty Advisor: Scott Coyle

Rachel Williams
Majors: Economics, Marketing, Supply Chain Management
Project: A Causal Analysis of The Colorado College Opportunity Fund on Graduation Outcomes
Faculty Advisor: Jessica Pac

Isabella Willis
Major: Neurobiology
Project: The Role of Long Chain Acylcarnitine in Colonic Stem Cell Functions
Faculty Advisor: Eric Yen

Jieying (Iris) Xu
Majors: Computer Sciences, Data Science
Project: Leveraging Pre-Trained AI Models for Early Ovarian Cancer Detection in Medical Images
Faculty Advisor: Irene Ong

Jinghuai (Carl) Yao
Majors: Astronomy – Physics, Data Science
Project: Probing the H2O Ortho-to-Para Ratio in Protoplanetary Disks with JWST MIRI Spectroscopy
Faculty Advisor: Ke Zhang

Cassie Yu
Major: Undeclared
Project: Development of a Culturally and Linguistically Informed Pain Expression Library and Assessment Module for Minorities Using Artificial Intelligence
Faculty Advisor: ShinYe Kim

Grace Zhang
Major: Chemical Engineering
Project: Bimetallic Impacts on Liquid Carrier Dehydrogenation for Renewable Hydrogen Storage
Faculty Advisor: Siddarth Krishna

Yanxin Zhang
Major: Computer Sciences
Project: BOOLNET : 1 Bit Train and Inference in LLM
Faculty Advisor: Vikas Singh

Ander Zheng
Major: Microbiology
Project: Minor Genetic Changes in Symbiotic V. Fischeri Confer Major Host Shifts
Faculty Advisor: Mark Mandel

Hao Zhou
Major: Computer Engineering
Project: Growth of Large-Scale Single-Crystal 2-d Materials on Commercial Copper Foils
Faculty Advisor: Robert Jacobberger

About this award

A generous gift from the Herfurth and Kubly families provides for these longstanding awards which honor senior students exemplifying superior academic achievement, community service and leadership in extracurricular activities, financial self-support, and effective communication skills.

Raines Lucas
Majors: Economics, Mathematics

Jenna Seidl
Major: Neurobiology

The Beinecke Scholarship Program was established in 1971 to provide scholarships for the graduate education of students of exceptional promise. Eligibility is limited to students planning to pursue a a research-focused master’s or doctoral program in the arts, humanities and social sciences. Approximately 20 scholarships are awarded each year.

Axell Boomer
History, Religious Studies
Beinecke Scholar

The Goldwater Scholarship provides $7,500 for undergraduate study to students who demonstrate great potential for, and commitment to, a research career in the field of mathematics, the natural sciences or engineering.

Alissa Choi
Chemistry, Geology and Geophysics
Goldwater Scholar

Pramana Saldin
Mathematics
Goldwater Scholar

Elliott Weix
Biochemistry, Mathematics
Goldwater Scholar

The Truman Scholarship provides $30,000 for graduate study to outstanding juniors who plan a career in public service.

Amanjot Kaur
Legal Studies, Political Science
Truman Scholarship Finalist

Zoe Kukla
History, Political Science
Truman Scholarship Finalist

The Marshall Scholarship provides tuition, and stipend for completion of a graduate degree at any university in the United Kingdom.

Sophie Boes
Political Science, English Language and Linguistics
Marshall Scholarship Finalist

Scott Chang
Biology, Spanish
Marshall Scholarship Finalist

The Rhodes Scholarship provides tuition, room, board, and stipend for two years of study at the University of Oxford.

Sophie Boes
Political Science, English Language and Linguistics
Rhodes Scholarship Finalist

Felicity Klingele
Philosophy, Psychology
Rhodes Scholarship Finalist

Sarah Almutawa is a 2024-2025 Rhodes Scholarship finalist from Saudi Arabia. She graduated from UW–Madison in May 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in biology and certificates in global health and Biocore, the university’s biology core curriculum honors program. On campus, Sarah conducted research on the molecular mechanisms that underlie fin regeneration in zebrafish with the Kang lab at the Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research. She also served as a Badger Volunteer, an International Student Reach Ambassador, and a peer mentor and an undergraduate teaching assistant for two advanced Honors Biocore courses. This May Sarah will graduate with a master’s in biosciences from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, where she conducts translational neuroscience research using an in vivo mouse model to investigate impaired cellular autophagy in the context of Lafora Disease. After doctoral study, Sarah aspires to be an academic researcher and faculty member in translational biology.

The Barry Scholarship is an academic prize awarded in recognition of a student’s dedication to the academic vocation and the pursuit of truth. It provides full funding for a minimum of two years of graduate study at the University of Oxford.

Felicity Klingele
Philosophy, Psychology
Barry Scholar