Current Scholars

Wilhoit Foundation Scholar

• PhD Candidate in Biomedical Engineering
• BS in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago
• Allison is researching how to improve training and selection for Navy pilots using virtual reality. She studies how physiological signals—such as changes in heart rate and stress response—reveal differences in abilities during flight simulation. By analyzing how pilots navigate and react to anomalous events, her work helps identify individual strengths and training improvements. She collaborates with the Naval Research Laboratory to apply this research in real-world settings, with prior support from the National Science Foundation at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida.

Papadopoulos Scholar

• PhD Candidate in Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering
• BS in Mathematics from ASU
• Claire’s current research centers on two key topics: 1) Water security in rural US communities and 2) Environmental impact of menstrual waste. Her water security research focuses on identifying and understanding the complex social fabric of water-insecure communities in Arizona as part of the Arizona Water for All initiative. Identifying patterns in water-insecure communities will help to determine the most effective ways to allocate funding and infrastructure projects. Her second research topic focuses on how soil adsorbs and transports hormones in menstrual waste, with a goal to inform improved wastewater treatment and minimize aquatic risks.

Spetzler Scholar

• PhD Candidate in Biomedical Engineering
• BS in Chemical Engineering from Villanova University
• Margaret's research efforts are on improving bone repair through the use of immune mediating metabolites to promote bone growth and inhibit bone loss. Her work focuses on hydrogel delivery systems for microparticle drug formulations at the site of a bone defect. This work allows for sustained, tunable delivery of bone growth factors and metabolites to promote bone healing and can further be used in many regenerative medicine applications.

Theresa F. Jennings Memorial Scholar

• PhD Candidate in Speech and Hearing Science
• BS in Interdisciplinary Studies from Arizona State University
• Stephen's research develops tailored support programs for autistic adults which enhance social skills, independence, and clinician training. Early findings show improved satisfaction and effectiveness. Additional research explores sex-based differences, cognitive aging, and verbal fluency challenges in autism, contributing to precision medicine. By shifting interventions from deficit-based to strength-focused approaches, this work aims to improve quality of life, communication, and long-term support for autistic individuals across their lifespans.

Marie McSpadden Sands Scholar

• PhD Candidate in Neuroscience
• BA in Medical Humanities; MS in Neuroscience from Arizona State University
• Sammie's research addresses the genetic contributors to aging and sex differences on cognition and brain structure in a longitudinal cohort of middle-aged and older (MA+) autistic adults 40-75 years of age. She evaluates the effects of autism risk genes on memory decline and temporal lobe/hippocampal aging in MA+ autistic adults. Results will significantly impact the biological understanding of cognitive, brain aging, and sex differences in autism by incorporating both molecular and systems-level approaches. The dissemination of findings to the broader autism community will be empowered by Sammie's unique perspective as an openly autistic adult.

Dalke/ARCS Scholar

• PhD Candidate in Electrical Engineering
• BS in Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
• Razine is developing next-generation solar technologies to make them more efficient, accessible, and sustainable. His work focuses on cadmium telluride (CdTe) and cadmium selenium telluride (CdSeTe), materials that offer cost-effective, eco-friendly alternatives to traditional silicon solar cells. Using advanced semiconductor growth techniques, he has helped create and study micron-thin, pure monocrystalline solar devices with improved performance over thicker silicon cells. He also works on semiconductor physics modeling, bridging design and fabrication to accelerate device innovation.

Helen Jacobsen Pierson Scholar

• PhD Candidate in Neuroscience
• BS in Cell and Developmental Biology from UC Santa Barbara
• Briana is currently investigating the role of neuroinflammation in Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Her research aims to answer how the immune cells of the brain communicate with one another and how this becomes dysfunctional in ALS/FTD and contributes to disease pathology. She uses induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from patient blood to model these disease cell types. Understanding crosstalk between the cells of the brain can reveal novel targets for therapeutics for ALS/FTD.

Sonntag Family Scholar

• PhD Candidate in Molecular Biology
• BS in Biological Sciences and Anthrolopology from ASU
• Dominic is studying how diet influences intestinal stem cells at the chromatin level. His research investigates how a high-fat diet alters chromatin accessibility, impacting gene regulation and increasing the risk of diseases like colorectal cancer. By using genomic and computational approaches, he investigates the role of key transcription factors in these changes. His work provides insights into how diet-driven molecular changes affect intestinal health.

ARCS Scholar

• PhD Candidate in Biomedical Engineering
• BS in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Florida
• Amberlyn’s current research project seeks to better understand differences between males and females in the immune response after traumatic brain injury. This work will have a positive impact by aiding in the development of treatments of traumatic brain injury, fundamentally advancing the field of nanomedicine and drug delivery to the injured central nervous system.

Theresa F. Jennings Memorial Scholar

• PhD candidate in Civil, Environmental, and Sustainable Engineering
• BS in Environmental Science from Duke University
• Maya is developing cost-effective, innovative ways to remediate watersheds impacted by abandoned mines. She is using novel membrane biofilm reactor technology to remove and capture heavy metals from mining-impacted waters. After graduating, Maya is interested in translating this technology into the field by scaling up the membrane biofilm reactor. In the past year, she was also involved in policies on abandoned mines, having worked on a project compiling sites that could qualify for “Good Samaritan” cleanups under the new Good Samaritan Act for Abandoned Hardrock Mine Remediation.

LaFollette Endowment and Libby Endowment Scholar

• PhD Candidate in Speech and Hearing Science
• BS in Health Sciences and MS in Science of Health Care Delivery from Arizona State University
• Kelvin’s research aims to enhance how we understand and identify dysarthria, a speech disorder caused by damage to the nervous system. His goal is to identify distinct profiles for each of the various dysarthria subtypes. These findings help to enhance diagnostic accuracy, refine current approaches to speech therapies, and aid in the development of a data-driven framework for dysarthria classification.

Krepper Family Trust Scholar

• PhD Candidate in Materials Science and Engineering
• BS in Chemical Engineering and MS in Materials Science Engineering from The University of Arizona 
• Madeline’s research interests are in the field of radiation-sensitive glass engineering with applications to satellite technologies. She is working to enhance the radiation response of novel tin-doped silica glass and to create optical devices that function as highly sensitive real-time radiation detectors. Her research involves investigating the change in optical properties induced by ultraviolet and gamma radiation sources and characterizing the underlying structural defects responsible for the magnitude and spectral nature of the radiation response. Madeline’s research interests and efforts will improve understanding of radiation-matter interactions and enable further optimization of materials for terrestrial and space-based environmental sensing.

The Marley Foundation Scholar in Memory of Milton "Bud" Webb

• PhD Candidate in Planetary Science
• BS in Astrobiology from the Florida Institute of Technology; MS in Planetary Science from The University of Arizona
• Nathan’s research explores microbial life in volcanic environments as a model for potential life on Mars. By combining fieldwork in extreme environments, advanced DNA sequencing, and bioinformatics, his work informs future life-detection missions and biotechnology applications. He earned his MS in Planetary Science from the University of Arizona and a BS in Astrobiology from Florida Tech. Through a Department of Defense graduate fellowship, he is also committed to advancing national security and science through research and outreach in the growing field of astrobiology. In the future, he aims to lead research bridging microbiology and planetary science.

Ponce Scholar
 

• PhD Candidate in Applied Mathematics
• BS in Applied and Computational Mathematics from Brigham Young University; MS in Applied Mathematics from The University of Arizona
• Aaron's research focuses on modeling the thermochemical non-equilibrium behavior of gas particles at hypersonic speeds by simulating the population of each vibrational state to describe the energy transfer. His research works to make molecular collision rate data from different energy surfaces self-consistent to allow for more complete simulations. This increased understanding of the hypersonic gas dynamics will help the modeling of re-entry vehicles into planetary atmospheres as gas interactions with the vehicles' surfaces can be better understood.

Horejsi Charitable Foundation Scholar

• PhD Candidate in Geosciences
• BS in Geology from California State University; MS in Geology from California State University, Northridge
• Priscilla is interested in the interactions between tectonics, climate, and biological evolution throughout Earth’s history. Her research combines field work and laboratory analyses to study the relationship between ancient Andean volcanism, harmful algal blooms, paleo-tsunamis, and the mass deaths of marine mammals along the coast of northern Chile. She is motivated by the knowledge that the world needs Earth scientists, along with global citizens who understand Earth processes, to tackle the major societal challenges of mitigating natural hazards and managing ecological habitats, including those of humans.

ARCS Scholar

 

• PhD Candidate Physics
• BS in Electrical Engineering from Northwestern University; MS in Physics from The University of Arizona
• Maria uses computer simulations to model the structure, dynamics, and evolution of neutron stars so we can better understand the light and other signals we observe from them. These stars are left over from supernova explosions, and they contain the densest matter and strongest magnetic fields in the entire universe. Studying them can help us understand many mysteries in fundamental physics and the history of the universe as well as help us build novel technologies for deep space navigation and observations.

Carlson Foundation Scholar in Honor of Founding Member Elizabeth Culley and Peter Culley

• PhD Candidate in Environmental Science
• BS in Environmental Systems and BA in Urban Studies and Planning from the University of California San Diego 
• Anu conducts research with Indigenous and rural communities to better understand and combat environmental justice issues in the Mountain West. Currently, she is leading a project to investigate groundwater quality in a rural Arizona community affected by legacy uranium mining. Through the project, Anu combines isotope hydrology and geochemistry with community-based methodologies. This unique approach strengthens the link between scientific data and community knowledge, action, and interventions, ultimately working to ensure local resilience moving into an uncertain climate and water future.

Theresa F. Jennings Memorial Scholar

• PhD Candidate in Geosciences
• BS in Geoscience from the University of Maine; MS in Climate Science from The University of Arizona
• Holly is studying the evolution of large-scale atmospheric circulation under climate change. Her research examines the rate and regional characteristics of tropical expansion, focusing on how shifts in atmospheric and oceanic heat transport influence the position of the climatological tropics' edge. By improving hydrological and climatological predictions, her work aims to better equip subtropical populations for the regional impacts of climate change.

Van Denburgh Scholar

• PhD Candidate in Biomedical Engineering
• BS in Kinesiology and MS in Engineering Technology from the University of Houston
• Daisey’s current work investigates how a muscle-tendon unit absorbs energy during lengthening in situ and how muscle-tendon units help with movement stabilization in the presence of unexpected perturbations in vivo. Overall, she takes an interdisciplinary approach to research which is crucial to the fundamental understanding of human movement in the real world and in developing innovative solutions to overcome barriers that limit mobility in individuals with neurological and physical impairments.

Plenge Endowment Scholar

• PhD Candidate in Cancer Biology
• BS in Medical Laboratory Science from the University of Buea, Cameroon; MS in Applied Biosciences from The University of Arizona
• The prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), a metabolic condition characterized by excessive fat accumulation in the liver, is at an all-time high. MASLD affects approximately 100 million Americans and 2 billion people globally, making it the fastest-growing cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). These rising rates parallel the increasing consumption of dietary fat, sugar, and artificial sweeteners, highlighting the urgent need to understand how dietary factors interact with genetic variants to influence HCC susceptibility. Ateh’s research goal is to elucidate the macromolecular interactions driving this chronic liver disease and identify novel therapeutic strategies to prevent its progression to HCC.