Meet Martin from Haas! | OURS Student Spotlight
Martin Kyle Drennen (He/Him/His) (2027) | Anthropology Martin Drennen, a fourth-year Anthropology major with a minor in History, is researching the Mesoamerican Ballgame and its role in the lives of everyday Maya communities in Classic Period Belize. Through a cross-site analysis of ballcourts, archaeological evidence, and field observations at sites such as Caracol, Martin is exploring how these spaces shaped social and community life beyond the elite. His research also brings together the history of ancestral Maya communities with the experiences of descendant Maya communities today. By focusing on the […]
Meet Rafaella from HAAS! | OURS Student Spotlight
Rafaella Benoit (She/Her) (2027) | Psychology and Sociology Rafaella Benoit is a Psychology and Sociology double major researching how personalized algorithms shape the content people see on social media. Her project focuses on Instagram’s personalized feed and how exposure to certain content may affect people who are navigating life after incarceration, particularly as they work to reintegrate into society. Drawing from her own experiences and observations of how her feed changed over time, Rafaella is exploring how algorithms can create feedback loops that reinforce the ideas and information users are […]
Meet Christina from HAAS! | OURS Student Spotlight
Christina Maria Carasis (She/Her) (2027) | Geography Christina Maria Carasis is a fourth-year Geography major and second-year transfer student researching Arvanitika, an endangered language in Greece that is also part of her own family history. Using mapping tools from her geography coursework, Christina is working with communities in Argolida, Greece, to map personal stories and connections between villages where the language has survived. Her research explores how relationships between people and the landscape have helped preserve Arvanitika, while challenging broader ideas of cultural homogeneity in the region. Through her fieldwork, […]
Meet Ryan from URAP! | OURS Student Spotlight
Evolution Of Horizontally Transferred Anti-Parasitoid Toxins Ryan Wang (he/him) (Molecular & Cell Biology) | 2029 Ryan Wang, recipient of a 2026 summer URAP stipend, is a Molecular & Cell Biology student researching how horizontally transferred genes are regulated in fruit flies. Working in the Whiteman Lab, Ryan is studying fusionB, a gene that flies acquired from bacteria and that helps defend against parasitoid wasps. His research focuses on identifying the smallest DNA sequence responsible for regulating the gene, helping researchers better understand how horizontally transferred genes become part of an […]
Meet Alex from URAP! | Student Spotlight
Using Wildlife Cameras to Observe and Study Urban Carnivore Behavior Alex Del Rosario (she/her) (Society and Environment, NutriSci/Public Health) | 2027 Alex Del Rosario is a recipient of this summer’s URAP stipend and a senior majoring in Society and Environment with a minor in Nutritional Science and Public Health. Her research focuses on urban ecology, looking at how urbanization and historical inequality affect urban carnivores. Using wildlife cameras, GPS tracking, genetics, and other biological measurements, Alex studies how animals adapt to urban environments and what this can tell us about […]
Meet Jesse from SURF! | OURS Student Spotlight
Validating the 3D Position Calibration of the COSI Germanium sensors Jesse Hart (He/His/Him) (2028) | Physics BA Jesse Hart is a SURF L&S scholarship recipient and a third-year Physics major. Working at the intersection of astrophysics and scientific instrumentation, Jesse is helping validate a calibration method for the germanium detectors aboard the NASA Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI), a satellite mission set to launch in 2027. By improving how the detectors determine the position of incoming gamma rays, his research will help ensure the mission collects reliable data to better […]
Meet Claire from SURF! | OURS Student Spotlight
Longitudinal Associations Between Social Media And Cortical Morphology Claire Tsai (she/her) (2027) | Cognitive Science and Neuroscience Claire Tsai is a SURF L&S scholarship recipient and a member of the Class of 2027 double majoring in Cognitive Science and Neuroscience. For her SURF project this summer, she is investigating how social media use is associated with changes in adolescent brain development over time. Using MRI data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, Claire examines how varying levels of social media use may influence changes in brain structure, […]
Meet Andy from SURF! | OURS Student Spotlight
Identifying Subtypes Of Beta Bursts In Anxiety-Related Brain Circuits Andy Bass (2027) | Applied Mathematics Andy Bass is a SURF L&S scholarship recipient majoring in Applied Mathematics. For his SURF project this summer, Andy is investigating how anxiety-related brain circuits communicate through brief bursts of synchronized neural activity known as beta bursts. Working with neural recordings from the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex, he is using computational and machine learning techniques to determine whether these bursts can be grouped into distinct subtypes. By identifying different patterns of communication within anxiety-related […]
Meet Rayne from SURF! | OURS Student Spotlight
Naturalizing Nabokov: Alienness And Citizenship In Academic Fictions Rayne Xue (she/her) (2027) | Comparative Literature and Legal Studies, Russian Literature. Rayne Xue is a SURF L&S scholarship recipient, a member of the Class of 2027 majoring in Comparative Literature and Legal Studies with a minor in Russian Literature. For her SURF project this summer, she is exploring the relationship between literature and immigration law through the novels of Vladimir Nabokov. By examining how Nabokov’s fiction portrays foreign academics and ideas of citizenship, naturalization, and belonging, Rayne investigates how literary narratives […]
Meet Voica from SURF! | OURS Student Spotlight
The Slow Rebellion: Postmodern SF As Temporal Capitalist Critique Voica Armstrong (she/her) (2027) | English Voica is a SURF L&S scholarship recipient and a third-year English major hoping to double major in Political Economy or Legal Studies. For her SURF project this summer, she is examining how postmodern science fiction challenges the fast-paced and fragmented experience of time shaped by modern capitalism. By analyzing six science fiction novels within their social and economic contexts, Voica explores how the genre imagines alternative ways of experiencing time and offers new perspectives on […]