Forty Husker undergraduates have been selected for the First Year Research Experience Program at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Each fall, the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships — in collaboration with TRIO Student Support Services and STEM-POWER — matches eligible first-year students with faculty mentors to engage in manageable research or creative projects during the academic year. With support from federal work-study awards, participants connect with faculty to learn how the university’s research innovations help solve global challenges.
FYRE students also participate in monthly skill-building workshops, complete a professional development course and present their research at the FYRE Mini-Symposium in late spring. Many students continue their research through programs such as the Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experiences Program, STEM-POWER and the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program.
Following is a list of students who received research placements as part of the 2024-25 FYRE cohort. The students are listed alphabetically by hometown, with their academic major(s) and project title.
Nebraska
Bellevue:
- Jacki Petrow, environmental studies, “Refugees in Nebraska and the Great Plains.”
Clarkson:
- Isaac Baumert, biological sciences, “Mosquito-borne Virus Interactions with Mosquito and Vertebrate Hosts.”
Denton:
- Jennifer Gamez Martinez, biological sciences, “The Development of DNA Template for mRNA Vaccine Production.”
Lincoln:
- Shereen Ahmed, nutrition and health sciences, “Mosquito-borne Virus Interactions with Mosquito and Vertebrate Hosts.”
- Ruqiah Al-Ramahy, biological sciences, “Determining the Medical Applications of Fungal Melanin.”
- Danya Alderoubi, pre-health, “Brain Imaging Research and Early Childhood Emotion Processing.”
- Jackson Birch, electrical engineering, “Development of Biosensors for Space Travel.”
- Mason Chandler, economics, “Data Visualization Effectiveness (Past and Present).”
- Izy Corio, undeclared, “Parent-Child Interactions in Preschool.”
- Ben Hoover, biochemistry, “Understanding Bacterial Interactions Through Biomolecular Structure and Function.”
- Henry Le, computer science, “Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Research of Genomic Sequences.”
- Mimi Mi, biochemistry, “The Genetics and Evolution of Selfish Genomic Elements in Drosophila simulans.”
- Eh Ta Taw, finance, “Refugees in Nebraska and the Great Plains.”
- Adam Tong, nutrition and health sciences, “Creating and Testing a Next-Generation Feeder Data-Logger.”
- Handsone Tong, chemistry, “Animating History.”
- Chloe Toomey, architectural studies, “Data-Driven Building Performance by AI Techniques.”
- Ali Waly, secondary education, “Opening up a Dual-Language, Particularly as it Relates to an Arabic Language Program in LPS.”
McCook:
- Abbey Diaz-Parra, animal science, “Understanding the Biology of the Mammalian Testis: Benefits for Agriculture and Human Health.”
Norfolk:
- Jason Nunez, political science, “Refugees in Nebraska and the Great Plains.”
Omaha:
- Bryan Anguiano-Rivera, fisheries and wildlife, “Urban Impacts on Monarch Butterflies.”
- Charlie Herron, plant and landscape systems, “Plant-Insect interactions.”
- Penelope Johnson, microbiology, “Evolutionary Ecology Research Assistant.”
- Kenia Morales, biochemistry, “Virus-Host Interactions and Human Diseases.”
Papillion:
- Brandon Blodgett, electrical engineering, “Scanning Probe Microscopy Studies of Nanoscale Ferroelectrics.”
- Jayla Hancock, pre-health, “Carbon Nanotube Sensors: Determining Disease Function and Optimization of Treatment Modalities.”
- Kinley Harris, biological systems engineering, “Structural and Evolutionary Mechanisms of Transmembrane Signaling in Human Health and Disease.”
- Kayley Kubela, fisheries and wildlife, “Biochemical and Molecular Techniques in Insect-Based Research: Applications in Medical, Veterinary and Environmental Sciences.”
Rushville:
- Allan Tullis, pre-health, “Measuring Contacts Made by the Photosynthetic Membrane.”
Seward:
- Oliver Gray, fisheries and wildlife, “Biochemical and Molecular Techniques in Insect-Based Research: Applications in Medical, Veterinary and Environmental Sciences.”
South Sioux City:
- Yovanny Rodas Moreno, electrical engineering, “Course Document Detective.”
Wahoo:
- Jesse Stebbing, physics, “Scanning Probe Microscopy Studies of Nanoscale Ferroelectrics.”
ELSEWHERE:
Bloomington, Illinois:
- Cori Sanders, communication studies, “Understanding Reproductive Health Choices: Narratives of Childbirth among BIPOC Women.”
Pella, Iowa:
- Lauren Winn-Fogle, psychology, “Brain Imaging Research and Early Childhood Emotion Processing.”
Shreveport, Louisiana:
- KayLei Svendsen, psychology, “Brain Imaging Research and Early Childhood Emotion Processing.”
Taneytown, Maryland:
- Dane Lyons, sports media and communication, “Undergraduate Research Assistant in Broadcasting, and Sports Media and Communication.”
Liberty, Missouri:
- Olivia Walker, physics, “Data Visualization Effectiveness (Past and Present).”
Rapid City, South Dakota:
- Kaden Wangen, computer science, “Smart Lock for e-Bikes.”
Houston, Texas:
- Macey Moore, biological sciences, “Engineering Sustainable Bioenergy and Biofuels.”
San Antonio, Texas:
- Noor Hammad, biological sciences, “Evolutionary Conservation of Ribonucleoproteins.”
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo:
- Trecie Bosa, psychology, “Studying the Behavior and Neurobiology of Drosophila Species Using Computer Science.”
