Undergraduate Students Honored for Outstanding Research

The Randall Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award Program honored 22 students from a variety of majors for their exceptional research efforts at the Capstone.  

Faculty and staff research directors nominated students based on their significant research efforts. The students honored were selected by a panel of UA research faculty and past recipients of the Burnum Distinguished Faculty Award and were recognized during a luncheon this month.

Riley Nold received the H. Pettus Randall Jr. Endowed Scholarship this year, which is awarded to the highest vote recipient who is a junior in the Randall Research Scholars Program.

Nold is a physics/mathematics major whose research focus is the prediction and realization of atomically ordered spintronic Heusler alloys. 

2024 Winners

Brent Christian
Major: math, computer science       
Research Topic: Nonlocal transport in layered media: role of interface of heterogeneities
Nominator/Research Mentor: Dr. Mojdeh Rasoulzadeh

Cole Christie
Major: computer engineering, physics         
Research Topic: Fractional-order capacitor analysis and design
Nominator/Research Mentor: Dr. Todd Freeborn

Isabella Concannon                 
Major: biochemistry
Research Topic: Biochemical characterization of the extracellular matrix of glioblastoma organoids
Nominator/Research Mentor: Dr. John Kim

Taryn Crone   
Major: psychology, human development and family studies      
Research Topic: The development of children’s creativity
Nominator/Research Mentor: Dr. Ansley Gilpin

Fiona Gill          
Major: management information systems 
Research Topic: Investigating #BookTok: platforms, cultural production and traditional publishing
Nominator/Research Mentor: Dr. Jessica Maddox

Jenna Hartzler              
Major: biology                 
Research Topic: Linking mild traumatic brain injury and depressive-like behavior — the role of the blood-brain barrier
Nominator/Research Mentor: Dr. Ryan Earley

Sarah Hathcock          
Major: microbiology  
Research Topic: Blood-brain barrier disruption during disease and novel insights into therapeutic drug delivery to the brain
Nominator/Research Mentor: Dr. Brandon Kim

Rachel Lane  
Major: chemical engineering, philosophy  
Research Topic: The ompact of incorporating RGD peptide in hyaluronic acid hydrogels on the behavior of brain metastatic breast cancer cells
Nominator/Research Mentor: Dr. Shreyas Rao

Sofia Luna       
Major: chemical engineering               
Research Topic: The impact of matrix stiffness on the drug response of brain metastatic breast cancer spheroids
Nominator/Research Mentor: Dr. Shreyas Rao

Julia Mamana                
Major: biology, communication studies     
Research Topic: Blood-brain barrier dysfunction by coxsackievirus
Nominator/Research Mentor: Dr. Brandon Kim

Mary Elizabeth Martin            
Major: chemical engineering               
Research Topic: Synthesis and characterization of rare-earth containing zeolites and zeolite-supported metal phthalocyanines
Nominator/Research Mentor: Dr. James Harris

Jackson Maxwell
Major: chemistry, mathematics
Research Topic: Reliable predictions of the energetics of stable carbenes, reactive radicals, and actinide fluorides
Nominator/Research Mentor: Dr. David Dixon

Gabe Miller
Major: chemical engineering
Research Topic: Oxidation of cyclohexane over metal nitrogen-doped carbons and zeolite-supported metal phthalocyanines
Nominator/Research Mentor: Dr. James Harris

Jenny Nguyen
Major: biology
Research Topic: Global health issues in Thailand and Alabama — a focus on adolescents, seniors, food security, health disparities, and exploration of common challenges and solutions
Nominator/Research Mentor: Dr. Lisa Pawloski

Riley Nold
Major: physics, mathematics
Research Topic: Prediction and realization of atomically ordered spintronic Heusler alloys
Nominator/Research Mentor: Dr. Adam Hauser

Blake Peeples
Major: psychology
Research Topic: Culturally sensitive measurement of knowledge and attitudes toward the queer community in health care and workplace settings
Nominator/Research Mentor: Dr. Rebecca Allen

Julia Ray
Major: communicative disorders, French
Research Topic: The bilingual advantage in children across a continuum of proficiency
Nominator/Research Mentor: Dr. Luca Campanelli

Kali Rhodes
Major: athletic training
Research Topic: Biomechanics of head impacts in collegiate football
Nominator/Research Mentor: Dr. Ryan Moran

Morgan Sharbaugh
Major: marine science/biology, chemistry
Research Topic: Factors influencing sedimentation and sediment biogeochemistry in natural and restored coastal wetlands along the Mississippi-Alabama Gulf Coast
Nominator/Research Mentor: Dr. Julia Cherry

Christian Stephens 
Major: psychology; criminal justice
Research Topic: Forensic evaluators’ considerations of contextual information sources in competence to stand trial cases
Nominator/Research Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Cox

Rilyn Todd
Major: interdisciplinary studies
Research Topic: Sustainable extraction of metals from Ti3C2Tx MXene synthesis residuals using membrane technology
Nominator/Research Mentor: Dr. Mostafa Dadashi Firouzjaei

Michael Zengel
Major: physics, mathematics
Research Topic: First-principles calculations of the structural and electronic landscape of the Heusler alloy material system
Nominator/Research Mentor: Dr. Adam Hauser