Get to Know Our Scholars

Nina Ali is a doctoral student enrolled in the PhD program at the University at Buffalo School of Nursing. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Florida International University in Miami, FL. Her background is in the Emergency Room, which sparked her research interest of sexual assault nurse examining (SANE) and human trafficking. She seeks to support victims’ health care needs, whether it be psychological or medical, and increase nurses' knowledge on the identification and treatment of assault victims. She is also working as a Research Assistant with the UB Center for Nursing Research.

Erik Benson is a PhD student studying structural and earthquake engineering. He had been a technical director for live theatre before deciding to return to school for structural engineering. He earned his B.S. in civil engineering from UB in the spring of 2023 and decided to just keep going. His research is in modeling corrosion due to saltwater flooding and its effect on the seismic performance of reinforced concrete structures. When not studying, researching, or driving between UB and his home in Rochester, NY Erik can be found spending time with his wife and two sons.

Eshanee is a doctoral student specialising in ultrawide bandgap semiconductor devices for next generation RF applications. She aims for material and electrical characterization to design and optimize novel Ga2O3-based nanoscale MOSFETs to enhance the quality of economically sustainable, eco-friendly device facilities. She earned her B.Sc. in Electrical & Electronic Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET). Notably, she designed an ingenious microgel-based label-free photonic nanosensor to detect glucosuria, UTI, and produced 3D images of intracellular compartments using surface plasmon coupled emission (SPCE) which also contributes to malignant cell detection. Besides, she enjoys writing, singing, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. 

Samantha is a clinical psychology PhD student. She earned her a Bachelor of Arts in psychology with a minor in criminology from Toronto Metropolitan University. Her research interests are broadly in substance use and co-occurring disorders, from both basic and applied perspectives. In her doctoral studies she will investigate nicotine addiction in people with and without schizophrenia. Long-term, she plans to pursue a professorship, continue to engage in multidisciplinary research, and support community-based harm reduction approaches for substance use disorders. 

Yi Yin is a PhD student in the Department of Communication. She received both her BA and MA from UB. Her research delves into risk and health communication among women and LGBTQ+ populations. She hopes to contribute to marginalized and disadvantaged communities through her research efforts.

Ziqi Li is a doctoral student in the Language Education and Multilingualism program. Her academic interests mainly center on community, identity, and language learning. As both a bilingual learner and educator, her previous research and teaching experience have enabled her to understand how educators from different cultural, social, and racial backgrounds facilitate educational access and implement educational practices in multicultural environments. Ziqi earned her master’s degree in TESOL at the University of Southern California and has served as a language educator and an English writing consultant for many years across different contexts both in the U.S. and in China. She intends to work closely with schools and institutions to increase educational opportunities for international students and to promote equity in language education.

Leah Maykish is pursuing a PhD in engineering education. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from The Ohio State University in 2015. Before enrolling in the Department of Engineering Education at University at Buffalo, Leah worked as a design engineer and structural analyst for the aircraft, space, and defense industries. Her years of industry experience inspire her research interests in STEM education, experiential learning, problem solving, and industry engineers. Outside of education, Leah sings with an internationally competitive Sweet Adeline show chorus and enjoys practicing yoga and ballet. 

Joseph McCarron is a student in the PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences (PPBS) at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Originally from Staten Island, New York, he received his BS in Biology from SUNY Oneonta in 2018 before spending several years working as a laboratory technician at Columbia University studying lymphatic development and malformations. His research interests at the University of Buffalo aim to leverage bioinformatics approaches for drug design and/or repurposing, with the goal of identifying safer and more effective cancer treatments. Outside of the academic setting, Joseph enjoys spending time listening to music, playing video games, and falling down the YouTube rabbit hole. 

Mina Nakhla is a Ph.D. student in the Pharmaceutical Sciences program at the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. He graduated from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, with a Bachelor of Arts in Cell Biology and Neuroscience. Mina’s studies were concentrated on neurobiology and genetics, and after graduating, he spent a year conducting molecular and behavioral neurobiology research. At UB, Mina’s research encompasses mathematical modeling of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and physiological systems and utilizing mathematical simulations to advance drug development research. Outside academia, Mina juggles a bunch of hobbies, including reading, sketching, dabbling in board games, and scouring local food spots for hidden gems.

Isabelle is a first-year PhD student in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. They graduated from University at Buffalo in 2023 with a BS in Computer Science. Their research focuses on cybersecurity in artificial intelligence, and their interest in this area was sparked as an undergraduate pursuing a minor in cybersecurity. Specific projects they’ve worked on include investigating ChatGPT’s ability to analyze, debug, and generate exploits for given code and using prompt engineering techniques to lead AI to recognize hateful content in memes. Beyond academics, Isabelle enjoys training in taekwondo and listening to Mongolian rock music.

Yeshi, a Tibetan native who fled to India at age 7, holds a Bachelor's in Computer Science and contributed to the first digital demography systems for the Tibetan government in exile. He pursued a Master's in Computer Science at the University at Buffalo through the Tibetan Scholarship Program, earning the Patricia Eberlein Master Student Thesis Award for his work on computer education for non-English speakers. Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Curriculum, Instruction, and Science of Learning, Yeshi's research focuses on enhancing computer education for diverse communities, particularly Tibetan refugees in India. Beyond academia, he enjoys swimming and traveling. Yeshi envisions a future where technology serves as a unifying force, empowering global communities.

Prince Roy is a Finance PhD student with a diverse academic background, including studies in Geophysics and Climate Sciences at IISER Kolkata and Finance at IIM Ahmedabad. His research focuses on understanding financial markets, investments, and the impact of factors like climate change and human capital. With prior experience in high-frequency trading and financial regulations, Prince brings a practical perspective to his academic pursuits. Beyond academia, he is an avid sports enthusiast and, moreover, a gold medalist in national college-level table tennis tournaments. Additionally, he channels his creativity as a painter, gathering inspiration from everyday life and showcasing his unique abstract artistic flair on canvas.

Mina is a PhD student specializing in Operations Research within Industrial Engineering. She earned her bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Sharif University of Technology, Iran, and her Master of Science in Systems Optimization from the University of Tehran, Iran. During her master's program, she honed her skills in statistical and mathematical methods, significantly enhancing various facets of healthcare delivery, from the efficiency of clinical departments to trust assessment in home healthcare settings. Her efforts have resulted in the publication of six journal articles. In her doctoral studies, she is exploring data-driven solutions to reduce risks in healthcare environments. Mina's primary goal in pursuing a PhD is to break new ground for middle eastern girls in engineering, paving the way for others. Outside her academic pursuits, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, exploring nature, and focusing on fitness. 

Émilie is a PhD student in the Geology department at UB, She graduated from McGill University in 2021 with a B.Sc. in Honors Geology and from Penn State in 2023 with an M.Sc. in Geosciences. Her research interests fall within the field of volcanology, where she has experience investigating phreatic to phreatomagmatic eruptions at volcanoes such as Viti, in Iceland and Telica in Nicaragua. For her doctoral studies, Émilie focuses on the changes in permeability of a volcanic edifice throughout an eruption cycle, and how that affects its degassing patterns, which is one of the key factors in monitoring and forecasting eruptions. 

Mahek is a graduate student in the 'Cancer Genetics and Computational Oncology' track in the Cancer Science program at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. She obtained her BSc. in Biotechnology from Mithibai College, University of Mumbai, and went on to pursue her MS in cancer science from UB. Her current project focuses on understanding the effects of cancer treatment on the biological aging of adolescent and young adult patients. She is also trying to find interventions to alleviate treatment associated age acceleration. Outside of the lab, she enjoys painting, hiking, and gaming.

Tishira Shah is a PhD student in the Experimental Therapeutics track of the Cancer Sciences program through Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. She obtained her integrated master's in science degree in Life Sciences from Ahmedabad University, India in 2023. During her undergraduate years, she performed research in liposomal targeted therapy for inflammation and developing hydrogels for wound healing at Ahmedabad University and Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar. Her current research interests include translational medicines, epigenetics for cancer treatment. Tishira want her research to cater well-being and improve lives of millions of cancer patients by integrating her graduate studies as a cancer researcher. Outside of the academic setting, Tishira enjoys spending time listening to music, hiking, and playing basketball.

Babak Barghchi is a PhD student in the Language Education and Multilingualism program. He has a BA in English literature and an MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). His main research interests are multicultural identity, interculturality, cosmopolitanism, educational technology, particularly the use of Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, and Digital Video in language education, and gender identity in language education. His professional background includes such positions as teacher trainer, educational counselor, director of studies, translator, and former certified IELTS examiner. He is also interested in Jungian Psychology, drawing, painting, and discussing movies. Some of his favorite literary figures are Ernest Hemingway, Virginia Woolf, D.H. Lawrence, and Kurt Vonnegut.

Lauren Beatty is a PhD student in the Biomedical Engineering department. Her research interests include genetic engineering and identifying genetic regulation mechanisms. Her work in the Neelamegham Lab at UB focuses on identifying key factors regulating protein glycosylation. Prior to attending UB, she received her undergraduate degree in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Colorado State University. While there, she worked for several years in the Snow Lab, exploring porous protein crystals as a means of viral capture and detection. In the future, she plans to work in developing genetic engineering-based therapeutics for chronic diseases and genetic disorders. Outside of the lab, she enjoys reading, hiking, and listening to music.

Emil Beckford is a PhD student in the Counseling Psychology program in the Department of Counseling, School and Educational Psychology. He received a BS in psychology from Yale in May 2020. Most recently, he was a research assistant for the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, one of the nation's largest longitudinal studies of adolescent brain development. Emil's research interests include understanding how marginalized identity status impacts mental health and how protective factors can mitigate adverse mental health outcomes. Outside of his studies, Emil enjoys singing and writing songs, spending time with friends, and exploring in nature.

András Blazsek is a mixed-media artist who works in sound, sculpture, and installation. He recently joined the Department of Media Study at UB to work on a practice-based PhD and is developing research in sonification. He received his MFA from the Hungarian University of Fine Arts in Budapest and did postgraduate studies at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne in Germany. He has been hosted as artist-in-residence at Futura (Prague), Residency Unlimited (New York), and the Akademie Schloss Solitude (Stuttgart). He has participated in exhibitions internationally, including shows at LACE Los Angeles, Kunsthalle Budapest, Media Park Cologne, KIT Düsseldorf and Školská 28 Gallery Prague. He has been funded by TMU New York, CEC Artslink, International Visegrad Fund and the Slovak Arts Council and was awarded the Baker Tilly Künstler-Stipendium 2020. From 2019 to 2021, he taught at the School of Creative Media at the City University of Hong Kong.

Achira Boonrath is an Aerospace Engineering PhD student in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UB. Achira received his Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from UB in 2022. His primary research interest is in the simulation of space systems designed for Active Debris Removal (ADR). During his undergraduate studies, he co-authored two technical papers regarding simulator validation and robustness analysis for tether-net systems intended for ADR applications. Achira aims to adapt concepts from the fields of machine learning and artificial intelligence to advance space debris mitigation technologies. In his spare time, Achira enjoys flying in flight simulation programs and visiting different landmarks of Western New York.

Elizabeth Castro is a student in the PhD Programs in Biomedical Sciences at the Jacobs School of Biomedical Sciences. She received a bachelor's degree in neuroscience and psychology from Baldwin Wallace University in 2022. Her research interests include network neuroscience, neuroimaging methods, and computational analyses. Her career goal is to one day be the director of a lab that uses neuroimaging and data-driven, computational methods and techniques to address cognitively relevant empirical questions. Outside of school she enjoys being in nature, tending to her vegetable garden, reading mystery books, and exploring Buffalo.

Jaron Cheung is a philosophy PhD student in the Department of Philosophy. Prior to enrolling at the University at Buffalo, Jaron completed a master of theological studies at Duke University, a bachelor's in public policy and minor in philosophy at the University of California, Riverside, and received his California teaching credential from UCLA Extension. With over ten years of experience in education, community development, and ministry, Jaron's research seeks to bridge theory and praxis in answering the perennial questions of life on meaning, existence, human nature, reality, and ethics.

Jacob is a PhD student studying Chemical Engineering at UB. Jacob received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Kentucky in 2022, completing undergraduate research involving membrane separation. Jacob grew up in Pittsburgh, but after he graduated high school, his family moved to Atlanta. Jacob is an avid college sports fan and still watches Kentucky basketball and football games after graduation. His advisor is Dr. Kyriakidou, and he will be conducting research in heterogeneous catalysis.

Amarjot Gill is a doctoral student enrolled in the PhD program at the University at Buffalo School of Nursing. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Ryerson University and Masters in Clinical Nursing from the University of Toronto. He currently works as a Health Policy Analyst, delivering a range of analyses and providing evidence-based support to government and non-government agencies to reduce the health and service delivery disparity in relation to older adults' health. Amarjot's research interests include cardiovascular risk reduction, stress management, social isolation, and gerontology. His research objective is to advance the safety and healthcare quality of older adults diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases living in assisted living facilities.

Meghan is a PhD student in Urban and Regional Planning. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago and a Master of Science in Environmental Science from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. She comes to University at Buffalo after ten years as an analyst at a community health and planning firm based in Anchorage, Alaska. During her doctoral studies, she will study the relationship between the built environment and health equity, with a focus on the social context of these relationships, housing and green space. She also researches how communities that anticipate climate change related in-migration are planning for growth. Meghan hopes to return to her home in Alaska to teach, research and contribute to the sustainability of urban communities in the circumpolar North. Meghan is also an artist and a mother.

Min Hu is a student of PhD Program in Social Welfare. She received an LL.B. in social work and a Master of Social Work (MSW) in China. She worked as a research assistant for program evaluation and development at the Chinese University of Hong Kong for several years. After this, she earned her second MSW (Concentration: international social and economic development; specialization: system dynamics) from Washington University in St. Louis and worked as a research assistant in the Social System Design Lab during her study there. Her research interests include low- and moderate-income households’ financial capability and asset building, resilience and its building for dealing with challenges caused by economic difficulties, as well as service design and delivery and program evaluation for the households.

Ogechi Kalu received an MSW from CRM University (India) and a BA from Kogi State University (Nigeria). Her research areas include child, adolescent and young adult mental health; intimate partner violence among African communities; trauma-informed interventions; connection between sexuality and religious morality; and Ethical monogamy.

Md Abdul Kaium Khan is a PhD student in the Electrical Engineering department. His research interests include nano-optics, tunable photonics, terahertz and infra-red devices. His research in MT.POET Lab at UB is primarily focused on developing tunable photonic devices. Previously, he completed his MS and BS in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Chittagong, Bangladesh, where he worked on Graphene, GaN-HEMT, and Perovskites. He was also a fellow of the ICT Divison, Bangladesh Government. He authored 7 scientific articles and 4 conference papers with more than 200 citations prior joining UB. His PhD goal is to make an impact in the field of tunable photonics by proposing novel solution to the existing problems.

Mohamed is a PhD student in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering department at UB, currently conducting research in the Sound and Vibrations Laboratory. His research centers on acoustic and elastic metamaterials, exploring their unique properties. His work involves modeling and doing experiments on these systems, with the goal of realizing innovative mechanical computing. Alongside, he has contributed to the field of Thermoacoustics, working on a flue gas analyzer. He holds a BS and MS from Cairo University in Mechanical Power Engineering and has prior experience as a Turbomachinery Control engineer at Schneider Electric. Beyond academia, he finds joy in the company of family and friends. During his leisure, he engages in soccer, swimming, and hiking activities.

Madison is a doctoral student in the Department of Communication. She holds both bachelor's and master's degrees in Communication as well as an advanced certificate in College Teaching from UB. Her research examines static nonverbal features of people, and how evolution and social perception are affected by these features.

Brian is a PhD student in environmental engineering at UB. He received his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from UB in 2016, and is currently also working towards a master's degree in engineering sustainability. Before returning to UB, he spent several years working as a mechanical engineer at startup companies in Buffalo and Boston. His research interests broadly cover pollution and waste management, with a focus on plastics and microplastics in natural environments. When not in the lab or the classroom, Brian can typically be found outside, either biking or running around Buffalo, hiking and camping in the Adirondacks, or skiing anywhere there is snow.

Bingwan is passionate about the sociology of education, and she is currently researching Chinese citizenship education. She is dedicated to investigating inequality and associated phenomena in Chinese citizenship education and how to examine them from a comparative perspective.

Aaron VanSteinberg is a PhD student in the English department specializing in poetry and poetics, American and African American literature, and the twentieth century. Prior to UB, he received his BA in English from Duke University, where he was awarded the Anne Flexner Memorial Award for Poetry and a Benenson Award in the Arts. His poems have appeared in MiddleLost.

Kahad is a new PhD student in the department of Urban and Regional Planning. He has an MSc. in Urban Development Planning from the University College London (UCL) in the United Kingdom and a BSc. (Honours) in Land Economy from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana. His research interests include environmental justice; (affordable) housing; land use planning; land tenure, administration and appraisal (valuation); and mortgage.

Leah Bartlo is a doctoral student in the Curriculum, Instruction and the Science of Learning program in the Department of Learning and Instruction. A native of Western New York, Leah earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from UB and a master's degree in counselor education from St. Bonaventure University. For more than 20 years, Leah worked in human services with individuals with disabilities, in direct care, social work, and quality assurance. Most recently, Leah led an innovative initiative with the Learning Disabilities Association of Western New York as director of LEAD716, providing early educational and developmental support to young children with elevated blood lead levels. Leah's research interests include the science of early learning and improving and expanding services for children affected by lead poisoning. 

Victoria is a graduate student enrolled in the BSN to PhD in Nursing Science program. She is completing a research assistantship in collaboration with the SUNY University at Buffalo Center of Nursing Research. Her previous experience as a Registered Nurse includes cardiac critical care, chemotherapy infusion, and her primary focus: cardio-oncology. Cardio-Oncology is the rapidly expanding study and prevention of antineoplastic-induced cardiotoxicities in cancer patients and survivors, as well as, exploring the intersect between these two comorbidities. 
As a nurse researcher, educator, and leader, Victoria seeks to add to existing cardio-oncology specialty knowledge, ultimately decrease cardiovascular prevalence in cancer patient and survivor populations, increase patient and healthcare worker specialty-awareness, and both establish and expand the cardio-oncology nurse specialty. She is an appointed council member of the American Heart Association Cardio-Oncology subcommittee for the 2020-2023 term, as well as a nurse leader of the International Cardio-Oncology Society Nurse Working Group.

Dale Federico is a Neuroscience PhD student investigating circuitry changes and neural network activity differences due to prenatal ethanol exposure (AKA Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder). Dale received his Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the UB in 2021, with Magna Cum Laude Latin honors. During undergraduate study, he assisted research on epigenetic mechanisms regulating the onset of Alzheimer's Disease. Currently, his interests are focused on how addiction associated behaviors hijack endogenous reward, memory, and cognitive function circuits to self-perpetuate.

Gabriel Gazetta is a PhD student in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering with a concentration in Human Factors. Before coming to UB, Gabriel pursued his Master's Degree in Computer Science at the University of Sao Paulo, in Brazil. Gabriel's research interests lie in the intersection of Data Science and Human Factors. He is interested in data-driven solutions for healthcare systems and medical applications, focusing on the interaction between machine learning, artificial intelligence and healthcare.

Michelle Goulette is a PhD student in the Cancer Prevention track at Roswell Park, a part of the Cancer Sciences program hosted by the University at Buffalo. She received her MPH from the University of Rochester in 2021 and holds two undergraduate degrees, one in anthropology and one in public communications. Her work on tobacco cessation and policy at the University of Rochester prompted her to further her education in the field of cancer research. Currently, Michelle is working with the Center for Translational Research on Cannabis and Cancer at Roswell Park to further her understanding in cannabis related topics. She hopes that her educational training at Roswell will help her explore additional topics in areas of substance abuse and health equity as it relates to cancer prevention.

Jie He is pursuing a PhD degree in Computational and Data-Enabled Sciences and Engineering (CDSE). He holds a bachelor's degree in Mathematics, Computer Science, and Economics from University of Colorado Boulder and a master's degree in Data Science and Analytics from Georgetown University. His research interests are mathematical algorithms design, machine learning applications in education and finance, and health informatics. He loves baseball and football, and his favorite teams are San Francisco Giants and Denver Broncos. 

Layne is a PhD student in the lab of Fernando Estrada in the department of Biochemistry. They study bacterial and human cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) involved in Vitamin D metabolism to determine how CYPs with relatively low sequence conservation can catalyze the same reactions in different organisms. Prior to joining the PPBS program in Fall 2021, they earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics with minors in biology and chemistry from SUNY Cortland, graduating summa cum laude. Layne participates in UB's GEM COE, and enjoys leading science outreach events at local schools to educate and show students that they can be part of the next generation of scientists. In their free time, they like to longboard, read, and write poetry.

Liz Lavoie is a PhD student in exercise science. She received a bachelor's degree in athletic training from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in 2015 and a master's degree in exercise and sports science from Merrimack College in 2020. During her master's program, Liz was a graduate intern for the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine where she assisted with studies investigating the physiological impact of heavy load carriage and characterizing elite female warfighters. In 2021, Liz was awarded a scholarship through Women in Defense, an organization focused on engaging and advancing women in national security. Liz's research interests include understanding injury risk in female warfighters. 

Meschelle Linjean is a PhD student in the School of Social Work. She received her MSW from UB and holds an MA in sociology from New Mexico State University and a BA in anthropology from the University at California, Santa Barbara. Before returning to graduate school, Meschelle evaluated federal education programs implemented in Tribal communities and provided training support and technical assistance to grant recipients. Her research interests include addressing environmental injustice and promoting wellness and resilience in Indigenous communities through culture-centered and land-based initiatives. Beyond research, Meschelle enjoys traveling, nature walks, and photography. Upon graduation, she hopes to work for a non-profit organization while maintaining ties to academia.

Tharun Selvam Mahendran is a PhD student in the Department of Biology. He studies biomolecular condensates under the supervision of Dr. Priya Banerjee, Department of Physics and, Prof. Soo-Kyung Lee, Department of Biological Sciences. His scientific motivation lies in understanding the fundamentals of biomolecular condensates, through an interdisciplinary approach that combines biophysics, cell biology, and neuroscience, in the hopes of contributing to translational medicine. He plans to become a Principal Scientist of an independent research group with the primary goal of positively impacting human health.

Kathryn Maraszek is a PhD student in the Experimental Therapeutics track of the Cancer Sciences program through Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. She obtained her bachelor's degree in biochemistry with a minor in pharmacology and toxicology from the University at Buffalo in 2021. During her undergraduate years, she performed research in computational renal pathology at the University at Buffalo, as well as in pharmacology and therapeutics at Roswell Park. Her current research interests include cell signaling and immunotherapy. 

Andrew Mikalsen received his bachelor's degree in computer science from University at Buffalo in 2021. Since then, he's been a PhD student in the Scalable Computing Research Group (SCoRe). His research interests are in distributed systems, edge computing, and computational biology. Mikalsen's current focus is on edge computing for mobile DNA analytics. His work involves designing new algorithms for indexing, deploying, and querying massive DNA reference databases of up to terabytes in size over the edge.

Mengyuan is a PhD student in aerospace engineering under the advisement of Dr. James Chen. Mengyuan received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering and Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics from UB in 2021. During his undergraduate studies, he conducted research in both morphing blade development/simulations for wind turbines and data science analysis via multi-layer network models. His current research focus includes developing computational fluid mechanics models for interfacial instability and droplet formation under turbulent conditions.

Caleb is a glacial geologist studying the history of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Prior to beginning his PhD, Caleb received a MS from UB, where his thesis work focused on reconstructing the glacial history of southeast Alaska. Before that, Caleb earned a BA in geology and German from Middlebury College. Outside of school, you can find Caleb cooking, reading, or spending time with his cats.

Christy is a PhD Candidate in Neuroscience, studying demyelinating diseases like Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Her research aims to uncover molecular pathways underlying the reactive responses of non-neuronal cells (astrocytes) that contribute to both demyelination and remyelination. Outside of research, she serves as a Graduate Ambassador for the PPBS program, and is a Mentorship Team Lead. She spends her free time listening to podcasts, baking, running, and spending time with her partner and two cats, Chance and Wally.

Leann is currently a PhD student in the School of Nursing. She received her bachelor's in Nursing from UB in 2019. Her research interests include mindfulness-based stress reduction, mental health, and adolescent substance use. Outside of school, Leann enjoys spending time on her knitting projects and practicing mindfulness.

Oluwatoyin is a PhD Candidate working under Dr. Viviana Monje-Galvan in the Chemical and Biological Engineering department. She earned her bachelor's degree from the same department in 2020. Her research involves studying protein-lipid and lipid-lipid interactions to gain insight into mechanisms of diseases, which can then be used for development of therapeutics. She is involved with graduate student clubs that focus on providing professional development and a place of belonging to women and minorities in STEM. In her free time, she enjoys taking walks in parks, listening to fantasy audiobooks and watching movies and plays in theatres.

Julianna Casella is a PhD student in the counseling and school psychology program with a focus in school psychology. She received a Bachelor of Science in biology and psychology with a minor in writing and rhetoric from Stony Brook University in 2020. During her time as an undergraduate, Casella had a diverse range of research experiences, while also working in a local elementary school, which led her to find her passion in school psychology. Casella's research interests primarily focus on crisis prevention and interventions in schools. Upon graduation, she hopes to work in schools either practicing or consulting as a school psychologist, while also continuing to work in academia pursuing her research. In her free time, Casella enjoys writing, photography and musical theatre. 

Originally from Kolkata, India, Anindita Chakravarty is currently a PhD student working under Huamin Li in the Department of Electrical Engineering. Chakravarty also completed her master's degree under Li. Being at UB has given her an amazing perspective about research. Her current area of interest is understanding how two-dimensional ferromagnetic materials behave in nano scale devices and whether or not they will be able to create more efficient small scale magnetic devices in the future. Motivated by modern day technology and development she strives to be one of the best researchers in the STEM field, and help encourage more women from all across the world to pursue the fields of technology and engineering. 

Luke Davidson is originally from Lee New Hampshire where he earned his bachelor's degree in biomedical science at the University of New Hampshire in 2019. He started working at Quest Diagnostics as a medical technologist during the early parts of the COVID-19 pandemic, where he performed COVID-19 testing. Since moving here, he has visited Niagara Falls on several occasions. He is excited to see what the rest of Buffalo has to offer. Davidson is looking to join a research group focused on organic synthesis and biological chemistry for applications towards drug development and discovery. 

Xinxia Dong is pursuing her PhD in the Department of Communication. Before coming to Buffalo, she earned her BA in Advertising and LLB in Intellectual Property Law from Nanjing Normal University, and MA in Communication from Renmin University of China. Xinxia's academic interests lie in SHER (Science, Health, Environment, and Risk) Communication.

Fiona Ellsworth is a PhD student in the geological sciences department interested in nutrient and elemental cycling. She has previously conducted research on carbon dynamics of restored and natural wetlands. When she isn't studying our natural world, she enjoys catching discs and playing piano. 

Zachary Kralles is a PhD student in environmental engineering at UB. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees in environmental engineering from UB in 2018 and 2020. Kralles is passionate about the development of new technologies to provide safe drinking water to the public in the face of climate change, urban/agricultural development, and the associated water scarcity. Kralles' research focuses on byproduct formation during drinking water disinfection, as well as natural and engineered processes that affect their formation. Outside of research, he enjoys making music, cooking, hiking, cycling and playing disc golf. 

Julia Pietromicca is a PhD student in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. She obtained her bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering from Binghamton University in 2020. As a native of western New York, she is happy to have the opportunity to complete her graduate studies in her hometown. Her research interests lie in biomaterials and pharmaceutical development. Through her work, she hopes to improve diagnostic and treatment methods for better patient outcomes and care. In her free time, Pietromicca enjoys working out, reading and eating at Buffalo's many incredible restaurants. She ultimately hopes to move into industry after graduation. 

Natalie holds a Bachelor of Science in biology with a minor in public health from Mercyhurst University. She returned to academia to pursue a PhD in biochemistry after 2 years of experience in a pharmaceutical GMP lab as a quality control specialist. Her research interests include DNA replication and repair. With her experience in GMP manufacturing and interest in microbial biology, she hopes her work will define pathways in bacteria which can be targeted by novel therapeutics to decrease the generation of antimicrobial resistance and limit pathogen adaptation to its host. Ultimately her research aims to improve clearance of persistent and highly antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Her hobbies include botany, hiking, and skiing.

Claire Tranchino studies twentieth- and twenty-first century poetry and poetics. In 2019, her research on visual art and translation in Buffalo's Special Collections was funded by a Riverrun fellowship. In her current research project, she considers the relationship between the serial poem and the archive. Her poetry and reviews appear in Seneca Review, Grama and P-Queue.

Angelica Tutasi Lozada is a doctoral student in the Department of Community Health and Health Behavior. She is a public health and food science professional from Ecuador, holds an MPH from Columbia University, and has worked in food and nutrition policy since 2011. Lozada developed and implemented interventions and policies to improve the nutritional status of low-income communities in her country and participated in several initiatives to combat obesity in Latin America. She is interested in being an active member of the Buffalo community, especially in healthy eating.

Shu Wan is a PhD student in history at the University at Buffalo.

Fuzhen's research interests lie at the intersections of spatial modeling, social network analysis, and machine learning. She investigates how the evolution of urban technologies, such as the Information and Communication Technologies, Internet of Things, and Digital Twins, challenges and enriches our understanding of s pace and place. Particularly, she aims to answer how people interact in hybrid spaces (e.g., physical, relational, and cybers paces), especially as digital technologies increasingly permeate every aspect of daily life. She is interested in unpacking the implication of these interactions for urban planning. Prior to joining UB, Fuzhen earned two master’s degrees, a Diplôme d'État de Paysagiste (DEP) from ENSAP Bordeaux, France, and a Master in Spatial Data Science and Visualization from CASA UCL, UK.

Tyler Adamthwaite is a composer and performer whose music seeks to explore the existential and affective aspects of space through sound. This has led him to study linguistics, social theory and architecture, to craft pieces that draw on the concept of being. Some of his sources of inspiration come from the Japanese aesthetic philosophy of spatial design which give his music a shadowed quality. He has studied composition with Erin Gee and David Rakowski at Brandeis University, where he received his MFA. While there, he participated in numerous festivals as a composer fellow and has garnered attention for his sound designs. This resulted in him being invited as a collaborator on "White Rush," an opera in one act by the creative team of John Aylward and Laine Rettmer. As a performer, Adamthwaite has studied violin and stage movement. He has created works that include the affective use of space including his solo set Interior||Exterior for solo man, organ and electronics. His movement works have been hailed as being "haunting and cleverly developed" by his movement mentor Susan Dibble. He is currently pursuing his PhD in music composition and theory from UB under the instruction of David Felder.

Alber is a PhD student with a focus on human evolution. He received his bachelor's degree in mathematics from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. A visit to Vienna's natural history museum and a reading of Richard Dawkin's "The Selfish Gene" convinced him that he wanted to study evolutionary biology. Alber's projects are centered around very old human genetic variation that we share with the Neanderthals. The primary question that he seeks to answer is, '"What makes us human?" His interests outside of research include reading about the history of biology, Greek and Judeo-Christian mythology, as well as the evolution of language.

Jacob Bleasdale is currently a PhD student in the Department of Community Health and Health Behavior. Bleasdale graduated summa cum laude from UB with a Bachelor of Science in biomedical sciences, with minors in pharmacology and toxicology, and public health. His research interests include primary and secondary prevention of HIV, the impact of food insecurity on HIV medication adherence, substance use and misuse, and patient-provider communication. In addition to his work, Bleasdale is an avid runner, and enjoys reading and traveling. Upon graduation, Bleasdale intends to pursue a career in academia. 

Jiayu (David) Cao is pursuing his PhD in the Department of Physics at UB. He earned his Bachelor of Science in physics from Beijing Normal University. His academic interests lie in theoretical condensed matter physics, especially spin-dependent phenomena. Under the guidance of Igor Zutic, he is currently working on spin-lasers, which can operate much faster than the best commercial lasers. He will present this work at the American Physical Society. Cao will explore topics on novel two-dimensional materials and topological effects in his PhD studies. 

Alex Caradori is pursuing a PhD in cancer sciences through UB and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Before entering the program, he graduated from Canisius College with a bachelor's degree in biology, and a minor in cellular and molecular biology. Caradori's research interests include the re-purposing of pre-approved therapeutics and the discovery of novel combination therapies for challenging breast cancers. He aspires to enter academia or a policy-focused career. Outside of the lab, Caradori enjoys martial arts, gaming, movies and politics.

Deirdre Carney is pursuing a PhD in the Department of Global Gender and Sexuality Studies. Before coming to Buffalo, she earned a bachelor's degree in English with a minor in women gender and sexuality studies from Harvard University, graduating cum laude. Carney's academic interests include theories of gender and sexuality, particularly the intersection of the two, global feminisms, fat studies, media studies and queerness in medieval literature. In her free time, she enjoys playing video games, traveling and reading speculative fiction. Carney's ultimate goal is to teach. She plans to pursue a career in academia.

Marianne Cooper is pursuing her PhD in biological anthropology in the Department of Anthropology, where she is a member of the Buffalo Human Evolutionary Morphology Lab. Before coming to Buffalo, she received a Bachelor of Arts in classical studies and a Master of Science in management from the University of Florida, and a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology from Portland State University. Her research interests include osteology, bioarchaeology, morphology and human evolution.

Cristina de Rosa is currently a PhD student in the School of Nursing. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English at UB, her Bachelor of Science in nursing at Binghamton University, and her Master of Science in nursing at Webster University. Her research interests focus on nursing workforce and professional issues, especially individually-driven measures to prevent burnout and reduce turnover. In the future, de Rosa plans to continue research on the effects of nurses' well-being on the outcomes of their patients.

Tatiana Dorff's motivation to understand interactions between school, family, culture and class is rooted in her personal experience at a selective college preparatory boarding school as a working-class student raised by a single mother. She draws on experiences working with Latin families in East Oakland as well as refugee and immigrant students in Buffalo to inform her interest in the relationship between working-class immigrant families and schools. At Antioch College, she found a love for qualitative methodology and ethnography in her psychology and anthropology courses, where she studied works from authors such as Carol Gilligan and Nancy Scheper-Hughes. Following her French and Spanish language studies, Antioch provided her with opportunities to work at an art gallery in France, where she investigated the life of Saartjie Baartman, and at a birth center in Mexico, where she studied the medicalization of birth. Dorff's passion for education and research led her to join UB's Graduate School of Education in fall 2019. Her current research interests include the relationships between families and schools, the gendered division of labor in the home, culturally-specific practices of concerted cultivation, and the experiences of scholarship students and international students at affluent private schools.

Shantam Goyal studies English literature at the UB. Based out of New Delhi, he was a school teacher, following which he spent two years teaching at Ashoka University. He completed his MPhil in 2018 from the University of Delhi with a dissertation titled "Listen Ulysses: Joyce and Sound." He hopes to continue this thread for his doctoral research on Finnegans Wake and mishearing. In addition to joyce studies and sound studies, he works on poetics and jazz Studies, and is also attempting to translate parts of Ulysses into Hindi as a personal project. He plans to continue as a teacher after his PhD.

Maris Grundy is an urban ecologist and doctoral student in the Department of Environment and Sustainability at UB. Her studies center on native plants, urban soils and future climate change scenarios. She specifically uses population level dynamics to study ecological resilience for restoration projects. Prior to coming to UB, Grundy earned her MES in conservation ethnobotany at York University in Toronto, Canada. Her master's research investigated campesino farmer plant-use in Costa Rica and community resilience in the response to climate change impacts. She earned a Bachelor of Science from Rochester Institute of Technology in advertising and public relations. When she's not botanizing in an urban prairie or deep diving bibliographies, Grundy can be found with family, hiking, reading, swimming or singing around a bonfire.

Hyun-Myung Kim is a PhD student in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering at UB. He received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology and a master's degree in structural engineering from University of California, Berkeley. Kim's research interests are the development of cost-effective seismic protective systems and predicting structural seismic performances of base isolated structures against earthquake loading. He is keen to understand and control structural performance after earthquakes and build a public infrastructure that contributes to the post-earthquake recovery of local communities. He is good at Taekwondo and loves working out in his free time. After completing his PhD, Kim plans to work as an expert in the field of earthquake engineering.

Joel Kirk is pursuing his PhD in music composition at UB. He earned his BA and MA from the University of Huddersfield, UK. His music has been performed all over the world by leading ensembles and soloists. Under the guidance of David Felder, his work is currently concerned with how humans express complex emotional states in the fast-paced, mediatized world of the 21st Century. He is particularly interested in the lived experience of the LGBTQIA+ community in today's still somewhat polarized society. Through this contextual framework, he is exploring methods of how composing with unconventional musical styles can benefit one's mental wellbeing. To listen to Joel's music, you can visit his website.

Micaela F. Lipman is a PhD student in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at UB. Prior to joining UB’s Food Lab, Lipman graduated from Cornell University with a BA in developmental sociology with minors in international development and applied economics. Lipman has worked in academia and the nonprofit sector to explore creative solutions at the nexus of adolescent development, food policy, economic equality and community organizing. She has also worked on county-level projects with food policy councils, regional projects in upstate New York, and international projects while studying abroad in East Africa and the Andes region of South America. Lipman’s research interests lie in food sovereignty, the unique food system experiences of adolescents and exploring best practices across disciplines to secure food justice.

A filmmaker, writer, and programmer, Jason Livingston has worked with many non-profits, including Cornell Cinema, the Experimental TV Center and the Standby Program. He is currently on the Board of Trustees with the Flaherty Seminar. His award-winning work has screened widely, including Rotterdam, Anthology Film Archives, the Austrian Museum and the Vancouver Art Gallery. Under Foot and Overstory is distributed by the Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre and Lake Affect is available through Electronic Arts Intermix as part of the Experimental Television Center DVD boxed set. He is currently pursuing a practice-based PhD with the Department of Media Study at UB.

Moira O'Neill is a PhD student in the Department of Geography. Originally from Shaker Heights, Ohio, she holds a BA in history from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an MA in geography from Kent State. She came to UB to work with its expert faculty in economic and urban geography and is currently conducting research on the role of the state in facilitating and accelerating technological change. Her interest in the topic is rooted in both personal and professional experiences. She grew up in the rust belt and saw the effects of technological transformation on families and communities firsthand. Her first state-side jobs after college—and after a few years living and working in France—were in retail management and publishing, two industries undergoing significant technological disruption. She hopes her writing and research can inform policy amid current and future waves of innovation. In her free time, O'Neill is an avid runner, likes to ski, and enjoys hiking with her family and chocolate lab.

Adrian Stein is a PhD candidate in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He earned his bachelor's and master's degree from Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin) and absolved internships and working student jobs at Siemens, MAN and Volkswagen, in various areas of mechanical engineering. His current research interests include estimation, optimization and uncertainty. Outside of the lab, he enjoys playing table tennis, swimming, volleyball and analogue photography.

Aria Wiseblatt is originally from Long Island, NY, and is pursuing a PhD in clinical psychology. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in both psychology and women's gender and sexuality studies from American University in 2017. After college, she spent two years working as a research assistant in the Adolescent Substance use and Addiction Program (ASAP) at Boston Children's Hospital. Wiseblatt's research interests include alcohol/substance use, sexual violence prevention and bystander intervention. Ultimately, her career goal is to become a faculty member at a university and engage in collaborative and intersectional research.

Natalie Anselmi is pursuing her PhD in oral biology in UB's School of Dental Medicine. Before coming to Buffalo, she earned a Bachelor of Science in cell and molecular biology at Binghamton University. Her research interests include bacterial outer membrane vesicles, innate immune cell migration and host/pathogen interactions in the oral cavity. Her hobbies include reading, swimming, embroidery and photography. She does not currently plan to stay in academia after earning her degree.

Qinghua Chen is a PhD candidate in early childhood education. Her research focuses on the cross-cultural comparison of the preschool education between China and America. She earned a Master of Education from UB and also holds a master's degree in journalism and a Bachelor of Arts in English language and literature, both obtained in China. Chen was a news reporter in finance and then worked in marketing for multinational companies in Shanghai, China. After her daughter was born, Chen shifted her career to early childhood education due to her growing interest in the area, and with years of working experiences and market insight in different industries, she is exploring what could be done to China's preschool education reform in comparison with America's early childhood education. Chen has been working on a research project that aims to support children and teachers at Head Start. She is also active in organizing and participating in children's programs. Before she came to UB, Chen started a two-year charity project in partnership with a local non-profit organization that supports autistic children in China. After she came to Buffalo in 2017, every year on the Chinese New Year Day Chen gave special lessons to schools where her daughter attended, spreading Chinese culture and lunar new year tradition to children. She also created for local libraries children's programs including drawing contests and exhibitions. In March 2019, Chen helped organize the first International Women's Day event for a local middle school in Amherst.

Devon Gorbey is a PhD student in the Department of Geological Sciences. She obtained her Bachelor of Science from Lafayette College in 2015, after which she worked as a geologist at Roux Associates, Inc., an environmental consulting firm. Through her undergraduate research projects and experience remediating groundwater contamination, Gorbey discovered her passion for using water isotopes to answer a wide range of environmental questions. At UB, Gorbey uses stable isotopes preserved in lake sediment to reconstruct changes in temperature, precipitation, and ecology on Baffin Island (Nunavut, Canada) over the past 250,000 years, which may be an analogue for future warmth. In her free time, Gorbey enjoys knitting, playing video games, reading and rock climbing. After graduation, Gorbey plans to pursue a career as a professor or as a technical consultant with an environmental law practice.

Robyn Horn is a PhD student at UB. Her current research focuses on religious performances, specifically on performed transcendence/transcendence through performance. She has presented her research at the Mid-America Theatre Conference (MATC), the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) conference and the American Society for Theatre Research (ASTR) conferences. Her paper, "Marked Women: Hell Houses, Abortion and Performances of Misogyny" will be published by the University of Wales Press book titled Theatre and the Macabre. Before attending UB she worked as an actor in professional theatre and as a high school theatre teacher and director at a performing arts high school. In Buffalo, she is the director of development at Alleyway Theatre and has performed as Adult Alison in Fun Home and Ariel in The Tempest. Robyn holds a bachelor's (summa cum laude) in theatre and education from Kean University in New Jersey and an master's in English literature from the Middlebury College Bread Loaf School of English in Vermont. 

Rachel Martin is in the family nurse practitioner (FNP) program pursuing her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. Prior to a career in nursing, Martin received an Honors Bachelor of Science degree in economics and finance from the University of Delaware and subsequently worked in the financial services industry. She completed the Accelerated Baccalaureate Degree (ABS) in Nursing Program at UB in 2017 and accepted a position as a hematology-oncology RN upon graduation. In 2018, she returned to UB as a Presidential scholar to pursue her FNP DNP degree. She is currently a graduate assistant in the School of Nursing and also works as a hospice and palliative care registered nurse. Her areas of interest include women's health and palliative care. Outside of work and school, Martin enjoys yoga and volunteering with the Priscilla Project at Jericho Road Community Health Center.  

Lindsey Mattick is pursuing her PhD through the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health at UB. She completed her bachelor's degree in biological sciences at UB and went on to obtain her master's in epidemiology from the University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston. Since returning to Buffalo her research interests are focused on cancer epidemiology in special populations. She recently received a fellowship to evaluate downstaging of cervical cancer in women in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Additionally, she's involved in projects investigating perinatal exposures and breast cancer risk in women in Western New York and Puerto Rico. Her ultimate goal is to work to highlight the disparities which exist within our understanding of cancer epidemiology in regards to the developing world as well as minority populations here in the U.S.

Joe U. Miller is a PhD candidate in Classics with research interests in Greek epigraphy, ancient Greek dialects, and comparative and historical linguistics. He is writing a dissertation on the internal prehistory of the ancient Greek dialects. His work examines how the evolution of different varieties of ancient Greek can corroborate or problematize alternative historical reconstructions obtained from archaeology and the Greek historiographical tradition. He is currently on a leave of absence from Buffalo serving as a fellow at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens.

A native of Cheektowaga, N.Y., Mike Montoro is a PhD student  in mathematics at UB. He is also an undergraduate alumnus of UB’s Honors College, holding a bachelor’s degree in both mathematics and music. From his upbringing as a public school student to his current position as a PhD student, Montoro has been dedicated to serving the community with his unique set of skills. A passionate researcher and academic, Montoro has received numerous academic honors and has been published for collaborative work in motivic homotopy theory. His current area of research is in arithmetic geometry and arithmetic topology. Both of these subfields of mathematics are concerned with the connections between three classical fields: algebraic topology, algebraic geometry and number theory. Montoro is currently a teaching assistant in the math department, a teaching assistant for the gifted math program and also is heavily involved in the Graduate Student Employees Union and the living stipend campaign. In April 2019, Montoro was elected to be the student representative on the University Council, serving as a key liaison between students, faculty and administration. In September 2020, he was elected to a second term. He looks forward to furthering both his own and the university’s academic mission in the future.

Esha is a doctoral student at the University at Buffalo SUNY's Social-Personality Psychology program. She received her BA in Psychology from Arizona State University in 2017. Esha's research interests broadly concern 1) how features of social contexts and individual differences (e.g. culture, physical space, religious beliefs, and personality) influence feelings of belongingness and 2) how different kinds of pathways to a fulfilled sense of belongingness (e.g. technologically mediated relationships, symbolic social relationships, group memberships and close relationships) importantly differ. In her free time, Esha likes trying out new recipes, playing retro video games, and desperately trying to keep her house plants alive.

Gretchen Perhamus is a PhD student of clinical psychology in the Department of Psychology. She received BAs in psychology and sociology with minors in French and music performance from the Pennsylvania State University. After graduation, she received an Intramural Research Training Award to work for two years at the National Institute of Mental Health, studying brain and behavioral correlates of pediatric irritability in the section on mood dysregulation and neuroscience. Perhamus' current research interests include the role of emotional and social cognitive factors in the forms and functions of aggression in early childhood, as well as developmental associations between aggression, victimization, and internalizing problems in youth. In her free time she enjoys playing the viola, hiking and traveling. Perhamus' ultimate career goal is to become a faculty member at a research university.

Allison Scagel is a PhD student in behavioral neuroscience. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2015 with a major in wildlife and conservation biology and minors in both psychology and animal behavior. She then spent two years working as a wildlife technician in Fort Drum, NY, as a kennel attendant at the Humane Society of Rome, and as an intern at Smart Dog Training and Behavior, LLC. After discovering her passion for dog training and behavior modification, Scagel decided to pursue a graduate degree studying animal behavior, and accepted a position at UB studying behavioral neuroscience. Under the direction of Eduardo Mercado, Scagel is currently studying canine cognition and behavior with the goal of becoming a certified applied animal behaviorist and starting her own business after graduating.

Luis Javier Segura, originally from Ecuador, is pursuing his PhD in industrial engineering. He holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas-ESPE, Ecuador; and a master's degree in manufacturing systems from Southern Illinois University as 2010 Fulbright scholar. In 2013, he worked in the automotive systems design program at the Technical University of Eindhoven (TUe), Netherlands. From 2014 to 2018, he was a faculty member of the mechanical engineering department at ESPE. His research interests lie in the integration of physical and machine learning models to optimize processes and product quality in advanced manufacturing. He enjoys staying with his family, playing soccer and working out. After graduation, Segura aspires to pursue a career in academia so that he can research, teach and influence future generations through education.

Hope White is a PhD student studying clinical psychology in the Department of Psychology. She received a Bachelor of Science in applied psychology from New York University in 2016. Following graduation, White served as a junior research scientist at New York University working on a longitudinal study examining the effects of a social-emotional learning program on children and early adolescents' academic and behavioral outcomes. White currently works with Julie Bowker in the Child and Adolescent Relationships Lab. She is interested in the role of close relationships, such as those with parents and peers, in the physical and mental health of children and adolescents. Hope plans to pursue a research career as a faculty member at a university. In her free time, she enjoys yoga, sailing on Lake Erie and hiking. 

Samantha Auerbach is a sexual and reproductive health nurse practitioner and PhD student in nursing. She received a bachelor's degree in neuroscience from Skidmore College and worked clinical research at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) before obtaining bachelor's and master's degrees in nursing from the MGH Institute of Health Professions. Her research interests include sexual and reproductive health disparities and upstream determinants of contraceptive behavior. Specifically, she aims to identify attitudinal determinants of contraceptive nonuse, and determine how individual attitudes towards pregnancy and contraception interact with the sociostructural context in which contraceptive decisions are made. This will generate an actionable understanding of contraceptive nonuse that will support the development of tailored and person-centered contraceptive counseling interventions.

Ridwan Al Aziz is currently a Presidential fellow and a PhD student in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at UB. Aziz received his BSc degree in 2014 and MSc degree in 2017 in industrial and production engineering (IPE) from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). He has also been serving as a lecturer in the Department of IPE in BUET from 2014. His research interest includes leveraging data analysis, machine learning and game theory for analyzing data diffusion, debunking rumors in social media and quantifying threat-consequence along the U.S. border. His hobbies include reading books, watching movies, serial and football. In the future, Aziz aspires to be a faculty member at a university.

Heather Campbell is a PhD candidate in the immunology department at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. She is interested in pursuing cancer immunology research with the goal of creating bench top to bedside therapies that will directly benefit patients’ lives. In addition to research Campbell enjoys baking, craft projects and playing percussion. After graduation she plans to work in academia so that she can continue to pursue her research interests while also influencing the next generation of scientists through education.

Eric Deutsch is pursuing a PhD in UB's Department of History. Deutsch earned a bachelor's degree in history and English literature at the University of Miami (FL). He also earned a Juris Doctor at Emory University's School of Law in Atlanta, GA. Deutsch's primary research focuses on disability history, specifically animals used in American veterans' and civilians' rehabilitation and therapy schemes. When not reading congressional reports from the 50s, he watches Florida Panthers hockey, streams movies on the Criterion Channel and over-analyzes his life.

Allison Drake is pursuing her PhD in counseling psychology through the Department of Counseling, School and Educational Psychology. She holds a bachelor's degree in biology/psychology from Union College and a master's degree in natural sciences/immunology from UB. Drake has been actively involved in clinical research in the areas of neurology and neuropsychology with UB's Department of Neurology. Her current interests within the field of counseling psychology include personality, emotion regulation and stress response. She is interested in exploring interpersonal interactions/styles in the work setting. Drake is an active member of the Albright Knox Art Gallery's Convergence Council and a board member for Advancing Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ARMS).

Brandon Graham is a PhD student in the Department of Geology. His research is to quantify the extent and timing of the Greenland ice sheet during the last 20,000 years. Graham's research focuses on cosmogenic radionuclide exposure dating, erosion quantification, geophysical measurements and modeling complex exposure/erosion events to constrain ice sheet models to predict the Greenland ice sheet's response to future climate change. Graham enjoys spending time with his family, amateur radio, model warship combat and various shooting sports. Graham plans to enter a research field as a professor or with a geologic survey.

Andrew Irish is a PhD student in social welfare. After earning a bachelor's degree in sociology and a master's degree in social work, he was employed as a mental health counselor in the clinical behavioral health setting. Drawing on this background in a return to academics, he has published research on recovery capital and opioid policy. His current research examines the ill-effects of population income inequality on substance use, mental health and suicide. He is a recipient of multiple academic honors including the National Association of Social Workers Social Work Student of the Year award; and the University at Buffalo Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creativity award. His personal interests include psychological non-attachment, determinism, chess and pirates. Upon graduation he intends to pursue a career of research and teaching through a professorship.

Natalie Jay is a PhD candidate in the Department of Biochemistry. Before matriculating into UB, she graduated from Wells College with a bachelor's degree in biochemistry. Currently, she is working with Fernando Estrada studying the structure and function of CYP24A1 and adrenodoxin involved vitamin D metabolism. Outside the lab, Jay spends her free time reading, skiing or with her family. After completing her PhD, she plans to pursue a career in academia.

Himangshu Kumar Paul, originally from Bangladesh, is pursuing his PhD in operations research in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. He obtained his BS and MS degrees in industrial and production engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, and also has been serving there as lecturer. His current research focuses on learning to rank, Bayesian experimental design and quantifying similarity among communities. He enjoys music, traveling and reading novels. After graduation, Paul plans to pursue a career in academia.

Faizan Ul Haq Mir is pursuing PhD in civil engineering at UB. Before moving to Buffalo, he earned his master's from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur), where he received the prestigious ASR Sai Gold Medal and an academic excellence award. Mir originally hails from Kashmir that lies in the earthquake-prone Himalayan region of North India. He is interested in understanding and improving response of civil infrastructure to extreme-earthquake loading. Currently, he is working on the interaction between fluids and structural elements under earthquake loading in mission-critical structures. Mir plans to continue in academia after graduation. Apart from engineering, he loves reading classical Urdu and Kashmiri poetry.

Kathleen (Katie) Naughton is a poet and PhD student in the poetics program in the English department at UB where she studies twentieth- and twenty-first century American experimental poetry. Prior to coming to UB, she earned an MFA in creative writing from Colorado State University and a BA in English with a creative writing concentration from Hamilton College. She was also an English teaching assistant on Fulbright Fellowship to Thailand and has worked professionally as a writer and editor. In 2019, she was a poetry resident at the Vermont Studio Center and her poems have been published in Jubilat, Opon, Flag and Void, Grama, Lambda Literary's Poetry Spotlight and on Poets.org. She is currently working on a chapbook-length manuscript "Hour Songs" and a book-length manuscript "Debt Rituals" and is the publicity editor for Essay Press.

Katie Paige is a doctoral student in clinical psychology. She works in Craig Colder's child and family development lab. She studied psychology and Spanish as an undergraduate at the University of Notre Dame. Paige's research focuses on the intersection of substance use and psychopathology across the developmental period of adolescence. Specifically, Paige is interested in the mechanisms by which early socio-environmental experiences impact developmental trajectories of executive functioning and how these pathways intersect with psychopathology. 

Bianca Quade is a PhD student in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics. She earned a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Mississippi State University before joining Mark Parker's lab at UB. Her current focus is proton transporter SLC4A11 which is expressed in the eye. Mutations in this protein can lead to corneal dystrophy, ultimately leading to loss of vision. By using electrophysiology to understand how transporters in the cornea work together, Quade hopes to reveal why the mutation of one protein leads to such a drastic phenotype. In the future, she intends to put her passion for education to use wherever her career path leads her.

Originally from India, Aditya Singh Rathore is currently a PhD student in the computer science department at UB. He completed his undergraduate studies at UB and was offered the opportunity to work in mobile computing. Rathore's research focuses on biometrics and application security, and strengthening the security of fingerprint biometrics, which billions of people rely on in their everyday lives. Outside the lab, he enjoys reading comics, playing games and traveling. Rathore's future plan is to join a research team in the industry to work on technologies that enhance people's lives on a day-to-day basis.

Antara Satchidanand, CCC-SLP, is a PhD candidate in communicative disorders and sciences. She holds master's degrees in secondary English education and speech pathology. Her research interests include technology mediated communication, communication in robot-assisted surgery, conversation analysis, augmentative and alternative communication and helping typically developing children learn to be sensitive to their differently-abled peers.

Rachel Seibert is pursuing her PhD in epidemiology through the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health. She holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and a Master's of Business Administration from UB, as well as a master's in public health from Johns Hopkins University. Seibert has been actively involved in clinical research in kidney transplant with UB's Department of Surgery. Her research interests are health care access disparities, both domestically and abroad. Seibert's hobbies include reading, playing volleyball, skiing and spending time with her family. After completing her PhD, Seibert plans to continue her work in research in private industry. 

Elizabeth Soper is pursuing her PhD in linguistics from UB. Before coming to UB, she received a BA in German from the University of Tulsa in 2017. Her research focuses on computational semantics, especially vector space representations of meaning. Her hobbies include knitting, running and playing the piano.

Shirley Xu is a PhD student in the department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and previously graduated from Idaho State University with a bachelor's degree in biochemistry. She is currently working with Umesh Sharma in cardiovascular medicine and Saraswati Pokharel in pathology at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her research interests include cardio-oncology with toxic side effects on the heart from various cancer treatments. Outside of the lab, she enjoys knitting and cooking.

Abdul Hassaballah is a PhD candidate in the department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering. He holds degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Stanford University. Hassaballah's research focuses on the inactivation of microorganisms in water resource recovery facilities. He aspires to develop new wastewater disinfection technologies that would protect human and ecosystem health. Hassaballah is the student president of the New York Water Environment Association (NYWEA) UB Chapter. As an Egyptian born in Chicago and raised in the United Arab Emirates, Hassaballah loves to go on travel adventures and learning about different cultures. After graduation, he plans to work as an engineer and help protect water resources.

Callie Ingram is a PhD student in the Department of English with research interests in twentieth- and twenty-first-century US fiction and narrative ethics. Before coming to UB, she received an MA in English from the University of Delaware and a BA in English and Creative Writing from Ursinus College.

Benjamin Kersten is pursuing a PhD in visual studies. Originally from Chicago, he earned a BA in art history from Pomona College before matriculating to UB. His research focuses on how Jewishness figures in constructions of race, paying particular attention to Jewish involvement in efforts for racial and economic justice, issues of inclusion in arts institutions and questions of nationalism. He hopes to tie his research to more recent conversations about antisemitism and investigate rifts among Jews that have become more visible amidst recent changes in the political landscape. He enjoys cooking, traveling and going on hikes. In the future, he plans to teach and continue his research.

Danny JM Kim is a PhD student from Korea studying consumer behavior in the marketing department. He holds degrees from Columbia University, Seoul National University and the University of Michigan. Kim's research focuses on animal-friendly consumption and hopes to find factors that nudge consumers towards caring for animal welfare. Kim's career goal is to become a professor in the field of marketing.

Laura LaBarge's research focuses on animal spatial ecology and the effects of predation risk on prey behavior. Her dissertation fieldwork was conducted on wild samango monkeys in the Soutpansberg mountains of South Africa and used GPS-recorded locations, direct behavioral observations, and the non-invasive collection of physiological data. This research was supported by grants from the Leakey Foundation, Animal Behavior Society and Explorer's Club. She is currently conducting lab work in Buffalo and writing her dissertation. Recent publications from this work have been published in the American Journal of Primatology and Animal Behavior. 

After completing his MS in physics at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Sushruth Muralidharan joined the physics department at UB as a PhD student in fall 2016. He is interested in the field of theoretical high energy physics (particle physics). Currently, he is working on developing and applying modern techniques to make high-precision predictions within the theoretical framework of the widely accepted standard model of particle physics. Testing these predictions against observations from proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider will point us in the direction of new physics. Upon graduation, he hopes to stay in academia, teaching and exploring the boundaries of our understanding of the physical universe.

Ben Rein is a PhD student in the department of neuroscience. Originally from Buffalo, he obtained his bachelor’s degree in psychology from West Virginia University. Rein's current research investigates how a specific chromosomal abnormality (16p11.2 duplication) confers risk for psychiatric conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Through his work, he hopes to improve our understanding of the neurobiology of these disorders, while generating potential for novel intervention strategies. Outside of the lab, he enjoys reading, playing disc golf and producing music. Rein ultimately intends to become an independent investigator in the field of neuroscience.

Arjun Singh was born in Kanpur, India, in 1994. He received his Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering at UB in 2016. As a Presidential fellow since 2016, he has been pursuing a PhD in electrical engineering from his alma mater, under the guidance of Josep M. Jornet. During this time, he also obtained a Master of Science in electrical engineering. His research interests include the design of plasmonic nano-antennas and devices in the Terahertz range, for next-generation wireless communication networks.

Hannah Stokes-Ramos is a PhD candidate in geography. Her research interests involve critical approaches to bridging the social and environmental sciences, previously through an MS in food systems and a double major in anthropology and environmental studies. In geography she engages primarily with theories of political ecology to investigate interactions of climate change with complex food systems, specifically focusing on food sovereignty and impacts of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico for her dissertation. She also leads a graduate pursuits interdisciplinary research project through the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center. Outside of research, she participates in local economic- and social-justice activism, and enjoys traveling, singing and dancing. After graduating, she plans to pursue a research career in academia or a policy-focused institute.

Rebecca (Beccy) Biermann is a German-American PhD candidate in physical anthropology. She completed a five-year BA/MA program in anthropology at the George Washington University before coming to UB. Her research focuses on tools from the Stone Ages, and what their manufacture and use can tell us about their hominin users. Her research intersects with both physical anthropology and archaeology. Her goal is to understand the interactions between hominin behavior and hominin evolution, tracing our human history back to its beginnings. In her free time, Biermann enjoys hiking, reading and spending time with her family and friends. After her PhD, Biermann plans to pursue a career in academia.

Amanda Crandall is currently a PhD student in community health and health behavior. She earned a Bachelor of Science in nutrition and a Bachelor of Arts in honors psychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Crandall also completed her master's degree in psychological science at Montana State University, working on research related to eating behavior and childhood predictors of obesity. Currently at UB, Crandall is a recipient of the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Service Award from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Her research interests include the effects of scarcity and childhood stress on eating behavior, adolescent dieting behaviors, and social influences on health behavior.

Derick Evans is a PhD candidate in composition, in the Department of Music. His artistic output often seeks to highlight the interactions involved in specific social environments (e.g., music for an ensemble about the drama of rehearsing in an ensemble); and, further, to compose environments of performance where the dynamic between audience and performer becomes an identifiable expression of community. His compositions, which adopt both experimental and popular styles and, more recently, embrace elements of performance art, have been performed by groups such as the Cleveland Chamber Symphony, Wooster Symphony Orchestra, Verb Ballets, the Rivertown Duo and Norway's Bifrost Ensemble. In 2017, he premiered his one-person musical, "Through The Night," at Buffalo's Sugar City, which he later brought to Oberlin College. Evans frequently performs music and art pieces as both a solo act and a collaborator with artists around Buffalo.

Francesco Franda, originally from Italy, is a PhD candidate in the Department of Philosophy. After having pursued his joint degree in France and Italy, he obtained his master's degree in philosophy from the University of Bologna. His main research interests lie in social ontology and the philosophy of social science. His project focuses on social kinds, namely groupings of people like congressperson and refugee, or groupings of things like border and money, all of which are characterized by bearing certain social properties. These categories guide our behavior by informing us about social reality, and they are the object of scientific investigation. Philosophical interest has increased in recent years over social kinds. How are they created? How do they play a role in our knowledge of the social world? How can we give an objective account of value-laden social kinds? His project has the goal of answering these questions by giving a pluralistic account of social kinds and applying this framework to the case study terrorist, a vexed but important category, given the serious policy implications of its understanding. In addition to his research and teaching activities, he enjoys playing the electric guitar, traveling and working out. In the future, Franda aspires to become a faculty member at a university.

Paige Garrison grew up in Purcellville, VA, and obtained her bachelor's degree in molecular, cellular and physiological biology with a minor in leadership studies at Christopher Newport University. She is currently pursuing her PhD in microbiology and immunology. Garrison works for the Bangs lab investigating molecular aspects of the parasitic protozoan Trypanosoma brucei brucei, with a focus on Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored protein turnover.

Jena Hazen is a PhD candidate in the department of pharmacology and therapeutics in the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her research focuses on how different cell populations within prostate tumors produce energy. Her goal is to identify new therapeutic options to target highly drug resistant cell populations. In addition to her research activities, Hazen enjoys reading and hiking. Her future career plan is to become a professor in the field of biology.

Igor Coelho A. S. Marques hails from Curitiba, Brazil. He was a Johannesen scholar at Brigham Young University, graduated cum laude and then spent the next two years with Morris Rosenzweig as the University of Utah's Geersten Glad scholar. Currently, he is a Presidential fellow at UB, studying under David Felder. As a composer, Marques is particularly curious about the intersection of artifice and organicity and the incorporation of sounds and concepts related to natural phenomena and human industry. Marques has won a call for scores by Rosetta Ensemble (Japan), the second prize in the Alba Rosa Viëtor Competition (Netherlands) and an honorable mention in Paraguay's first International Symphonic Composition Competition. His piece Escenas became a finalist in the seventh Mivos/Kanter Prize as a string quartet and in the fourth Música Hoje National Composition Contest (Brazil) as a piece for chamber orchestra. Most recently, he has been selected to participate in the 2018 edition of Fondation Royaumont's Académie Voix Nouvelles.

Roberto Mondini is originally from Italy and is a PhD candidate in the Department of Physics. His academic research interests lie in the field of theoretical particle physics. More specifically, his studies involve performing high-precision particle physics calculations that are then used to analyze the experimental data obtained at the Large Hadron Collider, the world's largest particle accelerator. With his work, Mondini aspires to further expand our understanding of nature at the subatomic level. In his free time, he enjoys traveling and watching sports. Mondini's career goal is to become a faculty member at a research university.

Heather Williams is pursuing her PhD in the evolution, ecology and behavior program in the Department of Environment and Sustainability at UB. Her thesis, "From Microbiota to Macroecology: Three Levels of Purple Martin Ecology" has focused on a single species, but has included a wide variety of ecological studies from microbial vector ecology, population level parasite ecology and species distribution modeling. Her work tackles both applied questions related to conservation and theoretical questions concerning the links between abundance, distribution and demography. Prior to moving to Buffalo, Williams completed her bachelor's degree in Durham, England, worked in the conservation and environmental education sector, and earned a master's degree in Denmark at the University of Copenhagen. 

Originally from the Philippines, Patrick Fernandez is a PhD candidate in the department of chemistry. He holds both bachelor's and master’s degrees in chemistry from the University of the Philippines Diliman, where he did research on natural products chemistry and organic synthesis in ionic liquids. His current work on the mechanistic enzymology of tuberculosis targets will aid in designing potent drugs to combat antibiotic-resistant pathogens. He aspires to be a medicinal chemist either in the pharmaceutical industry or in the academy. Outside of the lab, he enjoys playing the violin, listening to classical pop and training for half-marathons.

Jida Huang, originally from China, is a PhD candidate in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. His research focuses on realizing design automation and generative design for 3D printing through the use of geometric deep learning methods. He aspires to use the knowledge gained from his research to develop novel intelligent design and control system in additive manufacturing area. Huang enjoys swimming, hiking and fishing. His future career plan is to become an academic investigator in the field of advanced manufacturing.