2018-2019+Awardees

Undergraduate STEM Research Scholarship Program provides awards of up to $8,500 to rising juniors and seniors who are enrolled full-time in a program of study in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) and have a specific faculty-mentored research project that has NASA or aerospace relevance. Applied Health Sciences majors are not eligible for this program.

To view the graduate and undergraduate papers, click the link below each biography.

Lavina Backman

Lavina Backman is a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Virginia. Her research topic is the oxidation informed design of entropy stabilized ultra-high temperature ceramics. Her paper can be found here.

Laura Barry

Laura Barry is a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Virginia. Her research topic is air pollution-ecosystem feedbacks: observational constraints on ozone-forest interactions from an unmanned aerial vehicle.

Luca Beale

Luca Beale is a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Virginia. His research topic is searching for dwarf galaxies without using stars. His paper can be found here.

Steven Buckner

Steven Buckner is a Ph. D. candidate at Hampton University. His research topic, developing and testing a new A-Priori input for NUCAPS ozone profiles using OMPS limb profiler ozone data, can be found here.

Cal Buelo

Cal Buelo is a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Virginia. His research topic, remote sensing of aquatic ecosystems using spatial resilience indicators of algal blooms, can be found here.

Shannon Cofield

Shannon Cofield is a Ph. D. candidate at Old Dominion University. Her research topic is geologic mapping and stratigraphic analysis of a candidate Mars 2020 landing site. Her paper can be found here.

Victoria Cooper

Victoria Cooper is a Ph. D. candidate at The College of William and Mary. Her research topic, recovering material properties from photographs under uncontrolled natural lighting can be found here.

Savannah Cuozzo 

Savannah Cuozzo is a Ph. D. candidate at The College of William and Mary. Her research topic is quantum enhanced sensors for space applications. Her paper can be found here.

James Dargan

James Dargan is a Master’s candidate at Old Dominion University. His research topic is development of a compact photo activated electron gun for ultrafast electron diffraction. His paper can be found here.

Anthony DiNorscia

Anthony DiNorscia is a Master’s candidate at Hampton University. His research topic, determining the ability to use direct broadcast system (DBS) data to forecast severe weather, can be found here.

Molly Finn

Molly Finn is a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Virginia. Her research topic is environmental conditions of globular cluster formation. Her paper can be found here.

Justin Garland

Justin Garland is a Ph. D. candidate at Hampton University. His research topic is the polar atmospheric dynamics of Jupiter and Saturn. Read more here.

Cameron Houser

Cameron Houser is a Ph. D. candidate at Virginia Tech. Her research topic is an integrative approach to quantifying ecosystems responses to changes in forest structure. Her paper can be found here.

Luke Huelsenbeck

Luke Huelsenbeck is a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Virginia. His research topic is thin film metal organic frameworks for membrane applications. His paper can be found here.

Ryan Katona

Ryan Katona is a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Virginia. His research topic is the improvement of accelerated corrosion testing through in-sit measurements. His paper can be found here.

Andrea Korell-Clark

Andrea Korell-Clark is a Ph. D. candidate at Old Dominion University. Her research topic, folding of the intrinsically disordered Par-4 tumor suppressor under native and extreme conditions, can be found here.

Hannah Lewis

Hannah Lewis is a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Virginia. Her research topic is binary systems with the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE). Her paper can be found here.

Elizabeth Mack

Elizabeth Mack is a Ph. D. student at Virginia Tech. Her research topic is pressure screen-stream vane effects on downstream flow distortion patterns. Her paper can be found here.

Patrick McArdle

Patrick McArdle is a Ph. D. student at The College of William and Mary. His research topic is infrared properties of recluse spider silk strands. His paper can be found here.

George McLeod

George McLeod is a Ph. D. student at Old Dominion University. His research topic, the characterization of uncertainty in inundation models and watershed hypsometry for identification and assessment of non-linear impacts of sea level rise, can be found here.

Magdalina Moses

Magdalina Moses is a Master’s candidate at Virginia Tech. Her research topic is characterizing the Ionospheric response to the 2017 total solar eclipse through raytracing analysis. Her paper can be found here.

Katherine Mott

Katherine Mott is a Ph. D. candidate at Virginia Tech. Her research topic is multiobjective optimization of heterogeneous space systems. Her paper can be found here.

David Olson

David Olson is a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Virginia. His research topic is ultrafast thermal transport mechanisms at organic/inorganic nanoscale interfaces. His paper can be found here.

Michelle Rodio

Michelle Rodio is a Ph. D. candidate at Old Dominion University. Her research topic, the simulation of sound absorption by scattering bodies treated with acoustic liners using a time-domain boundary element method, can be found here.

Steven Roberts

Steven Roberts is a Ph. D. candidate at Virginia Tech. His research topic is Practical multirate time integration methods. His paper can be found here.

Ellen Robertson

Ellen Robertson is a Ph. D. candidate at Virginia Tech. Her research topic is the simulation studies and testing of Cube-Sat compatible neutral wind sensor. Her paper can be found here.

Margaret Rooney

Margaret Rooney is a Ph. D. candidate at The College of William and Mary. Her research topic is machine learning, signal identification, and signal classification to infer network processes. Her paper can be found here.

Daniel Schmidt

Daniel Schmidt is a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Virginia. His research topic is the implications of Hadley Cell expansion for North American drought. His paper can be found here.

Carson Squibb

Carson Squibb is a Ph. D. candidate at Virginia Tech. His research topic, topology optimization of programmable multifunctional lattice composites for use in deployable space structures, can be found here.

John Tomko

John Tomko is a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Virginia. His research topic is laser-based additive manufacturing for rapid microelectronic fabrication. His paper can be found here.

Johnathon Upperman

Johnathon Upperman is a Ph. D. candidate at Old Dominion University. His research topic, developing entropy viscosity spectral collection schemes for solving the unsteady Navier-Stokes equations on adaptive unstructured grids, can be found here.

Talia Weiss

Talia Weiss is a Ph. D. candidate at Virginia Tech. Her research topic is the mechanisms of interfacial locomotion in the Indian Skipper Frog. Her paper can be found here.

Amanda Werrell

Amanda Werrell is a Master’s candidate at The College of William and Mary. Her research topic is on managing hazardous species by manipulating the acoustic environment of target habitats. Her paper can be found here.

Robert Wilson

Robert Wilson is a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Virginia. His research topic is a follow up survey for the next generation of transmitting exoplanets. His paper can be found here.

Joi Best

Joi Best is a Bachelor’s candidate at Old Dominion University. Her research topic is an image to mesh conversion tool (I2MTool). Her paper can be found here.

Gaeron Friedrichs

Gaeron Friedrichs is a Bachelor’s candidate at Virginia Tech. His research topic, the development and optimization of a magnetic field simulator for CubeSats, as well as the 3-d characterization and mapping of magnetic fields, can be found here.

Angelina Gallego

Angelia Gallego is a Bachelor’s candidate at Hampton University. Her research topic is the analysis of wind and clouds on Jupiter using the Cassini Space visible and near-infrared camera images. Her paper can be found here.

Jenna Garcia

Jenna Garcia is a Bachelor’s candidate at Old Dominion University. Her research topic, assigning trigger bonds in novel high energy density materials using DFT and Wiberg Bond Indicesmous control for avian-inspired landing, can be found here.

Julia Goyer

Julia Goyer is a Bachelor’s candidate at Virginia Tech. Her research topic is near-net shaping of ultra high temperature ceramics: exploring new suspension mixtures for concentrated suspensions of UHTCs.

Jonathan Green

Jonathan Green is a Bachelor’s candidate at Virginia Tech. His research topic is the calibration and spaceflight qualifications of the GRIDS instrument for the petlTSat Satellite. His paper can be found here.

Grace Lang

Grace Lang is a Bachelor’s candidate at the University of Virginia. Her research topic is the compressible flow simulations for shock/expansion tube performance analysis. Her paper can be found here.

Ashley Newman

Ashley Newman is a Bachelor’s candidate at Old Dominion University. Her research topic is the fabrication and evaluation of low cost filament for 3D printing ceramic devices. Her paper can be found here.

Emmit Pert

Emmit Pert is a Bachelor’s candidate at the University of Virginia. His research topic is Skymion formation in atomic nanolayers.

Naa-Kwarley Quartey

Naa-Kwarley Quartey is a Bachelor’s candidate at The College of William and Mary. Her research topic, analyzing the chemical transformations of nitric oxide with molecular oxygen using velocity map imaging, can be found here.

Eric Rohr

Eric Rohr is a Bachelor’s candidate at the University of Virginia. His research topic is uncovering the mysteries of local dwarf starburst Henize 2-10:black hole or supernova remnant. His paper can be found here.

Hannah Tufts

Hannah Tufts is a Bachelor’s candidate at The College of William and Mary. Her research topic is the effects of microgravity on the active zones of the neuromuscular system. Her paper can be found here.

Katherine Synowiec

Katherine Synowiec is an Associates candidate at Tidewater Community College majoring in Engineering.

Anthony Taylor

Anthony Taylor is an Associates candidate at John Tyler Community College majoring in Engineering.

Trevor Tingle

Trevor Tingle is an Associates candidate at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Charity Williams

Charity Williams is an Associates candidate at Germanna Community College majoring in Science.

Kevin Yarnall

Kevin Yarnall is an Associates candidate at Northern Virginia Community College majoring in Engineering.

Zackory Biggers

Zackory Biggers is a Bachelor’s candidate at Virginia Tech majoring in Mechanical Engineering.

Khari Crommarty

Khari Crommarty is a Bachelor’s candidate at Hampton University majoring in Marine and Environmental Science.

Ivana Daniels

Ivana Daniels is a Bachelor’s candidate at the University of Virginia majoring in Biochemistry and Religous Studies.

Raymond Daniels

Raymond Daniels is a Bachelor’s candidate at Virginia Tech majoring in Electrical/Electronic Engineering.

Donnell Debnam

Donnell Debnam is a Bachelor’s candidate at Hampton University majoring in Computer Science.

Destiny Dozier

Destiny Dozier is a Bachelor’s candidate at The College of William and Mary majoring in Physics.

Aaron Easter

Aaron Easter is a Bachelor’s candidate at Old Dominion University, majoring in Electrical Engineering.

Kyle Eubanks

Kyle Eubanks is a Bachelor’s candidate at the University of Virginia majoring in Mechanical Engineering.

Dnae Ferguson

DNae Ferguson is a Bachelor’s candidate at Hampton University majoring in Computer Science.

Michelle Hadeed

Michelle Hadeed is a Bachelor’s candidate at the University of Virginia majoring in Biochemistry.

Garland Johnson III

Garland Johnson III is a Bachelor’s candidate at Old Dominion University majoring in Computer Engineering.

Taelor Jones

Taelor Jones is a Bachelor’s candidate at Hampton University majoring in Marine and Environmental Science.

Melvin Kamara

Melvin Kamara is a Bachelor’s candidate at Old Dominion University majoring in Computer Science.

Ricardo Marin Jr 

Ricardo Marin Jr is a Bachelor’s candidate at the University of Virginia majoring in Computer Science.

Helene Mbonda

Helene Mbonda is a Bachelor’s candidate at Virginia Tech majoring in Mechanical Engineering.

Kiara McMillan

Kiara McMillan is a Bachelor’s candidate at Virginia Tech majoring in Mechanical Engineering.

Kayla Moore

Kayla Moore is a Bachelor’s candidate at Virginia Tech majoring in Computer Science.

M. Jamari O’Neal

Matthew O’Neal is a Bachelor’s candidate at the Hampton University majoring in Physics.

Jaylan Parker

Jaylan Parker is a Bachelor’s candidate at Old Dominion University majoring in Civil Engineering.

Dominic Pinnisi

Dominic Pinnisi is a Bachelor’s candidate at the University of Virginia majoring in Aerospace Engineering and Physics.

Tryston Raecke

Tryston Raecke is a Bachelor’s candidate at the University of Virginia majoring in Astronomy-Physics and Mechanical Engineering.

A. Morgan Re

A. Morgan Re is a Bachelor’s candidate at Virginia Tech majoring in Biological Systems Engineering and Technical Writing.

Alexander Sims

Alexander Sims is a Bachelor’s candidate at the University of Virginia majoring in Chemical Engineering.

Jordan Thomas

Jordan Thomas is a Bachelor’s candidate at Virginia Tech majoring in Mechanical Engineering.

Alexander Villamar

Alexander Villamar is a Bachelor’s candidate at Virginia Tech majoring in Computer Engineering.

Student Research Conference

The 2018 VSGC Student Research Conference was held at Old Dominion University on April 11. The Conference featured oral presentations from the 2017 Graduate Fellows and two poster sessions from Undergraduate Research Scholars as well as a luncheon hosted by ODU. Photographs from the event can be viewed here.