160 Husker undergrads receive stipends for research projects

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln has awarded stipends to 160 Husker undergraduates to participate in research with a faculty mentor during the fall and spring semesters.

Nebraska’s Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experiences Program supports undergraduates to work with faculty mentors in research or creative activities. Students receive stipends of $3,600 to engage in intensive research or creative activity for 10 hours per week. The students’ projects span academic disciplines including engineering, chemistry, modern languages and literatures, psychology, art and art history, architecture, special education, and fisheries and wildlife.

UCARE participants will present posters on their research and creative activities during Student Research Days, April 7 and 8, at the Nebraska Union.

Applications for the 2026-27 UCARE program open Nov. 12, with a deadline of Feb. 10. For more information and to apply, click here.

Following is a list of students by hometown who received 2025-26 UCARE awards, with their year in school, academic major(s) and project title.

Nebraska

Archer:

• Grant Nielson, junior, plant biology, “Investigating Nonhost Resistance to Puccinia Species in Maize.”

Auburn:

• Dakoda Oden, junior, computer science, “Mapping Access to Civil Justice Data: Interdisciplinary Research Project.”

Aurora:

• Sarah Springer, junior, fisheries and wildlife, “Investigating the Chemosensory Cues by the Bullsnake Pituophis catenifer for Prey Search and Acquisition.”

Bellevue:

• Josh Bugay, senior, fisheries and wildlife, “Analyzing Pronghorn Movements in Western Nebraska in Response to Extreme Winter Weather Conditions.”
• Ava McQuillen, senior, fisheries and wildlife, “Conservation Genomics of a Small, Isolated Population of Velvet Scoters.”
• Jacki Petrow, sophomore, environmental and sustainability studies, and political science, “New Beginnings: Tracing the Legacy of Refugee Resettlement in Nebraska.”
• Gabrielle White, senior, biochemistry, “Lysophosphatidyl Choline Induced Lipoapoptosis and Mitochondrial Dysfunction via FOXO3-miR34a Activation in Cholangiocytes.”

Bennet:

• Andrew Moyer, junior, biological sciences, “Examining the Relationship Between Thermal Preference and Courtship Sensory Modality in Drosophila.”
• Amber Tannehill, senior, mechanical engineering and English, “Developing a Deployable Soft Robotics Insect Wing Device.”

Blair:

• Grace Fowler, senior, speech-language pathology, “Examining the Relation Between Caregiver Self-Efficacy and Early Intervention, Child Factors and Parent Stress.”
• Ted Lueders, junior, microbiology, “Isolation and Identification of a Faecalibacterium duncaniae Strain Capable of Long-Term Gastrointestinal Colonization in Mice.”
• Peter Lux, senior, mechanical engineering, “Solid Particle Additives for Eutectic Gallium-Indium”
• Amy Xu, senior, art, “Constellation Studios Apprenticeship.”

Cedar Bluffs:

• Hailey Anderson, senior, music, “Exploring the Interface-Tuning of Ferroelectricity in Free-Standing PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3 Membranes and Gating Effect in Two-Dimensional MoS2 via Van Der Waals CuInP2S6.”

Cozad:

• Shaundra Wiederholt, senior, psychology, “Persistence in Context: Examining Children's Motivation Across Tasks and Parent-Child Interactions.”

Elkhorn:

• Dhwani Dholakia, junior, biochemistry, “Advancing Electronic Nose Sensors for Real-Time Wearable Diagnostics.”
• Katie Gallis, senior, geology, “Understanding How Erosion and Unit Thickness Alters Thrust-Fault Deformation Using an Analog Model.”
• Elle Knobbe, junior, chemical engineering, “Metabolic Reconstruction and Resource Allocation in Rickettsia rickettsii.”
• Josh McWilliams, junior, microbiology, “Cloning and Characterization of Rat Stabilin-1.”
• Michaela Todd, junior, veterinary science and pre-veterinary medicine, “Prevalence of Pathogens in the Blood Meals of Stable Flies.”

Fremont:

• Josie Pettis, senior, meteorology-climatology and mathematics, “The Role of a MAHTE and Boundary Interactions in Tornadogenesis: A Case Study of the Whitman, Nebraska, EF-3 Tornado.”
• Cade Rasmussen, senior, nutritional science and dietetics, “Effects of Distinct Nebraska-Dry Bean Market Classes on the Human Gut Microbiota.”

Grand Island:

• Lisa Fruehling, junior, English, “Fanny Fern in the New York Ledger.”

Gretna:

• Andrew Kula, junior, software engineering, “Visualization for Explanations in Decision Support.”
• Symone Parent, senior, psychology, “Whose Mental Health are You Talking About? The Contact Paradox, Race Bias and Mental Health Care.”
• Luke Schwaninger, senior, mechanical engineering, “Fragility Fracture Occurrence Associates with Rate of Change of Bone Compositional Properties Through the Cement Lines.”
• Cade Suing, senior, emerging media arts, “Resonant Forms.”

Hastings:

• Caden Anderjaska, junior, biological sciences, “Palmitoleate as a Potential Neuroprotective Agent Against West Nile Virus-Induced ER Stress and Apoptosis in the Neurons.”
• Sarah Diaz, junior, psychology, “Yes, But Not Really: The Relationship Between Queer Women's Reasons for Consenting to Unwanted Sex and Body Image.”
• Desiree Rousseau, junior, insect science, “Mapping Phosphine Efficacy and Resistance in Stored Product Pests Across Nebraska and Investigating Potential Fitness Costs of Resistance, Supporting Improved Integrated Pest Management (IPM).”
• Joanne Vuong, senior, chemical engineering, “Identifying the Differences in Parental Stress Between Parents of Autistic and Typically Developing Children.”

Humboldt:

• Joe Stalder, senior, geology, “Description and Occurrence of a New Fossil Diatom and its Potential as a Miocene Paleoclimatic Proxy.”

Imperial:

• Mason Tyerman, junior, marketing, “The Influence of Work-Related Social Media Content on Employee Perceptions of Engagement and Well-Being.”

Lincoln:

• Shrey Agarwal, sophomore, mechanical engineering, mathematics and data science, “Advancing Electronic Nose Sensors for Real-Time Wearable Diagnostics.”
• Reem Ahmed, senior, psychology, and nutritional science and dietetics, “Understanding Reproductive Health Choices and Decisions: Narratives of Childbirth Among BIPOC Women Living in the Midwest.”
• Nour Al-janabi, senior, anthropology and political science, “Petitioning For Freedom: Habeas Corpus in the American West.”
• Josie Alesio, sophomore, chemistry, “Development of Novel Fluorogenic Dyes to Explore the Role of Functional Groups in Fluorescence Activation.”
• Asraa Allami, junior, elementary education, “The Relevance of Comparative Education-Oriented Travel-Study for the Preparation of a Future Teacher of Color.”
• Yasir Almotawa, senior, biological sciences and computer science, “Development of New Ensemble Transcriptome Assembly Methods with Machine-Learning Frameworks.”
• Jaycob Andersen, senior, biological systems engineering, “Engineering Plastic-Degrading Capability in Black Soldier Flies Through CRISPR-Mediated Mealworm DNA.”
• Liz Andersen, senior, microbiology and biochemistry, “Investigating Epididymal Adipose Tissue Gene Expression Patterns in Mice Supplemented with Lactobacillus and Gordonibacter Species in a Diet-Induced Obesity Model.”
• Ansley Brown, senior, emerging media arts, “Resonant Forms”
• Naomi Chamberlain, senior, psychology and film studies, “Investigating the Moderating Role of Self-Compassion in Links Between Smartphone Usage, Self-Objectification and Intimate Partner Violence.”
• Ivy Chobanyan, senior, geography, “Investigating Migration of Antarctic Deep Water During the Mid-Pleistocene Transition.”
• Izy Corio, sophomore, English and global studies, “What Roles Do Parents' Traditional Masculine Ideologies Play in Their Parenting Sensitivity Toward Their Children?”
• Armon'e Dean, senior, computer science, “Mapping Access to Civil Justice Data: Interdisciplinary Research Project.”
• Calvin Doerr, junior, emerging media arts, “Resonant Forms.”
• Cole Emeigh, sophomore, mechanical engineering, “Development of Foldable Wing Devices.”
• Anastasia Eriksen, junior, mathematics, “Geophysical Modeling of Earth's Magnetic Field.”
• Oliver Estes, senior, art, “Clay Body Composition and Its Effects in Soda Firing Atmospheres.”
• Avery Florea, senior, biological systems engineering, “Wearable Ultrasound Device for Monitoring Blood Flow in the Middle Cerebral Artery.”
• Emily Francis, senior, microbiology, “Genetic Investigation of Non-Host Resistance Responses in Sorghum.”
• Jordan Harper, senior, English and ethnic studies, “Fanny Fern in the New York Ledger.”
• Shams Hassiki, senior, physics, “Redesigning the Trigger System for the Askaryan Radio Array Detector.”
• Ben Hoover, sophomore, biochemistry and psychology, “Molecular Mechanisms of DNA Recognition by Clostridioides difficile DNA-rReceptor PilJ.”
• Yakub Islamov, senior, biochemistry, “Analysis of Mycobacterium smegmatis D-alanine Pathway of Peptidoglycan Biosynthesis.”
• Marko Khalimonchuk, junior, biochemistry and mathematics, “Evaluating the Effect of Mitochondrial Depolarization on Mitochondrial RNA Homeostasis in HUVECs.”
• David Khuu, senior, computer science and mathematics, “Analysis of Pancreatic Cancer Growth Using Mathematical Modeling.”
• Carson Kiesel, sophomore, psychology, “Effects of a Shared Reading Intervention on Writing for Struggling Learners.”
• Luke Kortus, senior, nutritional science and dietetics, “Identifying the Age-Related Changes in White Matter Microstructure in Children and Adults: A Diffusion-Weighted Imaging Study.”
• Diana Lopez-Sagarminaga, junior, secondary education, “The Role(s) of Comparative Education in Preservice Teacher Preparation.”
• Abby Lutjeharms, senior, speech-language pathology, “Exploring the Scoring Practices of Standardized, Norm-Referenced Assessments for Children with Down Syndrome and Other Intellectual Disabilities.”
• Leonita Memeti, senior, criminology and criminal justice, “Shattering the Silence, Rebuilding Lives: Kosovo's Wartime Sexual Violence Survivors Socio-Economic Challenges and Reintegration.”
• Samarpan Mohanty, sophomore, computer engineering, “Accelerating Solid-State Battery Electrolyte Design via Automated Machine Learning.”
• Mohamed Mousa, senior, computer science, “Exploring Emotional Intelligence in AI: Understanding Existing Models and Their Potential for Future Development.”
• Aidan Nachi, junior, computer science and mathematics, “Enhancing Recruitment and Engagement of an Online Community of Practice Platform for K-12 CS Educators.”
• Anthony Nguyen, senior, biological systems engineering, “The Poetic Representation of Lived Experiences with Type 2 Diabetes.”
• Jesse Nguyen, senior, English, and women's and gender studies, “Exploring Intersectional Representation in the Archives: Examining The Influence of Edith Lewis on Willa Cather's Archive.”
• Funmi Ogunwemimo, junior, psychology, “Cultural Stigmas and Mental Health Service Utilization Among African Immigrant Populations.”
• Chris Paladino, senior, fisheries and wildlife, “The Effects of Gut Health on Thermal Resilience in the Critically Endangered Pallid Sturgeon.”
• Tyler Reida, junior, architectural engineering, “Creating a Predictive Modelling Methodology for the Recovery of Communities After a Tornadic Event.”
• Riada Riyangow, junior, political science and psychology, “Cultural Stigmas and Mental Health Service Utilization Among African Immigrant Populations.”
• Seth Rogers, junior, mechanical engineering, “Investigation of Phase Change Thermal Interface Materials for Thermal Management Applications.”
• Zein Saleh, senior, political science and psychology, “Investigating the Effects of Collective Nostalgia and Racial Prejudice on Support for Social Movements.”
• Sofia Sharif, sophomore, software engineering, “Visualization for Explanations in Decision Support.”
• Adam Shihab, junior, biological sciences and biochemistry, “Selfish Gene Dynamics in Drosophila simulans.”
• Edward Stone, senior, chemical engineering, “Metabolic Reconstruction and Resource Allocation in Rickettsia rickettsii.”
• Natasja Swanson, senior, history, and classics and religious studies, “Anticolonials: A World History.”
• Eh Ta Taw, sophomore, global studies and political science, “Tracing the Legacy of Refugee Resettlement in Nebraska.”
• Jacey Tran, junior, biological sciences, “Role of RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase Genes RDR3a, RDR3b and RDR3c in Antiviral Defense and Plant Development.”
• Erica Vollbrecht, senior, biological sciences, “Sperm Competitiveness in Drosophila simulans Concerning Dox Selfish Gene System.”
• Jenna Wakefield, senior, biochemistry and mathematics, “Creating a Cross-Protective Vaccine for Canine Influenza with Adenoviral Vector Delivery System.”
• Allison Walbrecht, senior, animal science, “How Do Trade Policies and Changing Consumer Preferences in Key Asian Markets Impact U.S. Beef Exports, and What Policies Can Improve Market Access and Competitiveness for Producers?”
• Ali Waly, junior, secondary education and French, “Arabic Dual Language Education: Opportunities and Challenges in Lincoln, Nebraska.”
• Elizabeth Westfahl, senior, electrical engineering, “Analysis of Cancer Transcriptomics Data Using a Combined Bayesian Network and Neural Network Approach.”
• Ozzy Youngblood, junior, insect science, “Functional Response Rates on Paper vs. Water Substrate in Two Fishing Spider Species: Dolomedes striatus and Dolomedes triton.”

Minden:

• Bailey Arnold, senior, biochemistry, and fisheries and wildlife, “Differential Gene Expression and Adaptive Strategies in Arctic Ptarmigan Species.”

Omaha:

• Audrey Cherek, senior, architectural studies, “Point Cloud Representations of Remains of the Convent of the Colombaio.”
• Eamonn Conway, senior, psychology and biological sciences, “Nicotine Enhancement of Sweetened Alcohol Consumption.”
• Elliott Conway, senior, biological sciences, “Investigating the Structural Dynamics of the SAM-I Riboswitch Using DMS-MaPseq.”
• Karli Crawford, senior, speech-language pathology, “Understanding the Quality of Implementation of a Naturalistic Intervention and its Potential Impact on Autistic Children Outcomes.”
• Hannah Dalton, senior, speech-language pathology, “Persistence in Context: Examining Children's Motivation Across Tasks and Parent-Child Interactions.”
• Gabriel de Bernardeaux, junior, biochemistry, “Verifying if the Gene SPX2 Regulates Quantum Yield of Photosystem II in Arabidopsis thaliana.”
• Emily Deming, senior, fisheries and wildlife, “Investigating the Effect of Substrate Types on the Incubation of Bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer) Eggs.”
• Ryan Heser, senior, biochemistry, “The Localization of Histone Deacetylase 5 and Effects on Immune Suppression Following Infiltration of Arabidopsis with Pseudomonas syringae.”
• Sophia Huss, senior, anthropology, “Systematic Cataloging and Organization of Archaeofaunal Reference Specimens.”
• Maizy Jones, junior, psychology, “Examining the Stimulus Effects of Nicotine and d-Amphetamine via Pavlovian Biconditional Discrimination.”
• Kathryn Krebbs, senior, secondary education, “Reimagining Pedagogical Practices to Prevent Student Recidivism.”
• Vitor Lombardi Labegaline, senior, microbiology and Spanish, “Investigating White Adipose Derived Extracellular Vesicles.”
• CJ McNamara IV, senior, mechanical engineering and computer engineering, “Effects of Annealing on the Emissivity of Femtosecond Laser Processed Surfaces.”
• Ryan Mitchell, senior, marketing, “Plasma-Driven Catalytic Synthesis of Carboxylic Acids.”
• Aaron Morrissey, senior, data science and economics, “Balancing Career and Family: The Parenthood Gap and Human Capital Investment.”
• Abby Murray, senior, biological systems engineering, “Design and Validation of a Wearable Ultrasound Patch with Kirigami Structure for Measurement of Carotid Blood Flow.”
• Jadon Parker, junior, history, “Anticolonials: A World History.”
• Leo Pechous, senior, architectural engineering, “Effects of Data Availability on Seismic Resilience Modeling.”
• Gael Perez Alvarez, senior, electrical engineering, “Hysteresis Reduction of Tunneling Magneto Resistive Sensor Using AC Modulated and Lock-in Amplifier Using Low-Pass.”
• Darian Pierre, senior, fisheries and wildlife, “Disentangling the Factors that Affect Diurnal Body Temperature Fluctuation of Birds in the Wild.”
• Kenzie Prauner, senior, architectural studies, “Investigating Material Assemblies of Nomadic Structures for Contemporary Design.”
• Lim Puoch, senior, art, “Painting in Practice: Studio Assistant and Professional Practices Mentorship.”
• Sarah Qaud, senior, political science and Spanish, “Digital Legal Research Lab.”
• Shrimai Raghuvanshi, junior, biochemistry, “Investigating the Structural Dynamics of Stem-Loop 3 (SL3) of 7SK RNA in Vertebrates.”
• Mercedes Renken, senior, biological sciences, “Investigating White Adipose Tissue-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in Regulating Satiety Signaling.”
• Kole Rowan, junior, emerging media arts, “Resonant Forms.”
• Carlo Santos, senior, physics and mathematics, “Modeling Gas Phase Ultrafast Electron Diffraction.”
• Andrew Schlegel, senior, history, “Conversations at the Parks: Research-Based Fiction Writing.”
• Cooper Swoboda, senior, mechanical engineering, “Pool Boiling of Femtosecond Laser Surface Processed Stainless Steel for Critical Heat Flux Prediction.”
• Hunter Tridle, senior, electrical engineering, “Developing Trustworthy AI for Personalized Interventions.”
• Carston Wiebe, senior, computer engineering, “Visualization for Explanations in Decision Support.”
• Michael Wihelm, junior, biochemistry, “Protein Fundamentals.”
• Pheben Yosief, junior, biochemistry, “Drug Discovery by Targeting RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase Against Flavivirus Infection.”

Osmond:

• Kaden Polt, senior, fisheries and wildlife, “Managing Rangeland for Heterogeneity Promotes Species Richness and Benefits Small Mammals.”

Papillion:

• Dorothea Mason, sophomore, history and anthropology, “Anticolonials: A World History.”

Ravenna:

• Wil Fiddelke, senior, electrical engineering, “Advancing Electronic Nose Sensors for Real-Time Wearable Diagnostics.”

Schuyler:

• Jaci Grado, junior, elementary education, “Comparing K-12 Rural Education Challenges and Successes Across Japanese and American Contexts.”

Scottsbluff:

• Lauren Fleenor, senior, psychology, “Mapping Access to Civil Justice Data: Interdisciplinary Research Project.”

Sidney:

• Daniel Bashtovoi, senior, biological systems engineering, “Analysis of Cerebral Hemodynamic Response to Olfactory Stimuli.”

Syracuse:

• Max Carlson, senior, biological systems engineering, “Establishing Workflow for the Isolation and Characterization of Mosquito-Derived Extracellular Vesicles and Examining Their Role in Dengue Virus Transmission and Pathogenicity.”

Wahoo:

• Riah Engel, senior, criminology and criminal justice, and psychology, “Increasing Community Engagement in College Students Through a Web-Based Hub.”

Waterloo:

• Charleigh Schonlau, senior, biological systems engineering, “Fascia Tracking for Monitoring Musculoskeletal Health.”

Waverly:

• Emma Smith, senior, speech-language pathology, “Relations Between Executive Function, Language, Autism and Congenital Heart Defects in Youth with Down Syndrome.”

York:

• Lily Nuss, junior, pre-veterinary medicine, “Established Tick Populations Along Elkhorn River Area: Impacts on Human and Animal Health with Veterinary Analysis.”

Elsewhere

Fresno, California:

• Niko Rurik, senior, art, “Studio Assistant: Conceptual Painting and Professional Practice Mentorship.”

Murphys, California:

• Tyler Babica, senior, agronomy, “How Does Cattle Grazing of Corn Residues Affect the Health of Soils in the Long Term?”

Broomfield, Colorado:

• Sidney Wickham, senior, history and anthropology, “The Oregon Trail and Homesteading Through Minority Groups' Oral Histories and Ethnography.”

Greeley, Colorado:

• Cameron Shaw, senior, biological sciences, “Behavioral Mediated Trophic Cascades Among Microcosm Systems.”

Holyoke, Colorado:

• Eva Kramer, senior, emerging media arts, “Women’s Work: A History of Feminism and Workers’ Rights in the United States Textile Industry Since Industrialization.”

Morris, Illinois:

• Tyler Davis, senior, statistics and data analytics, “Association of t (14;18) Chromosomal Translocation with Subtypes of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.”

Wheaton, Illinois:

• Michael Macabobby, senior, biochemistry, “Determining the Therapeutic Potential of CLPP Agonists in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.”

Pella, Iowa:

• Lauren Winn, sophomore, psychology, “Identifying the Group Differences in Parental Sensitivity Between Autistic Children and Their Peers.”

Olathe, Kansas:

• John Daugherty, senior, physics and mathematics, “Variability in Protoplanetary Disks.”
• Grant Henrichs, senior, biochemistry, “Discovering the Import Mechanisms and Roles of a Vital Mineral Copper in Mammalian Cells.”

Topeka, Kansas:

• Anna Newcome, senior, environmental science and plant biology, “Integrating Genomic Traits from Wild Diploid Strawberries to Improve Decaploid Strawberry Cultivars Through Polyploidization.”

Chesterfield, Missouri:

• Chloe Ong, senior, biochemistry, “Identification and Characterization of Novel Metalloproteins in Mycobacterium Tuberculosis and Staphylococcus Aureus.”

Las Vegas, Nevada:

• Alex Buskevicius, senior, microbiology, “Evaluating Nebraskan Exposure to Disease Vector Bites via Biobank Specimens and Recombinant Salivary Gland Protein Expression.”

Rapid City, South Dakota:

• Luther Busching, junior, mechanical engineering, “E-bike Lock.”

Sioux Falls South Dakota:

• Taetum Baxa, senior, biological systems engineering, “Establishment of a Transwell Transendothelial Electrical Resistance Assay to Characterize the Effect of Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound (LIPUS) on Endothelial Cell Phenotype.”
• Kade Bleyenburg, senior, architectural studies, “Sustainability in Robotic Masonry Construction.”

Roanoke, Texas:

• Andrew Maas, senior, mathematics, “Tri-Plane Tribracket Colorings Using n-Tensor Tribracket.”

Trophy Club, Texas:

• Faith Peterson, senior, mechanical engineering, “Generating Locally Controlled Liquid Metal Gradients.”

Arlington, Virginia:

• Jessica Hays, junior, psychology, “The Impact of Stress on Cognitive Processing Using Integrated Virtual Reality and Eye-Tracking Technology.”

Ellsworth, Wisconsin:

• Marisa Dendinger, senior, biochemistry, “Impacts of Mutations in TetX8 Gene on Tetracycline Destructase Activity.”

Chennai, India:

• Harini Sree Sharavanan, sophomore, chemical engineering, “Charge Porous Organic Polymers (POPs) for Challenging Separation.”

Mumbai, India:

• Ved Patel, senior, biological systems engineering, “Impact of Exogenous Oleic Acid on Fibroblasts' Metabolism.”

Fukuoka, Japan:

• Nozomi Tanaka, junior, political science, “Emotional States and Legal Perceptions: Exploring Roles and Reactions.”

Puchong, Malaysia:

• Michelle Kakala, junior, biochemistry, “Analysis of Mycobacterium smegmatis D-alanine Pathway of Peptidoglycan Biosynthesis.”

Shah Alam, Malaysia:

• Jia Yee Wong, senior, data science, “AI Agent for Microbial Analysis Using RBiotools.”

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam:

• Cat Dinh, sophomore, geography, “South Dakota Roots Migration Project.”
• Ryan Nguyen, junior, mechanical engineering, “Optimizing Digital Light Processing (DLP) 3D Printing for Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Ceramics.”

Tan An, Vietnam:

• Khang Luong, sophomore, physics, “A Computational Approach to Ionized Molecular Diffraction.”

Thanh Hoa, Vietnam:

• Roy Truong, senior, software engineering, “Large Language-Vision Model-Enabled Automatic Target Recognition.”