Candidates for Commonwealth Honors College Distinction 2026 and Honors Thesis Titles

We celebrate the accomplishments of the Commonwealth Honors College Class of 2026. We are very proud of our students and wish them much success in their future academic, professional, and personal pursuits.

Please follow the links in the listing, sorted alphabetically by last name, to see the 2026 Candidates for Distinction and Honors Thesis listings.

2026 Candidates—A

 AKIM A. ABRAMKIN — Public Health Sciences, Legal Studies   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Breathing the Metabolic Rift: A Critical Analysis of Neoliberal Green Growth Policy and the Neurodegenerative Consequences of Associated Air Pollution 

Dean Robinson, Political Science 

 

TOMAS ACUNA — Linguistics, Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

SIDNEY L. ADAMS — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Barriers to Diagnosis and Autistic Identity in Young Adults 

Ashley Woodman, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

SONALI G. AGARWAL — Biomedical Engineering   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Dual Immune Agonist Lipid Nanoparticles to Reverse Cancer Stemness 

Prabhani U. Atukorale, Biomedical Engineering 

 

FELIX D. AGBO — Building & Construction Technology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Housing Is a Need, Not a Luxury: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Affordable Housing Through Design, Construction, and Evolving Policy 

Michael McNally, Environmental Conservation 

 

NICHOLAS J. AGRELLA — Legal Studies   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Punishment in Jumpsuits: The Compliance Model Masquerading as Recovery 

Kathleen A. Brown-Pérez, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

HEEYA DEEPAK AJWANI — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

When Feelings Don’t Match Physiology: Examining Alexithymia and Emotional Discordance as Predictors of Internalizing Symptoms in a Clinical Sample 

Katherine L. Dixon-Gordon, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

YOUSUF M. AL ATTAR — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

External Agendas, Internal Decay: Western Neoliberalism and the Dismantling of Ba'athist Iraq 

Deepika Marya, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

INAYAH F. ALAM — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Neoliberal Prescription: Globalization, Patent Monopolies, and the Right to Health in India 

Deepika Marya, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

DANIELA M. ALCALA-VARGAS — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

My Toolbox Journal: Mental Health Tool for Individuals Who Have Graduated from Temporary Therapeutic Services 

Ellen Correa, Civic Engagement & Service Learning 

 

ELISHA ALEXANDRE — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Associations of Physical Activity Structure on Cognition and 24-Hour Movement Behaviors in Preschool Children 

Christine St. Laurent, Kinesiology 

 

ZACHARY J. ALFANO — Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Diffusion Language Models on Data-Constrained Language Environments 

Hossein Pishro-Nik, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

INBAL S. ALKALAY — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

TRE ALLEN-ROBINSON — Electrical Engineering   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Gated High-Speed Laser Intensity Stabilization for Trapped Ion Qubits 

Robert Niffenegger, Electrical and Computer Engineering 

 

EMILY C. ALLMAN — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Effects of Social Identity Threat and Meritocracy on Self-Group Distancing in the Context of Leadership 

Nilanjana Dasgupta, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

AMELIA J. AMACK — Kinesiology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Associations Between Sleep Health, Mental Burnout, and Performance Anxiety in Adolescent Athletes 

Christine St. Laurent, Kinesiology 

 

ERIC S. AMES — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Role of Procedural Justice in Default Energy Programs: Testing Justification Frames for Time-of-Use Pricing 

Christine L. Crago, Resource Economics 

 

GWYNETH A. AMONTE — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Understanding Ecological Influences on Visual Cortical Development in Diurnal Rodents 

Sarah Pallas, Biology 

 

UDAY ANAND — Mechanical Engineering   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Fluid-Structure Interactions with Kresling-Pattern Origami 

Yahya Modarres-Sadeghi, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering 

 

PRANAV ANANDAVEL — Public Policy   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Student Housing Policy: Town-Gown Conflict at the University of Massachusetts Amherst 

Thomas G. Brashear-Alejandro, Isenberg School of Management 

 

BRENNAN F. ANDERSEN — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

"Pop Goes the Weasel": Music Pedagogy in Education—The Capabilities of Music Integration in Schooling 

Adam S. Grabell, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

CAMILLE M. ANDERSON — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Integrating Living Mulch into Sweet Corn Production to Improve Soil Health and Farmers' Profitability 

Masoud Hashemi, Stockbridge School of Agriculture 

 

PETER J. ANDREWS — Marketing   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Using AI to Understand Itself 

Anurag Sharma, Isenberg School of Management 

 

HELENA ANDRUS — Social Thought & Political Economy, Spanish   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

JESSICA M. APPLEBAUM — Biology, Psychology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Behavioral Sleep Interventions in Preschool Children with Developmental Disabilities: A Systematic Review 

Christine St. Laurent, Kinesiology 

 

EMERSON G. APPLEYARD — Electrical Engineering   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Re-Design of the ToITEC LNA Bias Board 

Grant W. Wilson, Astronomy 

 

NAREK ARAKELYAN — Mathematics, Economics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Financial Elites and the State: A Comparative Study of Institutional Connectedness in the United States 

Kevin Young, Economics 

 

GIORDANO ARCIERI — Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

SADIE R. ARUNDALE — Dance   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Soon This Will All Be Picturesque Ruins: A Historical Reimagining and Re-creation of David Wojnarowicz's 1982 Work, Peter Hujar Dreaming-Yukio Mishima-St. Sebastian, Through Dance 

Duane Holland, Jr, Music & Dance 

 

SURYA ARUNKUMAR — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Enhancement of Salmonella-Based Cancer Therapies Through Deletion of Effector Proteins 

Neil S. Forbes, Chemical Engineering 

 

ANNA A. ATANASOVA — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Globalization and Healthcare: Confronting Systemic Inequities in Global Health Governance 

Deepika Marya, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

UMA D. ATTREYA — Individual Concentration: Behavioral Economics, Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Aligning Student Perceptions and Labor Market Expectations to Supplement Educator Knowledge in the Age of AI 

Hossein Pishro-Nik, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

2026 Candidates—B

JAZLYNN BAILEY — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Uncovering the Functional and Ecological Roles of RNA Bacteriophages and Viruses in Soil Ecosystems 

Jeffrey Blanchard, Biology 

 

LILLIAN P. BAK — Comparative Literature, Psychology 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

JILLIAN L. BALDASSINI — Management 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Understanding Retention in the Restaurant Industry: The Role of Family-Work Conflict and Leadership Style 

Muzzo Uysal, Isenberg School of Management 

 

MAXWELL S. BALKEMA — Legal Studies   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Reimagining Justice: Indigenous Justice Initiatives and Their Relationship to Western Courts 

Martha L. Yoder, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

OWEN M. BALL — Chemistry   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Suppressed Phase Segregation in 2-D Mixed-Halide Perovskite Solar Cells via Copper Iodide/PTAA Bilayer 

Dhandapani Venkataraman, Chemistry 

 

ROMAN BARANKOV — Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

You Are What You Eat: Dietary Effects on Infection and Reproduction in B. impatiens 

Lynn S. Adler, Biology 

 

CHRISTOPHER D. BARDINI — Environmental Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Groundwater Controls on Carbon Emissions from Headwater Streams in Western Massachusetts 

Matthew J. Winnick, Geosciences 

 

RAQUEL BATISTA-VIEIRA — Management   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Beyond the Checklist: A Critical Analysis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Diagnostic Frameworks in the Context of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Toxic Stress in US Pediatric Populations 

Melinda Gonzales-Backen, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

REESE C. BAXTER — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Concentrations of Secondary Metabolites in Basil Nectar Influence Parasite Resistance in Bombus impatiens 

Lynn S. Adler, Biology 

 

NICHOLAS C. BAXTER — Anthropology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Tortured by Culture: An Epistemology of Intense Violence in the United States of America 

Kathleen A. Brown-Pérez, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

OWEN BECHTEL — Mathematics, Computer Science   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Deformed G2 Instantons on Aloff-Wallach Spaces 

Franz J. Pedit, Mathematics & Statistics 

 

EMMA L. BECKWITH — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

From Parents to Prisons: A Biopsychosocial Approach to the Link Between Stereotypes in Early Male Development and Later Criminal Outcomes 

Charlotte Wilinsky, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

RICHARD BEKE — Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Multi-stakeholder Perception Modeling: Do Traders, Customers, and Residents Agree? 

Jayant K. Taneja, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

DJAMECHA K. BELAIR — Psychology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Neurogenesis of Narratives: A Collection of Synaptic Shards 

Connie Griffin, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

QUINN A. BELHUMEUR — Operations & Information Management   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Grounded Living: Designing a Superadobe Single-Family Home for Community, Affordability, and Well-Being 

Sandy Litchfield, Architecture 

 

KYLE R. BELHUMEUR — Finance   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Evaluating the Relationship Between Central Bank Independence and Economic Prosperity for Independent Nations 

Kevin Young, Economics 

 

MARISSA J. BELL — Comparative Literature, English   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Nimue of the Lake: The Fluidity of Gender and Perspective in Arthurian Legend 

Jessica Barr, Languages, Literatures, & Cultures 

 

EMILIE C. BELL — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Optimizing Early Embryo Culture Toward ART/IVF Efficiency 

Jesse Mager, Veterinary & Animal Sciences 

 

KATELYN B. BELMORE — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Unraveling the Function of ATAD3 in Arabidopsis thaliana 

Elizabeth Vierling, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 

 

ARIELLE N. BENEDICT — Pre-Veterinary Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Hooves-On Learning: Developing Interactive Animal Anatomical Resources for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities 

Ellen Correa, Civic Engagement & Service Learning 

 

DORIAN BENHAMOU GOLDFAJN — Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Distributed Multi-agent Coordination Using Multi-modal Foundation Models 

Shlomo Zilberstein, Information & Computer Science 

 

GABRIELLE BENKENSTEIN — Nutrition   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

A Review of Estrogen Production, Gut Microbial Diversity, and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Menopause 

Sarah Nahm, Nutrition 

 

KORRINA L. BENTLEY — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Role of Lexical Properties in Detecting Repetition Errors 

Adrian B. Staub, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

NARINE L. BERBERIAN — Biology, Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Nanoparticle Composition, Stability, and Interactions with Neutrophils 

Ashish A. Kulkarni, Chemical Engineering 

 

EVA A. BERGLOFF — Sustainable Community Development   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Making, Movement, and Mindfulness 

Theodore S. Eisenman, Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning 

 

MICHAL C. BERLOVE — English, Economics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

A Literature Survey of Decision-Making Under Uncertainty Through the Lens of Behavioral Economics 

Hossein Pishro-Nik, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

SAYALI R. BHALERAO — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Implementation of Chatbots in Mental Health Therapy: A CFIR-Guided Analysis 

Hossein Pishro-Nik, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

ARUNDHATI SATYANATH BHAT — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

A DoE-Driven Mechanistic Framework for Maximizing NTP Incorporation and Minimizing dsRNA Impurities in mRNA in Vitro Transcription 

Craig Martin, Chemistry, Molecular & Cellular Biology 

 

NITISH B. BHATTA — Biology, Neuroscience 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Effect of Monetary Motivation on Dual-Target Search Performance 

Kyle R. Cave, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

IPSITA BHATTACHARJEE — Computer Science, Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

PATRICIA V. BIBEAU — Marketing   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Helping Independent Insurance Agents (IAs) Reach and Connect with Gen Z 

Heidi E. Bailey, Isenberg School of Management 

 

GABRIELLE BILONG — Public Policy   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Does the Involvement of Sub-Saharan Parents in Their Children's Educational Life Shape Their Career Choices: A Case Study of UMass Amherst 

Brenda Bushouse, School of Public Policy 

 

LEONARDO BLANCO — Neuroscience, Psychology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Early Adversity, Risk Perceptions, and Substance Use Vulnerability Among Latino Adolescents: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach 

Kirby D. Deater-Deckard, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

JACOB BLEECKER — Economics, Management   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Translating Generation Z College Student Pickleball Motivations into Strategic Marketing Advantage 

Heidi E. Bailey, Isenberg School of Management 

 

ANDREW X. BO — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

MICHAEL P. BONSANGUE — Communication   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Maintaining Star Power in the Music Industry 

Allison T. Butler, Communication 

 

PAIGE H. BOSWORTH — Microbiology   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Membrane Stress Response in Mycobacterium smegmatis Mutants Resistant to Benzethonium Chloride 

Yasu Morita, Microbiology 

 

PAIGE E. BOTTOM — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Fearmongering and Racial Policies: A Comparison of Japanese Internment and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention Facilities 

Razvan Sibii, Journalism 

 

ELLA K. BOWCUT — Theater   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Costume Design and Construction: The Queen of the Night 

Amy L. Altadonna, Theater 

 

ROWAN L. BOYER — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Educational Art Therapy Resources at UMass Amherst 

Becky E. Ready, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

THEODORE V. BRADLEY — Finance   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Role of Private Equity Sponsors in Medical Device Innovation 

Charles Johnson, Isenberg School of Management 

 

SOPHIA A. BRANDT — Mathematics, Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Perceptions of Pipeline Protest Movements: Tactic Normativity and Outcome Effects 

Brian A. Lickel, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

WILLIAM C. BREWSTER — History   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Immigrants, Broken Windows Policing, and the Illusion of Responsibility 

Razvan Sibii, Journalism 

 

LAUREL BUCKLEY — Pre-Veterinary Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Healthcare Inequality and Its Impact: How Socioeconomic and Racial Disparities Influence Birth Outcomes 

Dean Robinson, Political Science 

 

ELIZE M. BUDZIAK — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Marsh Birds as a Measure of Wetland Ecosystem Health and Success of Management Actions 

Forrest J. Bowlick, Geosciences 

 

EMANUEL Y. BULLOCK — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Bending the Cost Curve: Healthcare Cost Inflation in the United States and the Prospects for Single-Payer Reform in New York State 

Hans Despain, Economics 

 

KYLIE BYRNE — Economics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Which Sectors of the US Economy Produce More Billionaires? Examining Wealth Distributions Since the Onset of the Dot-Com Bubble 

Kevin Young, Economics 

2026 Candidates—C

COSIMA T. CALINESCU — Neuroscience, Psychology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Relations Between Depressive Symptoms in Mothers and Toddler Sleep 

Rebecca M. C. Spencer, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

TALIA J. CALOON — Psychology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Impact of Childhood Maltreatment on Amygdala-Prefrontal Cortex Connectivity and Functioning: A Systematic Review 

Maria M. Galano, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

INDIRA R. CALVO — Individual Concentration, Legal Studies   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Patria: Examining Cultural Bereavement in the Context of Environmental Migration 

Elizabeth Brabec, Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning 

 

FRANCESCA V. CAMPANALE — Public Health Sciences   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Beyond the Hospital Walls: The Legal Power of Nurses in Child Sexual Assault Cases 

Kathleen A. Brown-Pérez, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

CAROLINE G. CANTERBURY — Natural Resources Conservation   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Habitat Use Model and Report for Setophaga virens waynei at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge 

Curt Griffin, Environmental Conservation 

 

LIAM V. CARAMELLO — Biology, Neuroscience   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Exploratory Analysis of Astrocyte-Like Glia in the Rhinophore Ganglion of the Nudibranch Berghia stephanieae 

Paul S. Katz, Biology 

 

ANDREA CARDONA-SANCHEZ — Pre-Veterinary Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

MICHAEL H. CARLONE — Mechanical Engineering   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Engineering Spatial Morphogen Gradients for Reproducible Patterning of Human Brain Organoids 

Yubing Sun, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering 

 

JIARONG CARLSON — Environmental Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Foliar Microplastics Deposition: An Urban-Rural Comparison 

Baoshan Xing, Stockbridge School of Agriculture 

 

AIDEN K. CARRARA — Management   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Using AI to Understand Itself 

Anurag Sharma, Isenberg School of Management 

 

CONNOR A. CASEY — Finance, Individual Concentration: Quantum Science and Engineering, Physics 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Evaluation of Quantum Error Correction and Entanglement Swapping Protocols in Satellite-Based Quantum Repeaters 

Donald F. Towsley, Information & Computer Science 

 

NICHOLAS J. CASSIDY — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Investigating ATAD3 Function in Arabidopsis thaliana 

Elizabeth Vierling, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 

 

OYKU CELIK — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Defining the Role of Dbf4 in Mammalian Early Embryo Development 

Wei Cui, Veterinary & Animal Sciences 

 

MARKO S. CERNE — Environmental Science   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Implications of Heteroaggregation on Low-Density Polyethylene Vertical Transport in Quartz-Based Soil Column Using Laser-Direct Infrared (LDIR) Spectroscopy 

Baoshan Xing, Stockbridge School of Agriculture 

 

SHRUTI P. CHALLA — Biology, Neuroscience   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Structural Adjustment Programs: Their Impact on the Sub-Saharan African Countries' Economy of Somalia and Kenya 

Deepika Marya, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

SHIVALI CHANDRASEKAR — Mathematics, Managerial Economics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Minimum Wage and Food Insecurity Across Different Costs of Living 

Hossein Pishro-Nik, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

STEPHANIE CHANG — Electrical Engineering   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Designing a Cost-Effective Reusable Shuttle Guide for Flexible Neural Probe Insertion 

Jun Yao, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

SARAH C. CHARBONNEAU — Mechanical Engineering   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Architectural Properties of Velar Bone Within the Horn Core and Cranium of Bighorn Sheep Rams 

Seth W. Donahue, Biomedical Engineering 

 

ANNA CHATTERJI — Chemistry, Astronomy   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

An Investigation into Methods of Thermal Transport in Edge-On Polymer Thin Films 

Yanfei Xu, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering 

 

AARYAVARDHAN CHAWLA — Finance   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

AKSHATHA S. CHELLURI — Economics, Individual Concentration: Decision Sciences   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

ALAN Y. CHEN — Legal Studies   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Manufactured Crises Justify Authoritarianism 

Martha L. Yoder, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

ERIC CHEN — Computer Science, Mathematics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Insertion-Based Generative Models for Molecules 

Andrew K. McCallum, Information & Computer Science 

 

VICTOR CHEN — Computer Science, Mathematics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Automated Knowledge Component Generation for Tutor-Student Dialogues Using Large Language Models 

Shiting Lan, Information & Computer Science 

 

HENLEY CHEN — Mechanical Engineering   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

OMNI: An Osmotic Microneedle Implant for Long-Term Direct-to-Brain Drug Delivery 

Sunandita Sarker, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering 

 

ROU CHEN — Psychology   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Examining the Effects of the Types and Timing of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Irritability and Impulsivity as Transdiagnostic Factors 

Maria M. Galano, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

AARON V. CHEREPOV — Finance   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

 

PAVAN CHERUKU — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Open the Door, Nobody's Home 

Daniel J. Pope, Humanities & Fine Arts 

 

LEAH Y. CHOUBAH — Biomedical Engineering   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

The Influence of Mechanically Stimulated Osteocytes on Metastatic Breast Cancer Cell Behavior 

Stacyann Bailey, Biomedical Engineering 

 

FAWWAZ CHOWHAN — Biology   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Theoretical Vaccine of Dengue 

Laura I. Francis, Biology 

 

JIMMY CHU — Accounting   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Helping Independent Insurance Agents Reach and Connect with Gen Z 

Heidi E. Bailey, Isenberg School of Management 

 

REBECCA T. CIAFFI — Mechanical Engineering   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Design and Analysis of Blade Damper for Offshore Wind Turbines 

Matthew A. Lackner, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering 

 

AINSLEY L. CICONE — Hospitality & Tourism Management   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Balancing Efficiency and Empathy: Artificial Intelligence Adoption in Human-Centered Human Resources 

Muzzo Uysal, Isenberg School of Management 

 

ELIZABETH M. CLANCY — Biomedical Engineering   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Designing an Autotransfusion Device for the Vide Shore Chest Drainage System 

Karen K. Giuliano, Nursing 

 

HEATHER M. CLARK — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

From Recovery to Risk: How Menstrual Cycle Hormones Influence Female Athletic Performance 

Lynnette Leidy Sievert, Anthropology 

 

ETHAN J. CLARK — Accounting   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Among US Elites, What Is the Relationship Between Higher Education and Net Worth? 

Kevin Young, Economics 

 

CLAIRE J. CODY — Marketing, Sport Management 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Translating Generation Z College Student Pickleball Motivations into Strategic Marketing Advantage 

Heidi E. Bailey, Isenberg School of Management 

 

ANNABELLA COLAVITO — Civil Engineering   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Investigating Disinfection Byproduct Formation During the Electrochemical Degradation of Perfluorooctanoic Acid 

Sean McBeath, Civil & Environmental Engineering 

 

RILEY COLE — Civil Engineering, Earth Systems   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Role of Snowmelt on the Hydrology and Carbon Dioxide Dynamics in Headwater Streams Across the East River Watershed, Colorado, USA 

Matthew J. Winnick, Geosciences 

 

MALIA M. COLE — Neuroscience, Social Thought & Political Economy   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

JOSEPH E. COLLINS — Accounting   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

ESG Ratings and Financial Performance in the US Food Manufacturing Industry 

Muzzo Uysal, Isenberg School of Management 

 

RAQUEL J. COLLINS — Psychology, Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Impact of a Six-Month Gross Motor Skill-Based Physical Activity Intervention on the Phonological Working Memory in Preschool-Age Children (Massachusetts, United States) 

Sofiya Alhassan, Kinesiology 

 

ARAWAN E. COLLINS — Political Science, English   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Syndemic of Racial Inequalities in Medicine: Biases, Diagnoses, and Outcomes 

Dean Robinson, Political Science 

 

ARIN CONNOLLY — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Moving Beyond the Deficit Model: Convincing Scientists to Adopt Dialogue and Participation Communication Styles to Restore Public Trust in Scientists 

Rosa Moscarella, Biology 

 

THOMAS P. CONOMOS — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Neuroscience   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Drugs in Prison: Evaluating Withdrawal Treatment from Drugs of Abuse in Carceral Facilities 

Razvan Sibii, Journalism 

 

KEIRA M. COOK — Legal Studies, Individual Concentration: Neuroscience and Philosophy 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Jury Impartiality and Its Epistemic Limits: Cognitive Constraints and the Sixth Amendment 

Martha L. Yoder, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

JONATHAN COOMBS — Biology, Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Wireless Sensing in Humanoid Robotic Control 

Donghyun Kim, Information & Computer Science 

 

RACHEL L. COTTMAN — Philosophy, Psychology   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

On Anti-foundationalism: Ontological, Epistemic, and Semantic 

Hilary Kornblith, Philosophy 

 

AUBREY P. COYNE — Education   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Using Crithidia fasciculata Tools to Redesign Online Math Tutoring Resources for Elementary and Middle School Students 

Robert W. Maloy, Education 

 

ELSA K. CRANSON — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Reproductive Insecurity, Resilience, and the American Dream for Degree-Seeking Women 

Aline Gubrium, Health Promotion & Policy 

 

LUCAS A. CRAWSHAW — German Studies, Computer Engineering   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Jamming Approaches for Enabling Covert Wireless Communications 

Dennis L. Goeckel, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

MADISON E. CRUMMEY — Operations & Information Management   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Unifying the Boston Scientific Corporation Digital Experience 

Heidi E. Bailey, Isenberg School of Management 

 

ANGEL D. CRUZ — Spanish, Statistics and Data Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Comparative Analysis of Massachusetts High School Mathematics Curricula 

Adena Calden, Mathematics & Statistics 

 

LEANNA B. CUTLER — Legal Studies   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Juror Bias: Factors Impacting Domestic Violence Trials in Western Massachusetts 

Kathleen A. Brown-Pérez, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

ADELAIDE S. CUTLER — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Eugenics: Legalized Evil in Early 20th Century American Healthcare 

Martha L. Yoder, Commonwealth Honors College 

2026 Candidates—D

KEERTI DAESETY — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Homelessness in the Emergency Department: The Role of Stigma and Emotions on Patient Care 

Linda Isbell, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

HASNA I. DAHDAH RODRIGUEZ — Managerial Economics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Corporate Network Embeddedness and Public Incentives in the Texas Data Center Industry 

Kevin Young, Economics 

 

JOSHUA B. DAI — Biomedical Engineering   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Advanced Mechanofluidic Systems for Modeling Central Nervous System Hemodynamics and Cerebrospinal Fluid Dynamics 

Chase Cornelison, Biomedical Engineering 

 

LAUREN H. DANIEL MORAN — Physics, Astronomy   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Motion of Crithidia fasciculata as Driven by Singular Forward-Moving Flagellum 

Shuang Zhou, Physics 

 

THEA G. DAUCHER — Food Sciences   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Identification of Mycotoxin-Producing Fungi in Cocoa Using Whole Genome Sequencing 

John G. Gibbons, Food Sciences 

 

STELLA V. DE PAULA — Finance, Spanish   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Entertaining the Student Body: An Analysis of University Programming 

Anurag Sharma, Isenberg School of Management 

 

NICOLA M. DEGRAZIA — Accounting, English   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

This Report Has Been Flagged for Special Attention 

John J. Hennessy, English 

 

ISABELLA E. DEMARCO — Operations & Information Management, Sport Management 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Translating Generation Z College Student Pickleball Motivations into Strategic Marketing Advantage 

Heidi E. Bailey, Isenberg School of Management 

 

CREIGHTON J. DEMOURA — English   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Taking Phoniness out of the Classroom: Evaluating the Catcher in the Rye and Examining Alternatives for 21st Century High School Curriculum 

Brenna Casey, English 

 

HANNAH D. DENISON — History 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Circles of Indigenous Wisdom: Weaving Threads and Research Methods 

Mark Roblee, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

JAMIE J. DENLEY — Computer Science, Psychology  

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Natural Language Processing of Large Number Words in Development 

Joonkoo Park, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

LUCIAN S. DENSMORE — Computer Science, Mathematics 

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

A Comparative Study of Deep Hedging Methods in Incomplete Markets 

Patrick Flaherty, Mathematics & Statistics 

 

EMILY E. DEPINA-LONDONO — Food Sciences, Sustainable Food & Farming 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Investigating Food Insecurity in the Pioneer Valley, Massachusetts 

Sarah B. Berquist, Stockbridge School of Agriculture 

 

ANANYA DESAI — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Artificial Intelligence in Dentistry: Impacts on Patient Trust, Satisfaction, Decision-Making, and Business Performance 

Muzzo Uysal, Isenberg School of Management 

 

ARYAN DESHPANDE — Computer Science   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

SuDocu+: Refining Subjective Summarization Intent Through Natural Language Conversation 

Alexandra Meliou, Information & Computer Science 

 

ABIGAIL J. DEVENITCH — Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Supporting Emergent Literacy Skills in Students with Complex Communication Needs Through the Transition to Literacy Feature 

Yu-Kyong Choe, Communication Disorders 

 

DIANA T. DIEP — Economics, Marketing 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Unifying the Boston Scientific Corporation Digital Experience 

Heidi E. Bailey, Isenberg School of Management 

 

ANNABELLE E. DIGIORGIO — Individual Concentration: Movement Science and Rehabilitation   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Ankle Strength and Flexibility as Predictors of Balance and Injury Risk in Dancers 

Judi Labranche, Kinesiology 

 

JOSIAH D. DILL — Electrical Engineering, Mathematics 

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Design and Implementation of an Acousto-Optic Modulator Actuated Fiber Noise Suppression System for Trapped Ion Quantum Computing 

Robert Niffenegger, Electrical and Computer Engineering 

 

SAMUEL J. DILLEY — Education   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

 

DANAE A. DIMITRAKOPOULOS — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

In Vitro Bone Organoids to Determine Microplastic-Driven Alterations in Bone Metabolism 

Jungwoo Lee, Chemical Engineering 

 

CAITLYN F. DIMITRIOU — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Disparities in Pediatric Care 

Dean Robinson, Political Science 

 

KYRA R. DISKIN-GAUDETTE — Mathematics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Search for Eradicated Roots: Ties Forged in Love and Courage 

Connie Griffin, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

ALEXIA J. DISTASIO — Public Health Sciences   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Mutual Aid Models as a Way to Improve Community Health 

Deborah M. Keisch, Civic Engagement & Service Learning 

 

DANIEL C. DISTEFANO — Sociology, Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

VY N. DO — Biomedical Engineering   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Nose-to-Brain Delivery of miRNA Antagomirs to Attenuate Neuroinflammation in Traumatic Brain Injury 

Jingjing Gao, Biomedical Engineering 

 

CONOR J. DOHERTY — Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Animal Locomotion Analysis Using 3-D Animation Software 

Duncan Irschick, Biology 

 

OLIVIA G. DOHERTY — English, Linguistics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

On Air: The College Radio Musical 

Suzanne M. Daly, English 

 

ANISH DOKI — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Neuroscience   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay-Based Detection of H5N1 Influenza A Antigens in Wastewater 

Caitlyn Butler, Civil & Environmental Engineering 

 

ZACHARY M. DONAGHUE — Mechanical Engineering   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Viability of Floating Flexible Solar Panels 

Krish Sharman, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering 

 

AMELIA K. DONNELLAN VALADE — Psychology, Kinesiology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Bilingualism as a Neuromechanical Intervention: A Theoretical Framework Linking Language Use, Adaptive Capacity, and Alzheimer’s Disease Progression 

Richard E. A. Van Emmerik, Kinesiology 

 

MIKAYLA R. DONOVAN — Economics, Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

KELLER M. DORGAN — Psychology, Neuroscience   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Investigating the Gene Expression of CaMKII Isoforms 

Margaret M. Stratton, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 

 

JULIA R. DRAPEAU — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Disparities in Oral Healthcare Access and Their Role in the Development of Cardiovascular Disease 

Dean Robinson, Political Science 

 

KRISTIN A. D'SOUZA — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Investigating the Role of Calmodulin-Binding Protein in Legume-Rhizobia Symbiosis Using CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Disruption 

Dong Wang, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 

 

VERONIKA A. DUBOVIS — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Zeolite Catalyzed Aldol Fission Reaction for Olefin Synthesis 

Friederike C. Jentoft, Chemical Engineering 

 

BRIGID K. DUFFY — Mechanical Engineering   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Upper Body Injury Prevention in Extravehicular Activity Suits 

Douglas C. Eddy, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering 

 

ENERELT DURR — Economics, Public Policy   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Corporate Sustainability Signaling and Voluntary Climate Frameworks: A Longitudinal Text Analysis of Science Based Targets Initiative Adoption 

Brenda Bushouse, School of Public Policy 

2026 Candidates—E

GAVIN H. EARLE — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Investigating Hyperglycosylation-Associated Degradation of Endoplasmic Reticulum Resident Proteins 

Eric R. Strieter, Chemistry 

 

ELIZABETH J. EDMINSTER — Informatics, Mathematics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

JAD EL AOUJI — Electrical Engineering   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Degradation-Aware Evaluation of Vehicle-to-Grid Participation in Heavy-Duty Electric Truck Fleets 

Yuanrui Sang, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

RIDA EL CHAMI — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Once Upon a Child 

Connie Griffin, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

JALAL ELSALLAL — Neuroscience   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

DNA in Distress: The Impacts of Nanoplastics on the Integrity of Intestinal Mitochondrial DNA 

Sasha Adkins, Environmental Health Sciences 

 

LILLETTE E. EMILE — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Hormonal Regulation of Labor Onset: Mechanisms and Social Determinants 

Dean Robinson, Political Science 

 

CLARA A. ENDYKE — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

College Students' Perceptions of Food in Relation to Digital Technologies 

Leda Cooks, Communication 

 

MARTA I. ESTRADA — Sociology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Evaluating the Efficacy of Agricultural Subsidies in Improving Water Quality 

Tihitina Andarge, Resource Economics 

 

KELECHI EZEMMA — Managerial Economics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Implications of Hospital Consolidation on Healthcare Cost, Quality, and Access in Massachusetts 

Brenda Bushouse, School of Public Policy 

2026 Candidates—F

CHARLES H. FAIRFAX — Finance, Economics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Brand Strategy, Marketing, and Market Research 

Alicia Johnson, Isenberg School of Management, Marketing and New Business 

 

WYATT W. FALK — Communication   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Supreme Court and Social Perception: How Its Variable Nature in the Eyes of the Public Allowed the Court to Disrupt the Balance of Power in the American Government 

Martha L. Yoder, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

MARIE W. FANDY — Kinesiology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Feasibility and Acceptability of Assessing Electroencephalography and Cognition Following Acute Bouts of Physical Activity in Preschool Children (SUNRISE Study) 

Christine St. Laurent, Kinesiology 

 

FLYNN FATUR — Public Policy, Economics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Policing Protest: Impacts of Police Response on Collegiate Communities 

Brenda Bushouse, School of Public Policy 

 

KHRYSTYNA FEDAK — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Investigation of a Potential Interaction Between the Phosphodiesterase PdeA and the Diguanylate Cyclase DgcB in Coordinating c-di-GMP Signaling During the Caulobacter crescentus Cell Cycle 

Peter Chien, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 

 

SCHUYLER N. FIGUEROA — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Changes in Nuclear and Actin Mechanics from G1 to G2 Affect Nuclear Integrity 

Andrew D. Stephens, Biology 

 

MELISSA J. FINKE — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

When Stress Gets Under the Skin: Chronic Psychosocial Stress and the Immunological Limits of Vaccination 

Dean Robinson, Political Science 

 

KAITLIN M. FLAHERTY — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

MICHEL P. FLANAGAN — Political Science, Spanish 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Dysphemism Authorized: A Mini Documentary 

Timothy Pachirat, Political Science 

 

AFRI A. FLYNN — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Prison Architecture: Understanding Facilities of Confinement 

Razvan Sibii, Journalism 

 

ELLA F. FORD — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Impact of Autism Competency Training on Pre-Service Teachers 

Ashley Woodman, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

ADAM FORREST — Accounting   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Beyond the Dress Code: Personal Dress, Identity, and Institutional Norms Within LGBTQ+ Experiences 

Jesenia Minier-Jennings, Isenberg School of Management 

 

NICHOLAS J. FOX — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

How Have Systemic Redlining, Zoning Laws, and Gerrymandering Shaped Inequalities in the Emergency Medical Responses and Health Outcomes of Certain Demographics? 

Dean Robinson, Political Science 

 

CATHERINE E. FRANCIS — Legal Studies   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Criminal Immigrant Myth: Political Rhetoric, Public Perception, and the Empirical Record 

Razvan Sibii, Journalism 

 

DANIEL I. FRANK — Public Policy, Economics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

“One of Our Own”: Does Domestic Ownership in English Football Influence Community Investment Activities? 

Brenda Bushouse, School of Public Policy 

 

SAVANAH J. FREIDUS — Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Investigating the Mechanism of Mps1-Spc105 Interactions at the Kinetochore 

Thomas J. Maresca, Biology 

 

ELLA FREIHAGE — History   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Tracking Our Textbooks: Representations of the Civil War and Reconstruction in 20th Century Classrooms, 1910s-1970s 

Sarah E. Cornell, History 

 

SAMANTHA FREITAG — Psychology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Interior Designs for Neurodiverse Multi-Sensory Sensitivities 

Sandy Litchfield, Architecture 

 

DANIEL E. FRIEDMAN — Computer Science, History   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

GRACE I. FULLER — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

AMANDA Z. FURBACHER — Biology, Environmental Science 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Climate Change and Sustainability of Sama-Bajau and Haenyeo Communities: A Commonplace Book 

Mark Roblee, Commonwealth Honors College 

2026 Candidates—G

SHAWN P. GALLIGAN — English   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Hairsbreadth (Short Stories) 

John J. Hennessy, English 

 

MIA F. GALVAM — History, Social Thought & Political Economy   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Unrecorded Revolution: Women of the Cabo Verdean Independence Movement 

Diana Sierra Becerra, History 

 

KEERTANA R. GANGIREDDY — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Impacts of a Restorative Practices Approach on Mental Health Outcomes in Franklin County 

Deborah M. Keisch, Civic Engagement & Service Learning 

 

ANNA N. GANSS — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

STEVEN R. GAO — Operations & Information Management, Computer Science, Mathematics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Improving 3-D Human Pose Estimation on Mobile Robots 

Donghyun Kim, Information & Computer Science 

 

AARON Z. GAO — Operations & Information Management, Computer Science, Mathematics 

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

AUDREY R. GARFINKEL — Dance, Education   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Funcionamos: A Discovery of the Definitions of Work Through Choreography 

Duane Holland, Jr, Music & Dance 

 

NEHAL GARG — Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

CHARLES E. GARRETSON — Architecture   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

 

RAMIN GASIMLI — Physics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Hydrodynamic Brachistochrone: Conflicting Paths of Time and Energy Minima 

Varghese Mathai, Physics 

 

KYLE S. GASKILL — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

MINNAH A. GAYED — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Intellectual Property Rights and Access to Pharmaceuticals During Global Health Crises: HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 

Deepika Marya, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

CONNOR M. GEARY — Mechanical Engineering   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

The Simulation of Tuned Heave Plates for Floating Offshore Wind Turbines 

Matthew A. Lackner, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering 

 

GRIFFIN M. GEE — History 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Bootleggers and Brahmin: Enforcement, Resistance, and Social Change in Prohibition-Era Boston 

Jennifer A. Fronc, History 

 

JASON R. GEHRING — Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Flocking with Family? Relatedness and Association in Black-Capped Chickadees 

Maria Stager, Biology 

 

ATA CINAR GENC — Computer Science   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Synthetic Speech Detection in Audio-Large Learning Models’ Latent Space 

Amir Houmansadr, Information & Computer Science 

 

DEEPAK GEORGE — Computer Science   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

DEVINA GERA — Computer Science, Mathematics   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

SOPHIA E. GERVASI — Managerial Economics   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Learning in the Age of AI: How Artificial Intelligence Is Reshaping Higher Education 

Hossein Pishro-Nik, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

YUNI S. GERZON — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Impact of Anti-Communist Rhetoric on the Fight for Universal Health Insurance in the US 

Dean Robinson, Political Science 

 

NAINA BHARAT GIANANI — Neuroscience, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Navigating the Impact of Supply Chain Disruptions of Two Heavily Used Antidepressants, Sertraline and Fluoxetine, on Drug Utilization Across the Years Before, During, and After COVID 

Muzzo Uysal, Isenberg School of Management 

 

KATELYN E. GIBBINGS — Accounting   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Entertaining the Student Body: An Analysis of University Programming 

Anurag Sharma, Isenberg School of Management 

 

IAIN GILLESPIE — Sustainable Community Development   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Connectivity Through Separation: Exploring the Role of Intersection Designs in Low-Stress Bicycle Networks 

Peter Dunn, Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning 

 

MICHAEL F. GILLESPIE — Neuroscience   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

A Study of Music's Impact on Cognitive and Emotional Expression in Memory Care Residents with Dementia 

Elena T. Carbone, Nutrition 

 

BENNETT GILLIG — Computer Science, Mathematics 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Dynamic Type Inference for JavaScript 

Emery D. Berger, Information & Computer Science 

 

ISABELLA K. GOETZ — Biology, Neuroscience   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Identification and Structural Reconstruction of a Potential Olfactory Glomerulus in the Rhinophore Ganglion of Berghia stephanieae 

Paul S. Katz, Biology 

 

JONATHAN M. GOLDIN — Legal Studies   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Rights Without Meaning: Judicial Doctrine and the Rise of the School-to-Prison Pipeline 

Martha L. Yoder, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

SUMMER GOLEN — Public Health Sciences   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Stories That Connect Us: Expanding Access to Intergenerational Digital Storytelling as a Community-Based Response to Address Loneliness 

Ellen Correa, Civic Engagement & Service Learning 

 

RITA C. GOODWIN — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Poetic Path: How Sufi Poetry Conveys the Mystical Teachings of Islam 

Mark Roblee, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

MIA C. GORMAN — Kinesiology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Validating Wearable Inertial Measurement Unit-Based Lower Extremity Joint Angle Approximation During Gait 

Douglas N. Martini, Kinesiology 

 

MARISA S. GOTTSCHE — Public Health Sciences   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Effects of British Colonialism on Health Systems in South Asia 

Maxine Oland, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

LAUREN S. GRACHUK — Political Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Dignity Degraded: Environmental Protection Through Human Dignity in American Jurisprudence 

Kathleen A. Brown-Pérez, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

OWEN M. GRANDY — Landscape Architecture   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Collective Landscape Management for Fire Risk in the Coastal California Mosaic 

Robert L. Ryan, Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning 

 

MATEO E. GRAUBART — Social Thought & Political Economy   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Actual State of Things: Federal Indian Law and the Evolution of Colonial Governance in the United States 

Kathleen A. Brown-Pérez, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

AUTUMN A. GRIFFITH — Public Health Sciences   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Racial Disparities in Maternal Mortality: A Comparative Case Analysis of Louisiana vs. Massachusetts 

Dean Robinson, Political Science 

 

HAYDEN T. GROH — Finance   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Strategic Pursuit of Sponsorships in Global Sports Marketing: Risks, Opportunities, and a Case Study of Fenway Sports Management 

Muzzo Uysal, Isenberg School of Management 

 

MYA R. GROSSMAN — Microbiology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Biomembrane Interactions with Model Microplastics 

Maria Santore, Polymer Science & Engineering 

 

MINAHIL GUL — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Mechanistic Investigation of TKD1079-Induced Ferroptosis in Cancer Cells 

Rachid Skouta, Chemistry 

 

SIYA N. GUNDA — Marketing, Communication  

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Ethnographic Photography: Comparative Analysis Through Photographs of Everyday Culture in India and Guatemala 

Thomas G. Brashear-Alejandro, Isenberg School of Management 

 

AVNI GUNJIKAR — Computer Science, Mathematics 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Finding the Top L-Arms with an M-Constrained Quantum Oracle 

Mohammadhassan Hajiesmaili, Information & Computer Science 

 

EILISH M. GUNTHER — Environmental Science   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Addressing the Gaps Impacting University Emission Initiatives 

Christine L. Crago, Resource Economics 

 

SHOURYA GUPTA — Neuroscience, Public Health Sciences 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Exploring AAV-Mediated Overexpression of RAP as a Tau-LRP1 Complex Inhibitor 

Jennifer N. Rauch, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 

2026 Candidates—H

COLE B. HAAG — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Biochemical and Functional Characterization of Disease-Associated CaMKIIα/β Mutations 

Margaret M. Stratton, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 

 

DOMINIQUE HABCHI — Mechanical Engineering   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Experimental Observation of Coupled-Mode Flutter on a Small-Scale National Renewable Energy Laboratory 5MW Turbine Blade 

Yahya Modarres-Sadeghi, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering 

 

LYDIA R. HADDAD — Hospitality & Tourism Management   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Motivations and Benefits to Study Abroad and How That Affects Your Overall Wellbeing 

Muzzo Uysal, Isenberg School of Management 

 

SAMAR A. HADDAD — Sociology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Made with Love: Relational Circularity in Practice 

Ana Villalobos, Sociology 

 

VIVIAN G. HAGOPIAN — Psychology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Exploring the Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Academic Performance, and Career Aspirations in University Students 

Charlotte Wilinsky, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

STEPHANIE HALLERMAN — Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Biphasic Hf-Pefs Induce Cell-Cell Fusion of A549 Cells 

Govind Srimathveeravalli, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering 

 

TIANTIAN HAO — Public Health Sciences   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Eating with Peers and Health Outcomes Among Undergraduate Students 

Leda Cooks, Communication 

 

ATHENA HARALABATOS — Economics, Sustainable Community Development   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Painting Place: Murals as Tools for Community Engagement and Spatial Transformation 

John Francis Simpson, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

RUBY K. HARRIS — Political Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Unprotected Bodies: The Racial Roots and Modern Failures of the Violence Against Women Act 

Kathleen A. Brown-Pérez, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

ROGER G. HAUCK — Psychology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Parent-Adolescent Cardiac Synchrony: Examining Differences Across Systems and Emotional Contexts 

Evelyn Mercado, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

JENNY HE — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Overcoming Multidrug Resistance Through Targeted Protein Degradation 

Thai Thayumanavan, Biomedical Engineering 

 

THERESE P. HEIM — Public Policy   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Impact of Mentorship on Career Outcomes for Women in Finance 

Brenda Bushouse, School of Public Policy 

 

SAVANNA J. HENDERSON — Pre-Veterinary Science   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Promoting Public Awareness of Behavioral Traits Among Rottweilers, Labrador Retrievers, Border Collies, and German Shepherds 

Elena T. Carbone, Nutrition 

 

ANNA M. HENINGER — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Digital Assessment of African Elephant Body Condition 

Duncan Irschick, Biology 

 

ANA CLARA A. HENNESSEY — Anthropology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

From Dig Site to Display Case: How Museums Bring Evolution to Life 

Mark Roblee, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

RACHELY A. HENRIQUEZ — Art & Design, Architecture   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

MICHAEL S. HERRICK — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Assessing the Ecological Value of Cultivars and Wild-Type Native Plants in Home Gardens 

Bethany A. Bradley, Environmental Conservation 

 

AIDAN J. HICKEY — Finance   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Narrative-Driven Content’s Influence on Fan Engagement and Brand Equity in English Football: The Case of Wrexham AFC, Leeds United, and Sunderland AFC. 

Muzzo Uysal, Isenberg School of Management 

 

AMEL HILMI — Biology, Statistics and Data Science, Mathematics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Modeling Age-Dependent Changes in Gene Expression 

Maryclare Griffin, Mathematics & Statistics 

 

GARRETT M. HINKLEY — Computer Science, Mathematics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Deformations of Kawamata Lagrangians 

Jenia Tevelev, Mathematics 

 

BRIAN W. HOBIN — Sustainable Community Development   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

BRANDEN HOEGEN — Legal Studies   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Man on the Jetty 

Marissa L. Carrere, Political Science 

 

LEAH G. HOEPPNER — Individual Concentration, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

U(ggt1) Light Up My ER: A Fluorescent Localization Study of the ER Quality Control Gatekeeper UGGT1 

Lila Gierasch, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Chemistry 

 

NAOMI F. HOFFMAN — Psychology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

From Policy to Practice: The Judicial and Legislative Failure to Protect Disabled Students of Color 

Martha L. Yoder, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

ALEXANDRA M. HOLMES — Operations & Information Management   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Exploring Barriers to Consumer Adoption of Transformable Apparel: Insights into Perception, Usability, and Design Preferences 

Muzzo Uysal, Isenberg School of Management 

 

INSUN HONG — Psychology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Birthing Behind Bars: Inconsistencies Between Prenatal and Perinatal Healthcare Standards for Incarcerated Women and Their Lived Realities 

Razvan Sibii, Journalism 

 

LILLY K. HORGAN — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Detecting Antibiotic Resistance in Endospore-Forming Probiotic Bacteria Using Raman Spectroscopy 

Lili He, Food Sciences 

 

MAEVE E. HORN — English   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Intoxication of Being Seen: A Collection of Essays 

John J. Hennessy, English 

 

MD. AFFAN HOSSAIN — Microbiology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Essential Oil Nanoemulsions for the Inhibition and Eradication of Biofilms on Medical Device Surfaces 

Vincent M. Rotello, Chemistry 

 

SALEM M. HOWES — Anthropology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Modern Adaptations of Ancient & Historical Body Modifications: How Cultural Practices Evolve 

Sarah C. Reedy, Anthropology 

 

KAILIN HUANG — Psychology   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Existential Isolation as a Mediator of the Alliance–Outcome Association in Naturalistic Psychotherapy 

Michael J. Constantino, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

MOMIN B. HUMAYON — Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

DANISH HUMAYUN — Economics, Public Health Sciences   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Mitigation of Forever Chemicals Using Edible Clay as a Sorbent 

Meichen Wang, Environmental Health Sciences 

 

SAMUEL J. HUNT — Natural Resources Conservation   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Qualitative Analysis of Perceptions and Experiences of Western Massachusetts Farmers with Agroforestry Methodology 

Leda Cooks, Communication 

 

FAWAD S. HUSSAIN — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Exploring Neutrophil Interactions with Various Ligands in the Context of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps 

Igor A. Kaltashov, Chemistry 

 

MAZIN HUSSEIN — Chemical Engineering   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Design and Fabrication of an Electrochemical Flow Cell for X-Ray Synchrotron Studies 

Sarah L. Perry, Chemical Engineering 

 

CHUONG NGUYEN HONG HUYNH — Statistics and Data Science, Managerial Economics   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Spillover Effects of H-1B Visa Restrictions on Employment and Innovation in the United States 

Kevin Young, Economics 

 

RILEY E. HYNES — Legal Studies, Finance  

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Luxury Brands During Recessions 

Anurag Sharma, Isenberg School of Management 

2026 Candidates—I

KATHRYN E. IACOMINI — Finance   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Swiping for Love: A Study of Dating at UMass Amherst 

Anurag Sharma, Isenberg School of Management 

 

WANIA IMRAN — Environmental Science, Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Optimizing Nickel Bioavailability for Phytomining Using Camelina sativa 

Om Parkash Dhankher, Stockbridge School of Agriculture 

 

VICTORIA W. IP — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mathematics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Camouflaging in Autism: Examining Variation Across Gender, Race/Ethnicity, and Cultural Orientation 

Ashley Woodman, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

MEENAKSHI IYER — Computer Science, Mathematics 

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

2026 Candidates—J

SHARON JABBOUR — Psychology, Sociology 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

From Classroom to Community: Developing an Experiential Food Recovery Course at UMass Amherst 

Leda Cooks, Communication 

 

EMILY C. JAILLET — Sociology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

SANIYA JAIN — Informatics   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Decoding Influence: A Text-Based Comparative Study of Business and Labor Interest Group Power in US Labor Rule-Making 

Kevin Young, Economics 

 

VIKRAMADITYA JAISINGH — Computer Science, Philosophy   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Future Is Regional: How Indian Creatives Use Digital Platforms to Reimagine National Hegemony 

Ethan Zuckerman, Public Policy & Administration 

 

AIDAN E. JALBERT — Psychology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Neural Basis of Control: Electroencephalogram Evidence for Sense of Agency 

Youngbin Kwak, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

PUSHTI R. JARECHA — Public Health Sciences   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Barriers to Accessing Reproductive Healthcare on the UMass Campus 

Deborah M. Keisch, Civic Engagement & Service Learning 

 

APEKSHA JHA — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Sabr(सब्र): Enduring, Learning & Becoming 

Connie Griffin, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

SHAGUN JHA — Psychology, Anthropology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Alba: An Equitable Globalization in Latin America 

Deepika Marya, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

ABIGAIL Z. JORGENSEN — Operations & Information Management   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Patterns of Affinity: Homophily and the Architecture of Corporate Elite Networks 

Kevin Young, Economics 

 

ZACHARY V. JOSEPH — English, Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

How to Lose at Cat’s Cradle and Other Stories 

John J. Hennessy, English 

 

TIA M. JOSEPH — Neuroscience   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

The Interplay Between Sleep Quality and Negative Memory Retrieval in Depression 

Rebecca M. C. Spencer, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

AMBIKA JOSHI — Economics, Public Policy   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Resisting Housing Gentrification: Urban Community Land Trusts in New York City 

Brenda Bushouse, School of Public Policy 

 

JACQUELINE A. JOURDAIN — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Healthcare and Living Conditions in US Immigration Detention Centers 

Razvan Sibii, Journalism 

2026 Candidates—K

CHARLOTTE M. KAISER — Linguistics and Chinese   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Vietnamese Tone Syllable Coordination 

John Kingston, Linguistics 

 

YARAH KALAE — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Left Out: How Structural Norms Render Half the Population Invisible 

Kathleen A. Brown-Pérez, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

SARANG M. KALE — Computer Science   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Artificial Intelligence and the Evolution of Search Engines: A Comparative Study of Traditional and AI‑Integrated Systems 

James Allan, Information & Computer Science 

 

YONAH D. KALIKOW — Sustainable Food & Farming   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Why Seeds? A Look into the Intentions and Motivations Behind Seed Work 

Leda Cooks, Communication 

 

HAMSINI S. KANAKAGIRI — Kinesiology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Relationship Between Physical Activity and Gross Motor Skill in Preschool-Aged Children 

Sofiya Alhassan, Kinesiology 

 

AMANDA F. KANASHIRO — Biomedical Engineering   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Exploring Small Interfering RNA Therapy Targeting CD33 in Alzheimer’s Disease 

Jingjing Gao, Biomedical Engineering 

 

RAYHA KARANTH — Microbiology, Public Health Sciences 

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Sustaining Strong Foundations Through Local Engagement and Fundraising 

Ellen Correa, Civic Engagement & Service Learning 

 

DHRUV KARTIK — Computer Science   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

KAUSHAL KASINA — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Investigating Cell-Type Molecular Drivers of Tau Aggregation 

Jennifer N. Rauch, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 

 

CHASE R. KASSIOTIS — Mathematics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

ASHER H. KATZ — Informatics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Competition for Alternative Order and Autonomy in Postwar Globalization 

Deepika Marya, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

MILA KAUL — Management   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Behind the Brand: The Business Model of Streaming-Era Artists in the Attention Economy 

Thomas G. Brashear-Alejandro, Isenberg School of Management 

 

GURNOOR KAUR — Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

ECM Regulation & Differential Expression Analysis of Astrocyte Activation in Humans & Chimpanzees 

Courtney Babbitt, Biology 

 

KATHERINE I. KEEN — Education   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Classrooms on Screens: A Critical Analysis of Media Representation of Education and Its Alignment with Public Discourse 

Jane Piselli, Education 

 

BENJAMIN KEIL — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Misinformation, Institutional Trust, and Policy Design in US Healthcare 

Dean Robinson, Political Science 

 

NANTENEN KEITA — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Bars Within and Beyond Prison: The Health Implications of Mass Incarceration 

Dean Robinson, Political Science 

 

ARLO KELLIE — Art History   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Marimekko: Architectural Dress 

Margaret B. Vickery, History of Art & Architecture Department 

 

NATALIA A. KEPCZYNSKI — Natural Resources Conservation   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Temporal Activity Patterns of Mammals Across a Rural-Urban Landscape in Western Massachusetts 

Huw Lloyd, Environmental Conservation 

 

DECLAN P. KERRIGAN — Operations & Information Management, Sport Management   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Measuring Sustainability at Sporting Events: An Evaluation of Waste Management Practices and Potential Areas of Improvement 

Muzzo Uysal, Isenberg School of Management 

 

AMELIA I. KILIAN — Architecture   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Cyclotopia: The Essence of Cycles in Architecture 

Sandy Litchfield, Architecture 

 

KATHRYN G. KILLAM — Public Health Sciences   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Where We Meet in Memory 

Connie Griffin, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

RYAN Y. KIM — Food Sciences   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Short-Form Video and Its Impact on Culinary Representation and Cultural Context 

Leda Cooks, Communication 

 

ERIN KIM — Biomedical Engineering   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Biofilm Formation and Quorum Sensing in 2-D vs 3-D Microenvironments 

Sang Hyun Lee, Microbiology 

 

OLIVIA KINNER — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Witness 

Connie Griffin, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

GRACE E. KIRKPATRICK — Landscape Architecture, Sustainable Community Development   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

After the Flood: Post-Disaster Engagement with Adolescents in Southeastern Vermont 

Carolina Aragón, Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning 

 

AVERY E. KITTLESON — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Emergency Departments as Sites of Healthcare Inequality: Implicit Bias, Structural Barriers, and Disparities in Clinical Care 

Dean Robinson, Political Science 

 

MOHAMMAD S. KIYANI — Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

ISABELLA A. KLINK — Legal Studies   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Unstable by Design: The Legal and Clinical Narratives of Female Madness 

Kathleen A. Brown-Pérez, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

LAUREN E. KOCHAN — Animal Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

KAYCIE K. KOENIG — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Relationship Between Autoimmune Disease and Psychological Stress 

Achsah Dorsey, Anthropology 

 

CYNTHIA KONG — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

A Single Molecule Study of Myosin V 

Edward Debold, Kinesiology 

 

EMIR K. KORUKLUOGLU — Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Latent Space Analysis Over Audio Large Language Model Speech Understanding 

Amir Houmansadr, Information & Computer Science 

 

NEHA KOTTURU — Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Enhancing Deep Learning Models for Facial Expression Recognition in Mental Health Care 

Hossein Pishro-Nik, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

SRIRAM KOUKUNTLA — Computer Science   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

EUGENIA A. KOVTUN — Neuroscience, Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Loneliness vs. Academic Stress as Predictors of Depressive Symptoms Among Undergraduates 

Muzzo Uysal, Isenberg School of Management 

 

EMILY A. KRESS — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Interactive Effects of Temperature and pH on Root Growth Dynamics in Arabidopsis thaliana 

Tobias Baskin, Biology 

 

ADITI KUDVA — Accounting   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Immigrant Health Paradox: Declining Wellness Across Generations in the United States 

Dean Robinson, Political Science 

 

GRACE KUHN — Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

SEJLA KULDIJA — Physics, Mathematics   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Simultaneous Inference of the Higgs Boson Width and Couplings Using the Atlas Higgs Boson Production Measurements in the H → ZZ and H → WW Channels 

Rafael Coelho Lopes de Sa, Physics 

 

ANOUSHKA KUNDER — Public Policy   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Experience Gap: AI Adoption in the Tech Industry in the United States and Germany 

Brenda Bushouse, School of Public Policy 

 

ROBERT J. KWOLEK — Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Fabrication-Aware Design of Nanophotonic Chips 

Rajveer Nehra, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

2026 Candidates—L

FATIMAH Q. LAHER — Public Policy, Public Health Sciences   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Medical Apartheid: A Data-Backed Analysis on Apartheid South Africa & the State of Palestine 

Airin Martinez, Health Promotion & Policy 

 

SHOHINI LALA — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Acoustic and Linguistic Neural Tracking of Naturalistic Speech in Five-Year-Old Children 

Lisa Sanders, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

MATTHEW LAMBORNE — Computer Science, Mathematics   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Reinforcement Learning-Based SAT Solver Heuristics for Secure Hash Algorithm-1 Preimage Attacks 

Marius Minea, Information & Computer Science 

 

FARRAH Y. LAMONTAGNE — Communication   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Empowering Young People to Create Change in Their Community: A Project to Prevent Domestic Violence and Relationship Abuse 

Ellen Correa, Civic Engagement & Service Learning 

 

VIVIENNE LANCE — Pre-Veterinary Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

A Vet Student’s Guide to Lambing: Volume I 

Mark Roblee, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

MEGAN S. LANGSAM — Education   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Libraries Are for Everyone: Creating and Curating Resources to Connect Young Readers with Disabilities to Accessible Book Formats 

Ellen Correa, Civic Engagement & Service Learning 

 

STEPHEN C. LANICH — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

JAKOB A. LANNE — Legal Studies   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Judicial Treatment of Modern Digital Surveillance 

Marissa L. Carrere, Political Science 

 

BAILEY G. LAPOLLA — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Who Pays the Price? Pharmaceutical Lobbying and Drug Price Negotiation Outcomes 

Kevin Young, Economics 

 

LUCIA LAPROCIDO — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Root Thermomorphogenesis in Arabidopsis thaliana 

Tobias Baskin, Biology 

 

LILEE W. LARGEN — Pre-Veterinary Science   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Borrowed Time 

Connie Griffin, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

ISABELLE R. LARIMORE — Mechanical Engineering   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

ROSARIO M. LARIOS — Operations & Information Management   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Air Pollution and Mental Health Disorders in Youth Ages, 10-24: A PRISMA‑Guided Systematic Review of Associations and Symptom Profiles 

Ann-Marie Sylvia, Public Health & Health Sciences 

 

LUKA V. LASIC — Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Revisiting Quantifying the Performance of Garbage Collection Versus Explicit Memory Management in the Modern Day 

Emery D. Berger, Information & Computer Science 

 

THANH UYEN HAO LE — Chemical Engineering   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Additive Manufacturing of Crosslinkable Amine-Epoxy Coatings 

Jessica Schiffman, Chemical Engineering 

 

YUNA LEE — Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Effects of Japanese Annexation on the Daily Lives of Korean Citizens 

Maxine Oland, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

SUJIN LEE — Computational Linguistics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Interpretable Semantic Axes for ‘Break' in Contextualized Embeddings 

Katrin Erk, Linguistics 

 

YEEUN LEE — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Quantitative Evaluation of Secondary Medication Delivery Accuracy in Intravenous Smart Pumps: Effects of Bag Volume, Hanger Configuration, and Pump Mechanism 

Juan Jiménez, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering 

 

HSIN LEE — Pre-Veterinary Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Functional Analysis of SUGT1 During Mouse Oocyte Development 

Wei Cui, Veterinary & Animal Sciences 

 

ELIANA S. LEHMANN — Individual Concentration: Creative Systems, Informatics  

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Sense of Place 

Paul Wolff, Bachelor's Degree with Individual Concentration 

 

GRACE H. LEI — Public Health Sciences, Economics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Envisioning Student Safety Through a Public Health and Abolitionist Lens via Storytelling 

Deborah M. Keisch, Civic Engagement & Service Learning 

 

MICHELLE A. LETOWSKA — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Improving Undergraduate Student Genetics Literacy Through a Case Study Addressing Central Dogma Misconceptions 

Rosa Moscarella, Biology 

 

JOYCE LEVINE — Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

RYAN M. LEVITAN — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Polymer-Directed Enzyme Prodrug Therapy in Triple Negative Breast Cancer 

Vincent M. Rotello, Chemistry 

 

ABIGAIL M. LEWIS — Sociology, Comparative Literature   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Making a Monster: How Stories Shape Societies 

Hayley Cotter, English 

 

ANDY LI — Sociology, Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Nuclear Stiffness Is Differentially Regulated by Lamin Isoforms 

Andrew D. Stephens, Biology 

 

EDWARD LI — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Effect of Cytokinin on Secondary Cell Wall Development in Leaf Nodal Roots and Stems of Brachypodium distachyon 

Samuel Hazen, Biology 

 

VIENNA LI — Public Health Sciences   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Body and Earth: Drawing the Parallels of Anatomy and Ecology 

Mark Roblee, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

ARCHIMEDES LI — Computer Science, Mathematics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Vocaloflow 

Mohammadhassan Hajiesmaili, Information & Computer Science 

 

HUIQING LIAO — Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Comparing Language Models for NER Tasks in Latin 

Cole Reilly, Information & Computer Science 

 

AUTUMN J. LIGUORI-BILLS — Public Health Sciences, Spanish   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

A Bilingual, Harm-Reduction Approach to Safer Bedsharing Among Latinx Caregivers in Western Massachusetts 

Meghan E. Armstrong-Abrami, Languages, Literatures, & Cultures 

 

HAOFENG LIN — German and Scandinavian Studies, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Establishment of Cytosolic Small Heat Shock Protein Knockout Lines in Arabidopsis thaliana 

Elizabeth Vierling, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 

 

MARGARET H. LIN — Food Sciences   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Isolation and Identification of a Resveratrol-Metabolizing Human Gut Bacterium 

Hang Xiao, Food Sciences 

 

OLIVIA R. LINDERMAN — Food Sciences   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Sensory Drivers of Consumer Acceptance of Barista-Quality Creamers and Dairy Alternatives in Coffee Beverages 

Alissa Nolden, Food Sciences 

 

JULIE M. LINDFELDT — German and Scandinavian Studies, Biomedical Engineering 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

HANNAH G. LINEHAN — History   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Historical Tradition and Constitutional Interpretation: Missing History, Legal Deciphering, and Silenced Discourse in the Dobbs Decision 

Martha L. Yoder, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

LOGAN T. LIOU — Kinesiology   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

The Effects of Speed and Age on the Biomechanics of Stair Descent 

Sarah Roelker, Kinesiology 

 

LARRY K. LIU — Computer Science, Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Capturing the Number Sense: Computational Models of Number Adaptation 

Joonkoo Park, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

TSAI-CHEN LO — Computer Science   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

 

ADRIANA M. LOPEZ — Biomedical Engineering 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Medicine, Mythology, and Healing in Greco-Roman and Mesoamerican Societies 

Mark Roblee, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

KEYSHLA N. LORENZO — Sociology, Psychology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Effects of Incarceration on the Family 

Razvan Sibii, Journalism 

 

BRIELLE E. LOS — Kinesiology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Compliance with the World Health Organization 24-Hour Movement Behavior Guidelines in Preschool Children in Western Massachusetts (Sunrise Study) 

Christine St. Laurent, Kinesiology 

 

ANTONELA LOSADA — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Bromodomain-Containing Protein 4 Inhibition Suppresses Nuclear Blebbing and Rupture 

Andrew D. Stephens, Biology 

 

ALEX A. LOURENCO — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Controlling the Gene Pool: Inequitable Access to CRISPR-Based Treatments 

Kathleen A. Brown-Pérez, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

DAVID J. LOWDEN — Mechanical Engineering   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Fault Modes and Verification Methods in Programmable Logic Controller Systems 

Jim E. Lagrant, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering 

 

ABIGAIL F. LOWRY — Biology, Public Health Sciences 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Disparities in Bystander Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Performance Depending on Patient Sex 

Elizabeth R. Bertone-Johnson, Health Promotion & Policy 

 

JUNYANG LU — Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Fine-Tuning Large Language Models with Direct Preference Optimization to Improve Zero-Shot Math Word Problem Generation 

Shiting Lan, Information & Computer Science 

 

MAKENZIE E. LUCE — Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Differences in Bird Songs Between Carolina Wrens on Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod 

Jeffrey Podos, Biology 

 

ORDELL W. LUETSCHWAGER — Mechanical Engineering   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Simulation of YawAngle Effects on Unsteady Blade Aerodynamics Using OpenFAST for FixedBottom and Floating Wind Turbines in Idling Conditions 

Matthew A. Lackner, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering 

 

MIA C. LUISI — Public Health Sciences   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Indigenous Food Sovereignty as a Path to Health Equity 

Deborah M. Keisch, Civic Engagement & Service Learning 

 

BACH H. LUU — Mathematics, Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

BRITNEY R. LYONS — Biology, Psychology   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Can Spiders Sense Numbers? 

Beth M. Jakob, Biology 

2026 Candidates—M

MIA E. MAALOUF — Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

LUKE MACANNUCO — Journalism   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

GREGORY C. MACDONALD — Psychology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Reactive Tokens as an Underlying Mechanism of Exploration in Conversation 

Erik W. Cheries, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

SOPHIE MACHERNIS — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

An Investigation into the Cognitive Effects of Artificial Intelligence Use 

Hossein Pishro-Nik, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

DHRITI KONDA REDDY MADIREDDY — Economics, Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Role of Institutions in the Adoption and Diffusion of Artificial Intelligence 

Valerie A. Voorheis, Economics 

 

EMILY F. MAGNANT — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Ecological Influences on Inhibitory Visual Circuit Development in Diurnal Rodents and Mammalian Relatives 

Sarah Pallas, Biology 

 

JAMES A. MAGYAR — Political Science   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Future of Western Financial Hegemony: Delinking, Development, and the Rise of BRICS and the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative 

Deepika Marya, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

ANIKA MAHARAJ — Psychology, Public Health Sciences 

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Examining Land as a Determinant of Health for Indigenous Communities 

Deborah M. Keisch, Civic Engagement & Service Learning 

 

ADELAIDE D. MALONEY — Linguistics, Spanish 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

AVANTIKA MANIKANDAN — Chemistry   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Investigating Protein Higher-Order Structure Using Covalent Labeling and Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry 

Richard W. Vachet, Chemistry 

 

JUSTIN MANOJ — Computer Science, Mathematics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

DANA MANOR — Chemistry   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Cleavage of Different DJ‑1 Constructs by Caspase‑6 

Jeanne Hardy, Chemistry 

 

FATIMA Z. MARASHI — Political Science, Legal Studies   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Lines That Cage: The Racial Blueprint for America’s Immigration War 

Kathleen A. Brown-Pérez, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

HANNAH M. MARKELZ — Environmental Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Effects of Soil Physicochemical Properties on Lead and Cadmium Uptake by Ocimum basilicum 

Hannah Naughton, Stockbridge School of Agriculture 

 

JUSTIN V. MARRO — Managerial Economics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The New Economics of Reproductive Control: Labor, Education, and Mobility After Dobbs 

Martha L. Yoder, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

HAILEY W. MARTIN — Legal Studies, Public Policy 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Siting Data Centers in the Public Eye: Predictors of Public Support and Opposition 

Brenda Bushouse, School of Public Policy 

 

ADELINE L. MARTIN — Film Studies, Theater 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

ELLA K. MASCIARELLI — Legal Studies, Economics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Protective or Punitive?: The Dual Nature of Domestic Violence Law 

Kathleen A. Brown-Pérez, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

ASHLYN L. MCADAMS — Individual Concentration: Digital Marketing, Communication   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Creation of a Clothing Brand: "from Ash." 

Jenny M. Vogel, Art 

 

MEGHAN T. MCBRIDE — Astronomy, Physics 

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Hunting for Milky Ways with Massive Satellite Companions 

Mia de los Reyes, Astronomy 

 

MARIELSA W. MCBRIDE — Anthropology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Homecoming: The Landback Movement’s Effect on Indigenous People in the United States 

Deborah M. Keisch, Civic Engagement & Service Learning 

 

SARAH A. MCCARTHY — Psychology, Mathematics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

JACK W. MCGARAGHAN — Philosophy, Linguistics and Philosophy   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

KATHRYN A. MCGILLIVRAY — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Stem Node Architecture and Secondary Cell Wall Regulation in the Model Grass Brachypodium distachyon 

Samuel Hazen, Biology 

 

LANEY M. MCGOFF — Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

The Relationship Between Language and Parents’ Ratings of Cognitive and Behavioral Skills in Intellectual Disabilities 

Jill R. Hoover, Communication Disorders 

 

JOANNE R. MCGUINNESS — Operations & Information Management   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

CALEB B. MCKEARNEY — Finance   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

What Do Large Language Models Think a Bitcoin Is Worth? 

Anurag Sharma, Isenberg School of Management 

 

ARDEN M. MCKENNA — Industrial Engineering   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Identifying Patterns of Multimorbidity Using Association Rule Mining in US Health Data 

Hari Balasubramanian, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering 

 

ALEXA MCKIM — Public Health Sciences, Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Making Sense of Food Media: College Women’s Lived Experiences of Eating and Their Relationships with Food 

Leda Cooks, Communication 

 

RIA V. MEHROTRA — Chemical Engineering   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Electrocatalytic Reduction of Nitrate to Ammonia: Investigating the Role of Cationic Contaminants 

Zhu Chen, Chemical Engineering 

 

DEV V. MEHTA — Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Using Technology to Address Imposter Syndrome in Computer Science Students 

Ellen Correa, Civic Engagement & Service Learning 

 

OM MEHTA — Computer Science, Mathematics 

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Prophet Inequalities in the Non-IID and Free-Order Setting 

Hedyeh Beyhaghi, Information & Computer Science 

 

ANGIE MEJIA — Nursing 

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Barriers and facilitators to self-advocacy during the birthing process: An analysis from focus groups 

Lucinda Canty, Nursing 

 

MARK S. MENDOZA — Microbiology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Identification and Biochemical Characterization of Compounds Causing Mortality in Tick-Borne Disease Control 

Stephen M. Rich, Microbiology 

 

JAERON V. MERCADO — Finance   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Sustainability as Strategy: Evaluating the Financial and Consumer Impacts of Sustainable Practices in the Fashion Industry 

Muzzo Uysal, Isenberg School of Management 

 

PRISCILLIA K. META — Public Health Sciences   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Bridging the Gap Through Evaluating Maternal Health Policies and Racial Disparities in Postpartum Hemorrhage 

Carrie Johnson Nobles, Environmental Health Sciences 

 

ANNALIEKA J. METS — Civil Engineering   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Societal Impacts of Earthquake Risk in San Francisco Using Geographic Information System Analysis of Building Characteristics 

Jessica Boakye, Civil & Environmental Engineering 

 

PRESTON D. MILLER — Spanish, Social Thought & Political Economy   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Magic & Mania 

Hoang G. Phan, English 

 

ZOE MILLER — Psychology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Effects of Hormonal Contraceptives on the Mental Health of Physically Healthy Adult Females: A Systematic Literature Review 

Katherine L. Dixon-Gordon, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

MAIA F. MINTS — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

JACQUELINE R. MIRABELLA — English   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Naked and Afraid: The Epidemic of Sexual Assault Within United States Prisons and the Failure to Address It 

Razvan Sibii, Journalism 

 

AARON K. MISTRY — Finance   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Entertaining the Student Body: An Analysis of University Programming 

Anurag Sharma, Isenberg School of Management 

 

MANASH C. MISTRY — Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

 

ANDREW MITCHELL — Computer Engineering   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Studying Differential Power Analysis on Field Programmable Gate Array Implementation of Machine Learning Model 

Wayne Peter Burleson, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

MADELEINE MOSTEIRO — Pre-Veterinary Science   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Using Breastmilk from BRCA Mutation Carriers as an Assessment Tool for Breast Cancer Risk 

Kathleen Arcaro, Veterinary & Animal Sciences 

 

FIRDAUS MUHAMMAD — Microbiology, Public Health Sciences   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Assessing NRF2 Activation for Pancreatic Recovery Following Critical-Window Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid Exposure in ptf1a:GFP Zebrafish (Danio rerio) 

Alicia Timme-Laragy, Environmental Health Sciences 

 

WILLIAM K. MULHOLLAND — Neuroscience, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Does Platelet Factor 4 Cross the Blood Brain Barrier? 

Cana Park, Biology 

 

OWEN B. MULLINS — History   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Russian Propaganda and State Capture in Francophone Africa 

Robert LaRussa, School of Public Policy 

 

JULIE K. MULLOY — Kinesiology   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Predicting Low Back Pain in Collegiate Dancers Through Functional Movement Screening and Lower Crossed Syndrome Assessment 

Judi Labranche, Kinesiology 

 

NICOLE W. MUMBI — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Weathering, Structural Racism, and the Intergenerational Transmission of Low Birthweight Among Black Women in the United States 

Dean Robinson, Political Science 

 

ABDAN MUMTAZ — Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

THOMAS C. MURPHY — Computer Engineering   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Peak: Software for Prepaid Energy Awareness Kit 

Maitreyee Marathe, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

JACQUELINE M. MURPHY — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Scientific Guide to Sourdough Fermentation: A Comparative Analysis of Microbial and Substrate Differences in Whole Wheat and White Flour Starters 

Xian Wu, Food Sciences 

 

BRIGID E. MURRAY — Marketing   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Unifying the Boston Scientific Digital Experience 

Heidi E. Bailey, Isenberg School of Management 

 

JESSICA E. MURRAY — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Getting Used to Accented Speech: Does Exposure Reduce Listening Effort? 

Alexandra Jesse, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

2026 Candidates—N

AYUSH NADIGER — Computer Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics and Data Science 

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Billiard-Theoretic Geometry Diagnostics for Patch-Induced Heating in Trapped-Ions 

Christopher Cox, Mathematics & Statistics 

 

MIHIR S. NAGARKATTI — Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Uniform and Non-Uniform Coverage with Large Language Model-Powered and Statistically-Optimal Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems 

Hossein Pishro-Nik, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

SIVASREE NAGAVARAPU — Political Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Framing Empowerment: an Analysis of Women’s Narratives in BRAC Publications 

Signe Louise Predmore, Political Science 

 

RISHABH V. NAIR — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Patents and Power: Understanding Exploitation in the WTO 

Deepika Marya, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

MUKIL NAIR — Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Relationship Between Rapid Eye Movement Sleep and Emotional Reactivity During Menstrual Phases in Young Reproductive Women 

Rebecca M. C. Spencer, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

DINOR NALLBANI — Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering 

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Analytical Modeling of Wind Turbine Dynamics Using Symbolic Lagrangian Mechanics 

Emmanuel Branlard, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering 

 

RACHNA R. NAMBIAR — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Psychology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Conquest by Law: The Use of Law to Subjugate and Marginalize in the US 

Kathleen A. Brown-Pérez, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

SIMON A. NAM-KRANE — History   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

"The Holy Revolt of the Oppressed": René Girard and the French Revolution 

Daniel L. Gordon, History 

 

PRIYAL HITESH NANDA — Computer Science   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Analyzing and Reducing Server-Level Skew in Distributed IVF Retrieval Systems 

Marco Serafini, Information & Computer Science 

 

ANN-RITA NANYUNJA — Biomedical Engineering   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Inflammation-Induced Micro-Injury and Tissue Repair: Cellular Mechanisms and Implications for Electroporation-Based Drug Delivery 

Govind Srimathveeravalli, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering 

 

JINESHWAR NARIANI — Computer Science, Mathematics  

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Strategic Deception and Detection in Multi-Agent Environments: A Game - Theoretic Reinforcement Learning Framework 

Patrick Flaherty, Mathematics & Statistics 

 

NOURA M. NASAH — Operations & Information Management   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Exploring the Roots of Trust in Artificial Intelligence and the Role of Personality in Shaping AI Reliance 

Zach Sheffler, Isenberg School of Management 

 

ISKANDAR NAZHAR — Mathematics, Electrical Engineering   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

HASSAN Z. NEJMELDEEN — Physics, Mathematics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

MEGHAN C. NEVILLE — Political Science, Spanish   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

From Isolation to Influence: Spain's Position in the European Union 

Albert Lloret, Spanish and Portuguese Studies 

 

TIYE T. NGACHOKO — Informatics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

LISA E. NGUYEN — Public Health Sciences   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Policy Analysis on the Healthcare of Incarcerated Pregnant Women 

Razvan Sibii, Journalism 

 

DIEGO J. NIETO — Economics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Reflections on Attention and Connection 

Hans Despain, Economics 

 

JOHNATHON P. NORDMAN — Mechanical Engineering   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Design of CO2 Cylinder Weighing System 

David Schmidt, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering 

 

HAYLEY NORTON — Biomedical Engineering   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Probiotic Bacterium Lactococcus lactis Adhesion on Polydimethylsiloxane Substrates to Model Maintenance of Healthy Gut Flora 

Jessica Schiffman, Chemical Engineering 

 

HADASS NOVICK — Psychology, Individual Concentration  

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Single-Host Parasitism: A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Humanity’s Ecological Relationship with Earth 

Thomas G. Brashear-Alejandro, Isenberg School of Management 

 

RYO NOZAWA — Management, Legal Studies   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The War Abroad and on the Homefront: How the Vietnam War Redefined and Mobilized Black Resistance 

Martha L. Yoder, Commonwealth Honors College 

2026 Candidates—O

ABIGAIL E. O'BRIEN — Public Health Sciences   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Food Freedom: A Critical Community Engagement Project in Food Access Programming 

Ellen Correa, Civic Engagement & Service Learning 

 

ISABELLA M. O'BRIEN — Political Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

JONES O'KEEFE — Economics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

A Demographic and Chronological Analysis of Cuban Immigration to the United States 

Razvan Sibii, Journalism 

 

GABRIEL OLLAND — Environmental Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Snowpack Accumulation and Melt Dynamics in Southcentral Alaska, and Their Influence on Streamflow 

David F. Boutt, Geosciences 

 

RYAN P. O'MEARA — Mechanical Engineering   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Fluid-Structure Interactions of Cylinders in Axial Flow 

Yahya Modarres-Sadeghi, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering 

 

OMAR H. OSMAN — Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Assessing the Predictive Accuracy of Machine Learning Models in NBA Draft Player Evaluation 

Hossein Pishro-Nik, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

NICOLE A. OSSIPIAN — Economics   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

How Behavioral Factors Influence Household Adoption of Renewable Energy in Amherst, Massachusetts 

Christine L. Crago, Resource Economics 

 

KRYSTAL F. OTIS — Art and Design   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

All Ages 

Roopa Vasudevan, Art 

 

LIAM J. OUELLETTE — Environmental Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

2026 Candidates—P

KAYLA P. PACHECO — Environmental Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Using Morphometrics to Identify Freshwater Mussel Glochidia on Host Fishes 

Allison H. Roy, Environmental Conservation 

 

SAGNIK PAL — Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

VISHWESH PALANI — Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Investigating Infinite AIFV-2 Coding Schemes for Geometric Probability Distributions 

Mordecai Golin, Information & Computer Science 

 

KAAVYA PANDEY — Chemical Engineering   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Phos-For-Us: Carbon Source and Dosing Optimization for Biofilm-Based Phosphorus Recovery 

Caitlyn Butler, Civil & Environmental Engineering 

 

ZACHARY PARSONS — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Neuroscience   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Visual Depth as an Influence on the Area Coherence Illusion 

Joonkoo Park, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

CASSIE PASSIAS — Economics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

LUKE PASTERCZYK — Economics, Mathematics  

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Trajectory Design: Comparing Statistically Optimal Solutions to Large Language Model Planning 

Hossein Pishro-Nik, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

ANIKA PATCHALA — Informatics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Translating Generation Z College Student Pickleball Motivations into Strategic Marketing Advantage 

Heidi E. Bailey, Isenberg School of Management 

 

DARSH P. PATEL — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Map Minutes: A Time Bank Exploring Anti-Capitalist Exchange at UMass Amherst 

Deborah M. Keisch, Civic Engagement & Service Learning 

 

VISHVA PATEL — Operations & Information Management   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Time Banking as a Tool for Connectivity Among University and Community Members 

Deborah M. Keisch, Civic Engagement & Service Learning 

 

SHIVEN U. PATEL — Computer Science   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Bridging the Sim-to-Real Gap: Robust Vision-Based Navigation for Robotic Guide Dogs 

Donghyun Kim, Information & Computer Science 

 

RUSHIL B. PATEL — Biomedical Engineering   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Spatiotemporal Analysis of Cell Monolayer Dynamics: A Deep Learning Approach to Layered Wound Closure 

Yubing Sun, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering 

 

BRIANNA K. PEASE — Political Science, Economics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Juvenile Justice: The Dismantling of a System Perpetuating Inequality 

Kathleen A. Brown-Pérez, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

TYLER PELT — Environmental Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Temporal Acoustic Trends of the Striped Cusk-Eel (Ophidion marginatum) in Wellfleet Harbor, Massachusetts 

Scott Jackson, Environmental Conservation 

 

ELEANOR M. PELTZ — Classics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Συλαγωγῶν Διὰ Τῆς Φιλοσοφίας (‘Carried Away by Philosophy’): Considering Scientific Language in Colossians 

Brian W. Breed, Classics 

 

CELIA A. PERKS — Legal Studies   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Red Curtain 

Dean Robinson, Political Science 

 

MCKENNA N. PERRY — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Supporting Families, Protecting Infants: Paid Family Leave and Vaccination Timeliness in Massachusetts and Canada 

Dean Robinson, Political Science 

 

ALAN D. PERRY — German and Scandinavian Studies, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

THUYEN PHAM — Computer Science, Mathematics   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Automated Wing Landmark Detection for Morphological Classification of Winter Moth Species 

Hossein Pishro-Nik, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

MAI HA PHAN — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Investigating Nitric Oxide Production in Alveolar Macrophages During Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection 

Alissa Rothchild, Veterinary & Animal Sciences 

 

BENJAMIN M. PHILPOT — Economics, Environmental Science 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

New York Ores Permitting Timeline Analysis 

Christine L. Crago, Resource Economics 

 

LUCA M. PILLIDGE — Environmental Science, Natural Resources Conservation   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

High Developmental Stress Is Associated with Increased Pathogen Infection in One of Two Bumble Bee Species 

Lynn S. Adler, Biology 

 

ISABEL D. POLAK — Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Relationship Between Executive Functions and Grammatical Processing in Early Childhood 

Jill R. Hoover, Communication Disorders 

 

ELISE A. POLIZZI — Electrical Engineering, Physics  

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

First-Principles Studies of Semiconductor Oxide Materials 

Ashwin Ramasubramaniam, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering 

 

MEGAN E. POWELL — Pre-Veterinary Science   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Use of a Conditional Knockout of Glutamic Oxaloacetic Transaminase 2, a Component of the Malate-Aspartate Shuttle, to Examine Its Function During Murine Organogenesis 

Kim D. Tremblay, Veterinary & Animal Sciences 

 

LILY J. POWER — Political Science   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

AVA E. PRETZEL — Neuroscience   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Evidence for a Dissociation of Static and Dynamic Intuitive Physics 

Lauren Aulet, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

HUNTER M. PROULX — Political Science, French & Francophone Studies   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Chinafrique or Françafrique? Political Alignment and Bilateral Trade Patterns in Francophone Africa 

Ka Zeng, Political Science 

 

JIMENA PUEYO-GARCIA — Legal Studies, Political Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Authoritarian Trauma: What Francisco Franco Left Behind 

Signe Louise Predmore, Political Science 

 

KRIPA RAVI PURSWANI — Marketing   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

One Conversation 

Daniel J. Pope, Humanities & Fine Arts 

2026 Candidates—R

OWEN A. RAFTERY — Computer Engineering   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Machine Learning for a Covert Communications Adversary 

Dennis L. Goeckel, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

ELIOT H. RAGOSA — Neuroscience   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Glioblastoma Travel Project 

Matt Davidson, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

DEEKSHITA RAJENDRAN — Neuroscience, Psychology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

How Do Individual Differences in the Big Five Personality Traits Relate to Explore/Exploit Behavior in Decision-Making and Motor Control? 

Youngbin Kwak, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

MOHAN D. RAM — Neuroscience, Statistics and Data Science   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Quantitative Analysis of Cortical Maturation Delays in Patients with Focal Epilepsy 

John W. Staudenmayer, Mathematics & Statistics 

 

KYA A. RANSOM — Psychology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

How Parenting Environments Shape Adolescent Self-Control and Risky Decision-Making Across Development 

Kirby D. Deater-Deckard, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

ZIHAN RAO — Physics   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Long-Term Cryogenic Characterization of Vacuum-Ultraviolet-Sensitive Silicon Photomultipliers 

Andrea Pocar, Physics 

 

MUSKAN RATHI — Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Supporting a Person with Dementia: A Caregiver Resource Guide 

Ellen Correa, Civic Engagement & Service Learning 

 

LUKE K. RATTANAVIJAI — Computer Engineering   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

An Agentic System for Datacenter Network Migration Specification 

Lixin Gao, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

VALENTINA F. RAVAIOLI — Political Science, Sustainable Community Development   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

From Courtroom to Canvas: A Critique of Entertainment Law and Legal Literacy Through Visual Storytelling 

John Francis Simpson, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

SHLOK DHARMENDRA RAVAL — Computer Science 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Asymmetric Slip Model-Based Locomotion Controller for a Humanoid Robot with an Actuated Toe 

Donghyun Kim, Information & Computer Science 

 

SARISHA RAY — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Mutual Aid Supports Food Insecurity Prevention at the University of Massachusetts Amherst 

Deborah M. Keisch, Civic Engagement & Service Learning 

 

CHARLES D. RAYMER — Economics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Rise of a Revolutionary Culture in Cuba 

Maxine Oland, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

ABIGAIL C. REDDIVARI — Legal Studies, Operations & Information Management   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Entertaining the Student Body: An Analysis of University Programming 

Anurag Sharma, Isenberg School of Management 

 

SAI S. REDDY — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Neuroscience   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Optimization of Blood-Brain Barrier-Crossing Lipid Nanoparticles for Brain Delivery and Modulation of NLRP3 Inflammasome Signaling 

Ashish A. Kulkarni, Chemical Engineering 

 

MARGARET O. REDINGER — Public Policy   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

A Perfect Storm: Loneliness Epidemic, AI Explosion, and Absent Federal Government Regulation 

Brenda Bushouse, School of Public Policy 

 

RAEGAN M. REDMOND — Microbiology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Parenting, Platforms, and Public Trust: How Online Communities Shape Vaccine Hesitancy Among Young Parents 

Dean Robinson, Political Science 

 

BROOKLYN R. REGAN — Physics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Pliocene Glacial History of the Ross Sea, Antarctica: Microfossil Record from IODP Site U1522 

R. Mark Leckie, Geosciences 

 

JAKE B. REID — Computer Science, Mathematics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Harnessing Large Language Models for Autonomous Mission Planning in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles 

Hossein Pishro-Nik, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

CARALYN G. REXROAD — Environmental Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Using Isotopic Analysis to Assess Estuarine Sediment Dynamics and Composition in the Northeastern United States 

Brian Yellen, Earth, Geographic, and Climate Sciences 

 

SUSAN M. REYNOLDS — Legal Studies, Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Information Is Power: The US Government's Unregulated Data-Sharing Partnerships with Technology Corporations During an Era of Innovation and Democratic Destruction 

Kathleen A. Brown-Pérez, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

CHARLOTTE C. RIBE — Journalism, English   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

ERIK A. RICHARDSON — Geology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Garnet as an Archive of Appalachian Metamorphism: Microstructural and Geochronological Evidence from Rowe-Moretown Schists in Chester, MA 

Mike Williams, Geosciences 

 

VASILY ROGAEV — Operations & Information Management   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

BRIANNA L. ROHMANN — Pre-Veterinary Science   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Investigating Changes in Human Neural Evolution 

Courtney Babbitt, Biology 

 

KALYANI ROJAN — Microbiology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Enhancing Disinfection Using Synergistic Interactions Between Carvacrol and Charged Surfactants: A Comparative Analysis of Emulsion Formulations Against Tulane Virus, a Human Norovirus Surrogate 

Matthew D. Moore, Food Sciences 

 

LILY ROONEY — Psychology, Communication   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Minjok: Japan’s Occupation of Korea and the Impacts on the Development of a Korean National Identity 

Maxine Oland, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

ANABELLA G. ROSE — Mechanical Engineering   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

A Review of Hand Arthritis Types, Challenges, and Solutions 

Douglas C. Eddy, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering 

 

SOPHIA A. ROSELLI — Marketing   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Data Privacy Dilemma: Creating a Roadmap for Ethical Digital Marketing 

Jennifer F. Merton, Isenberg School of Management 

 

JONATHAN ROSSIGNOL — Mathematics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Analysis of Large Language Model Watermarks 

Lulu Kang, Mathematics & Statistics 

 

JAMES P. RUST — Computer Science, Economics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Assessing the Predictive Accuracy of Machine Learning Models in NBA Draft Player Evaluation 

Hossein Pishro-Nik, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

AOIFE K. RUTH — Biomedical Engineering   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

 

SARAH E. RYAN — Legal Studies, Political Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

From Buck to Dobbs: The Constitutional Logic of Reproductive Policing 

Martha L. Yoder, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

MARY M. RYAN — Physics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Biomechanical Model of the Kip to Straddle Cast Handstand on the Uneven Bar Apparatus 

Narayanan Menon, Physics 

 

MARY K. RYAN — History   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

2026 Candidates—S

SAM J. SABIA — Astronomy, Physics   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Examining the Mass Segregation of Young Stellar Objects in Star Forming Regions 

Robert A. Gutermuth, Astronomy 

 

LEAH SAKS — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Digital Tutor: Evaluating the Efficacy of Large Language Model-Driven Instruction Through a Case Study in the Fundamentals of Quantum Computing 

Hossein Pishro-Nik, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

EMILIO SALAZAR — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Points of Intersection: Mapping Enzyme-Substrate Interactions in Molecular Chaperone Networks 

Lila Gierasch, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Chemistry 

 

SHIVAANGI SALHOTRA — Linguistics and Psychology; Psychology; Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

ISHAAN SINGH SARNA — Psychology, Managerial Economics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Shared Solar, Shared Savings: A Statistical Analysis of Community Solar Participation and Energy Burden in Massachusetts 

Christine L. Crago, Resource Economics 

 

KAI SATO — Accounting   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Examining Corporate Governance Under Environmental, Social, and Governance Mandates: How Large Corporations Can Strengthen Disclosures & Compliance 

Jennifer F. Merton, Isenberg School of Management 

 

CALEB SAWICKI — Education   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Designing a Multimodal Metacognitive Practice Database 

Torrey E. Trust, Education 

 

LEONARDO J. SCARAMOZZA — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Developing a Method to Enrich Endogenous Caspase-6 for Post-Translational Modification Discovery 

Jeanne Hardy, Chemistry 

 

ISABELLA R. SCHILLE — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Individual Differences in Conformity to Heavy Drinking: The Roles of Neuroticism, Self-Monitoring, and Working Memory 

Allecia E. Reid, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

BEREN J. SCHMIDT — Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Analysis of Large Language Models for Intelligent Mission Planning in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Non-Uniform Coverage 

Hossein Pishro-Nik, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

ASHLEY A. SCHNEIDER — Psychology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Harmonizing Voice Through Song: Advancing the Integration of Augmentative and Alternative Communication Devices with Music Therapy for Autistic Individuals 

Sandy Litchfield, Architecture 

 

JULIA A. SCHOWALTER — Environmental & Natural Resources Economics, Political Science  

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Who’s Fueling Climate Capitalism? A Corporate Social Network Analysis 

Kevin Young, Economics 

 

CLAIRE SCHWARTZ — Public Health Sciences   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Effects of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons on Women's Reproductive Health 

Carrie Johnson Nobles, Environmental Health Sciences 

 

JADE S. SCOTT — Public Policy   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Understanding University Third-Place Access and Its Impact on Students' Sense of Community 

Brenda Bushouse, School of Public Policy 

 

ALEXANDER M. SCRENCI — Electrical Engineering   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Applications for Machine Learning in Analog Circuit Design 

Robert W. Jackson Jr, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

ALEC SEMAAN — Neuroscience   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

RIDDHIMAAN SENAPATI — Computer Science   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Fortifying Large Language Model Relevance Judgements Against Query Injection Attacks 

James Allan, Information & Computer Science 

 

SHYLA SENN — Kinesiology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Increased Connection Points of Slings with Transfer Lifts Lowers Pressure Contact on High-Risk Patients in Hospital Settings: Comparing Two-Point and Four-Point Sling Attachment Impact on Risk of Pressure Injuries 

Frank C. Sup, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering 

 

ATHARVA NIKHIL SHAHANE — Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Exploring the Use of Large Language Models to Improve Scenario Creation and Free-Response Grading Within the Platform for Ethical and Responsible Computing Education (Pearce) 

Heather Conboy, Information & Computer Science 

 

REBECCA S. SHAHROOZ — Biology, Spanish   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Akordar: Love, Loss, and Memory in Judeo-Spanish Poetics 

Jordan Katz, Judaic & Near Eastern Studies 

 

KIRUBA SHALIN — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Protein-Functionalized, Lipoprotein-Mimetic Lipid Nanoparticles for Gene Therapy Delivery to the Central Nervous System 

Jingjing Gao, Biomedical Engineering 

 

HARISH P. SHANKAR — Computer Science, Mathematics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Extensions to the Online Pen Testing Problem 

Mingda Qiao, Information & Computer Science 

 

AKANKSHA SHARMA — Managerial Economics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Colonial Foundations of Capital: The American Banking System and the Economic Architecture of Empire 

Maxine Oland, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

SIDDHI SHARMA — Neuroscience, Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Effect of Food Intake on Emotion Regulation 

Leda Cooks, Communication 

 

ADA J. SHAVO — Linguistics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Language and Power in the UMass Writing Center 

Edwin Everhart, Anthropology 

 

SAMANTHA SHEEDY — Informatics, Mathematics 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Comparing Impacts of Lecturing and Collaborative Concept Mapping on Learning Outcomes and Perspectives in a Statistics Classroom 

Qian Zhao, Mathematics & Statistics 

 

JACK SHEMLIGIAN — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Perspectives 

Connie Griffin, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

ELIZABETH K. SHEPARD — Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science  

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Low-Channel Multi-Modal Foundational Model for Sleep Staging Using Self-Supervised Contrastive Learning 

Joyita Dutta, Biomedical Engineering 

 

LOGAN S. SHEPARD — Kinesiology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Determining the Effects of Whole-Body Heating on Hamstring Flexibility and Patellofemoral Pain 

John R. Sirard, Kinesiology 

 

ELIZABETH M. SHEPERD — Public Health Sciences   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Who Deserves Care? The Consequences of Restricting Immigrants from the Health Care Safety Net 

Kathleen A. Brown-Pérez, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

SYNA SHETH — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Impact of Targeted Memory Reactivation on Declarative Memory Performance During Middle Childhood 

Rebecca M. C. Spencer, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

ATHENA B. SHETH — Operations & Information Management   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

RACHEL W. SHI — Managerial Economics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Can You Be Above the Law? How Socioeconomic Status Impacts Criminal Accountability 

Kevin Young, Economics 

 

ALEXANDER C. SHICK — Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Cognitive Offloading in Agile Teams, How AI Reshapes Risk Assessment and Planning Quality 

Shiting Lan, Information & Computer Science 

 

ALEXANDER D. SHIKHANOVICH — Computer Engineering   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

P.E.A.K: Hardware for Prepaid Energy Awareness Kit 

Maitreyee Marathe, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

ALINA SHKURIKHINA — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Exploring the Role of Organellar Proteins in Heat Stress Tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana 

Elizabeth Vierling, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 

 

MAHAMAYA SHREESHA PAI — Microbiology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Depoliticization of Community Health: Federalization and the Transformation of Health Centers 

Dean Robinson, Political Science 

 

ANASTASIA V. SHUB — Industrial Engineering   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Design and Evaluation of In-Vehicle Human Machine Interface for Enhancing Passenger Trust in Level 4 Automated Vehicles 

Anuj K. Pradhan, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering 

 

JADE E. SHUM — Anthropology, Art History   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Playing American: American Girl Dolls, Asian Americans, and Citizenship from 1996-2013 

Christine I. Ho, History of Art & Architecture Department 

 

HARINI SIBI — Microbiology, Public Health Sciences 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Targeting Dual Species Biofilm of Candida albicans and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus: Gelatin Nanoemulsion-Based Delivery of Essential Oils 

Vincent M. Rotello, Chemistry 

 

ALEXANDRA T. SIERRA GARCIA — Communication, Political Science   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

JASON A. SIGLAG — Psychology, Management   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Community 

Connie Griffin, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

SAMUEL SILVER — Mathematics   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

The Morita Construction for Strict Monoidal Categories 

Martina Rovelli, Mathematics & Statistics 

 

ANNE-COLOMBE SINKPON — Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Artificial Intelligence Integration and Food Waste Management in University Dining Services 

Leda Cooks, Communication 

 

VENKATA SIVA NAGA NANDINI SIRIKONDA — Mathematics, Managerial Economics  

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

AMBA JAEL SKEETE — Applied Plant and Soil Sciences   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Impact of an Agrivoltaic System on Sweet Corn Phenology and Yield 

Michelle DaCosta, Stockbridge School of Agriculture 

 

ELLA SKLAR — Public Health Sciences, Legal Studies   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Understanding Pathways of Support: A Community Responder Program Case Study 

Jennifer M. Whitehill, Health Promotion & Policy 

 

MACKENZIE J. SMITH — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Rooted in Time 

Connie Griffin, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

ADRIANA R. SMITH — Political Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Manipulation of Latin American Labor and Migration in the Era of Globalization 

Deepika Marya, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

GIANNA K. SMITH — Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

The Lived Experiences and Values of Mothers Raising Children with Down Syndrome 

Jill R. Hoover, Communication Disorders 

 

EMILEN R. SMITH — Legal Studies   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

 

JACOB A. SOLOMON — Managerial Economics, Psychology 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Resilience and Adaptive Outcomes Among Youth in Foster Care 

Jen McDermott, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

JACOB A. SORENSEN — Natural Resources Conservation   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Mussel Stranding in the Wheelwright Dam Impoundment 

Allison H. Roy, Environmental Conservation 

 

SOPHIA SOUSA — Economics, Mathematics 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Child Labor in the Cocoa Industry: A Consequence of Neocolonialism 

Deepika Marya, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

YASMIN A. SOUZA — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Exploring Outreach Practices and Perceived Stigma in Food Resource Organizations 

Leda Cooks, Communication 

 

ALYSIA C. SPENCER — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

From Chrysalis to Butterfly: A Mosaic of Me 

Connie Griffin, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

SASHA SPERLING — Communication   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Helping Independent Insurance Agents Reach and Connect with Gen Z 

Heidi E. Bailey, Isenberg School of Management 

 

MILA Y. SPLAWSKA — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Abortion Rights: A Case for the Equal Protection Clause 

Martha L. Yoder, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

SADHVI M. SREERAM — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Socioeconomic and Racial Disparities in Maternal Mortality in the United States 

Dean Robinson, Political Science 

 

IANNA H. SSEMUGENZE — Microbiology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Relationship Between Humanity and the Natural World: Reshaping Worldviews Through an Afrocentric Approach 

Mark Roblee, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

AARON J. STASIOWSKI — Physics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Ravens over Midgard: Myth and the Old Norse Worldview 

Mark Roblee, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

REBECCA H. STEERE — Public Policy   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Federal Funding, Local Education: The Role of Impact Aid in Meeting Community Needs 

Brenda Bushouse, School of Public Policy 

 

HANNAH STEINBRECHER — Environmental Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Effect of Natural Organic Matter Size on Reactivity and Disinfection Byproduct Formation Potential 

Sean McBeath, Civil & Environmental Engineering 

 

NICOLE C. STEINMEYER — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Investigating Enzymes Involved in Nitric Oxide Signaling and Homeostasis in Arabidopsis thaliana 

Elizabeth Vierling, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 

 

TYLER A. STEPHAN — Operations & Information Management, Sport Management 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Swiping for Love: A Study of Dating at UMass Amherst 

Anurag Sharma, Isenberg School of Management 

 

DAVID A. STEVENSON — Chemical Engineering, Chemistry   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Covalent Bonds and Controlled Angles in Centimeter-Scale Monocrystalline Twisted Bilayer Graphene 

Christos Dimitrakopoulos, Chemical Engineering 

 

EVAN D. STOTSKY — Management   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Best Days of My Life, at Least Until Tomorrow 

Connie Griffin, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

SOPHIA L. STRAAYER — Communication, Journalism   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Life in Laps: Movement, Memory, and a Narrative of Becoming 

Connie Griffin, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

MICKALA D. STRATTON — Chinese Language and Literature, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Environmental DNA (eDNA) as a Tool for Rare Freshwater Mussel Detection and Restoration Planning 

Allison H. Roy, Environmental Conservation 

 

MADELINE A. STUART — Anthropology, Biology 

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Survivability or Mortality: Examining Health in a Medieval Population Using Linear Enamel Hypoplasiases and Other Stress Indicators 

Brigitte M. Holt, Anthropology 

 

QUINN J. SUGAR — Accounting   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Amherst TOPSoccer: Developing an Inclusive Youth Soccer Program for Children with Disabilities 

Ellen Correa, Civic Engagement & Service Learning 

 

GRAEME L. SULLIVAN — Chemical Engineering, Physics 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Characterization of Hydrofluoroether Flow at Cryogenic Temperatures 

Andrea Pocar, Physics 

 

LEYNA SUMMERS — Legal Studies   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Re-Evaluating Section 230 in the Social Media Age 

Douglas R. Rice, Legal Studies 

 

EVA S. SWEENEY — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Investigating the Immunomodulatory Properties of Turmeric-Derived Compound, Curcumin 

Lisa Minter, Veterinary & Animal Sciences 

 

NICHOLAS SYDORENKO — Electrical Engineering   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

 

NICOLE E. SYLVAIN — Kinesiology, Biology   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

A Comparison of the Biomechanics of Running and Hopping 

Wouter Hoogkamer, Kinesiology 

2026 Candidates—T

ANANYA L. TALLURI — Finance, Informatics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Growth vs. Green: Structural Limits of Sustainable Initiatives in the Tourism Industry 

Thomas G. Brashear-Alejandro, Isenberg School of Management 

 

TIFFANY G. TAN — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Developing an Optimized Cadmium Biosensor in Pseudomonas putida and Investigating Surface Display of Metal-Binding Domains 

Lauren B. Andrews, Chemical Engineering 

 

NICHOLLE KIRSTEN L. TAN — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Food Sciences   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Biotransformation of Chickpea Flour Using Submerged Fermentation with Aspergillus oryzae to Enhance Protein Functionality and Proximate Composition 

Lutz Grossmann, Food Sciences 

 

THANG QUANG TAO — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Developing Amino Acid-Functionalized Antimicrobial Polymers for Biofilm Treatment 

Vincent M. Rotello, Chemistry 

 

SOPHIA C. TAYLOR — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Exploring STEM Identity, Belonging, and Research Readiness Across Undergraduate Research Engagement Stages 

Jeffrey Blanchard, Biology 

 

ERIK FILIPE T. TEODORO — Legal Studies, Political Science   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Enigma: Latinos for Trump? 

Tatishe M. Nteta, Political Science 

 

SANYA THAKUR — Mathematics, Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Risk-Averse Stochastic Package Queries to Build Stock Portfolios 

Peter J. Haas, Information & Computer Science 

 

GRACE H. THOMPSON — Economics, Political Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Restorative Practices in University Safety 

Deborah M. Keisch, Civic Engagement & Service Learning 

 

AARON TIAN — Computer Science, Mathematics   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Sampling Methods for Sublinear Low-Rank Approximation 

Cameron Nicholas Musco, Information & Computer Science 

 

FIONA B. TISCHLER — Finance   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Luxury Brands During Recessions 

Anurag Sharma, Isenberg School of Management 

 

NOY TOLEDANO — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Impact of Educational Intervention on Pre-Health Students’ Understanding of Disability 

Ashley Woodman, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

MARIA EDUARDA T. TONIAL — Animal Science, Applied Plant and Soil Sciences   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Biogas-Based Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage for Indoor Farming: A Net-Negative Emission Strategy 

Martin Hunter, Biomedical Engineering 

 

REBECCA N. TORONTO — Public Policy, Spanish   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Peacemaking Circles and Support for Transformative Justice 

Brenda Bushouse, School of Public Policy 

 

JACOB L. TORRES — Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

DOMINIC R. TRABUCCO — Management   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

NYLAH S. TRABULSI — Neuroscience   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Object Stability as a Visual Feature: A Visual Adaptation Study 

Lauren Aulet, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

BAO N. TRAN — Biomedical Engineering, Economics   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Covalent Surface Immobilization of Argatroban for Antithrombotic Biomaterial Applications 

Juan Jiménez, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering 

 

NATALIE TRAPANICK — Kinesiology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Racket: An Analysis of Capitalism's Effect on Athlete Autonomy in Collegiate Sports 

Gregory Grinnell, Kinesiology 

 

ALEXIS M. TRENDEL — Accounting   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Strengthening Food Recovery Through Data Analytics: A Case Study of Rachel's Table 

Leda Cooks, Communication 

 

SAMAY D. TRIVEDI — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Neuroscience   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Mapping Endocytic Motifs That Drive Tau Internalization through Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein 1 

Jennifer N. Rauch, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 

 

OLIVIA M. TRUMMEL — Political Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Political Economy of Wealth Inequality Since the 1980s 

Dean Robinson, Political Science 

 

MCKING M. TRUONG — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Investigating the Impacts of Methylparaben Exposure on Pancreas Development and Morphometrics in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) 

Alicia Timme-Laragy, Environmental Health Sciences 

 

TRISHA D. TRUONG — Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

US Policy, Public Attitudes, and Vietnamese Immigrant Mental Health: The View across Generations 

Dean Robinson, Political Science 

 

SRIKRUTI TUMMLA — Public Health Sciences, Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Unequal Burdens: Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns Across Global Income Settings 

Mitchell Walkowicz, Microbiology 

 

DANIEL J. TWOHIG-MANN — Physics, Mathematics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

2026 Candidates—U

KYLE S. UCHNEAT — Chemistry   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Synthesis of Conjugated Small Molecules via Aldol Condensation in Dimethylformamide for Organic Electronic Applications 

Dhandapani Venkataraman, Chemistry 

 

SHAFEENA T. UDDIN — Biomedical Engineering   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Magnetic Ionic Liquids as a Reagent to Capture and Concentrate Foodborne Pathogens 

Matthew D. Moore, Food Sciences 

 

SAMANVAY UPADHYAY — Computer Engineering   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Design and Evaluation of a Hybrid Energy-Harvesting System for Wearable Health and Environmental Monitoring 

Jeremy Gummeson, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

GABRIELA URBANOWICZ — Economics   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

SOFIA A. URENA PONS — Japanese Language & Literature   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Stray Sheep: The Meiji Citizen and Nationalism in Natsume Sōseki’s Trilogy 

Amanda C. Seaman, Languages, Literatures, & Cultures 

2026 Candidates—V

EDEN S. VACHTEL — Biomedical Engineering   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Machine Learning for Predicting Food and Nutrition Insecurity in the United States 

Chaitra Gopalappa, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering 

 

LUCAS B. VALENTINE — Sustainable Food & Farming   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Hands and Faces That Feed Us 

Amanda D. Brown, Stockbridge School of Agriculture 

 

VICTORIA VALLEE — Art and Design   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

OWEN G. VAN BEVER — English   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Characterization Through Epiphany: Two Stories 

John J. Hennessy, English 

 

MILO M. VAN MOOY — Physics   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Buoyancy Compensation Using Magnetic Levitation of Inertial Particles in Fluid Flows 

Varghese Mathai, Physics 

 

ADHITHI VARADARAJAN — Chemical Engineering   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Chymotrypsin Activity in Peptide-Based Coacervates 

Sarah L. Perry, Chemical Engineering 

 

MARY ELIZABETH A. VAUGHAN — Linguistics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

What's in a Nickname? Phonological Patterns of Hockey Hypocoristics Across Gender and Level of Play 

Lisa Green, Linguistics 

 

EMMA J. VAUGHN — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Exploring Consciousness in Realms of Spirituality and Science 

Mark Roblee, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

ALYSSA L. VELEZ — Neuroscience   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Improving Healthcare for Patients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Through Undergraduate Education 

Ellen Correa, Civic Engagement & Service Learning 

 

ANDREW J. VENUTI — Neuroscience   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Effects of Environmental Circadian Disruption on Conditioned Fear Extinction 

Ilia N. Karatsoreos, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

REBECCA L. VILLARREAL — Sociology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Exploring the Educational and Social Experiences of Immigrant Students at UMass Amherst 

C.N. Le, Sociology 

 

KIRSTEN G. VINCENT — Individual Concentration: Political Neuroscience   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Public Health in the Shadow of Stigma: AIDS, Activism, and Institutional Response in the US and the UK 

Jacqueline Castledine, Bachelor's Degree with Individual Concentration 

 

MITSOU H. VINCENT — Economics, Public Policy   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Reproductive Justice on Campus: An Abortion Doula Support Initiative 

Deborah M. Keisch, Civic Engagement & Service Learning 

 

ANNA VINCZE — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Understanding the Mechanisms of Tau Endolysosomal Processing and Microglia-Mediated Tau Clearance 

Jennifer N. Rauch, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 

 

NITYA A. VOBUGARI — Informatics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

AMIRA G. VONTOURE — Managerial Economics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Do Corporations Practice What They Preach? Philanthropy and Strategic Behavior in Elite Firms 

Kevin Young, Economics 

2026 Candidates—W

MEGHAN K. WALLACE — Psychology   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

From Stimulation to Saturation: The Cognitive and Social Consequences of Digital Brain Rot 

Paul Wolff, Environmental Conservation 

 

JULIA B. WALTON — Political Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Social Media Exposure and College Students’ Perceptions of the Military at UMass Amherst 

Brenda Bushouse, School of Public Policy 

 

JESSIE WANG — Computer Engineering   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Convolutional Neural Network Design and Analysis on a Field-Programmable Gate Array 

Russell Tessier, Engineering 

 

SYDNEY R. WARREN — Communication, Journalism   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Rachel's Table: How Community Food Advocacy Organizations Help Fight Food Insecurity 

Leda Cooks, Communication 

 

OLIVIA A. WATERMAN — Kinesiology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Relationship Between Preschool Children’s Physical Activity Levels and the Effects of Early Literacy and Numeracy Skills 

Sofiya Alhassan, Kinesiology 

 

MICHAEL WEAGLE — Mathematics   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

Boosting in Local Polynomial Regression 

Ted Westling, Mathematics & Statistics 

 

ANDREW B. WEINER — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Oxidative Labeling Mass Spectrometry Applications in Intrinsically Disordered Proteins Such as Tau 

Richard W. Vachet, Chemistry 

 

GABRIEL D. WEINER — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

NATALIE A. WESSELL — Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Music Therapy in Alzheimer's Disease 

Becky E. Ready, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

JACKSON WETHERBEE — Astronomy, Physics   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

What Powers the ‘Little Red Dots’ Discovered by the James Webb Space Telescope? 

Min S. Yun, Astronomy 

 

AUTUMN E. WHELAN — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Investigating the Mechanisms Driving Stunted Pancreata in PFOS-Exposed Larval Zebrafish (Danio rerio) 

Alicia Timme-Laragy, Environmental Health Sciences 

 

ADAM C. WHITMORE — Linguistics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

MICHAEL WIESEN — Political Science   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

A Broken Machine: Hyperpartisanship and the Transformation of American Political Institutions 

Martha L. Yoder, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

JONAH I. WILLERS — Physics, Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

JULIA M. WILLETTE — Psychology, Political Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Still Forward I Must Go 

Connie Griffin, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

MARC WILLI — Finance   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Next Level Baseball Performance Center 

Anne Dietrich, Sport Management 

 

MARGARET WILLIAMS — Civil Engineering   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Hurricane Impacts on Parked and Idling Blades of an Offshore Wind Turbine 

Sanjay Raja Arwade, Civil & Environmental Engineering 

 

ZACHARY WILLIAMS — Physics   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Modeling Shockwaves with Modified Front Tracking Software 

Robin Young, Mathematics 

 

ANDREW J. WILSON — Finance   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Which Social Security Reform Proposal Is the Most Likely to Ensure Long-Term Program Solvency, and What Political and Institutional Barriers Prevent Its Adoption? 

Kevin Young, Economics 

 

ETHAN J. WLODYKA — Mechanical Engineering   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

NATHAN WOLF — Computational Linguistics, Computer Science   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

CHRYSTINA E. WOSNY — Public Health Sciences, Public Policy   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Unmaking of Order: A Digital Archive of Constitutional Deviation and Civic Toolkit 

Robert LaRussa, School of Public Policy 

2026 Candidates—Y

ABHAY K. YAJURVEDI — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Structural Insights Into the High-Affinity Binding of GHB Analogs Within CaMKIIα Hub 

Margaret M. Stratton, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 

 

WENHAO YANG — Computer Science, Mathematics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Fair Allocation with Binary Synergistic Preferences 

Yair Zick, Information & Computer Science 

 

XIAO YANG — Finance   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

TAORAN J. YE — Psychology, Linguistics, Linguistics and Psychology 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Rationality and Causality: A Study of Belief Revision 

Andrew Cohen, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

PETER YE — Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, Mathematics 

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

ELISA YEDID GRANADOS — Operations & Information Management   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

The Impact of Prompt Engineering on the Accuracy and Usefulness of AI Chatbot Responses for Undergraduate Students 

Muzzo Uysal, Isenberg School of Management 

 

SARAH YI — Public Health Sciences   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

A Scoping Review of the Relationship Between Alternative Protein Diets and Women’s Reproductive Health 

Leda Cooks, Communication 

 

YUKIHO YOSHIDA — Architecture   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Metabolism and the US Housing Crisis: Taking a Bite Out of Housing 

Ray Kinoshita Mann, Architecture 

 

JACOB A. YOUNGER — Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

HENRY N. YOUNGER — Linguistics and Philosophy   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

SHEYAN YU — Computer Science   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

Investigating Stylistic Drift in Large Language Model-Generated Continuations 

Juan Zhai, Information & Computer Science 

2026 Candidates—Z

MAXINE ZALEWSKI — Public Policy   

General Studies & Departmental Honors 

College Choice and State-Level Policy Study at UMass Amherst 

Brenda Bushouse, School of Public Policy 

 

ISABELLA MARIETT ZAMBRANO VILLARROEL — Operations & Information Management   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

JOUD OMAR H ZAMZAMI — Computer Science, Mathematics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Optimal Best-of-Both-Worlds Multi-Agent Multi-Armed Bandit Algorithm 

Mohammadhassan Hajiesmaili, Information & Computer Science 

 

SHAWN ZHAI — Communication, Individual Concentration: Consumer Behavior   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

ELLA Y. ZHANG — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Bacteriocins as a Novel Antimicrobial Treatment for Acne Vulgaris 

Margaret Ann Riley, Biology 

 

JUSTIN L. ZHAO — Electrical Engineering   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Synthetic SAR as a Data Catalyst for Marine Oil Spill Prediction Models 

Sandip Kundu, Electrical & Computer Engineering 

 

XI ZHENG — Mathematics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

 

YUE ZHU — Math, Physics   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Study of Entropic Surface Anchoring for Lyotropic Liquid Crystals 

Shuang Zhou, Physics 

 

CARLA A. ZOQUIER-URBAEZ — Music, Psychology  

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

(meta)morphosis: How Can Emotional Pain Be Turned Into Art? 

Catrina Kim, Music & Dance 

 

CAROLIN ZORRILLA FRIAS — Political Science, Operations & Information Management   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Performative Justice: The Cries of Empty Promises in Land Acknowledgments 

Deborah M. Keisch, Civic Engagement & Service Learning 

 

YASMEEN D. ZUREIQI — Psychology   

Advanced Scholarship - Departmental Honors 

How Does Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence in Early Childhood (Ages 0–5) Influence the Development of Insecure and Specifically Disorganized Attachment? 

Maria M. Galano, Psychological & Brain Sciences 

 

GUY R. ZWIEBEL — Philosophy, Communication   

Advanced Scholarship - Multidisciplinary Honors 

Spinning the Magic Circle: The Ritual of Creating Art in Tabletop Role-Playing Games 

Mari Castañeda, Commonwealth Honors College 

 

NELLIE T. ZYGIEL — Education, Psychology   

General Studies & Multidisciplinary Honors 

Empowering Patients to Find Living Kidney Donors Through Digital Outreach 

Ellen Correa, Civic Engagement & Service Learning