
Current Scholars
Tomorrow's Ph.D.'s
Take a look at the names and faces below, their majors, and their research interests, and hopefully you will notice that these student scholars are much like you. With hard work and a dedication to serious research, any Blugold could have a chance to take part in this life-changing program.

Cailen Andrews, Cohort 21
Caileen Andrews
Major: Athletic Training
Hometown:. Madison, Wisconsin
Graduation Date: May 2021
Mentor: Dr. Matt Wiggins
Mentor's Department: Kinesiology
Research project: EFFECTS of MUSIC ON ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE

Keng Chang, Cohort 21
Keng Chang
Major: ACS Biochemistry
Hometown: Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Graduation Date: May 2021
Mentor: Dr. Thao Yang
Mentor's Department: Chemistry
Research project: Extraction and GC/MS Analysis of Compounds in the Seed of Winter Gourde Benincasa Hispida

Delaney Collins, Cohort 21
Delaney Collins
Major: Psychology & Social Work
Hometown: Green Bay, Wisconsin
Graduation Date: May 2021
Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Muehlenkamp Mentor's Department: Psychology
Research project: University Counseling Staff's Capability and Comfortability in Working with Students Who Present with Serious Concerns/Issues

Tiana Dorosz, Cohort 21
Tiana Dorosz
Major: Biology
Hometown: Hartford, Wisconsin
Graduation Date: May 2021
Mentor: Dr. Anjela Wong
Mentor's Department: Education Studies
Research project: Cultural Competence: Understanding and Application by Health Care Professionals

Sam Downing, Cohort 21
Sam Downing
Major: Integrated Strategic Communications
Hometown: Kendall, Wisconsin
Graduation Date: May 2021
Mentor: Dr. Stacy Thompson
Mentor's Department: English
Research project: Picking Apart Parasite

Ashley Gillett, Cohort 21
Ashley Gillett
Major: Psychology
Hometown: Thorp, Wisconsin
Graduation Date: May 2021
Mentor: Dr. Mary Beth Leibham
Mentor's Department: Psychology
Research project: College Students Perceptions of Marriage and Divorce

Tyler Gonzales, Cohort 21
Tyler Gonzales
Major: Mathematics, Research Emphasis
Hometown: Eagan, Minnesota
Graduation Date: May 2021
Mentor: Dr. Paul Thomas
Mentor's Department: Physics
Research project: Numerical Simulation of Atmospheric Passage of Interplanetary Dust Particles

Jordan Munos, Cohort 21
Jordan Munos
Major: Biochemistry/Molecular Biology
Hometown: Aurora, Illinois
Graduation Date: May 2021
Mentor: Dr. James A. Phillips
Mentor's Department: Chemistry
Research project: An IR Spectroscopy and Computations Examination of Structural and Energetic Properties of OC-BX3 Complexes

Chris Murray, Cohort 21
Christopher Murray
Major: Physics
Hometown: Monona, Wisconsin
Graduation Date: May 2021
Mentor: Dr. Scott Whitfield
Mentor's Department: Physics
Research project: String Inharmonicity

Erika Nguyen, Cohort 21
Erika Nguyen
Major: Psychology
Hometown: Rochester, Minnesota
Graduation Date: December 2020
Mentor: Dr. April Bleske-Rechek
Mentor's Department: Psychology
Research project: Hindsight Bias in Judgments of Dating Couples

Ximona Pederson, Cohort 21
Ximona Pederson
Major: Psychology
Hometown: Osseo, Wisconsin
Graduation Date: May 2021
Mentor: Nicole Jones & Dr. Christine Vriesema
Mentor's Department: American Sign Language, Psychology
Research project: Perceptions of Hearing Students Towards Deaf People: A Change Within Education

Alejandra Serna, Cohort 21
Alejandra Serna
Major: Business Administration
Hometown: Evergreen Park, Illinois
Graduation Date: May 2021
Mentor: Dr. Jose Alvergue
Mentor's Department: English
Research project: A Walk in Her Shoes: How Women of Color Navigate Through a Predominately White Institution

Hailee Sparks, Cohort 21
Hailee Sparks
Major: Biochemistry/Molecular Biology
Hometown: Hudson, Wisconsin
Graduation Date: May 2021
Mentor: Dr. Jamie Lyman Gingerich
Mentor's Department: Biology
Research project: Analysis of the Role of Gar-3 in Protein Localization to Primary Cilia in Caenorhabditis Elegans Relating to Polycistic Kidney Disease

Paige Suvanto, Cohort 21
Paige Suvanto
Major: Psychology
Hometown: Bessemer, Michigan
Graduation Date: December 2021
Mentor: Dr. Mickey Crothers
Mentor's Department: Psychology
Research project: Clinicians' Experiences in Transitioning to Internet‐Based Mental Health Treatment During the COVID‐19 Pandemic

Madilyn Vetter, Cohort 21
Madilyn Vetter
Major: Environmental & Ecological Biology
Hometown: Endeavor, Wisconsin
Graduation Date: May 2021
Mentor: Dr. Nora Mitchell
Mentor's Department: Biology
Research project: Comparison of Leaf Damage and Trichomes of Wisconsin Helianthus Populations Grown in Varying Environments

Crystalina Peterson, Cohort 21
Crystalina Peterson
Major: Public History
Hometown: Barron, Wisconsin
Graduation Date: May 2021
Mentor: Dr. Selika Dusckworth Lawton
Mentor's Department: History
Research project: Black Masculinity in the Civil Rights Era: Non-Violence versus Armed Self Defense