2026 News 2026: Honors College Announces 2026 Summer Research Fellows

The Honors College is pleased to announce the 2026 Summer Research Fellowship (SuRF) winners

The Honors College is pleased to announce the 2026 Summer Research Fellowship (SuRF) winners. The following students will work on campus this summer with their faculty mentors on their individual research projects. Each has been awarded a stipend, research support funds, and summer housing (if needed). Please join us in congratulating all our Commonwealth Honors Scholars on their successful proposals. 

Student: Zachary Gay, Bioengineering

• Mentor: Dr. Tracie Ferreira
• Project Title: Testing the Efficiency FAS Ligand-Induced Apoptosis in Melanoma Cells Using Hydrogel Delivery

Student: Dimitris Koumas, Bioengineering

• Mentor: Dr. Tracie Ferreira
• Project Title: Can We Exploit the Cell's Natural Self-Destructing Mechanism to Treat Cancer?

Student: Nicole Lobo, Computer Information Science

• Mentor: Dr. Yuchou Chang
• Project Title: AI Based Classification of Marine Soundscapes Using Passive Acoustic Data from Cancún Reef Systems

Student: Chris NaChiengmai, Biology

• Mentor: Dr. Pia Moisander
• Project Title: A Biofilm Reactor for Testing Novel Surfaces for Marine Antifouling

Student: Olivia Tran, Biology

• Mentor: Dr. Michael Sheriff
• Project Title: The impact of Human Induced Fear on Songbird Communities in Urban and Rural Environments

Student: Emily Hesketh, Bioengineering

• Mentor: Dr. Mila Vasudev
• Project Title: 3D Bioprinted Cellulophaga Lytica Hydrogels for Biosensing Applications