Investigating the SUMO stress response in yeast species Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces marxianus as a member of the Kerscher Lab. Using CRISPR/Cas9 to mutate genes encoding SUMO pathway proteins and identify key proteins involved in the SUMO stress response and stress tolerance of K. marxianus.Awarded an Honors Fellowship through the W&M Charles Center to conduct 10 weeks of research during summer 2024 in preparation for an honors thesis senior year. Awarded a Mary E. Ferguson Memorial Research Grant in October 2024 to continue this project

Leading events to foster community in residence halls and working collaboratively with other RAs to plan building-wide events. Connecting with residents and answering residence life related questions. Responding to and reporting incidents in the building.

One of 13 research fellows in the JHU BioREU program, a Research Experiences for Undergraduates site funded by the National Science Foundation. Researched interspecies microbial interactions through small molecules as a member of the Ludington Lab at the Carnegie Institute for Science. Investigated the role of acetate in the growth stimulation of Lactobacillus plantarum and conducted growth assays of L. plantarum with mutated pox5 upstream region. Constructed plasmids expressing WT and mutant pox5 upstream region and fluorescent protein mCherry to assess the upstream region’s role in pox5 expression. Quantified mCherry fluorescence results using flow cytometry.Presented research through a talk at the Leadership Alliance National Symposium and a poster at the Johns Hopkins University Summer Research Symposium.

Connected students to relevant resources at the Student Health Center and Counseling Center, streamlined communication between Outreach & Events and Marketing subcommittees, and developed events to promote the Office of Health Promotion’s Acts of Kindness initiative.

Sampled and identified fish for biodiversity study, assessed stream restoration projects, created maps and graphs for biodiversity study, and cataloged backlog of wetland modification applications.