Fifteen Hollins University students were among the more than 250 undergraduate presenters from across the country at the 13th annual Summer Research Conference at Virginia Tech on July 25.
The Hollins students are part of the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program (SURF@Hollins) directed by Assistant Professor of French Jeanne Jégousso and Assistant Professor of Mathematics Molly Lynch. SURF@Hollins offers a concentrated opportunity for a select number of students to work collaboratively with faculty over the summer. The program provides a stipend and summer housing to accepted students who participate in a cohort model during the summer.
Students in the program emerge with an “action plan” that often includes a report and presentation covering their learning experience. Research fellows come from across all academic divisions of the university.
“The students [who presented at this year’s conference] have spent weeks to months immersed in a research project,” explains Jill C. Sible, associate vice provost for undergraduate education and professor of biological sciences at VT. “Summer affords undergraduates the opportunity to dedicate significant time and effort to the planning, execution, and analysis of a research project. They have also had the chance to become authentic members of research teams by working with faculty, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and research staff.”
“Over the course of the past 10 weeks, these undergraduate students have been engaged in a wide variety of projects tackling real world problems in many disciplines,” adds Keri Swaby, VT’s director of undergraduate research. “As always, I am humbled by the quality of the work.”
Students representing Hollins at this year’s Summer Research Conference included:
Eisha Ayub ‘27
Major: Biochemistry
Research Project: “On Efforts to Prepare and Characterize Ph2PCH(CC13)PPh2”
Mentor: Professor of Chemistry Daniel Derringer
Madison Brousseau ’25 and Bhumika Rai ‘26
Major: Psychology
Research Project: “The Impact of Perpetrator Race, Identification Procedures, and Encoding Time on Eyewitness Identification”
Mentor: Assistant Professor of Psychology Alex Wooten
Sterling Cullinane ’27 and Mary Zaengle ‘25
Major: Theatre
Research Project: “Community Speaks: Queer Roanoke and Verbatim Theatre”
Mentor: Assistant Professor of Theatre Wendy-Marie Martin
Emma Davis ‘26
Major: Psychology
Research Project: “Public Causal Beliefs about Binge Eating Disorder”
Mentor: Assistant Professor of Psychology Caroline Mann
Cassidy Henderson ‘27
Major: Biochemistry
Research Project: “Comparison of Babel Brain and k-WAVE for Brain Modeling”
Mentor: Wynn Legon, assistant professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
Cameron Mathis-Ehlers ‘27
Major: Studio Art
Research Project: Art & Hunger: An Empty Bowls Project”
Mentor: Lecturer in Art Joshua Manning
Ashley Merritt ’25 and Milo Pacheco ‘25
Major: International Studies
Research Project: “Studying Abroad: Continuity and Change in Study Abroad Programming and Experiences at Hollins University”
Mentor: Assistant Professor of Global Politics and Societies Ashleigh Breske
Allie Mitchem ‘26
Major: Psychology
Research Project: “Parental Perceptions on Their Children’s Technology Use”
Mentor: Associate Professor of Psychology Richard Michalski
Corabeth Pierce ‘26
Majors: International Studies, French
Research Project: “The Impact of the Russia-Ukraine War on Central Asian Republics”
Mentor: John P. Wheeler Professor of Political Science Edward Lynch
Irelin Ruppel ‘26
Major: International Studies
Research Project: “‘A Push for Democracy’: The United States’ Democracy Promotion in Chile, Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador”
Mentor: John P. Wheeler Professor of Political Science Edward Lynch
Birdie Suber ‘25
Majors: Film, English
Research Project: “Hope of Escape Research Archive”
Mentor: Professor of Film Amy Gerber-Stroh
Kaylin Wallen ‘25
Majors: Biology, Public Health
Research Project: “Solid Waste Management and Infectious Diseases: Exploring Perceptions in Freetown, Sierra Leone”
Mentor: Assistant Professor of Public Health Abubakarr Jalloh
Photo: Brenda Hale
