Jessica Merricks, associate professor of biology, and Kelsey Bitting, assistant professor of environmental studies, recently published the article “” in the Journal of College Science Teaching.

Reflection as a process helps students better understand themselves with respect to content and experiences they encounter in required science courses taken to fulfill distribution requirements, making that content more meaningful and more likely to shape students’ thinking and engagement in science-related topics as citizens. However, students may not arrive in the science classroom with the skills and habits of mind that lead to transformative insights via the reflective process, and tracking that skill development can allow instructors to tailor instruction about reflection according to students’ current understanding and practice. Nonetheless, Merricks and Bitting discovered that existing reflective writing instruments lacked the nuance to detect subtle shifts in students’ development across units in a single semester.

Using a dataset of students’ end-of-unit reflections in an introductory-level environmental science course serving mostly non-majors, Merricks and Bitting developed a refined rubric that recognized and codified incremental differences in student reflective thinking along the path to reflective writing. This analysis revealed that students frequently expressed personal connections to content and noted shifts in their perspective, even as they were still working to master the details of related scientific concepts.

The authors believe this instrument can help science instructors communicate about the goals and levels of reflection to students and allow them to recognize and encourage increasing reflective depth in student work across the progress of a single semester.

Support was provided by ������Ƶ’s Center for Writing Excellence via a CWE Pedagogy Grant to Merricks in 2021 and a writing residency completed by Merricks in 2023.

Roberts, a biology major from Charlotte, North Carolina, studies how a cancer, fibrosarcoma, can be stopped by a virus, the reovirus. His project explores how genetic editing can be used to decrease the cancer cells’ immune responses, and in turn increase the virus’s infection rate and decrease the cancer cells’ viability.

“Cancer cells have altered immune responses which can be exploited by viruses to infect and replicate in those cells,” Roberts said.

By studying these pathways, his work aims to better understand how to improve the anti-cancer properties of oncolytic viruses.

The NCICU funding will support the purchase of key reagents needed to study the role of protein kinase R (PKR), a cellular protein, which cells use to fight viral infections and whether Roberts and Rivera-Serrano can enhance the cancer-killing properties of viruses by disrupting PKR.

Roberts’s mentor is Efrain Rivera-Serrano, assistant professor of biology.

“While being awarded the grant reflects the scientific merit of my project, it is also a recognition of the help Dr. Serrano has given me in mentoring and designing my project,” Roberts said. “He has been an amazing help with his depth of scientific knowledge, and I love that I have the opportunity to work in his lab.”

As part of the NCICU Undergraduate Research Program, Roberts will present his work at the 2026 State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium for Fall 2026.

He also received funding from the American Society for Virology (ASV) through a competitive Undergraduate Student Award to attend and present his research at the ASV annual meeting in July, marking the first time an ������Ƶ student will attend this national meeting.

Roberts will participate in ������Ƶ’s Summer Undergraduate Research Experience and was recently awarded a J. Nathan Grant Endowed Grant to support his research.

“To have one of my students receive this grant is incredibly meaningful because it recognizes the quality of undergraduate research at ������Ƶ and the strong potential of our students to contribute to meaningful scientific questions, particularly in the biomedical sciences,” said Rivera-Serrano. “These awards are competitive across NCICU institutions, so Alex’s selection highlights both the strength of his proposed work and the level of research training that ������Ƶ students receive. This opportunity also gives students important experience communicating their work beyond campus, networking with peers and faculty from across the state and developing the confidence to see themselves as scientists.”

Patrick Murphy G’01

Assistant vice president for financial aid

Patrick Murphy joined ������Ƶ at the beginning of 1994 as bursar for ������Ƶ College to find a career that would, as he put it, add positivity to his day. Retiring at the end of the month, Murphy has served in a myriad of roles at ������Ƶ, including director of financial aid, senior associate dean and director of financial aid and assistant vice president for financial aid.

During the Faculty/Staff Awards Luncheon, Greg Zaiser, vice president for enrollment, credited Murphy with quietly and deliberately supporting ������Ƶ’s growth from a regional college to national and international distinction.

“What I know now is because of Pat’s patience, accessibility and strong desire for success,” added Zaiser.

After retirement, Murphy looks forward to spending more time with his wife and his five grandchildren, who are all under the age of six. He says his favorite memory at ������Ƶ was picking up astronaut and former senator John Glenn and his wife from the airport and guiding them across campus to multiple events.

“I will miss the people I work with,” he said. “������Ƶ has been the only place I worked where my friends are also people I work with.”

Beth McCain

Assistant teaching professor of accounting

Beth McCain joined ������Ƶ in 2016 teaching part-time as an adjunct after teaching at a community college. She was hired permanently in 2021 as a lecturer and also served as the director of the Master of Science accounting program. She retired on December 31, 2025.

While at ������Ƶ, McCain led January Term study abroad courses to Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam and was the inaugural faculty member for the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business study abroad program in Singapore.

At the Faculty/Staff Awards Luncheon, Catherine Chiang, professor of accounting and chair of the department of accounting, described McCain as one of the most dedicated and student-centered educators she had the privilege of knowing. “Your decade of service has shaped careers, strengthened our programs and raised the standards for what it means to be an ������Ƶ educator,” said Chiang.

McCain returned the compliments to her department chair and gave a shoutout to Linda Poulson, who gave McCain “a chance” and also to her husband, who was in attendance.

Now retired, McCain is volunteering for Guilford County Animal Services in Greensboro and taking a French course at ������Ƶ in preparation for a three-month trip to France in the fall. Reflecting on her time at ������Ƶ, McCain said, “I will greatly miss the amazing faculty and staff that I worked with as well as relationships that I developed with my students over the years.”

Linda Niedziela

Associate professor of biology and chair of the Department of Biology

Linda Niedziela joined ������Ƶ in 2001 excited to teach courses in genetics and biotechnology. She was attracted to the university’s strengths in undergraduate education and undergraduate research. She will retire at the end of May after serving in a myriad of roles, including biology department chair, assistant professor, associate professor, director of the science branch of ������Ƶ College Fellows and the Japheth E. Rawls chair for undergraduate research in science.

Niedziela said she will miss what she calls the “daily therapy sessions.” She shared that every day during the semester, whoever is able will meet for lunch on the first floor of McMichael and discuss wide-ranging topics, including teaching tips, research reports, personal stories about families and pets and anything else that is on the mind of lunch attendees.

She said, “I will miss the wonderful faculty and staff colleagues in the biology department who have become like family to me.”

After retirement, Niedziela and her husband, Carl, an adjunct assistant professor of biology at ������Ƶ, who will also be retiring, will travel with their dogs in an airstream travel trailer and spend time in their woodworking shop. She will also be devoting more time training and competing with her Shetland sheepdog in performance dog sports.

Anthony Hatcher

Professor of journalism and chair of the Journalism Department

Anthony Hatcher joined ������Ƶ in 2002 and has served as associate professor of journalism, full professor of journalism and the inaugural chair of the Department of Journalism.

Hatcher said he did not have a passport until he joined ������Ƶ in his early 40’s. “Since 2004, I have taken students to Hong Kong, South Africa and multiple European countries,” he reflected. Hatcher also created a religion and media course in his first year, which he taught every year since.

One of those colleagues, Harlen Makemson, professor of communication design, praised Hatcher at the Faculty/Staff Luncheon for Hatcher’s empathy and humanity during what he described as a time of upheaval in the media world, brought on by new technologies. “And while it’s true that Anthony Hatcher serves on virtually every major standing committee at ������Ƶ, it’s his humanity, his warmth and his care, that is his most impactful service to his university.”

“I will miss being with students, and I will miss seeing my colleagues – my friends – daily or weekly,” said Hatcher. During the ceremony, he added, “I hope in addition to teaching all those wonderful students I’ve had over the past nearly quarter century, I hope in some small way, I made their lives a little better because God knows they helped me be better.

After retirement, Hatcher looks forward to biking, hiking, travel and spending time with his granddaughter. “Writing will be part of retirement as well, since I can’t sing or paint,” he added.

Robert Moorman

Frank S. Holt, Jr. professor of business leadership and professor of organizational behavior

Robert Moorman joined ������Ƶ as the Frank Holt Jr professor of business leadership in 2011, a title he held throughout his time at ������Ƶ. Retiring in May, Moorman has also served as the department chair for the Department of Management, Entrepreneurship and International Business.

During the Faculty, Staff Awards Luncheon, Haya Ajjan, dean of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business and professor of management information systems, shared that Moorman has a gift few others do – the ability to ask the types of questions that “make you stop walking, look around at where you actually are and suddenly see it…a question that stays with you for the rest of your life.” Ajjan offered Moorman a golf club afterwards in the spirit of his retirement.

During the ceremony, Moorman shared that education is so much more than reading books and looking at stats. “It’s really about the relationships we have,” he said. “It’s the relationships with our students and the utter joy of seeing people cycle through during this really important time of their lives, you know, touching you and stepping in and stepping out and then seeing them grow as they go.”

Moorman said his favorite memories are those involving friendships with colleagues and partnerships with students. “I have fond memories of a few colleagues congregating in my office talking about the joys and frustrations of the day,” he said.  “I also have fond memories of holding classes that just seemed to ‘work’ that day and then talking with students afterward about how they continued thinking about our discussions.”

After retiring at the end of this month, Moorman looks forward to what he calls unstructured adventure. “I am looking forward to a time of boredom that then grows into something new, unplanned and adventurous. What fun!”

Charity Johansson

Professor of physical therapy education and chair of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Department.

In 1999, Charity Johnsson joined what would become the Doctor of Physical Therapy program as one of its first faculty. She retired in December 2025 after decades of service in which she held positions of associate professor, full professor, faculty administrative fellow, interim associate department chair, interim department chair and program director, department chair and program director and university parliamentarian.

Johansson said she is already missing the “daily exchanges with colleagues whose brilliant minds and genuinely kind hearts” have shaped her over nearly three decades. Likewise, she will miss the students, and their “infectious enthusiasm, their compassion and the joy of watching them transform in ways they hadn’t even imagined possible.”

During the Faculty/Staff Awards Luncheon, Crystal Ramsey praised Johansson as a “cornerstone of the ������Ƶ academic community, whose legacy is defined not just by the position she has held, but by the enduring way she has nurtured the hearts, minds and professional identities of future healthcare providers.” Ramsey is an associate professor of physical therapy education and a former student of Johansson’s.

At the ceremony, Johansson reflected on the retirement of Gerry Francis, who served as professor emeritus of mathematics and provost emeritus.

“Gerry Francis told me he doesn’t miss the work, but he really misses the people – and I get that,” she said.

She also said it was a privilege working with so many in the ������Ƶ community who have encouraged her, challenged her and made her laugh to help her be a better a human. “Fred Rubeck, you’re among those,” Johansson added, honoring the late professor of performing arts and chair of the Department of Performing Arts.

Now retired, Johansson said she is enjoying time outdoors with family and close friends, planning travel and trying new ventures, including fiction writing.

Marcia Dodson

Program assistant for the Station at Mill Point Neighborhood

Marcia Dodson joined ������Ƶ in 2015 and is the proud mother of three sons who graduated from ������Ƶ. She will be retiring at the end of May and has served as a service desk analyst for facilities management, program assistant in the Danieley Neighborhood and Station at Mill Point.

A favorite memory of Dodson’s while at ������Ƶ is joining the London Experience for staff, where she built relationships with colleagues she had not yet had the opportunity to meet while working at ������Ƶ. “What an awesome experience!” she reflected.

After retirement, Dodson looks forward to being a traveling grandparent with her husband.

Rosemary Haskell

Professor of English

Rosemary Haskell joined ������Ƶ in 1985 and will be retiring in August. She has held the roles of temporary instructor and assistant, associate and later, full professor of English.

Haskell said she will most miss her kind and interesting colleagues, as well as the “energizing power of the new class of bright-eyed and bushy-tailed first-years each August.”

One of Haskell’s favorite memories at ������Ƶ is during the transition of the Fighting Christians to the Phoenix. She enjoyed the papier-mache birds and eggs in trees around campus that offered a clue to the new mascot.

After retirement, Haskell said she plans to spend time with her family and do some home improvement work.

Cheryl Riley

Custodian

Cheryl Riley joined ������Ƶ in 2013 as a custodian and will retire at the end of May. “I will miss the people I work with,” she said. “And I look forward to spending time with my grandkids.”

Linda Dunn

Adjunct assistant professor of Peace and Conflict Studies

Linda Dunn joined ������Ƶ in 1998 as the director of the Alamance County Dispute Settlement Center, where she trained a group of students and returned to train several faculty members in mediation skills, who later became volunteer mediators for the center. Dunn’s official start date on record is 2001, when she taught a two-credit mediation and conflict resolution skills course as part of a new minor called Nonviolent Studies. She retired at the end of December, 2025.

Federico Pous spoke on behalf of Dunn during the Faculty/Staff Awards luncheon, praising Dunn’s ability to teach hands-on peaceful conflict resolution skills and strategies across different social backgrounds.

“Linda’s way of teaching and interacting with students, staff and professors, makes you feel that you are equal to her in the same community space,” he shared.

“I will miss the students and their passion the things I teach,” said Dunn. Two of her students attended the luncheon.

After retirement, she plans to attend cultural events on campus and potentially assist in future facilitated discussions on campus. She will also continue to volunteer as a mediator at the Alamance County District court, continue restorative circle skills and mediation and training skills with Restorative Justice Durham and the Orange County District County District court.

“I will continue to be an activist for restorative justice and peacemaking organizations as we navigate the chaos and violence in our world,” she added.

Elizabeth Bailey

Assistant teaching professor of exercise science

Elizabeth Bailey began her career at ������Ƶ in 2004 and, enjoying the vibe of the community, wanted to be “part of it all.” She started as a lecturer for the required wellness course, lectured for the School of Education before joining Exercise Science.

Retiring at the end of Spring semester, Bailey said she will most miss her colleagues and all the “friends among the faculty and staff” she has made while at ������Ƶ.

“I will also miss the opportunities to continue to learn that are available at ������Ƶ, whether it be through taking classes or participating in workshops or going abroad,” she added. She said, while at ������Ƶ, he has learned a lot.

Bailey said her retirement plans continue to evolve, and she still intends to exercise classes and do some research on the side.

Kim Giles, ’11 G’16

Associate director of communications for the Student Professional Development Center

Since her first role in 1995, Kim Giles has served in various roles at the university, including data entry in admissions and accounting, budget clerk in the physical plant, program assistant for Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Studies, Engineering, Chemistry, and Physics, and assistant director of communications in the Student Professional Development Center.

Giles retired during the summer of 2025. She said she cherishes the opportunity to earn an MBA at ������Ƶ along with her daughter. She said about the experience, “what an unforgettable experience that was in crossing the stage along with my daughter to get our MBA’s together – it was quite surreal.”

Giles also reflected on traveling with peers and faculty to Vietnam and Singapore, the many evolutions of Staff Appreciation Day, and being honored as the staff member of the year – an experience she said she will cherish forever.

Since retiring, Giles has taken nine cruises and has done kayaking, camping and gardening. She looks forward to continuing to spend time with family.

Sharon Moss LaRocco

University accompanist and instructor in music

Sharon Moss LaRocco was recognized at the Faculty/Staff Awards Luncheon by Hallie Hogan, associate professor of music. LaRocco joined the ������Ƶ Music Department in 1988 as a pianist for musical theater productions, music ensembles and student recitals.

Hogan shared, “Although she kept a very low profile, there was never any doubt about this, because she never missed a beat, much less a note, and maintained high quality for every performance she gave,” Hogan said.

She shared that students developed a strong admiration for LaRocco’s talent and a deep love for her kind and understanding nature.

Beyond ������Ƶ, Sharon has devoted herself to advocating for people with autism, through her work as a leader in the Office of Society of North Carolina, notably promoting autism awareness for the Native American communities of Western North Carolina.

At the awards ceremony, LaRocco shared that one of her favorite memories was the construction of Rhodes Stadium, which signaled to her the emergence of a marching band.

“Who doesn’t love a marching band?” asked LaRocco to the audience. “And the spirit and the energy it creates walking through the campus, en route to the games.”

Jana Lynn Patterson

Associate vice president for Student Life/dean of student health & well-being/assistant professor

During the Faculty/Staff Awards Luncheon, Jon Dooley, vice president for Student Life and associate professor of education, described Patterson as someone who is consistent in how she shows up for others, patient when a young leader makes a mistake, honest with students and colleagues even when it is hard and someone who not only believes in others, and one who helps others believe in themselves.

“She supported students in college through tragedy, advised student organizations, and celebrated their success,” said Dooley. “She has created spaces of welcome and belonging, and met the students in their darkest hours, helping them piece together on plans to move forward.”

Patterson was also recognized for her 40 years of service and held back tears while addressing the audience. A first-generation student from Hope Mills, North Carolina, Patterson said her parents could have never dreamed where she is today.

“To my staff and colleagues, you are the A-Team,” she shared. “But to everyone in this community, I want you to know that every day has been an honor and a pleasure to be a part of this community and to have worked with you.”

Also retiring

Retiring staff members will be recognized on May 29 as part of Staff Appreciation Day.

• Joan Barnatt
• Mona DeVries
• Chris Dockrill, head women’s golf coach
• Sharon Hodge
• John Chinnici, community service officer
• David “DD” Donohue, painter
• Kelly Elliston
• Gloria Graves, custodian
• William “Tom” Hall, telecommunications technician
• Rhonda Kosusko, associate director of career services, education and ������Ƶ
• Katherine Rodriguez, assistant director for application processing
• Michelle Stephens, custodian
• Ed Williams, service desk analyst
• Donna Wood , electronic services/ acquisitions librarian

������Ƶ has been repeatedly recognized for the number of its alumni who participate in the Fulbright Program as teachers, graduate students, and researchers and has been named a top-producer of Fulbright students in six separate years. Students and alumni interested in the Fulbright Program or other nationally competitive fellowships are invited to contact the National and International Fellowships Office. The deadline to notify the office of your intent to apply for Fulbright in this upcoming cycle is June 1, 2026. Rising seniors are required to work with the National and International Fellowships Office to apply for Fulbright, and alumni are highly encouraged to do so.

Those who received awards this year are:

Azul Bellot ’26

Azul Bellot, a double major in psychology and sociolinguistics with a minor in TESOL, has received a Fulbright grant to teach English in Spain. She is The ������Ƶ Commitment scholar in the Odyssey Program and a student scholar with The Center for Engaged Learning.

Bellot has been preparing for an experience like Fulbright long before she arrived at ������Ƶ. Reflecting on her early years, she says, “Growing up as the daughter of Mexican immigrants, I was my family’s translator from a young age. I navigated formal systems, adult conversations, and bureaucratic spaces in both English and Spanish long before I had the language to describe what that experience was doing to me. It gave me a deep understanding of what it means for language to be a gateway, and what it costs when that gateway is closed.”

These formative years laid the groundwork for her time at ������Ƶ, where she developed her own independent sociolinguistics major, volunteered as an English tutor for children and adults, and conducted research on meaningful mentoring relationships. To Bellot, a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Spain is “the most honest intersection of everything [she’s] been working towards: language, identity, education, and community.”

After Fulbright, Bellot plans to pursue more international fellowships before returning to academia to earn her PhD in Applied Linguistics. Her ������Ƶ mentors include Archie Crowley, assistant professor of English; Nina Namaste, professor of Spanish; and Sylvia Muñoz, assistant dean of students and director for the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education.

Anya Bratić ’26

Anya Bratić, a double major in international & global Studies and public policy with a minor in public health, has received a Fulbright grant to teach English in Vietnam. She is an ������Ƶ College Fellow, a Periclean Scholar, and the Student Government Association Student Body President.

To Bratić, Fulbright represents the intersection of her two greatest passions: global engagement and teaching. She found ways to blend these passions during her time at ������Ƶ. As a Periclean Scholar, she had the opportunity to study abroad in India to understand what mutually beneficial relationships look like in practice, not just in theory. As a student consultant with the Center for Design Thinking, she developed a love for teaching and facilitation, specifically the challenge of guiding others through the structured process of finding meaningful solutions to “wicked” problems. Serving as an English teaching assistant will allow her to refine her intercultural and teaching skills while strengthening diplomatic relations between the United States and Vietnam.

After Fulbright, Bratić is interested in pursuing a career in diplomacy or global social impact. “Simply put, I want to work at the intersection of people, policy and purpose,” she says. Bratić’s constellation of ������Ƶ mentors includes Amanda Tapler, associate teaching professor of public health studies; Safia Swimelar, professor of political science and public policy; Sean McMahon, professor of entrepreneurship; and Danielle Lake, director of design thinking and associate professor of human service studies.

Molly Moylan ’26

Biochemistry major Molly Moylan has received a Fulbright grant to teach English in Spain.

At ������Ƶ, Moylan took every opportunity to foster and blend her passions for STEM research, teaching and service. As a researcher, Moylan worked with chemistry professor Dan Wright to study trace metals within medicinal herbs and spices. She refined her teaching skills by serving with America Reads, the Village Project, the CityGate Dream Center, and more. Most notably, Moylan found a way to combine her passions by co-founding Imagine Science, a program designed to address declining student engagement in science education by bringing hands-on experiments and activities to local after-school programs.

In Spain, Moylan will serve as an English Teaching Assistant in Galicia, a region that is especially interested in promoting students’ scientific thinking skills. This Fulbright year will serve as crucial preparation for Moylan as she applies to medical school. The language and cultural skills she will gain in Spain will allow her to better serve Spanish-speaking patients in the future.

Moylan’s most influential ������Ƶ mentor has been Assistant Professor of Chemistry Dan Wright. “Dr. Dan Wright has been instrumental in my success at ������Ƶ,” she said. “Through his continued support, my confidence in both my personal and professional capacities has grown immensely, and I am extremely grateful to have had him as a mentor.”

Madison Powers ’25

Madison Powers, who graduated in 2025 with a degree in journalism and a minor in Spanish, has received a Fulbright grant to teach English in Spain. At ������Ƶ, Powers was a communications fellow and a 2023 Pulitzer reporting fellow. Since graduating, she has served as an editorial intern at Garden & Gun Magazine in Charleston, South Carolina.

Powers has long had her sights set on a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Spain. During her undergraduate years, she spent a semester in Sevilla and fostered her dual passions for cross-cultural exchange and global education. Eager to return, she applied for Fulbright in last year’s application cycle and was named a semifinalist. She remained so committed to the value of a Fulbright experience that she chose to reapply this year, and her hard work and persistence paid off.

Powers will serve as an English teaching assistant in Madrid. She is excited to live and work in a large, diverse city while improving her Spanish language skills and forming connections with her community. Serving in Madrid will also allow her to work closely with students on Global Classrooms/Model UN projects, which are important to the development of their critical thinking and cross-cultural skills.

This Fulbright year will serve as a bridge between Powers’ current and future journalistic work. Upon returning to the U.S, she plans to work as a journalist reporting on and working in Spanish-speaking communities. Her ������Ƶ mentors include Kelly Furnas, associate teaching professor of journalism; Jan Register, administrative assistant for the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life; and Pablo Celis-Castillo, associate professor of Spanish.

Aryanna Vindas ’25

Aryanna Vindas, a graduate of the class of 2025, has received a Fulbright grant to teach English in South Korea. She graduated with a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography and a minor in Asian studies.

Serving as an English teaching assistant in South Korea is a natural extension of the work Vindas began at ������Ƶ. She completed a two-year undergraduate research project about Korean Buddhist mindfulness, studied abroad for a semester in South Korea, and undertook a rigorous course of Korean language study. Simultaneously, she developed her teaching skills by serving as a volunteer English teacher, tutoring Spanish, and leading and assisting dance classes.

Because her grant does not begin until January 2027, Vindas has chosen to go above and beyond to prepare. She will spend this summer in South Korea completing intensive language study at Yonsei University in Seoul, which will help her integrate more successfully into her future host community and build more meaningful relationships with her students.

After Fulbright, Vindas plans to enroll in graduate school to continue the research on Buddhist mindfulness she began at ������Ƶ. Vindas’ ������Ƶ mentors include Renay Aumiller, associate professor of dance; the “wonderful” dance staff; and Pamela Winfield, professor of religious studies and associate director of international & global studies.

In addition to these students, one senior has been named an alternate. Alternates are still in the competition and have the chance to be promoted to finalists (recipients of the grant) up until the official start of the grant period. We will update this story as we continue to hear news of their progress.

Rebecca Lovasco ’26

Rebecca Lovasco, a psychology major with minors in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies and neuroscience, has been selected as an alternate for a Fulbright study/research grant in Taiwan to earn a master’s degree in Mind, Brain, and Consciousness at Taipei Medical University.

Lovasco is an ������Ƶ College Fellow who went on to win the Lumen Prize. Her research, which integrates cognitive neuroscience, clinical psychology, and philosophy of mind, explores how anxiety and depression affect reinforcement learning and conscious visual perception. Outside of her research, Lovasco is proud to have served as a law enforcement crisis counselor with the Campus Alamance program.

Lovasco’s ������Ƶ mentors include Kristina Krasich, assistant professor of psychology; William Schreiber, associate professor of psychology; Kim Epting, professor of psychology; Alexa Darby, professor of psychology; and Jill McSweeney, assistant director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning and assistant professor of wellness.

The article shares findings from a two-year undergraduate research project led by Dagli while at ������Ƶ. The study identified genetically diverse reoviruses with enhanced oncolytic potential against fibrosarcoma, a type of cancer that arises in connective tissue. By focusing on viruses that preferentially infect and kill cancer cells, the work advances ongoing efforts to explore new strategies for cancer treatment.

Dagli completed four semesters of mentored research in Rivera-Serrano’s laboratory and participated in ������Ƶ’s Summer Undergraduate Research Experience in 2024. She received internal and external funding for her work and presented her research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Pittsburgh, the annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists in Honolulu, and multiple local venues. She was selected as an ������Ƶ’s Provost Scholar, and received the Acorn to Oak Senior Award by the Biology Department in 2025 for her growth during her undergraduate years and contributions to the department.

Dagli is currently completing a postbaccalaureate research experience at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, where she is continuing to build expertise in virology and immunology research as she prepares for the next stage of her career as a health professional. Her current work includes HTLV (Human T-lymphotropic virus 1)-related diagnostic research under the mentorship of Steven Jacobson, allowing her to continue building expertise in virology and translational biomedical science.

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When Jonathan Weaver ’26 arrived at ������Ƶ originally as a finance major, he thought in the back of his mind he wanted to do something in healthcare. During his first year, he switched career paths and changed his major to biology with the goal of going to dental school.

Weaver’s interest in dentistry grew out of hands-on exploration. In high school, he shadowed professionals across multiple fields, including physicians, dentists and finance professionals. Dentistry stood out.

“I really liked the unique long-term connection with patients since you can have patients for years and build those relationships over time,” Weaver said.

Once at ������Ƶ, he quickly joined the Pre-Health Society and met Yuko Miyamoto, associate professor of biology, who took him under her wing to grow the pre-dental cohort. Throughout his time at ������Ƶ, he worked with other students to build the pre-dental cohort.

“There were only three or four people ahead of me on the pre-dental path,” Weaver said. “We worked together to build a community and help each other through the process.”

The road to dental school is a competitive and lengthy process. Weaver completed prerequisite courses, including biology, chemistry, physics, organic chemistry, anatomy and more, while also studying for the dental admission test and securing multiple letters of recommendation.

“Every school is so individualized in what they want on the application, so I had to do a lot of research on my own,” Weaver said.

Weaver applied to 27 dental schools, carefully tracking each application on a detailed spreadsheet.

While home for Winter Break, on Dec. 15, National Decision Day for dental schools, he received acceptances from several dental schools. But it was news he received from The Ohio State University, his top choice program, that changed the trajectory of his life.

“At 8:30 a.m. a third-year student called me and asked how my day was going,” Weaver recalled. “Then he said, ‘What if I told you something that would make your day better?’ That’s when I knew. I had my Ohio State hat sitting next to me and after I hung up, I put it on and my family started cheering. It was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.”

This fall, Weaver will start dental school at The Ohio State University and is looking forward to working towards the same goal as his classmates. 

“I’m excited to be part of a group where everyone is on the same path,” Weaver said. “It will be challenging, but I know I’ll be motivated because it’s what I want to do.”

Making the most of his time at ������Ƶ

Beyond the classroom, Weaver has taken advantage of the experiences offered to students. He is a member of the Pre-Health Society, the Sport Management Society and two honor societies, including Beta Beta Beta, a biology honor society, and Sigma Iota Epsilon, an honor society in the field of management. He also served on the Interfraternity Council as the vice president of community service and philanthropy and was a member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity. He also spent a year as a kicker on ������Ƶ’s football team.

He credits a Winter Term study abroad course focused on Holocaust history as a transformative experience.

“That study abroad experience shaped who I am,” Weaver said. “I learned a lot and it gave me something meaningful to talk about during my interviews for dental school while helping me grow as a person.”

Reflecting on his time at ������Ƶ, he encourages students to get involved on campus.

“Try different things, even if you are not sure what you want to pursue,” Weaver said. “������Ƶ gives you the opportunity to take unique classes and be involved in many things.”

Ahead of ������Ƶ’s 136th Commencement on May 22, 2026, Today at ������Ƶ is highlighting several graduating seniors who have made the most of their ������Ƶ experience.

This research has been supported by ������Ƶ’s Undergraduate Research Program (URP), including Grants-in-Aid support and Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) funds that supported the work of Charlotte Dagli ’25, Ryder Hutchinson ’28 and Alice Efremov ’26, all of whom are co-authors on the research publication. Travel assistance for the conference was also provided by ������Ƶ College, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Biology Department Gift Fund.

Lab attendees included Ryder Hutchinson ’28, Alice Efremov ’26, Alex Roberts ’27, Kalialani Choate ’28 and Zach Stein ’29. In addition to attending conference sessions and supporting the lab’s presentation, the trip served as the group’s first laboratory retreat, giving students an opportunity to strengthen connections as a research team through shared meals, informal mentoring and a visit to the Georgia Aquarium before returning to North Carolina.

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For Ryder Hutchinson ’28, impactful research was not something to be completed towards the end of his college experience. The nursing student began research on how to fight various cancers with different viruses after only his first semester at ������Ƶ.

“We use a type of virus that does a really good job at not killing your healthy cells but does a really good job at killing cancer cells,” Hutchinson said. “They use this technique at clinical trials right now for common cancers such as breast and colon cancer in combination with chemotherapy drugs. But my big question was: what about the other cancers?”

Hutchinson began this research with Efrain Rivera-Serrano, assistant professor of biology. While taking his cell biology course, Hutchinson began shadowing Rivera-Serrano weekly in the lab as he worked with other students on research projects. Hutchinson was then accepted by Rivera-Serrano as a research student, in addition to his acceptance into ������Ƶ’s Summer Undergraduate Research Experience, where he stayed on campus over the summer of 2025 with a grant to continue research on the project.

Given his grandmother’s diagnosis of leukemia, Hutchinson was initially interested in exploring this specific type of cancer. However, given the difficulty in testing certain types of cancers, the pair compromised and used existing research and expanded upon it with Hutchinson’s desire to help cancer patients.

“It was a different way of using what he knows, with what I know, and making a really cool research project out of it,” Hutchinson said.

When describing the various types of viral strings, Hutchinson compared them to “personalities,” for the layman viewer of his project to understand.

“This one virus can have many different strings, or as I like to say, many different personalities,” Hutchinson said. “And they’re using a specific string or specific personality in clinical trials, but there’s so many more out there. So, I did testing on 35 different strings and found that within the rare cancers I tested on, the one I found is different than the one in clinical trials, and it shows to be better at killing than the one’s they’re currently using.”

During SURF Day on April 28, all other campus activities are suspended so the ������Ƶ community can come together around students’ creative endeavors and research efforts. Undergraduate research is also one of the five ������Ƶ Experiences, which provides a natural extension of the work students do in the classroom and ensures that ������Ƶ graduates are prepared for both graduate school and careers.

After he presents at SURF, Hutchinson plans on conducting more specific research to the field of nursing with chemotherapy patients at Cone Health hospital that align more closely with his goal of a profession in nursing.

In addition to his research project, he is in the process of receiving feedback for two professional articles: one of which he is publishing himself, and another in which he is the co-author.

“I have always wanted to have a purpose,” Hutchinson said. “I wanted to make an impact, and I feel like I’m slowly doing that, or headed in the right direction of making a difference or impact on people’s lives.”

������Ƶ students’ presentations spanned both the ages and the globe, with presentations ranging in focus from ancient Maya society to generative AI’s role in online public relations discourse, and spanning both the experiences of Syrian refugees and the indigenous politics of Peru.

The setting in Richmond offered a unique opportunity for mentor/mentee pair Amanda Kleintop, assistant professor of history, and Athena Vizuete ’26, a history major from Carrboro, North Carolina, who study Civil War history. In addition to presenting, they built in time to tour local historical sites that inform their research projects.

“It was amazing to see the quality of ������Ƶ’s undergraduate research in our students’ presentations,” said Kleintop. “I was very proud of Athena, who presented on her research on Reconstruction in North Carolina that was threeyears in the making! Plus, there nothing like visiting Richmond as a Civil War and Reconstruction scholar!”

“NCUR is a wonderful opportunity,” Vizuete said. “I am so happy I got to present my research on a national scale and attend so many fascinating presentations by my fellow students.”

Senior Professional Writing and Rhetoric major Caden Halberg is mentored by Travis Maynard and presented his work entitled, “The Whey Forward: Successfully Advocating for the Galactosemia Community.”

“Presenting at NCUR allowed me to raise awareness about rare disease advocacy while connecting with students across disciplines, many of whom had never encountered this topic befor,” said Halberg.

Several students presented their work from the School of Communications. Senior strategic communications and public policy major Teresa Cao is mentored by Shanetta Pendleton, and presented her project entitled, “Sorry, Not Sorry: Exploring Communication Patterns and Perceived Authenticity of Influencer Apologies on Social Media.”

“NCUR was great because I loved being able to see the range of students and how the chose to pursue their interests,” said Cao. “It reinforced to me how there’s always something to learn or dig deeper into, and in my case, that was influencer apology videos. Pop culture is often a mirror to what’s happening in society on a broader scale, so I loved being able to share my insights on something that’s seemingly very superficial. It was also really encouraging to be around students from other disciplines since I got to hear their perspectives on my research, what they admired, and advice on how they’d do things differently.”

Students were accompanied by faculty members Eric Hall, Justin Clar, CJ Fleming, Jen Hamel, Amanda Kleintop and Judy Folmar. Folmar presented two mentor-led sessions accompanied by her research students in which they shared their research process with other student-mentor pairs.

NCUR was first held at the University of North Carolina at Asheville in 1987 and ������Ƶ students have been attending the conference since 1993. ������Ƶ typically has more than 40 students present at NCUR each year. Next year’s conference will be held April 12-14, 2027 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Butterbach’s path to research started in a cell biology course taught by Assistant Professor of Biology Efrain Rivera-Serrano, where she consistently asked questions and engaged deeply with the material. This curiosity led her to join the interdisciplinary project.

“It was a very ‘right place, right time’ circumstance,” Butterbach said. “This research was exactly the sort of thing I was looking to get involved in.”

Through her Lumen Prize, Butterbach is working alongside two faculty mentors from different fields of study, Associate Professor of Mathematics Hwayeon Ryu and Rivera-Serrano, to study viral myocarditis, or heart inflammation, that occurs during the infection of many viruses. Her research is focused on examining the pathways that lead to excessive inflammation and how inflammation can be reduced without compromising the immune system’s ability to clear the virus.

“My research focuses on creating math out of biological reactions,” Butterbach said. “Ultimately, the goal is to create a framework that helps us better understand and predict how cardiac inflammation progresses.”

Viral myocarditis occurs when inflammation damages heart tissue, sometimes leading to long-term complications or sudden cardiac failure, particularly in young, active individuals. Although inflammation is a natural immune response, Butterbach’s research is exploring what causes that response to become excessive.

Butterbach uses mathematical modeling to integrate biology and immunology into a modeling framework to identify factors that most strongly drive harmful inflammation, revealing pathways that could be therapeutically targeted.

“It’s a balancing act to use equations to model what’s happening,” Butterbach said. “If the model is too simple then it is not realistic to the human heart, but if the model is too complex, it becomes difficult to work with.”

Taking an interdisciplinary approach

This research project’s strength lies in its collaboration and intersection between mathematics, biology and engineering. Mathematics offers the language and tools to create the models, while biology provides the foundation for understanding the disease. Engineering ties it together through design, problem-solving and a systems-level mindset.

“This project works precisely because it sits at the intersection of all three areas,” Rivera-Serrano said. “Elise is especially well suited for this work because she is genuinely interested in connecting these disciplines rather than treating them as separate silos.”

Ryu echoed this statement on Butterbach’s interdisciplinary approach.

“Elise approaches research with a rare combination of intellectual curiosity, maturity and persistence, and she is genuinely committed to understanding how mathematics and biology inform one another,” Ryu said. “Her ability to engage across disciplines and contribute thoughtfully at that intersection is what makes her such a strong and promising researcher.”

Butterbach, Rivera-Serrano and Ryu meet weekly to refine their model, troubleshoot challenges and discuss literature.

“The steady back-and-forth is one of the strengths of the project,” Rivera-Serrano said.

For Butterbach, working across disciplines has shaped how she approaches problems.

“I’ve always found that when different disciplines collide, it actually becomes easier to understand complex concepts,” Butterbach said. “Working across engineering, mathematics and virology is fascinating because each discipline approaches the same problem in a completely different way. Learning to think adaptively across disciplines and translate between them has been one of the most valuable parts of this experience.”

Butterbach is motivated by the possibility of using interdisciplinary research to better understand human disease.

“The interdisciplinary nature and the way the team bring together mathematics, biology and engineering is not always easy to achieve, but Elise has embraced it fully and become an essential part of that process,” Ryu said.

Collaborating on this research has been rewarding not only for Butterbach, but for her mentors as well.

“Working with Elise has been incredibly rewarding,” Rivera-Serrano said. “She approaches a difficult project that requires her to be conversant in multiple disciplines with curiosity, maturity and persistence.”

One takeaway she learned from working in disciplines outside of her major is that discoveries in one field almost always influence others.

“By learning how to think like a biologist, a mathematician and a physicist, I have become much more comfortable applying ideas from one subject to another, even when they seem unrelated at first.”

She also values the work with her two mentors, Rivera-Serrano and Ryu, as they have helped her grow as a researcher.

“Dr. E spends a lot of time looking for resources that I can use to calculate the values of different parameters,” Butterbach said. “Similarly, Dr. Ryu works tirelessly to not just improve my mathematical skills but also teaches me how to see mathematical theory working in the real world. They’re not just dedicated to this project; they’re also thinking about what comes next for me.”

Expanding her research

Butterbach was recently selected for a competitive Physical, Engineering and Biology Research Experiences for Undergraduates program at Yale University, focused on physics, engineering and biology. Butterbach hopes to expand her research on the cardiovascular system.

“Elise’s acceptance is especially meaningful because it reflects national-level recognition of her promise as an undergraduate researcher in an interdisciplinary space,” Rivera-Serrano said.

For Butterbach, the opportunity was surprising and motivating.

“I tried not to set any grand expectations for myself, so when I received the email I was genuinely surprised to be selected for the program,” Butterbach said. “It felt incredibly validating of the hard work and dedication I’ve put into my studies.”

At Yale, the program, like her research, is interdisciplinary covering biology, physics and engineering. She will expand her experience in computational and biological modeling while working alongside researchers.

“To me, this program represents the opening of new doors,” Butterbach said. “It’s an opportunity to continue growing as a researcher, meet people working at the forefront of interdisciplinary science and explore new directions that I may not have encountered otherwise.”