Congratulations to all of our Biology majors from the Class of 2021!
Ben Alexander
Departmental Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude
Thesis Title: Site Specific Conjugation of Fibroblast Growth Factor 1 (FGF1)-F2C Mutant Conjugation to CuInS2/ZnS Quantum Dots
Thesis Advisor: Colin Heyes
Kentley Baker
College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude
Thesis Title: Characterization of the Hexa-mutant of Human Acidic Fibroblast Growth Factor (hFGF-1)
Thesis Advisor: T.K.S. Kumar
I would tell upcoming Fulbright students that it all really goes by so quickly, and to enjoy every single minute!
Julia Baranyk
College Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude
Thesis Title: Toward understanding cnidarian-specific neuropeptide function: the generation of RPamide knockout mutant lines
Thesis Advisor: Nagayasu Nakanishi
Ryan Blanchard
Departmental Scholar of Biology: Magna Cum Laude
Thesis Title: The Behavioral Immune System and Prejudice Against Immigrants Among Healthcare Professionals
Thesis Advisor: Anastasia Makhanova
Jared Canonigo
Departmental Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude
Minor in Spanish
Thesis Title: How Acetylation Regulates Enzyme Function During Environmental Shifts
Thesis Advisor: Jeff Lewis
Be kinder than necessary, work diligently in your studies, don’t forget to take care of yourself, and to have fun!
James Chesshir
College Scholar of Biology
Thesis Title: Axon Guidance: Modern Advancements in Understanding and Cross-Species Ramifications
Thesis Advisor: Timothy Evans
Summer 2021 Graduate
Sydney Darling
College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude
Additional Major in Spanish
Thesis Title: Coronavirus Virus Surveillance in Arkansas Duck Populations
Thesis Advisor: Kristian Forbes
While my time at the University of Arkansas did not end how I thought it would due to the current state of our world, I am still so thankful and proud to have been able to graduate from Fulbright Honors and complete my honors thesis. I can’t wait to keep calling the hogs from Little Rock, at my new home at the UAMS College of Medicine to continue my passions in the professional realm.
Julia Daugherty
Departmental Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude
Thesis Title: The Isolation and Characterization of an Unidentified Strain of Marine Cyanobacteria Extracted from the Gulf of Thailand
Thesis Advisor: Ruben Michael Ceballos
Raechel Davis
Departmental Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude
Minor in Medical Humanities
Thesis Title: Impact of Media Use on Cognitive Control: An ERP Investigation
Thesis Advisor: Connie Lamm
Never lose sight of why you started!
Dresden Dilts
College Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude
Minor in History
Thesis Title: A Study of Temperature Dependent Macrophage Activity in HTC Cells
Thesis Advisor: Jeannine Durdik
Live in Hotz Hall, take H2P (all 3 semesters), and study abroad if given the chance! Just have fun and make the most of your time here!
Stephan Fagot
College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude
Thesis Title: Isolation and Characterization of Marine Cyanobacteria
Thesis Advisor: Ruben Michael Ceballos
Timothy Frerking
College Scholar of Biology: Magna Cum Laude
Thesis Title: Visualizing the Formation of Epithelial Compartment Boundaries in Live Drosophila embryos
Thesis Advisor: Adam Paré
Ariston Gray
Departmental Scholar of Biology: Magna Cum Laude
Minor in Human Development and Family Sciences
Thesis Title: The Influence of Percent Protein Intake on Body Composition, Sleep, and Physical Activity in Adults 18 Years of Age and Older
Thesis Advisor: Jamie Baum
There will be challenges associated with this journey, but they are totally worth the final product!
Kyle Hanson
College Scholar of Biology
Thesis Title: Sulfolobales Membrane Persistence Throughout the Death Phase of Growth
Thesis Advisor: Ruben Michael Ceballos
Summer 2021 Graduate
Ryan Harpenau
College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude
Minor in Medical Humanities
Thesis Title: Temperature and LPS Dependent Variation of Cytokine Expression in Chicken Macrophages
Thesis Advisor: Jeannine Durdik
My advice to future/current Fulbright students is to take advantage of as many opportunities through the college as possible. Take any and every opportunity you can to meet other students and faculty while an undergrad! Faculty always have interesting stories as to how they got here and make good references for post-grad plans. This will not only help with future careers, but will also introduce you to friends you wouldn’t meet otherwise.
Chantelle Harris
Departmental Scholar of Biology: Magna Cum Laude
Minor in Spanish
Thesis Title: Dental Asymmetry in Human Maxillary Molars
Thesis Advisor: Kathleen Paul
Lindsey Herberger
Departmental Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude
Minors in Human Development and Family Sciences, Medical Humanities
Thesis Title: The Association Between Diet and Academic Performance in Students at the University of Arkansas
Thesis Advisor: Jamie Baum
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined.” – Henry David Thoreau
Woo pig forever!
Logan Hillemann
Departmental Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude
Minor in Religious Studies
Thesis Title: The Effect of Mutant C-Terminals in Alb3 Complex and their Affinity to cpSRP43
Thesis Advisor: T.K.S. Kumar
Utilize the Honors College events, resources, and information!
Kevin Hollar
Departmental Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude
Thesis Title: Genomic population structure of Rainbow Darter (Etheostoma caeruleum) in the White River Drainage System
Thesis Advisor: Marlis Douglas
Hannah Hughes
College Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude
Additional Major in German
Thesis Title: Optimizing the Cyanogen Bromide-Mediated Cleavage of Proteins
Thesis Advisor: T.K.S. Kumar
Jared James
Departmental Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude
Additional Major in Chemistry
Thesis Title: Subunit Interaction in the SWR1 Complex and its Relation to Chromosome Segregation
Thesis Advisor: Inés Pinto
Zachary Kelly
Departmental Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude
Thesis Title: rGO-TiO2 RFID Biochemical Sensor Application in Detection of Escherichia coli MG1655
Thesis Advisor: Ryan Tian
Jahnavi Kodali
College Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude
Additional Major in International Studies
Thesis Title: Offspring Immune-Behavior Trade-offs in Response to Maternal Disease History
Thesis Advisor: Sarah DuRant
Chloe Kuebler
College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude
Minor in Anthropology
Thesis Title: Defining a Conserved Molecular Mechanism for Tissue Compartmentalization in Insects
Thesis Advisor: Adam Paré
Kaylie Mahar
Departmental Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude
Minors in Psychology, Medical Humanities
Thesis Title: Experimental Manipulation of Inflammation and Perceptions of Conflict in Romantic Relationships
Thesis Advisor: Anastasia Makhanova
Throughout my experiences at the University of Arkansas, I have grown immensely in my leadership abilities and interpersonal communication skills. I was once this shy girl coming out of high school who soon blossomed into a confident woman who possesses strong values and goals for my life. I can’t think my thesis director, Dr. Anastasia Makhanova, enough for what she has challenged me to do during my time here. My advice to you is to pursue what makes you happy in life and challenge yourself in that area so you are able to make an impact in the community around you.
Danica McGrevey
College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude
Minor in Medical Humanities
Thesis Title: Temperature-Dependent Macrophage Activity in Rainbow Trout
Thesis Advisor: Jeannine Durdik
So many of the incredible opportunities and experiences I had were thanks to the Fulbright Honors Program. My experience at the University of Arkansas truly would not have been as amazing as it was without Fulbright Honors!
Katherine McTigrit
College Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude
Minors in History, Medical Humanities
Thesis Title: Investigating the role of the conserved RNA-binding protein Musashi in a sea anemone; identification of Musashi in sea anemone and generation of an RNA probe for gene expression analysis
Thesis Advisor: Nagayasu Nakanishi
Ashley Morris
College Scholar of Biology: Magna Cum Laude
Thesis Title: The Effect of Maternal Diet and Maternal Infection on Offspring Immunity
Thesis Advisor: Sarah DuRant
“Though she be but little, she is fierce.” -Shakespeare; A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Aaron Norris
Departmental Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude
Thesis Title: Effects of Habitat Management on Rodent Community Assemblages in Northwest Arkansas Prairies
Thesis Advisor: Kristian Forbes
Sylvia Nupp
Departmental Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude
Additional Major in Chemistry—Biochemistry Emphasis
Thesis Title: Methanogen Metabolism on Zero-Valent Iron and/or Basalt: Implications for Life on Mars
Thesis Advisor: Timothy Kral
Andrew Palmer
College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude
Additional Major in Sociology
Thesis Title: Examining the Invasion of a Bush Honeysuckle Using Climate Analysis
Thesis Advisor: Jeremy Beaulieu
Presli Pendergrass
Departmental Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude
Minors in Medical Humanities, Psychology
Thesis Title: Relationships between watershed land use, stream habitat and winter stonefly diversity
Thesis Advisor: Michelle Evans-White
Kaitlyn Puyear
Departmental Scholar of Biology: Magna Cum Laude
Minor General Business
Thesis Title: Literary Review: Techniques for Assessing Non-Carious Cervical Lesions and Dental Caries
Thesis Advisor: Peter Ungar
Christopher Rassmann
College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude
Minor in Philosophy
Thesis Title: Growth of a Plausible Martian Lifeform in the Presence of Olivine
Thesis Advisor: Timothy Kral
Kevin Reilly
Departmental Scholar of Biology
Minor in Medical Humanities
Thesis Title: Regulation of the Reaction between Cytochrome C and Cytochrome Oxidase in Mitrochondrial Energy Production
Thesis Advisor: Francis Millett
Summer 2021 Graduate
“Got an A on the test, let’s hit JJ’s!”
Madeline Richards
College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude
Minor in Spanish
Thesis Title: Functional Control of the Drosophila Lipin Protein by Phosphorylation
Thesis Advisor: Michael Lehmann
I have loved my time at the University of Arkansas and I will cherish the memories I have made forever! Thank you to the honors college, my friends and family for all of the support along the way. Woo pig!
Grace Roberts
College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude
Additional Major in Anthropology, Minor in Medical Humanities
Thesis Title: Evaluating Population-Level Differences in Dental Morphology and Wear Patterns Between Genetically Distinct Human Samples
Thesis Advisor: Peter Ungar
Savannah Seupaul
College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude
Minors in Philosophy, Psychology, Medical Humanities
Thesis Title: Antibacterial Properties of Horsehair Fungus (Marasmius spp.) in Tropical Bird Nests
Thesis Advisor: Sarah DuRant
Weijia Shi
College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude
Additional Major in Chemistry—Biochemistry Emphasis
Thesis Title: Identification of Proteins that Contribute to Yeast Thermotolerance by Lysine Acetylation
Thesis Advisor: Jeff Lewis
Never give up!!
Allison Shildt
College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude
Additional Major in Chemistry—Biochemistry Emphasis
Thesis Title: Evidence from Cnidaria supports an ancient evolutionary origin of FoxP genes in Animals
Thesis Advisor: Nagayasu Nakanishi
Annalyn Smith
Departmental Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude
Minor in Human Development and Family Sciences
Thesis Title: Comparing Cognition in Women Between the Ages of (18-40) and (40-70)
Thesis Advisor: Michelle Gray
Jessica Thrush
Departmental Scholar of Biology: Magna Cum Laude
Minor in Medical Humanities
Thesis Title: The Role of Angiopoietin-like Protein 4 in the Radiation Response of Triple Negative Breast Cancer
Thesis Advisor: Tameka Bailey
Don’t be afraid to get involved in research early, you’ll make connections you will never forget.
Brittany Tian
College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude
Additional Major in English
Thesis Title: Characterization of tartan expression in post-elongation Drosophila embryos
Thesis Advisor: Adam Paré
Ellie Vicha
Departmental Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude
Minor in Medical Humanities
Thesis Title: Metal-Free Catalysis for Sustainable Chemistry
Thesis Advisor: Matt McIntosh
Savannah Washburn
Departmental Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude
Thesis Title: Genome Structure of Yeast During Domestication
Thesis Advisor: Jeff Lewis
Emma Wiest
College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude
Minor in Medical Humanities
Thesis Title: Effects of Prior Infection on Maternal Egg Antibody Deposition and Implications for Offspring Immunity
Thesis Advisor: Sarah DuRant
Reach out to professors early! They are always looking for eager minds and they want to help you succeed!
Kayla Wood
College Scholar of Biology: Magna Cum Laude
Minor in Medical Humanities
Thesis Title: Stroke prevention through blood clot removal devices: designing model blood clots
Thesis Advisor: Hanna Jensen
“We need to remember what’s important in life: friends, waffles, work. Or waffles, friends, work. Doesn’t matter, but work is third.” -Leslie Knope
Margaret Woodruff
College Scholar of Biology: Summa Cum Laude
Additional Major in Chemistry, Minor in Spanish
Thesis Title: In silico molecular analysis of structural and catalytic domains of the Clostridioides difficile SpoIIE regulatory protein
Thesis Advisor: Mack Ivey
Victoria Ybarra
Departmental Scholar of Biology: Cum Laude
Additional Major in Chemistry
Thesis Title: Correlation of Mental Fatigue in Relation to Cognitive Control Strategies and N2 Activation
Thesis Advisor: Connie Lamm
