Monisha Afrooz is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University. She is a Biology major with a concentration in Neurobiology and Behavior, as she is fascinated by the brain. Monisha hopes to do research involving neural circuits, and study the behavioral aspects associated with the brain. After graduating Cornell, she hopes to attain a dual MD/PhD degree and ultimately aid individuals in third world countries, such as Bangladesh, in any way she can. Monisha believes that if she can help even one person, she will be successful. With the help of the McNair Scholars Program, she believes she will be able to achieve this.

Muhammad Ali is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences with a double major in Sociology and Biological Sciences. His research experience includes 5 years of investigating the Biochemistry and Pathology of Alzheimer’s disease. He has a pending publication in the American Chemical Society with Professor Chunyu Wang of RPI. He also has another pending publication in Chemical Communications with Professor Igor Lednev of SUNY Albany. Muhammad is currently working with Professor Chris Schaffer in the Biomedical Engineering department. He performs chronic craniotomies on models of mice with Alzheimer’s and images their brain microvasculature using a two-photon microscope. His goal is to discover the transduction pathway of a novel hallmark of the disease that reduces brain blood flow by 30%.  After graduating Cornell, Muhammad hopes to pursue an MD-PhD to become a Physician Scientist.

Stephanie Becker is a sophomore in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences majoring in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Neurobiology and Behavior. Her research interests include cellular and Molecular Neurobiology and immunology. After graduating from Cornell, Stephanie hopes to pursue a PhD and specialize in the field of Neuroinflammation. Her ultimate career goal is to help elucidate the relationship between the nervous and immune systems. Stephanie is currently doing research in the Hu Lab at Cornell.Stephanie Becker is a sophomore in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences majoring in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Neurobiology and Behavior. Her research interests include cellular and Molecular Neurobiology and immunology. After graduating from Cornell, Stephanie hopes to pursue a PhD and specialize in the field of Neuroinflammation. Her ultimate career goal is to help elucidate the relationship between the nervous and immune systems. Stephanie is currently doing research in the Hu Lab at Cornell.

Hailey Brace is a sophomore, majoring in Policy Analysis and Management in the College of Human Ecology. Her research interests include economic decision-making and models of rational human behavior. Hailey hopes to pursue a PhD in economics and improve the way that human biases and heuristics are incorporated into economic models.

Jaylexia Clark is a sophomore at Cornell University. Enrolled in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, she hopes to minor in Law and Society as well as Policy Analysis and Management. As an African American woman and a scholar on public policy and community development, Jaylexia likes to focus her research on the relationship between Race and Public Policy within American history. She hopes to address present issues of equity on the local/community level. This winter break Jaylexia will travel to Cambodia to expand her understanding of how other communities, such as the Khmer civilization, are working to overcome a history of state. This is just one of the many research projects she hopes to learn and gflex-3 from through McNair – a program she believes will help her to find the perfect joint PhD and JD program after graduating from Cornell.

Hendryck Gellineau is a sophomore Chemistry major and French minor in the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University. His research interest lies with bioinorganic medicinal chemistry, in which he hopes to help discover new anticancer drugs by studying transition metal complexes. He one day hopes to work at the intersection of pharmaceutical drug development and patient care, in hopes of tackling antibiotic resistance as well as increasing the viability of pharmaceutical research. After Cornell, Hendryck plans to earn his MD-PhD and become a physician scientist, hopefully with an academic appointment.

Malek Jacobs is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences pursuing a major in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Neurobiology and Behavior. He would like to conduct research exploring the neurological processes at the cellular and systems level involved in learning and behavior. Specifically, Malek would like to obtain a better understanding of how properties of individual neurons can work together to enable perception, memory, and high-level reasoning. This semester he is assisting in research in the Computational Physiology Laboratory (CPL), which focuses on neuromodulation and neural coding. After graduating from Cornell University, Malek intends to obtain his MD/PhD. This summer one of the research opportunities he plans to apply for is Caltech's Amgen Scholars Program.

Sabrina Kazi is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in Psychology with an intended concentration in Biopsychology. Her research interests are primarily focused on child development and the biological mechanisms behind development. Sabrina plans on pursuing a MD-PhD, and work as a neonatologist and researcher.

Alex Martell is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences with a major in Chemistry and minors in Latino Studies and Business. His research interests are to alter the properties of cotton fabrics through the application of thermosensitive polymers. After graduation, Alex hopes to pursue a PhD, in either Materials Science or Chemical Engineering, and eventually become a Professor.

Brianna Mims is a sophomore from San Jose, California, studying in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She is majoring in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and is interested in exploring the variety of ways organisms interact with their ecosystem and change over time. Currently, she is a part of Dr. David Winkler's Birds of the World project, in which she manipulates CT scans of bird specimens to highlight their morphology and anatomy. After graduating, Brianna hopes to pursue a PhD and focus on Herpetology or Ornithology by conducting lab and on-field research. She also hopes to encourage students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, to gain more interest in ecology and biodiversity through education.

Isaiah Murray is a sophomore in the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, majoring in Urban and Regional Studies. His research interest lies in community organizing for marginalized communities and how this applies to digital networks. Isaiah grew up in San Antonio, Texas in a bi-racial family of African American and Mexican heritage. This multi-cultural upbringing has allowed him to see social issues through two lenses. He hopes to use his background and the knowledge of cities and technology to understand the new social dynamic for densely populated spaces. After graduating from Cornell University, Isaiah hopes to pursue a PhD in Urban and Regional Studies so that he can assist communities to discover their potential for actualization.

Olu H.K. Roberts is a junior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences majoring in International Agriculture and Rural Development (IARD) and plans to minor in Environmental Engineering with a focus on Hydrology. Olu is interested in community development, especially with a desire to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds receive higher education opportunities at top tier institutions, such as the Ivy League schools. His other goal is to help more millennials see the potential future of agriculture using technology in his home country of Jamaica. After graduating from Cornell, Olu intends to pursue a dual degree, in MSC-PhD and become an Agricultural Engineer. His research interests stem from his personal experiences and background gflex-3ing up in Kingston, Jamaica. Olu will be working alongside his mentor and research Professor Jim Lassoie, researching community-based conservation, primarily in developing countries.

Laura Vasquez-Bolanos is a sophomore in the College of Engineering, majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Her past experiences with orthopedic injuries ignited a curiosity of bones and how the body works in general. Laura is currently working with professor Christopher Hernandez to determine how the microbiome influences osteoarthritis. After graduating from Cornell, Laura hopes to pursue a PhD and ultimately become a professor!

Alyssa Watson is sophomore in the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University where she hopes to pursue her interests in Human Development, Nutrition, and Statistics. Alyssa is passionate about the intersection of social justice and the healthcare system, and its consequential effect on how public policy provides differing levels of access to resources to specific population groups. Through the McNair Scholars Program, Alyssa hopes to gain support to narflex-3 her research interests and find a doctoral program that is as diverse as she is.

Alexis Wilson was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She is an Environmental Science and Sustainability major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, concentrating in Biogeochemistry, with a minor in Climate Change. Due to her interest in the environment, Alexis is an active member of The Society for Natural Resource Conservation. Additionally, Alexis is a Hunter Rawlings Presidential Research Scholar, through which she conducts research in the Fahey-Yavitt laboratory. Her involvement in the Intergroup Dialogue Project, both as a participant and facilitator, has opened her eyes to important aspects of society. Alexis hopes to continue her work towards social justice by pursuing a PhD in the environmental sciences and a career conducting research on Climate Change.