Emilia Ceniceros is a sophomore in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences studying Animal Science on the Pre-PhD track with a potential minor in Infectious Diseases or Education. In addition, to being a McNair Scholar, she is a first-generation college student. She is currently an undergraduate research assistant in the Lau Lab studying a spectrum of immune memory, more specifically, the unique abilities that natural killer cells possess and contribute to immune memory responses. After Cornell, she hopes to attend a Ph.D. program centered around immunology, microbiology, or virology studying the intersection of cellular immunotherapies and adaptive immunity in both animals and people. She hopes to eventually enter a career in research and university-level academia.

Cannon Cline is a sophomore in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) studying Earth and Atmospheric Sciences with a specific interest in coastal geomorphology and coastal hazards. He is currently working in the Srikrishna Lab where he is researching the modeling of coastal hazards associated with sea level rise. Cannon plans to pursue his Ph.D. in Earth Science and hopes to work with vulnerable communities in assessing and managing.

Vashti Claybrook

Anya English

Santiago Tabago Erices

Amaya Garnenez

Lisette Gallarzo Guerrero

Chandra Jebodh is a junior at the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management pursuing a bachelor’s degree in applied economics and management with a concentration in accounting. In addition to being a McNair Scholar, she is also a Cooke scholar, a member of the P3 program, and a proud member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Chandra wants to study forensic accounting and fraud to prevent corporate fraud from happening. She is very interested in researching how large-scale corporate frauds begin and how they are allowed to continue without interference. In her personal life, Chandra volunteers in animal rescue and is a strong advocate for the LGBTQ community. After graduating from Cornell, she plans to pursue a master’s and Ph.D. in accounting and hopes to become a higher-education professor someday.

Melanie Lantigua

Nuzhat Mukul

Amirath Norton is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences studying Psychology, focusing on Social Psychology, and minoring in LGBT Studies. Along with the McNair Scholars, she completed the OADI Research Scholars Program and is a member of the CornellAstronomical Society. Previously, they worked with Dr. Yuichi Shoda of the University of Washington on a study covering how race is represented and referred to in academic psychology articles. Currently, she is working with Dr. Tom Gilovich in the Gilovich lab researching the traits and common actions displayed by good conversationalists. She is interested in researching the environmental, social, and societal factors that impact expression of LGBTQ+ identity and participation in the community. They wish to contribute to filling the gap in empirical research that is present regarding social psychology within the LGBTQ+ community and combat misinformation on the topic. After graduation, they wish to pursue their Ph.D. in Social Psychology with intent to become a researcher.

Joely Ventura Reyes is a sophomore in the college of Agriculture and Life Sciences pursuing a major in Biological Sciences with a concentration in microbiology and a potential minor in Education. Born in the Dominican Republic, Joely moved to New York at the age of seven. In addition to being a McNair scholar, she is a first-generation college student and an EOP scholar. She is currently an undergraduate research assistant in the Cerione lab researching the molecular mechanisms of KRAS inhibitors using room temperature crystallography. After her time at Cornell, she hopes to participate in a PhD program in virology and research cellular genes that promote and inhibit viral infection.

Yahir-Huerta Salas

Laila Salih is a sophomore in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell, majoring in Biological Sciences with a minor in Biometry and Statistics. She is currently conducting breast cancer genetics research at the Schimenti Lab and is planning to pursue an MD-PhD. Laila is very passionate about providing equal access to clinical cancer treatments to underrepresented groups and minorities, especially in the areas of breast cancer and blood cancer. She aims to advance the field of cancer research by combining her future expertise in cellular biology, oncology, and a surgical specialty to teach and encourage the involvement of future students of color.

Saleha Tahseen I am a sophomore in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences studying Biological Sciences with a concentration in Molecular Biology on a pre-med track with a minor in biochemistry and ethics. I am currently on the MD-PhD path to bridge the intersection between the world of chemical drugs and the intricate systems of biotechnology and molecular pathways. I am also involved in as the Student Advisor for the Office of Undergraduate Biology and a Resident Advisor at Risley.

Peter Thais is a member of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe on the Akwesasne Indian Reservation. He is currently pursuing a degree in Biological Engineering with potential minors in Environment & Sustainability and American Indian & Indigenous Studies. His research interests include community-based research, specifically with Indigenous Peoples in the context of climate change mitigation and environmental sustainability. Peter is an active member of the Indigenous community at Cornell.

Christina Torres

Jada Vail is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences pursuing a double major in Mathematics and Physics, concentrating in Astronomy. I am passionate about spreading my passion for learning more about the universe we live in, especially to young women interested in STEM disciplines. After obtaining a Ph.D., I intend to teach physics at the college level. Dynamical systems and the early universe interest me.

Jada Vyphius

Nigel Williams