McNair Scholar Research
Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program (McNair)
Increases the number of economically disadvantaged and historically underrepresented students (as defined by the U.S. Department of Education) entering graduate school and obtaining their PhD.
Eligibility: First-generation college students from a low-income background OR a member of a group that is underrepresented in graduate education as defined by the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. citizen or permanent U.S. resident, 2.8 GPA or higher sophomore or junior undergraduate.
Funding: A TRiO program funded by the U.S. Department of Education & Clarkson University
Scholars: 2025
Kayla is originally from St Andrew,
Jamaica and she currently resided in
Queens New York. Kayla is a
dedicated biology student with a
passion for science and healthcare.
She is Junior currently pursuing a
biology degree with minors in
chemistry and health sciences at
CUNY Queens College. She assisted
Dr Keneth Wallace in research
projects related to the intestinal
development of zebrafish as well as
genome editing tools to create
mutation in this this species.
She plans to pursue a master’s in
public health and ultimately become a
medical doctor to make a meaningful
impact on community health. With a
vibrant cultural background and a
love for learning, Kayla is preparing
for a future in both medicine and
public health.
Rain is Junior at Tuskegee University from Guilford, Indiana majoring in Biology.
Her research focuses on learning the effects an environment's spatial structure has on chemotaxis and dispersal of microbes. Strains of Pseudomonas Fluorescens were evolved in a nutritionally uniform environment and a patch environment, with bacteria samples being collected from the edge and center of each environment. The goal is to understand how spatial structure and the microbes position within that structure affects chemotaxis, thus affecting dispersal.
She plans to pursue a masters degree and enjoys reading and playing board games with friends.
Kailen Brown was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and now resides in Houston Texas. She is a rising senior computer science major at Texas Southern University.
This summer she is researching the effect of factors like global warming on seismic wave propagation under mentor and professor Suguang Xiao. She plans to pursue a Masters degree and likes to draw, read, and workout in her free time.
Kachikwulu Akabogu was raised in Lagos, Nigeria, with roots in Anambra, Nigeria. He is majoring in Electrical Engineering. He is currently a rising Junior. This summer, he looked into the implementation of a Speed Filter and 3-d mapping onto an unmanned ground vehicle capable of autonomous navigation. The name of his advisor is Dr. Chen Liu. He enjoys the company of his thoughts.
Abdullah was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He is entering his junior year as a Mechanical Engineering major at Stony Brook University. For his summer research, he is working with Dr. Michael Bazzocchi and Dr. Marcias Martinez on developing the physical base for an open-source stationary, low-cost, socially assistive robot named June.
June is designed to assist people with dementia and their caretakers and in the future will have large language model integration to have conversations that can assist in slowing down the rate of dementia. He plans on pursuing at least a masters degree in Mechanical Engineering, and possibly continuing onto his Ph.D. In his free time, he enjoys creating digital art and biking.
Ankit Modhera is a senior majoring in Computer Science from Toronto. Currently studying at York University.
His research project involved developing a countertop robot designed for detecting and monitoring home kitchen appliances. Using advanced techniques in computer vision and thermal imaging, his work aims to significantly enhance safety and support independence for individuals living with dementia. Under the mentorship of Dr. Michael Bazzocchi and Dr. Marcias Martinez, Ankit acquired substantial experience in practical robotics applications. He plans to further his academic journey by pursuing a Master's degree in Robotics.
In his leisure time, he also enjoys playing video games and values opportunities to meet and connect with new people.
Eva JnBaptiste is from Brooklyn, NY. She attends St Francis College as a junior nursing student.
Eva participated in Dr. Appiah’s research where they studied different individuals on the treadmill vs the overground for 6 minutes. The Delsys monitor captures how the muscle reacts and the heart monitor tracks the heart rate of the individual. This will help determine if the overground method and the treadmill have the same effects for physical therapy offices so that they can use the treadmill.
Eva plans on pursuing a masters in nursing in hopes to be a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner. She hopes to attend New York University or Hofstra University. Outside of school, Eva enjoys hanging out with friends, shopping, and listening to music.
Nas Nfaoui is a rising junior at Clarkson University from Queens, NY majoring in Electrical Engineering.
This summer, Nas conducted research under the mentorship of Dr. Leo Y. Jiang, focusing on transformer thermal modeling and Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA) to evaluate the feasibility of deploying Non-Wires Alternatives (NWA) such as battery storage. His work combines thermal aging simulations with utility data to explore cost-effective solutions for delaying infrastructure upgrades. Driven by a passion for sustainable energy and systems modeling, Nas plans to pursue a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, with long-term goals of contributing to energy resilience and smart grid innovation.
He is actively involved in the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), and outside of academics, he enjoys swimming and creative projects in tech and design.
Joshua Ashley is from Bronx, NY and is currently a Senior majoring in Biology at Baruch University. He researched rib hyperostosis in DISH with Professor Dale E. Fournier. Following his graduation Joshua plans to plans to pursue a PhD. In his free time he practices Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Zuliana Loaiza, from Rockland, NY, is a rising junior at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, majoring in Toxicology. Passionate about pharmaceutical research and the molecular sciences, Zuliana spent her summer gaining hands-on experience through research in Dr. Darie’s Biochemistry and Proteomics Lab.
Her work focused on mass spectrometry techniques used to analyze protein structure and function, deepening her interest in proteomics and its biomedical applications. Driven by a long-term goal of advancing drug development and discovery, she plans to pursue a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences after completing her undergraduate studies.
Outside of the lab, she finds balance through yoga and expresses creativity through baking.
Ousmane Diallo is originally from
Mali and is currently based in New
York City. He is a Senior majoring in
Computer Systems with a focus on
Software Engineering at CUNY New
York City College of Technology (City
Tech).
This summer, Ousmane conducted
research titled "Evaluating the Impact
of Age and Denoising Techniques on
Speech Recognition Accuracy in
Children’s Voices." He plans to pursue
a Master’s in Artificial Intelligence
and Quantum Computing, with
Cornell Tech as my dream graduate
school.
Outside of academics and research, he
serves as the Chair of the Student
Government Budget Committee and
organizes the Google Developer
Group (GDG) on campus. In his free
time, he enjoys playing soccer and
reading personal development books.
Ennovi Sandoval is a rising junior
from Fayetteville, North Carolina,
currently studying Biology at Norfolk
State University. Following her
graduation she plans to pursue a PhD
in microbiology.
This past summer, Ennovi contributed
to research in Dr. Susan’s Bailey lab
comparing growth and dispersal rates
in evolved and ancestral pseudomonas
fluoresens, supported by an ongoing
National Science Foundation (NSF)
grant and McNair grant.
At Norfolk State, Ennovi is an active
member of the ROTC program and
plays on the university softball team.
These activities showcase her
leadership, teamwork, and dedication
both on and off the field. Outside of
school and her extracurricular
commitments, Ennovi enjoys taking
walks, working out, spending time
with friends, shopping, and exploring
new foods
Esther Apreku was born and raised in
the Bronx, New York. She later moved
to Rockland County before her second
year of high school. Esther is
attending the University at Albany,
and entering her second year
majoring in Biology and East Asian
Studies.
During the summer of 2025, she did
research under Dr. Samways, focusing
on increasing cervical cancer
spheroids’ sensitivity to a toxic
compound, pibenzimol, once the KCa
3.1 channels were activated.
Following undergrad, Esther plans to
attend graduate school for her
masters and apply for medical school
through a linkage program
afterwards. She occasionally enjoys
playing Badminton casually and
reading books of interest. Esther is
also intensely studying the Korean
language.
Born in Endicott NY, Zachary
Diefendorf is a rising junior double
majoring in chemistry and applied
mathematics and statistics at Clarkson
university.
This summary Zachary worked in a lab
researching optically active
nanomaterials under the supervision
of Melissa King, where they worked on
the stabilization of gold nanoparticles
in agarose gel for soil and
groundwater detection of PFAS and
other water contaminants.
After graduation Zachary intends to
pursue a PhD in chemistry.
Scholars: 2024
Genesis is a junior studying biochemistry at Utica University. She works under Dr. Sitamaran Krishnan in the chemical engineering department. Her research focuses on developing novel composites with enhanced mechanical properties.
After graduation, Genesis plans on pursuing a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences
Nathaniel is a college student at Clarkson University majoring in Aerospace engineering. He will be entering his senior year and has been spending the summer doing research under Dr. Craig Merrett within the Aero-Servo-Thermo-Visco Lab with funding from the McNair program.
The goal of his research was to determine whether the underlying assumptions typically made when designing metal Isogrid structures apply to composite and 3D printed Isogrid cylinders. His research consisted of reading a plethora of existing literature on other research regarding the topic and designing Isogrid cylinders to be analyzed and tested to failure to complete his research goal. He learned a lot within the 10 weeks he spent going through the McNair program and has decided to pursue a PhD in aerospace engineering.
His hobbies include video games and fishing.
Nina Pluviose, a native of East Flatbush, NYC, is currently pursuing a psychology major with a sociology minor at St. Francis College. She is enrolled in a dual degree BA/MA program and expects to graduate with a Bachelor's in psychology and a Master's in Applied Behavioral Psychology by 2025.
This past summer, Nina worked in Dr. Andreas Wilke’s Evolution and Cognition Lab, supported by an ongoing NSF grant.
Nina currently serves as the president of her Psi Chi Honor Society chapter. In her leisure time, Nina finds joy in singing along to musicals, listening to music, enjoying matcha, and indulging in anime, k-dramas, and c-dramas. She can often be found taking leisurely walks, appreciating nature, or capturing the beauty of flowers through photography.
Matthias is from Rochester, New York, and works under Dr. Ka Ho Leung in his biochemistry research lab as an organic chemist. Currently, he is working on the synthesis of a novel probe for use in live cell fluorescent imaging.
Matthias plans to pursue a PhD in chemistry after graduating from Clarkson University.
In his free time, Matthias enjoys playing musical instruments and table-top RPG’s. Matthias is currently the vice president the American Chemical Society (ACS) at Clarkson University.
Danielle hails from the Bronx in New York. She is a Junior Psychology major at Clarkson University. This past summer, she worked with Dr. Zhang in the cultural psychology lab on a study focused on examining the effects of stigmatization, racial profiling and stereotypes on the occurrence of intimate partner violence (IPV) within households of people of color (POC).
Through research, she aims to contribute valuable insight to the field and promote a safer and more inclusive society for all. She intends to pursue a masters in Clinical School Psychology and hopes to go to Yeshiva University to obtain a doctorate. She is involved in many aspects of campus life.
Born in Endicott NY, Zachary Diefendorf is a rising sophomore double majoring in chemistry and applied mathematics and statistics at Clarkson university.
This summary Zachary worked in a lab researching optically active nanomaterials under the supervision of Melissa King, where they worked on the stabilization of gold nanoparticles in agarose gel for soil and groundwater detection of PFAS and other water contaminants.
After graduation Zachary intends to pursue a PhD in chemistry from UC Berkeley.
Citlaly Hernandez is a rising senior studying biochemistry at Montclair State University in New Jersey.
Currently, Citlaly is conducting research under Dr. Kaho Leung at Clarkson University. Her research consists of evaluating the pH sensitivity of metal-organic fluorophores. Citlaly plans on pursuing a PhD in Biochemistry, with her dream graduate school being New York University and Yale University.
In her free time, Citlaly enjoys weight training and going to the beach.
Jenay Bartlett is from Albany NY. She is currently a senior attending SUNY at Albany and majoring in Psychology.
This summer, she researched the effects that combined training during vestibular rehabilitation has on motor learning and retention with Dr. Appiah-Kubi. Going forward, Jenay plans on pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology.
In her free time, she enjoys doing yoga, exploring new places, and writing.
Jamal McPherson is a rising junior majoring in Mechanical Engineering hailing from Clinton, Maryland. As a participant in the McNair Program, he is working under the guidance of Associate Professor Kevin Fite and Assistant Professor Masdul Imtiaz to develop an Autonomous AI Robotic Prosthesis for amputees.
He plans to pursue a master's degree in Aerospace Engineering with a concentration in Space System Engineering. Additionally, Jamal is an active member of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), the Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (FSAE), and the Community of Underrepresented Professionals (CUPO). In his spare time, he enjoys music, drawing, and dancing.
Cayden is a rising senior, studying chemical engineering at Clarkson. Working with both Dr. Taylor and the Shipp research groups, Cayden is focusing on two projects: modeling carbon capture methods with ionic liquids and tuning the mechanical properties of poly methacrylic anhydride.
Cayden plans on pursuing a PhD in chemical engineering at any other university than Clarkson.
Ta’Janay was born and raised in Waterbury, CT: She came to Potsdam, NY to major in Mechanical Engineering at Clarkson University. She is going into her junior year.
For her summer research, Ta’Janay is creating 3D models of luge suspensions to predict how the sled steers as a function of rider input, working with Prof. Brian Helenbrook.
Currently, the only hobby she’s been partaking in is reading.
Christian Choy, from Aptos, CA, is an rising senior with a focus in molecular biology at Clarkson University.
For the 2024 Summer Research Program, Choy studied zebrafish as a model organism for intestinal development and disease research. Current efforts have been directed towards the investigation of notch signaling pathways on the formation of BEST4+ cells. A recently discovered cell-type in zebrafish and human intestines and is believed to play a major role in intestinal health, including pH regulation and mucus hydration
Lia Cox was born in Niskayuna, NY, on November 9, 2004, to Brett Robert Cox and Saskia Keppert-Cox. She lived briefly in Gröbming, Austria, before moving back to Rotterdam, NY, where she has resided ever since. As of June 2024, Lia is a rising junior at Clarkson University, pursuing a dual degree in Chemistry and Biochemistry.
This summer, she is involved in research on the cGAS-STING Cytosolic DNA sensing pathway, specifically studying how the G4-Quadruplex impacts this pathway under Dr. Modi Wang. Lia plans to attend Northern University for grad school to earn her PhD in pharmaceuticals or Biochemistry and hopes to work at Eli Lilly or Regeneron afterward.
She enjoys skiing, hiking, and spending time with friends and family and aims to learn new skills, including gardening when she becomes a homeowner.
Kouboura, originally from Sudan, moved to the US at age five and grew up in Utica, NY. She is currently a senior majoring in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics.
Under Dr. Krishnan's mentorship in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, her research focuses on the photoanode active area's impact on the current-voltage characteristics of dye-sensitized solar cells.
After completing her undergraduate studies, Kouboura plans to pursue a master’s degree in Cosmetic Science at the University of Cincinnati's James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy.
In her free time, she enjoys working on personal art projects.