Students who receive funding from the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research make headlines for their innovative research projects, rich hands-on experiences, and subsequent awards and scholarships. Many of their stories and accomplishments are featured in and in other publications, both campus wide and beyond.
Researchers in the News
Several students who received funding from the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research were featured in SPARK 2025, UNHâs annual review of research and scholarship. Read reflections from Emile Carroll (music liberal studies), Nate Goodwin (exercise science), Caylin Grove (genetics), Kara Hatalsky (zoology), Torin Scalora-Riley (environmental science), Jack Sullivan (chemical engineering), and Dan Zogby (zoology). Our Superpower: Undergraduate research turns curiosity and passion into skills and real-world solutions >>
Exercise science students Amanda Ares (REAP 2023, SURF 2024), Allison Petry (SURF 2024), Morgan Koskela (SURF 2024), and Owen Daigle (URA 2024) were featured in UNH Today for their research on carbon-fiber plated (CFP) running shoes.
Computer science major Alessandra Luce (URA 2024) published her research entitled "Comparing and Assessing Statistical Distance Metrics within the Christian Apostle Paulâs Letters" in the January 2025 issue of .
Joanne Nichols
Finance and economics major Johanne Nichols (REAP 2021) recently published an based on her summer research, which focused on Covid-19's effect on women.
Physics major and McNair scholar Tan Dao '21 has been accepted into Harvard University's doctoral program in physics. Tan, who will begin his graduate studies next fall, completed a URA in 2019 titled "Inducing Strain in Atomically Thin Sheets of Molybdenum Disulfide for Catalysis Studies." Read more about Tan in UNH Today.
David Walker (URA and SURF USA 2019), who graduated in 2020 with a B.S in biomedical sciences, medical and veterinary option, was recently featured in . This summer he begins a two-year research position at Boston Children's Hospital studying cardiac stem cells. His research as an undergraduate focused on ovarian cancer cells.
Lihy Buchbinder, a physics major who received a URA grant in spring 2020 for her project titled "Exploring the Effect of Tip Shapes on Tip-Sample Interactions for Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Imaging," was recently featured in
Former REAP student and mechanical engineering major Charlie Nitschelm won't graduate until 2020, but he already has a job lined up at SpaceX. Read about Charlie in and .
Megan Duranko â17, Erin Hart â18, and Kathryn Taylor â17 received a SURF award to study the relationship between stress and heroin abuse. Read about their research in .
Podcasts from UNHâs 2015 Undergraduate Research Conference are now online. Listen to occupational therapy students Molly Ohman (SURF 2014) and Alanna Young (SURF 2014) present their research by clicking on the links, below.
Molly Ohman:
Alanna Young:
UNH Global Brigades members Ben Claxton, Christine Hebert, Amber Litterer, Samantha Docos, and Kendall Milkey (all former Hamel Center awardees) traveled to Ghana along with several other UNH students. Global Brigades is the world's largest student-led health and development organization.
Jenny Jing (Biomedical Science '13) presented her research, "An Investigation of the Chemical Phenotype and Genotype of Alveolar Macrophage from Mice Sensitized to Ovalbumin and Fed Dietary Fatty Acids that Vary in N-6 and N-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids" at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) in Wisconsin.
Neil Baroody's research on barefoot running (SURF 2012) was featured in UNH Today. on barefoot running. (Produced by UNH Video Productions)
The research of Hannah Lawrence (Political Science & Justice Studies '13) was featured in . Hannah traveled to Egypt in the summer of 2012 with the support of an International Research Opportunities Program grant.
The research projects of Hillary Christopher (SURF 2012), Kayla O'Meara (REAP 2009), and Jillian Smith (URA 2012) were featured in the .
The research of Jenny Jing (Biomedical Science '13) was featured in . Jing received a 2012 Research Presentation Grant from the Hamel Center to attend the National Conference on Undergraduate Research at Weber State University in Utah, where she presented her work on âAssaying Anthocyanin Pigment Composition in Strawberry Fruit.â
The research of Jackie Amante, a senior environmental science major who traveled to Sweden with the support of an IROP grant, was featured in the .
published an article about music performance major Chris Foss, who conducted research with the support of a SURF grant in 2011, and later traveled to Italy with an IROP grant.
featured the research of IROP recipient Brett Gallo, a music theory major who studied drumming in Ghana during the summer of 2011.
Awards and Scholarships
Eric Boheen
Eric Boheen (Bioengineering, REAP 2024) has won a 2026 , one of the nationâs top honors for undergraduates pursuing careers in science, mathematics and engineering. READ MORE
Jack Reynolds (Bioengineering, REAP 2023) has been awarded a 2026 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. Three other HCUR students have been recognized with honorable mentions as well: Maggie Krein (Natural Resources, SURF 2023); Torin Scalora (Natural Resources, SURF 2024), and Jack Sullivan (Chemical Engineering, SURF 2024, URA 2025, Research Presentation Grant 2025, HCUR student ambassador).
Jesus LaPaz (Philsophy and Justice Studies, SURF 2025) is the first ever UNH student to receive the , a prestigious award given to 20 students nationwide each year that provides support for graduate education in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. READ MORE
Jack Sullivan (Chemical Engineering, SURF 2024, URA 2025) has received a , the nationâs premier undergraduate award for sophomore and junior STEM students who intend to pursue a Ph.D. and career in research. Sullivan hopes to pursue a career in the energy industry, focusing on the sustainable production of alternative fuels. READ MORE
Sarah Nicholls
Sarah Nicholls (Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology, REAP 2022, SURF 2024) has been awarded the , becoming the first UNH student to ever receive the award. Approximately 25 such scholarships are offered to U.S. students each year. Nicholls will be pursuing a Ph.D. in medical science at the University of Cambridge beginning in 2025. READ MORE
Sarah Nicholls (Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology, REAP 2022, SURF 2024) is one of 438 recipients nationwide to be awarded a 2024 . These prestigious awards go to STEM students who intend to pursue a PhD and a research-focused career. READ MORE
Kennedy McGrath (Dual major in Marine, Estuarine, and Freshwater Biology and Sustainability, REAP 2022) has been chosen as a recipient of the NOAA Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship, becoming the second UNH student to receive the honor for sophomore students since 2019.
Sam Mercer (Chemical Engineering, REAP 2020, SURF 2021) has been named a finalist for Rhodes and Marshall scholarships, both of which fund two years of graduate study in the United Kingdom.
Katherine Austin (Bioengineering, SURF 2021 & 2022) has been awarded a Science, Math and Research for Transformation (SMART) scholarship from the Department of Defense. SMART scholarships are awarded to undergraduate or graduate students in STEM-related fields and include full tuition, an annual stipend, summer research internships and employment placement within the Department of Defense after graduation.
Eli Duggan (Bioengineering, REAP 2020) and Emily Pratt (Biochemistry, Molecular, and Cellular Biology, SURF 2021) have been named 2022 Goldwater Scholars. These prestigious awards go to STEM students who intend to pursue a PhD and a research-focused career.
Grace Roy (REAP 2019), a health management and policy major, has been named a Truman Scholar for her work in substance misuse. This award is given to undergraduates seeking a career in public service.
Sam Mercer (REAP 2020, SURF 2021), a chemical engineering major, has been named a 2021 Goldwater Scholar. This prestigious STEM scholarship for undergraduates aims to identify and support college sophomores and juniors who show exceptional promise of becoming this nationâs next generation of research leaders.
Seth Drahusz (SURF 2020), a chemical engineering major, has won the 2021 UNH Chemical Safety Award for his outstanding contributions to chemical safety at UNH in the past academic year. These contributions help promote a culture of safety within the UNH research and teaching community.
Alana Gudinas (SURF 2018, IROP 2019), a physics major who graduates in May 2020, has received the University Women's Award, which goes to that woman who shows the greatest promise through character, scholarship, leadership and usefulness to humanity.
Audrey Coleman (REAP 2018) and Alyssa Greig (REAP 2018) have both received the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship, awarded to students who plan for a career in research. Audrey, a physics major, hopes to someday conduct research at NASA (where she completed an internship last summer) and Alyssa, a biomedical science major, plans to focus on infectious diseases.
Brianna McGrath (SURF Abroad 2019) received the best student poster award at the Dartmouth CO-OP Northern New England Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN) conference. She presented her research on professional nurse-led clinics that provide primary health care services to communities in South Africa. Brianna's research also has been accepted for presentation at the Eastern Nursing Research Society conference in late March, as well as the Council on Undergraduate Researchâs âPosters on the Hillâ session in April. At this event, Members of Congress learn about the importance of undergraduate research through talking directly with the student researchers involved in these programs.
Nooran Alhamdan (IROP 2019) received the prestigious Truman Scholarship, awarded to undergraduates seeking a career in public service. Alhamdan is the only the fourth student in UNH history to receive the award.
Sawyer Cawthern (REAP 2018, SURF USA 2019), a chemistry major, and Alana Gudinas (SURF USA 2018, IROP 2019), a physics major, have been awarded Goldwater Scholarships. Goldwater is viewed as the premier scholarship for sophomore and junior STEM students who plan to pursue a Ph.D. and have a career in research.
Rory O'Neil (REAP 2017), a political science and international affairs dual major with minors in Middle Eastern and security studies, has been named a Gilman Scholar. She will spend the summer in Amman, Jordan, at the CIEE Study Center as part of the Arabic Summer Intensive language and cultural immersion program.
Lorenzo Milani (SURF 2017), a chemical engineering major who graduated in May 2018, has received a full scholarship to MIT for graduate school. .
Tyler Chapman (REAP 2015, IROP 2017) and Jackie Gilbert (IROP 2016) have been named 2018 Fulbright Scholars. Tyler will work with the at the University of Oslo, Norway. Jackie will conduct anthropology research in Bolivia and Colombia. Read more about all the 2018 UNH Fulbright Scholars in .
Luke Daly (SURF 2016, IROP 2017), a biomedical science major, received a Marble Scholarship for the 2017-2018 academic year. The Marble Scholars is a prestigious scholarship program created through the estate gift of Marilynn K. Rumley, a UNH alumna who graduated in 1952. The Marble Scholars will serve as ambassadors for the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture and help to carry on Miss Rumley's legacy of mentorship and commitment to education and exploration.
Garrett Thompson (SURF 2015, IROP 2016), a biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology major, received a Fulbright scholarship to study the effects of community paramedicine at the University of Sheffield in Sheffield, England. Read more in the July 13, 2017 issue of . Garrett also recently won the Analytical Methods Poster Prize at the Electrochem 2016 Conference in the UK. Read more in.
Molly Hartley (REAP 2014, URA 2014 & 2015, SURF USA 2015 & 2016), a biomedical sciences: medical microbiology major from Hampton, NH, has received an honorable mention in the prestigious , the nationâs premier undergraduate award for science, math, engineering, and technology (STEM) majors. Hartley works with David Plachetzki, assistant professor of molecular, cellular, and biomedical sciences, on polymodal sensory neurons, which combine taste and light reception in a single cell. Her long-term [MD1] plans are to pursue a PhD in biomedical sciences and conduct research on human sensory physiology.
Emily Van Gulick (SURF 2015, 2016), a marine, estuary, and freshwater biology major from North Wales, PA, has received an honorable mention in the prestigious , the nationâs premier undergraduate award for science, math, engineering, and technology (STEM) majors. Van Gulick has been conducting research in the lab of Stacia Sower, professor of molecular, cellular, and biomedical sciences, on reproductive neuroendocrinology in the sea lamprey. She also spent the summer of 2014 in Gulfport, MS, at the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies and conducted research in New Zealand through the program. Van Gulickâs career goals include earning a PhD in biochemistry and conducting biomedical research with a focus in marine biology for translational medical applications.
Paige Clarizia (SURF 2014) has received a Fulbright grant. She will conduct research on spatiotemporal variability as a result of climate change in southern Sweden, a project she worked on in 2014 as part of a National Science Foundation-funded Northern Ecosystems Research for Undergraduates program directed by Earth sciences professor Ruth Varner. The research will build on Clariziaâs earlier work with the program that focused on manual greenhouse gas emissions from peatlands.
Cody FitzGerald (REAP 2013) was offered a Fulbright grant to Finland but has declined the award so that he may enter the Ph.D. program in mathematics at the University of Utah. .
Crystal Napoli, a history and justice studies dual major who received a REAP grant in 2015, has been awarded a Critical Language Scholarship.
English and International Affairs major Hannah Drake (REAP '13, SURF USA '14) has been named a 2016 Liberal Arts Student Fellow. The Fellows program is intended to recognize fine achievement at UNH and provide a way for students to serve the University in their final year of study.
Herbie Smith, Physics â15 (REAP 2012, URA 2013) has just been awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. The Graduate Research Fellowship Program provides three years of support for âoutstandingâ graduate students who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees in science and engineering. Herbie plans to attend the University of Texas, Austin for graduate school. In addition to the fellowship, Herbie also received a 2014 Goldwater Scholarship, an award given to college students who intend to pursue research careers in science, math, and engineering. .
Several Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research students were recognized in the 2015 UNH Student Awards. They include:
- Jennifer G. Allen, COLSA (URA 2014): University Women's Award
- Shujie Hou, CEPS (SURF USA 2014): Erskine Mason Award
- Timothy J. Marquis, COLSA (REAP 2012, URA 2012, URA 2013): UNH Award of Excellence
- Cory E. McKenzie, COLA (REAP 2011, SURF 2012, IROP 2013): Hood Achievement Prize
- Bryan W. Merrill, COLA (REAP 2012): Jere A. Chase Service Award
- Hannah M. Waller, COLA (IROP 2014): UNH Award of Excellence
Sonja Pape (SURF USA 2013) was awarded a prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, which will support her graduate work at North Carolina State University following graduation from UNH. For her SURF project, Sonja researched different ways to add more recycled asphalt to pavement. She graduated from UNH in May 2014 with a degree in civil engineering.
Cory McKenzie (REAP 2011, SURF USA 2012, IROP 2013) received a critical language scholarship through the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, to participate in an intensive language program in Japan. He graduated in May 2014 with majors in history, philosophy, and classics.
The UNH Student Awards Committee recently announced the recipients of the 2014 UNH Student Awards. They include Annie Crossman (SURF 2013) who received the Erskine Mason Award, which goes "to that senior who is distinguished for most consistent progress and achievement"; Christine Hebert (IROP 2013), who received the UNH Award of Excellence, which recognizes "excellence in leadership, scholarship, and citizenship"; and Jennifer Lindsay (IROP 2013), who received the Class of 1899 Prize, which goes "to that senior who has developed the highest ideals of good citizenship during his or her course of study."
Three former HCUR awardees, all of whom began their undergraduate research careers with REAP awards as freshmen, have won prestigious Goldwater scholarships. They include Timothy James Marquis (Biomedical Science '15), who plans to pursue a M.D./Ph.D. in oncology and "aspires to teach medical interns and conduct research through applied clinical studies at a cancer institution"; Avery Normandin (Biomedical Science '15) who plans to pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical science and "conduct research in vaccine design to enhance immunity against infectious viral agents"; and Herbie Lamar Smith (Physics '15) who plans to pursue a Ph.D. in theoretical physics, conduct research in theoretical high energy particle physics and quantum gravity, and teach at the university level.
Christine Hebert (IROP 2013) and Abigail Van Note (REAP 2012) have been named Marble Scholars for the 2013-2014 academic year. This prestigious new award is being given to students in the College for Life Sciences and Agriculture, for the purpose of serving as ambassadors for the college. Both students received grants from the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research; Christine recently traveled to France to conduct cancer research, while Abigail studied genetics at the Hubbard Center for Genome Studies at UNH.
Katie Kozacka (Biochemistry â13) has received the University Women's Award, which is given to âthat senior woman who shows the greatest promise through character, scholarship, leadership and usefulness to humanity." Katie completed two projects with funding from The Hamel Center: A SURF grant to study âProteomic Analysis of Binding Interactions between PDE6 and its Inhibitory Subunitâ; and a URA to study âProteomic Analysis of Binding Interactions between Transducin and PDE6.â Her mentor was Richard Cote.
Joshua Chabot, Michael Johnson, and Joseph Kelley (mechanical engineering majors who received a group URA in fall 2012) recently won the prize for best mechanical engineering project at the UNH Undergraduate Research Conference Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Symposium. Their mentor was Professor May-Win Thein.
Merhawi Wells-Bogue (Journalism â13) has received the UNH Award of Excellence. This award recognizes âexcellence in leadership, scholarship, and citizenship" and is given at the discretion of the Student Awards Committee. Merhawi traveled to Ethiopia in summer 2012 with funding from a SURF Abroad grant to complete his project entitled âThe Role of Governmental and Non-governmental Organizations in Addressing the Needs of Street Children: The Case in Mekelle City, Ethiopia.â He recently published a research article in and was featured in . His mentor was Lisa C. Miller.
Cory McKenzie (REAP 2011, SURF 2012, IROP 2013) and Brianna Smith (SURF 2012) have received B. Thomas Trout Scholarships from the College of Liberal Arts to support their upcoming study abroad experiences. Brianna, a fine arts and psychology double major, will be studying art in the UNH-in-Italy summer program. A history and philosophy double major, Cory will be studying Roman architecture and history in the Rome January Term program (2014).
Alexa Price, a history major who received URAs from the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research in 2011 and 2012, has been awarded a B. Thomas Trout Scholarship for the 2012-2013 academic year. This scholarship will fund her participation in UNH's Cambridge Summer Program in England.
SURF Abroad alum Meagan Wengrove (B.A., UNH; MA, UNH: Water Engineering) has won the Fulbright to the Netherlands to work on a flood risk assessment project. She conducted her SURF research, "Storm Water Management and Analysis of the BoquerĂłn Refuge," in Puerto Rico in 2009.
Brian McConnell, a chemical engineering major who received a REAP grant in 2010 and a SURF grant in 2011, has won the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. Awarded to 300 students nationwide annually, it is the most prestigious award in the country conferred upon undergraduates studying the sciences. McConnell also received a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Undergraduate Research Opportunity Fellowship in 2011. His research at UNH focuses on producing biodiesel from microalgae.
Three graduating Hamel Center students are being recognized with 2012 UNH Student Awards:
Kathryn Early (IROP 2011)
Dean Williamson Award: "To that senior who has been outstanding and well-rounded in extracurricular activities, scholarship, athletics, and loyalty to the University."
George Adams (SURF USA 2010, IROP 2011)
Erskine Mason Award: "To that senior who is distinguished for most consistent progress and achievement."
Katherine E. Lantz (URA 2009, SURF USA 2010, 2011)
UNH Award of Excellence: "To recognize excellence in leadership, scholarship, and citizenship."
Sasa Tang (IROP '10) received the 2011 University Women's Award, which is given to "that senior woman who shows the greatest promise through character, scholarship, leadership, and usefulness to humanity." She also was chosen by the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) to present her IROP research on nongovernmental organizations and their interactions with the Tanzanian government at Posters on the Hill, an annual event held on Capitol Hill.
Alumni News
Molly Jacobson
Recent graduate and biochemistry, molecular & cellular biology major Daniel DiRocco (SURF 2019) will head to the University of Michigan this fall to begin a Ph.D. in chemistry. Learn more about the research he conducted while at UNH and the research he will pursue at Michigan in .
Marisa Rafal (URA 2018), a human development and family studies major who graduated in May 2019, recently established the New Hampshire Toy Library Network. Read more in .
Jackson Kaspari (SURF 2017, URA 2018), a chemical engineering major who graduated in May 2018, was featured in UNH Today. Now a Sustainability Fellow and pursuing a doctorate at UNH, Jackson recently helped Dover conduct the first combined municipal carbon and nitrogen footprint assessment for any local government in the U.S. Read more in .
Mariah Arral (SURF 2016), a chemical engineering major who graduated in May 2018 is heading to Carnegie Mellon University for grad school with support from a award. She discusses her career goals in .
Rebecca Daniels (SURF 2015) recently published an article about her undergraduate research in the journal of Human Movement Science.
Molly Jacobson (SURF 2016) is serving as the piping plover intern at Rachel Carson National Wildflife Refuge this summer. Read more in .
Cory McKenzie (History, Philosophy, and Classics, â15), who completed REAP, SURF and IROP projects funded by the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research, has been named a fellow in the Junior Fellows Program of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Meagan Wengrove (SURF Abroad, 2009) won a National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship from the US Department of Defense. Read more in .
Jen Lindsay (IROP 2013) and Sasa Tang (IROP 2010) are among the recipients of 2015 Fulbright grants.
Vikki Rodgers ('99), who completed a SURF project titled âQuantification of Cytological Damage in Red Spruce Needles in a Central NH Forest at Different Elevations,â recently won the Dean's Award for Teaching Excellence at Babson College, where she has taught environmental science since 2007. Read an article about Vikki in .
UNH alumna Amanda Dibble ('10) has returned to Guatemala to work with a nongovernmental organization (NGO) called ProPetén. Amanda first traveled to Guatemala the year between her senior year in high school and freshman year at UNH, and conducted research there with a SURF Abroad grant in 2008.
Jackie Lewis (Political Science â10), who first traveled to Rwanda for a research project supported by IROP (2009) has since returned to Rwanda to teach.
Where are they now? Learn about the first group of students whose research was funded by the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research in 1988. Read more in the .
