2023-2024 Research Scholars
We are extremely proud of each of our LSAMP Research Scholars, and would like to share their success! LSAMP Research Scholars have distinguished themselves in many ways: through their academic achievements, research experiences, service to their campuses and communities, and through their compelling personal stories.
Abel Daniel
Abel Daniel is a sophomore undergraduate majoring in Computer Science at California State University Fullerton. It is his first year as a researcher and as an LSAMP Scholar. Abel is working under Dr. Anand Panangadan. Abel’s research involves using machine learning and natural language processing to detect food-related text on social media platforms to understand the habits of individuals. The research evaluates and upgrades a system based on its performance on a predetermined data set compared to labeled accurate results. This research aims to create a system that will extract the necessary information from a social media site and respond with correct, tailored information on reducing food waste and food safety based on what the user posts.
Brandon Avila
Brandon Avila is a junior Mechanical engineering major at California State University, Fullerton. This is Brandon's first year with LSAMP. He's conducting a research project on an autonomous drone under Dr. Yu Bai. Brandon and his team's main task is creating the whole frame of the drone by 3D printing and handling the hardware aspect of the drone while troubleshooting any issues with the drone. The main goal of his and his team's research is to aid in campus security and transportation of load. LSAMP funding will help purchase any more necessary equipment needed. Brandon is also working with Edwards Lifesciences on research for commercial products and, at the same time, interning as a manufacturing engineer intern at Astech Engineered Products aerospace company. Lastly, Brandon hopes to pursue a career in design engineering and continue researching the fields of Mechatronics, Robotics, and automotive. He plans to obtain his Master's in Mechanical Engineering soon after his bachelor's.
Dana Jackson
Dana is a fourth year undergraduate Biological Sciences major at California State University Fullerton. This is her first year joining the LSAMP scholarship program. Dana is working in Dr. Shahrestani’s lab studying fruit flies. She has been working in Dr. Shahrestani’s lab for a few months. Dana’s project focuses on the relationship between evolution and development time in fruit flies. It also focuses on the fruit flies ability to control microbial formation and abundance. This research is important because it will help understand how microbiota could be essential to animal adaptive evolution. Dana plans to use LSAMP funds for her project presentation. After graduation she plans on applying to medical school.
Daniel Quezada
Daniel is an undergraduate senior computer science student at California State University Fullerton. Under the mentorship of Dr. Sampson Akwafuo, Daniel works as a member of the Computational Epidemiology Data and Disaster Intelligence Lab on campus. Specializing in Python for data analysis, Daniel’s work is primarily driven around the development of mathematical and machine learning models for the prediction of disease outbreaks and natural disaster occurrences in low-to-middle-income countries. Recently, he conducted a study utilizing machine learning to assess variables influencing Lassa Fever outbreaks in Nigeria, achieving notable predictive accuracy, and highlighting crucial environmental and infrastructural factors. He is currently focused on building an early warning system that predicts flooding events in Nigeria using real-time satellite imagery. Thanks to the generous support from LSAMP, Daniel is able to cover costs associated with developing his models and furthering his research, from cloud computing expenses to conference participations.
Jackie Cruz
Jackie Cruz is currently a senior undergraduate majoring in Biology with a concentration in Molecular and Biotechnology at California State University, Fullerton. This will be their first year in LSAMP. Under the mentorship of Dr. Esther Chen, Jackie is investigating small RNA genes transcriptionally regulated by the ExoS/ChvI signaling pathway in Sinorhizobium meliloti. This signaling pathway plays a vital role in regulating gene expression important for rhizobium-legume symbiosis. Plants cannot readily use dinitrogen (N2) from the air, so they receive accessible forms of nitrogen through fertilizers, which are known to have negative environmental effects. Rhizobia can form a symbiotic relationship with legume plants by fixing nitrogen for the plant and receiving nutrients in return. This sustainable model of nitrogen fixation can influence applications of environmentally friendly agricultural efficiency. Jackie's involvement in undergraduate research has inspired their career goals to pursue a Ph.D. to continue research within biological and agricultural fields.
Jordan Incledon
Jordan is studying pure mathematics and plans to graduate in Spring 2026. She is currently doing research in Knot Theory under the advisement of Dr. Rathbun. Knot Theory is a branch of mathematics dedicated to studying properties of knots. One way to understand knots is by seeing what surfaces we can fit around the knot with the knot as the surface’s boundary. A very rare type of this kind of surface is called a fiber surface. We are investigating how two different operations that can be performed on fiber surfaces are related to each other. After graduation, Jordan plans to continue her studies in a Ph.D. program and eventually become a professor.
Khushi Kaushik
Khushi Kaushik is a sophomore majoring in Computer Science and minoring in Mathematics at CSUF. Khushi's academic journey is driven by a profound interest in probabilistically computable algorithms and Turing machines, which serve as an abstract model for computational possibilities. Currently, Khushi is developing a new programming language, SQRT2GAME, building on the exploration of Fractran and PIGAME. Her career has included a software architecture research internship, where she tested and reported bugs and simplified complex concepts for high school students. She's presently engaged in computational mathematics research, enhancing published findings and coding algorithms to boost research efficiency. Furthermore, Khushi has gained experience in financial analysis through a pairs trading project. In the future, Khushi aspires to pursue a Master's or Ph.D. to delve deeper into algorithms and Turing machines, making substantial contributions to the field.
Nora Mahmoud
Nora is a junior undergraduate Biological Science major at California State University, Fullerton, with minors in Aging Science and Criminal Justice. She studies evolution and genomics under Dr. Shahrestani in the EAGR lab. As a part of the developmental selection team, Nora’s research focuses on the development of Drosophila melanogaster and how host microbes affect traits influenced by the microbiota (TIM) and the host genetic control of the microbiota (GCM). This is accomplished through the manipulation of development time and supplementation with acetic acid bacteria and will allow us to better understand the evolutionary mechanisms acting on development. Nora’s career goals include medical school, utilizing her knowledge in biology and aging to research disease and genetics in geriatric populations.
Ugo Umekwe-Odudu
Ugo Umekwe-Odudu is a senior majoring in Biochemistry at California State University of Fullerton. This is his second year in the LSAMP program but his first year as a Research Scholar after transferring from Cerritos College. Ugo is working with Dr. Julia Chans' research group regarding chemistry education. Last year he helped to complete the manuscript titled "Development and Implementation of Chemistry Mindset Modules in Two General Chemistry Courses at a Hispanic Serving Institution: An Exploratory Study", which was recently published. Now, Ugo aims to determine whether participating in Growth Mindset Intervention workshops actively leads to higher scores on exams. He aims to see the short and long-term effects of growth mindsets for students taking chemistry courses. Ultimately, Ugo is looking to attend medical school and become a cardiothoracic surgeon, while also doing global health work to improve the healthcare system in countries like Nigeria, where he is originally from.
