Montclair State University

Katrina Bandeli is in her junior year at Montclair State University with a major in biochemistry and a minor in creative writing. She is an active member of the Wayne First Aid Squad as an EMT. She has been accepted into the National Alliance for Doctoral Studies in the Mathematical Sciences and the Sigma Alpha Lambda: National Leadership and Honors Organization. As an active member of the Montclair Global Medical Brigade chapter, she hopes to gain experience and knowledge of the medical field while helping those in less medically advanced countries.

As a part of SHIP she will be researching the chemical activity of certain organic compounds through the use of graph theory. She aspires go into medical school after graduating from Montclair and pursue a career as a Neonatologist as well as have her own Pediatric practice. Mentor: Dr. Li

My name is Alejandro Bequillard and I am an undergraduate student at Montclair State University with a major in Mathematics and a concentration in Statistics. After high school I began to study Operations Research and Industrial Engineering. This helped fuel my interest in optimization problems and other sciences such as physics and computer science.

Lately I have been studying more math and have grown more interested in probability. I am learning about Graph Theory and will be doing research in random graphs. Graphs are used to model networks of individuals and can be applied to the internet, professional sports, and biology, for example. I look forward to taking part in this new experience and expanding my knowledge of this topic.

My name is Olga Degtyareva and I am a junior Biology major with a minor in Chemistry at Montclair State University. I am a member of the Honors Program and the Vice President of Social Media and Public Relations of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.

I have been set on pursuing some aspect of the medical field for years. Over the last two I have narrowed down my options, and have decided that dentistry is the discipline I would like to pursue.

I will be researching female mate choice in Gambusia holbrooki. Mentor: Dr. Scott Kight

I am Goran Dojcinoski and am currently a Physics Major at Montclair State University with a concentration in Astronomy. I transferred from Bergen Community College where I received my Associates in Liberal Arts. Math and Science have always been of interest to me. Throughout my time at BCC I was involved in the Math Club, in which I was nominated Vice President in my second year and I am currently involved in the Physics Club at MSU. I got involved with research during the spring semester, examining ferrofluids and exploring different ways of producing them. In the future, I plan to obtain my Masters and Doctoral degrees in Physics and to do research on stars and galaxies.

My name is Wayne Ernst, and since coming to Montclair State University in 2010, I have been pursuing a B.S. in Physics with a minor in Mathematics, intending to become certified to teach Physics at the K-12 level. I intend to go on to graduate school and either pursue research as a full-time career, or become an engaged college research professor.

From a young age, I was always amazed at the fact that the inner workings of the world around us could be explained in a few very concise, elegant formulae. It thrills me that most of what we know can be derived from these theories, and it delights me to think that I could make a contribution toward uncovering more- however small- mysteries of the universe.

To this end, I have been involved as a student researcher in the field of fluid dynamics in Montclair’s Complex Fluids Laboratory and applied to the SHIP program to begin work in the field of thermodynamics. I am honored to have been accepted and am excited to get started- but look at me still talking when there is science to do! Mentor: Dr. Ashwin Vaidya

My name is Nanci Fioravanti. I was born in Brazil and lived in Japan for five years. I came to study in the U.S. and received my A.A.S. in Landscape Design and Maintenance from the County College of Morris, NJ. After graduation, I worked in the field of commercial landscaping in Miami, Florida for one and a half years but then realized my true interest lies in looking for better ways to produce a service that would contribute to the enhancement of the environment without harming or destroying it.

My professional aspirations are to work with sustainability and environmental protection. My academic aspirations include graduate school. My major is Geography with a Concentration in Environmental Studies. I am interested in different cultures, languages and cuisines. I have a passion for nature and outdoors activities. Mentors: Dr. Rolf Sternberg and Prof. Joseph Di Gianni.

I am Diana Flores. I am a Junior majoring in Geoscience and minoring in Geographic Information Systems. I come from a Mexican family and am the first in my family to pursue a higher education. When I found out that my parents planned to go back to Mexico and live near the volcano Mt. Popocatepetl, I wanted to know more about volcanoes. By reading and paying attention in my high school geology class, I realized that I enjoyed learning about geology and decided to pursue geological studies. So far, I have been doing research since the summer before my Sophomore year. I have done research in sediments of the old river channels of the Missouri River in Nebraska, the 100 year flood of rivers in New Jersey, and on the hydrobudget of Lake Wapalanne. On the SHIP program, I plan on researching on some type of flooding research.

My name is Marvin Lapeine and I am a Junior Information Technology major at Montclair State University. I have had a strong interest in technology from a young age. I am currently involved in the LSAMP program as a scholar. I am also a member of the University's help desk group where I provide technical assistance for both professors and students. My undergraduate research I will be conducting will be in the bioinformatics field where I will be working with database technology to explore various chemical compounds.

My aspiration is to work as a software engineer to create my own software that will make everyday tasks simpler. Mentors: Dr. Kathrine Herbert and Dr. Emily Hill

My name is Michael Little and I am a junior majoring in Chemistry at Montclair State University. I am a member of the LSAMP serving as a scholar. During the fall of my senior year in High School I decided I wanted to pursue a career in the medical field upon going to college. Now after 3 years of studying as a Chemistry major I have decided to pursue a career as a pharmacist. My research interest is in enzymology. Mentor: Dr. Nina Goodey

I am Merari Mejia. I lived a great part of my life in the Caribbean, around people who loved cultivation. This aroused in me an early interest in plants; mainly on the properties that make them so important to the human health and the major impacts humans may have on the biodiversity and succession of plants.

In high school I was in the STEM Academy (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and I am currently pursuing my bachelor’s degree in biology at Montclair State University. As an undergraduate, I am interested in studying and learning more about introduced or invasive plant species.

I would like to bring awareness to my community of the important impacts we can have on our environment, mainly on plant species.

My name is Patricia Rivera, and I am a junior majoring in Molecular Biology with a minor in Chemistry. Also, I serve as the current executive secretary for the Biology Club. For as long as I can remember, I have always been fascinated with science: I was one of those little kids who wanted a microscope for the holidays. Therefore, choosing a path towards a career in the science field was certainly not ever second-guessed.

Currently, I am pleased to be part of Dr. DiLorenzo's research team of "The Toxicology of World Trade Center dust and its effects on human lung cells." My aspirations are to participate in a M.D./Ph.D program in the biomedical sciences, and to be part of the scientific research community as well as treat patients, in order to fulfill my life-long dream of helping others in need, whether it will be one by one, or on a bigger scale with my scientific research.

My research interests are in the fields of genetics, cell biology, virology, and epidemiology.

My name is David Sharpe and I am an undergrad studying Geoscience at MSU. My interest in Geoscience started in High School. My teacher was very good and inspired me to pursue a future in the Earth sciences. I enjoy working in the field and getting out, exploring the world as much as I can. I hope Geoscience can offer me the chance to pursue my interests, enjoy life and share my love for science with the people around me.

My undergrad research involves an investigation of erosion along the Kittatinny ridge in the Appalachian Mountains. I hope this experience can excel me in the direction I want to go and contribute something to my future field of study.