Fresno State RISE Program
Scholars
Sixth Cohort (2024-2026)
Abelino Garza
Major: Biochemistry
Mentor: Dr. Kalyani Maitra
Aneisha Goodlow
Major: Biochemistry
Mentor: Dr. David Lent
Brianna Martinez
Major: Psychology
Mentor: Dr. Paul Price
Project Title: A Meta-Analysis of Racial and Ethnic Differences in Impostor Phenomenon
Emily Rocha
Major: Biology
Mentor: Dr. Morgan Hawker
Project Title: Low-pressure air plasma seed surface modification to expedite chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seed germination
Izabella Lopez
Major: Animal Science
Mentor: Dr. Masaki Uchida
Jocelyn Velasquez
Major: Biology
Mentor: Dr. Cynthia Hsu
Kassandra Gracia Monjaraz
Major: Biology; Minor: Psychology
Mentor: Dr. Michael Botwin
Mariah Sadeddin
Major: Chemistry
Mentor: Dr. Hubert Muchalski
Project Title: Determination of H-atom transfer rate constants of radical trapping antioxidants using ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy
Melanie Dominguez
Major: Psychology
Mentor: Dr. Christine Edmondson
Melanie Zepeda-Esquivel
Major: Biochemistry
Mentor: Dr. Masaki Uchida
Naylene Velasquez
Major: Biochemistry
Mentor: Dr. Morgan Hawker
Project Title: Innovating postoperative dental care using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition
Zoie Gavel
Major: Human Nutrition Science
Mentor: Dr. Alejandro Caleron-Urrea
Project Title(s): Chalcones 25 and 30 impact development and nutrient absorption of Caenorhabditis elegans
Exploring the Nematicidal Mechanisms of Chalcones: ROS Production in Caenorhabditis elegans
Gurmannat Chalotra
Major:
Mentor: Dr. Qiao-Hong Chen
Serafina Spruill
Major:
Mentor: Dr. Christine Edmondson
Fifth Cohort (2023-2025)
Angelia Leggett
Major: Biochemistry
Mentor: Dr. Hubert Muchalski
Project Title(s): Rate-Accelerated Effects of Gallium(III) Triflate Lewis Acid on Transition Evaluation of Metal-Catalyzed Reactions
Evaluation of pyridyl thioesters as acyl transfer reagents in Friedel–Crafts acylation reaction
Chaeson Sears, II
Major: Engineering
Mentor: Dr. The Nguyen
Project Title: Affordable prosthetic arm
Danica Belman
Major: Biology
Mentor: Dr. Ulrike Muller
Project Title: How bladderworts catch their prey: functional response models applied to an aquatic carnivorous plant
Jessica Perez
Major: Biology
Mentor: Dr. Martin Shapiro
Project Title: Exploring Teachers' Perspectives on Drug Harms and Disciplinary Actions: Insight into Fresno, Clovis, and Madera Unified School Districts.
Ian Heu
Major: Biochemistry
Mentor: Dr. Masaki Uchida
Project Title: Designing Dec based on computational Dec mutants
Melissa Jauregui
Major: Biology
Mentor: Dr. Alejandro Calderon-Urrea
Project Title: Exposing Caenorhaditis Elegans to flourscent chalcones to identify specific targeted anatomical regions
Xavier Martinez
Major: Biology
Mentor: Dr. Martin Shapiro
Project Title: The effects of energy drinks on the autonomic nervous system and risky decision-making (with a reward framed as a gain)
Arcana O'Regan
Major: Biology
Mentor: Dr. Morgan Hawker
Project Title: Allylamine plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition to enhance amine content of PTFE for heart patches
Ivan Soto
Major: Biology
Mentor: Dr. Cynthia Hsu
Project Title: Light drives an increase in sleep through
oxidative stress
Richard Campos-Luna
Major: Biology
Mentor: Dr. Martin Shapiro
Project Title: The effects of energy drinks on the autonomic nervous system and risky decision-making (with a reward framed as a loss).
Fourth Cohort (2022-2024)
Andy Cabrera
Major: Biology
Mentor: Dr. Joel Slade
Project Title: Leukocyte profiles and bloodborne parasites as a predictor of condition in a songbird
Benjamin Awad
Major: Physics
Mentor: Dr. Mihai Gherase
Project Title: Microdistribution of major and trace elements in baby teeth slices using a microbeam 2D XRF raster scanning technique
Fabiola Amaya Reyes
Major: Psychology
Mentor: Dr. David Lent
Project Title: The effects of sleep dystregulation on the progression of Alzheimer's disease in a fruit fly model
Jacob Caraccilo
Major: Mathematics
Mentor: Dr. Mario Banuelos
Project Title: Modeling Environmental Factors Effects on Valley Fever Incidence Rates
John Gutierrez
Major: Biochemistry
Mentor: Dr. Masaki Uchida
Project Title: Encapsulation of Gold Nanoparticles into Protein Cages Through Genetically Modified Viral Proteins
Mai Her
Major: Biology
Mentor: Dr. David Lent
Project Title: Assessing the effects of luteolin on reducing zinc-induced hyperphosphorylation of tau and its impacts on behavior in a fruit fly model of Alzheimer’s Disease
Sydney Rivera
Major: Engineering
Mentor: Dr. The Nguyen
Project Title: Affordable prosthetic arm
Wendy Hernandez
Major: Animal Sciences
Mentor: Dr. David Lent
Project Title: Investigating the Effectiveness of Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors in Reducing Visuomotor Planning Deficits of Alzheimer's Disease in Drosophila melanogaster
Yazmine Bedolla
Major: Biology
Mentor: Dr. Cory L. Brooks
Project Title: Structural Insight Into an Anti-tumor Antibody Bound to a MUC1 Peptide
Keyara Piri
Major: Biology
Mentor: Dr. Qiao-Hong Chen
Project Title: Development of dehydroabietylamine derivatives is potential prostate cancer therapeutics
Karen Medina
Major: Biology
Mentor: Dr. Hubert Muchalski
Project Title: Metal-Catalyzed Preparation Fluorine-Tagged Peroxyesters of 4-Aryl-3-Butenoic Acids
Isabella Garcia
Major: Biochemistry
Mentor: Dr. Hubert Muchalski
Project Title: Robustness Screen of Palladium-Catalyzed Tandem Sonogashira Cross Coupling-Cyclization
Third Cohort (2021-2023)
Second Cohort (2020-2022)
Kathryn Ramirez
Mentor: Dr. Rory Telemeco
