Mentors - Honors College - Oakland University

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HC1000

Staff, Student Fellows & Teaching Assistants
We are here to help you!

	"Welcome to HC 1000! My name is Karen and I am the member of The Honors College staff who works with your class. Your TA will be your primary contact, but if there is anything you need extra help with, I am always here to help. I look forward to meeting and getting to know you this year!" - Karen Conn
Dean's Student Fellows
Alyssa Cardillo	Major: Social Work, Communication Campus Involvement: Member of Alpha Lambda Delta, Tri Sigma Charter Member, Participant in Intramural Sports Areas of Expertise: Volleyball, Drawing, Painting, Organization, Time Management, Photography, Lifeguarding, Swim Lessons Fun Facts: I have 12 step brothers and sisters. I have two cats, M&M and Misty, and I absolutely love them both. I love any kind of food and I am obsessed with koalas.
Evan Cramer	Major: Biochemistry Campus Involvement: OU resident, member of alpha lambda delta, and honors college Areas of Expertise: Anything to do with science or soccer, and time management Fun Facts: I have three adopted siblings, a dog named Freyja, and love soccer.
Lea Herweyer	Major: English Campus Involvement: President of the Honors College Association, Alpha Lambda Delta member, Golden Key member Expertise: Organization. planning, children, and baking Fun facts: I love Mac & Cheese and Mexican food. I have two dogs, George and Mortimer. I also am obsessed with the E! Network and anything minions.
Toria Lupher	Major: Medical Physics, Health Science/Nutrition Campus Involvement: Academic Peer Mentor, Research Assistant, Alpha Lambda Delta, Nutrition Society, OU Club Softball E-board Treasurer, Intramural Sports Areas of Expertise: All things science, anatomy, on-campus sports, crafting, organization Fun Facts: Ever since I moved 40 minutes away from my hometown (Livonia) to Rochester, people think I have an accent (I don't). My puppy's name is Lucy and I'm always happy to talk about her.

Small Group Leaders (TA's)
Steven Angel
Alec Arena	Major: History w/ secondary education Campus Involvement: Golden Grizzlies Band and Intramural sports Areas of Expertise: American history, movies (specifically directed by Christopher Nolan or Quentin Tarantino), The Smiths, counseling, time management. Fun Facts: I umpire high school baseball and softball, I'm an eagle scout, The Smiths and Depeche Mode are my jam, and I absolutely love National Coney Island chicken pitas.
Ian Bailey
Nick Barba
Sarah Bdeir
Francesca Bonello
Michaela Buckley	Major: Accounting/Linguistics Campus Involvement: Alpha Lambda Delta Member, Volunteer at Oakland ABA Clinic, Treasurer of Students Towards Understanding Disabilities Areas of Expertise: Writing, Spanish, Volunteering, Organization, Volleyball Fun Facts: I'm from St. Clair, Michigan. I love puppies, playing volleyball, going to Tiger games, camping, and I'm slightly obsessed with Ed Sheeran!
Jessica Christy
Christa Deban
McKenna Ebert
Nathan Edwards
Jackie Elkins
Shelby Ettinger	Major: Elementary Education Campus Involvement: Part of the Honors College and a member of SMEA Areas of Expertise: English, Spanish, organization, time-management, volunteer work Fun Facts: I studied in Australia for a summer as well as visited France in Spain my senior year. I have played the viola for eight years. I also have two cats (Violet and Nila) who I think are pretty neat.
Abby Foster
Anne Fuelle	Major: Biomedical Diagnostic and Therapeutic Sciences with a Biology Minor and a Pre-Med Concentration. Campus Involvement: Golden Key Honors Society, OU’s Ballroom and Latin Dance Club, a researcher in the Chemistry Department, and active member of Alpha Lambda Delta and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Areas of Expertise: Biology, running, babysitting, organizing, time management, badminton, ballroom dancing, cooking, and going on adventures. Fun Facts: I was the President of Oak View House Council last year and I brought in puppies for finals week. I absolutely love animals, especially dogs!
Jonah Grove
Thomas Haase	Majors: Bioengineering Campus Involvement: Presidential scholar, OU ultimate frisbee club, intramural sports Areas of Expertise: Mathematics, stress management, time management, sports, and group work. Fun Facts: I once went to Brazil to play soccer for 3 weeks and my dad was one of the ones responsible for putting "Big Boy" at the bottom of Bear Lake.
Milan Haque
Skylar Jelinek
Jennifer Kafarski
Sam Keefer	Major: Political Science Campus Involvement: President of Turning Point USA, former Student Congress member, & Honors College Student Areas of Expertise: Politics, organization, planning, books, U.S. Presidents, history, & puppies Fun Facts: I have an awesome dog named Emma (she is adorable), my favorite President is John F. Kennedy, I always have my kindle with me, & I will live in Washington D.C. one day!
Katelyn Kroon
Michela Manga	Major: Biomedical Sciences Campus Involvement: Founder/President of the OU Pre-Medical Volunteer Society, Vice President of the Italian Club, Anatomy TA, AASO member and former e-board, Alpha Lambda Delta member, CSS Member, and Global Medical Brigades member Areas of Expertise: Anatomy, Biology, Foreign Languages, Teaching, Volunteering Fun Facts: I love soccer, Juventus is my favorite team, I'm a huge traveler, I play the violin and piano.
Cecily McPherson
Samantha Orchard	Major: Pre-Nursing Campus Involvement: Presidential Scholar, Member of Pre-Health Commons, MEDLIFE, and Alpha Lambda Delta Areas of Expertise: Commuting, the TV show Scrubs, Vision Boards, and the Musicals Wicked, Beauty and the Beast, and Peter Pan Fun Facts: I work in a nursing home, when I drive to school I exclusively listen to audio books, and I volunteer as a stage director for my former high school drama department.
Justin Pomaville
Brooke Posada
Madison Romanski
Hunter Schulze
Emma Smith
Brandon Stanyer
Isaac Thelander	Major: Engineering Chemistry Campus Involvement: American Chemical Society, Young Life at OU, Anatomical Society, and I'm involved in undergraduate research Areas of Expertise: Computers, Chemistry, Computer aided design, and Football. Fun Facts: My favorite place I've ever been is Guatemala, I love to sail. and I'm learning to play the guitar.
Brendan Triola
Stella Vila	Major: Biomedical Sciences Campus Involvement: Community Outreach Chair of OU Pre-Med Volunteer Society (OUPMVS); Volunteer with OUCARES, Member of Global Medical Brigades, American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA), and Future Pediatrics of America Areas of Expertise: Science, Pre-med advice, Medical terminology/abbreviations, Volunteer-work, Albanian Language, Organization, and Netflix Fun Facts: I was in Nicaragua this past summer on a medical mission trip, I keep a collection of every single ticket I have ever received (movie, plane, concert), and I work with Team Pink’s TA, Rima, at LIFETIME!
Caroline Wallis
Kyra Warner
Allison Wickman
Nico Wolf
Abigail Woolston

Research

As an undergraduate researcher, MCUR provides exceptional mentors to help guide you through your field of study. These mentors are regularly conducting research and pursuing their passion for discovery. Mentors can be found in a variety of departments throughout Oakland University including:

Biological Sciences

Amy Banes-Berceli
banesber@oakland.edu
Hypertension and the renal and vascular complications of diabetes

Fabia Battistuzzi
battistu@oakland.edu
When and how species have evolved and investigate the connections between their genetic innovations and variations in environmental conditions

Rasul Chaudhry
chaudhry@oakland.edu
Embryonic stem cell development and differentiation - osteogenesis and neurogenesis; Tissue engineering; Regulation of gene expression; Metabolic pathways of hazardous chemicals; Environmental biotechnology and toxicology

Mary Jamieson
mjamieson@oakland.edu
The effects of global environmental change on species interactions and biological diversity

Lan Jiang
jiang23@oakland.edu
The regulation of tracheal gene expression and how tracheal-expressed genes control the complex cellular behaviors that result in the formation of a continuous tubular network

Shailesh Lal
lal@oakland.edu
A multidisciplinary approach in genomics, genetics and bioinformatics to study fundamental processes that impact gene expression in plants from a genome-wide perspective

Gerald Madlambayan
madlamba@oakland.edu
Define the integrated roles of different stem and progenitor cell populations in cancer initiation, progression and relapse

Raffel Thomas
raffel@oakland.edu
Understand how parasites influence the ecology and evolution of their hosts, and how ecological and anthropogenic factors affect parasite-host dynamics

Mi Hye Song
msong2@oakland.edu
The molecular and genetic mechanisms of centrosome assembly by applying biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, proteomics and quantitative imaging to the study of centrosome biology in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans model

Scott Tiegs
tiegs@oakland.edu
Use field-based experimental and observational approaches — usually in aquatic ecosystems — with the aim of better understanding how human activities impact aquatic ecosystems

Luis Villa-diaz
luisvilladiaz@oakland.edu
The self-renewal properties of hPSCs, which are influenced by the microenvironment in which they are cultured, in particular the extracellular matrix (ECM)

Satish Walia
walia@oakland.edu
Molecular mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in bacteria and biodegradation of xenobiotics such as polychlorinated biphenyl, nitrotoluenes, and the mutagenic properties of their biodegradation products

Douglas Wendell
wendell@oakland.edu
Develop molecular markers for rapid-cycling Brassica rapa

Randal Westrick
rjwestrick@oakland.edu
Understanding and preventing the development of pathologic intravascular blood clot formation

Biomedical Diagnostic and Therapeutic Sciences

Kristin Landis-Piwowar
landispi@oakland.edu
Cancer biology, cancer therapeutics, molecular diagnostics, familial leukemia

Chemistry

Ferman Chavez
chavez@oakland.edu
Develop small molecule models for the active sites of these enzymes which will help to understand the role of various metals in this family and help to probe the mechanisms involved for these enzymes

Roman Dembinski
dembinsk@oakland.edu
The synthesis of analogs of natural products, particularly coordination complexes of nucleosides and nucleotides

Nessan Kerrigan
kerrigan@oakland.edu
Development of efficient enantioselective and diastereoselective synthetic methods and their application in drug molecule and natural product synthesis

Sanela Martic
martic@oakland.edu
Designing functional bioconjugates for understanding the biological processes at the fundamental level

Michael Sevilla
sevilla@oakalnd.edu
The chemistry of free radical species produced by the high energy irradiation of DNA by gamma irradiation and ion beams

Evan Trivedi
trivedi@oakland.edu
Light activation and near infrared light

Communication and Journalism

Erin Meyers
emeyers@oakland.edu
Digital or “new” media technologies, most notably the Internet, and the audiences who engage with them

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Hoda Abdel-Aty-Zohdy
zohdyhsa@oakland.edu
Bio-technology with bio-inspired intelligent signal perception and processing (ISPP)

Jai Li
li4@oakland.edu
Statistical signal processing for biomedical imaging and communications, computer graphics, pattern recognition and algorithms

Engineering and Computer Science

Subramaniam Ganesan
ganesan@oakland.edu
Divisible load scheduling; condition based maintenance for military and manufacturing; real time DSP/multi-core systems for specific applications; agent based health monitoring

Khalid Mahmood
mahmood@oakland.edu
Open source speech and Video API in android platform; programming and GUI design

Gautam Singh
singh@oakland.edu
Information system modeling, management and efficient data retrieval; temporal database design for applications in manufacturing and process monitoring

Jing Tang
tang@oakland.edu
Image reconstruction, evaluation, and analysis in emission computed tomography

Xia Wang
wang@oakland.edu
Fuel cell and battery modeling and testing, biomass pellets optimization, turbulent boundary layers with separation, forced convection turbulent boundary layers

Peng Zhao
pengzhao@oakland.edu
Combustion and reacting flows, internal combustion engines, energy conversion, environmental science

Environmental Health and Safety

Richard Olawoyin
olawoyin@oakland.edu
Human Health Exposure Risk Assessment, NanoEHS (nanotechnology), Fire Protection Engineering, Global Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Hazard Management in Nuclear Safety

Exercise Science

Myung Choi
choi@oakland.edu
Regulation of local and whole body lipid metabolism in sedentary overweight and obese humans before and after exercise training and nutritional intervention

Eye Research Institute

Frank Giblin
giblin@oakland.edu
The possible role of oxidative and free radical processes in the formation of nuclear cataract, resulting in blindness, along with the unusually active antioxidant mechanisms present in the epithelium of the lens that help to keep the tissue transparent

Dao-Qi Zhang
zhang@oakland.edu
The regulation of dopamine release in the vertebrate retina, a simple and accessible model of the CNS

Health Sciences

Jennifer Lucarelli
lucarell@oakland.edu
Prevention and improvement of chronic diseases in children, adolescents and adults in community-based settings

Melissa Reznar
reznar@oakland.edu
Behavioral nutrition, lifestyle interventions food environment, college health

Nursing

Cheryl Riley-Doucet
rileydou@oakland.edu
Developing and testing multi-sensory interventions (MSE) to assist family caregivers and older adults in the symptom management of chronic illness and dementia

Physical Therapy

Sara Arena
arena@oakland.edu
Cardiopulmonary, blood pressure, health promotion and wellness, home care

Deborah Doherty
doherty@oakland.edu
Oncology rehabilitation; Cultural competency

Jacqueline Drouin
drouin@oakland.edu
Exercise training in special populations, oncology rehabilitation

Melodie Kondratek
mdkondra@oakland.edu
Orthopedics: intervention techniques for spinal conditions; Pediatrics: the use of orthopedic manual therapy techniques in the treatment of children

Kristine Thompson
kathomps@oakland.edu
Professional issues, professional development

Physics

Brad Roth
roth@oakland.edu
Biological physics and computational physics: Electrical stimulation of cardiac tissue

Steffan Puwal
smpuwal2@oakland.edu
Biophysical methods in heart defibrillation

Yang Xia
xia@oakland.edu
Multidisciplinary microscopic imaging study of articular cartilage

Psychology

Scott Pickett
pickett@oakland.edu
Investigate the mechanisms that may impact recovery from psychological trauma; examine the interaction between psychological stress, anxiety, and health

Michele Purdie
parkhill@oakland.edu
Predictors and consequences of sexual assault perpetration and victimization, with a particular emphasis on childhood trauma, substance use, and emotion regulation

Todd Shackelford
shackelf@oakland.edu
Human sexual psychology and behavior with special focus on sexual conflict between men and women

Kanako Taku
taku@oakland.edu
The construct of posttraumatic growth (PTG), personal growth experienced as a result of the struggle with major life crises or traumatic events

Jennifer Vonk
vonk@oakland.edu
Cognitive continuities and discontinuities between humans and both closely and distantly related species

Lisa Welling
welling@oakland.edu
Hormonal and psychological sources of individual differences in human mate preferences and behavior

Virgil Zeigler-Hill
zeiglerh@oakland.edu
Self-esteem, narcissism, cognitive representations of the self, and interpersonal relationships

Sociology, Anthropology, Social Work and Criminal Justice

Jon Carroll
jwcarroll@oakland.edu
Cultural transmission, social interaction and integration, political and economic organization, social science applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and computer modeling and simulation, archaeology of the Eastern Woodlands of North America

Suzanne Spencer-Wood
spencerw@oakland.edu
Feminist theory in anthropology and archaeology, nonlinear systems theory, archaeological theory and method, feminist historical archaeology, historical archaeology of class, ethnicity, market access and settlement, industrial archaeology and cultural resource management