Presidential Graduate Fellow Award

Javier Agredo is a doctoral student in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Georgia, with a planned focus on ancient Indo-European languages under the tutelage of Dr. Jared Klein.

Agredo’s passion lies with languages and the ways in which they change, evolve, and grow, as well as the theoretical frameworks from which to dissect these processes. He is eager to continue exploring Latin, ancient Greek, and Sanskrit linguistics while delving into other languages both related and unrelated to obtain a more holistic view of linguistic diversity.

Agredo received his B.A. from Cornell University with a double major in Classics and Linguistics, graduating with an honors thesis focusing on the unique morpho-phonological adaptations that shaped the borrowing and assimilation of Sanskrit and Pali loanwords into Thai.

He was awarded the Heidelberg Exchange Fellowship to study for a year at Germany’s oldest university, after which he remained in the country to receive his MA from LMU Munich under a scholarship from the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service). There, he wrote his dissertation on the etymological contexts of the color terminology utilized in the Homeric epics and its relevance for the reconstruction of the Proto-Indo-European color system.

Being a first-generation Colombian American immigrant, Agredo is also interested in humanities education and its accessibility, as well as its complex presence within marginalized spaces. Through outreach and accessibility efforts, he hopes to aid in removing traditional barriers to linguistics, classics, and related fields within underserved communities.

Nuzha Baksh is a doctoral student in the Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia, working under Dr. Tamika Lunn. Her research interests include bat-to-human pathogen transmission, viral diversity in bat populations, human-wildlife conflict mitigation, urban ecology, bat behavior and ecology, and community-based conservation initiatives.

Baksh’s passion for disease ecology began as an undergraduate at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she earned a B.S. in Zoology and a minor in Linguistics. At UCSB, she researched the effects of chytrid fungus (Batrochochytrium dendrobatidis) on amphibian populations in Dr. Cherie Briggs’ lab.

After graduating, Baksh spent a year working as a field project manager in Madagascar, where she led missions for capturing and sampling Malagasy fruit bats. This work was part of a long-term project aimed at elucidating the mechanisms by which zoonotic RNA viruses persist in bat populations. While conducting fieldwork in Madagascar, Baksh witnessed how human activities such as deforestation, hunting and poaching, and infrastructure development were altering contact and transmission risk between humans and bats. The experience ignited her research interest in how human-modified landscapes influence the movement, behavior, and ecology of synanthropic bat species of potential or known zoonotic significance.

Upon returning from Madagascar, Baksh moved to Northern California to work as a lab technician in Dr.

Rebecca Tarvin’s lab at UC Berkeley. As a lab technician, she happily spent her days raising a colony of poison dart frogs, evolving toxin-sequestering fruit flies, wrangling California Newts in the field, and drinking Bay Area boba.

Overall, Baksh is delighted to return to disease ecology research and is thrilled to be a recipient of the UGA Presidential Fellow Award.

Aidan Branney is a doctoral student in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory at the University of Georgia, working under the direction of Dr. James Beasley. His research interests include spatial and population ecology of large carnivores and predator-prey dynamics.

While interested in many different aspects of ecology, Branney has always been fascinated with carnivore research. After an internship working with brown hyenas in South Africa at the age of 17, he has gone on to investigate many different species in the USA including martens, bobcats, coyotes, ocelots, mountain lions, wolves, and black bears. For his Ph.D. project, he will be studying the spatial and population ecology of large carnivores in Etosha National Park, Namibia. He is excited to return to this portion of the world and further research efforts on behalf of UGA.

Originally from Los Angeles, CA, Branney completed his B.Sc. in Wildlife Conservation Biology at Humboldt State University. He then went on to earn a Masters degree in Range and Wildlife Management from the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Kingsville.

As a wildlife biologist, Branney has conducted research on a variety of species and worked with numerous research partners including the National Science Foundation, East Foundation, US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and many universities. He has also published his research in reputable journals and presented at many regional and national conferences.

Beyond his academic pursuits, he is a certified scientific scuba diver, avid swing dancer, and world traveler. He is very much a people person and adores cooking for friends and colleagues and learning from people in all walks of life.

Hannah Budroe is a doctoral student  in the Department of Marine Sciences at the University of Georgia, working under the direction of Dr. Holly Bik. Her passion lies in using molecular tools to study the ecology of marine invertebrates.

At the University of Georgia, Budroe will use bioinformatics to study nematodes in marine sediments, characterizing their biodiversity and ecological patterns, and elucidating the roles of these important deep sea worms under climate change. 

Originally from Portland, Oregon, she completed her undergraduate degree at the University of California, San Diego, earning a B.S. with honors in General Biology and B.A. in History of Science.

Previously while working at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Budroe used DNA metabarcoding to study patterns in zooplankton ecology across biogeochemical gradients in the California Current Ecosystem and over the Chatham Rise near New Zealand.

In addition to research, she also enjoys science outreach and communication. She is looking forward to helping young students learn to code and become engaged with marine science, exploring nontraditional forms of outreach to reach these audiences through the intersection of art and science. She also hopes to support and advocate for broader accessibility and diversity within oceanography.

Daylin Delgado is a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Georgia, working under Dr. Thania Galvan. Her research centers around mental health disparities in adolescents from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds and communities.

Delgado is a first-generation Cuban-American woman from Miami Gardens, Florida. She double-majored in Psychology and Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought at Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts. While at Amherst, she discovered her love for research, particularly in adolescent mental health, while working with Dr. Julia McQuade in the Peer Relationships Lab.

After graduation in May 2022, Delgado worked for two years as a clinical research assistant on the Autistic Adults and other Stakeholders Engage Together – Suicide Prevention (AASET-SP) project at the UNC TEACCH Autism Program in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Her primary research project focused on adapted interventions for addressing suicidality in autistic youth and young adults. In this role, she gained invaluable experience in community-partnered research and clinical trials, and what it means to involve the communities we wish to help in the research process from start to finish.

Delgado hopes to continue to improve and expand her research skills, and address the issues of mental health disparities in adolescents from underrepresented and underserved communities.

Michelle DeMers is a doctoral student in the Department of Marine Sciences at the University of Georgia. Her research interests include marine biogeochemistry, the impact of microbial systems on marine carbon cycle, and the characterization of carbon substrate exchange and utilization in marine bacteria.

DeMers holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Southern California (USC), where she also earned a minor in Marine Biology. During her time at USC, she engaged in research in Marine and Environmental Biology, studying phytoplankton response to climate change using laboratory and bioinformatic techniques. She also completed an undergraduate honors thesis in Chemistry, where she investigated organic and inorganic microbial sources of sulfur in surface oceans.

In addition to garnering multiple publications, DeMers’ undergraduate research has been recognized through her distinction as a USC Discovery Scholar. After graduating from USC in 2022, she was employed as a bioinformatics technician in Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in collaboration with the NSF Center for Chemical Currencies of a Microbial Planet (C-CoMP). There, she developed an understanding of the metabolic niches that the model marine bacterium Alteromonas occupy and studied the mechanisms that shaped its evolution. DeMers looks forward to continued collaboration with C-CoMP as a graduate student at UGA, where she plans to further examine carbon substrate utilization and core carbon metabolism in other model marine bacteria, this time through complimentary laboratory studies and machine learning approaches.

After growing up in southern California, DeMers is excited to experience a new part of the U.S. as she settles in Georgia and looks forward to joining the ‘Salty Dawg’ community in the Department of Marine Sciences!

Lauryn Famble is a doctoral student in the Integrated Life Sciences program at the University of Georgia. Her research interests are a sense of belonging within Black students in STEM and equitable pedagogy and inclusive teaching practices.

Famble’s background as a Psychobiology major and African American Studies minor has significantly shaped her research interests. As an African American student working in STEM herself, her research interest entails inclusive pedagogy and making Life Sciences more equitable for Black and other underrepresented students at the collegiate level.

Originally from California, Famble earned a B.S. degree in Psychobiology with a minor in African American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). During her time at UCLA, she took great pleasure in leading several research projects as both a McNair scholar and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Pathways scholar. She is also a proud NSF fellow, and plans to use this achievement to make tangible changes for future students through intersecting STEM with humanities.

Through her research, Famble hopes to make a direct impact on STEM classrooms across the nation and assist in making STEM classrooms a safe space for Black and other underrepresented students. She aims to increase a sense of belonging in the classroom by providing opportunities for students to highlight and celebrate their own identities, and how they contribute to their understanding of themselves as scientists. Famble is excited to be a part of the Biology Education interdisciplinary group at UGA, where she will continue to foster her love of teaching and classroom structure within STEM.

Jasmine Gaillard is a doctoral student within the College of Public Health’s Department of Health Promotion and Behavior at the University of Georgia. Her research interests include racial and ethnic health disparities, race-based stress and trauma, and community-based participatory research.

As a researcher, Gaillard desires to examine the impact of race-based stress and trauma on Black Americans physical, mental, and overall well-being. Specifically, how factors such as food access and the built environment may further exacerbate stressors. She yearns to lead the development and implementation of programs aimed at mitigating and eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities affecting the Black community.

Gaillard was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Sciences from Spelman College, a historically Black college in Atlanta, GA. She also has a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in Health Promotion and Behavior from UGA.

Upon graduating with her MPH, Gaillard began working at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as an Evaluation Fellow/Health Scientist within two competitive fellowship programs: CDC’s Evaluation Fellows Program (EFP) and CDC ORISE. As an EFP fellow, she led the evaluation of CDC’s Epidemiology Elective Program, a 6-8 week rotational program that introduces medical and veterinary students to applied epidemiology and public health. During her time as an ORISE fellow, she worked on CDC’s COVID-19 Emergency Response and produced process evaluation toolkits to be used by schools to return to safe, in-person learning.

Ultimately, Gaillard strives for a service-oriented career uplifting her community and educating the next generation of public health professionals via academia.

Priyadarshini Gogoi is a doctoral student in the Department of English at the University of Georgia. Her research interests include postcolonial, South Asian, and Northeast Indian coming-of-age writing, as well as children’s and young adult literature.

She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Miami University of Ohio, and a BA and MA in English Literature from the University of Delhi.

Gogoi is also a children’s author, and many of her picture books have won acclaim across India, including the Bangalore Literature Festival Prize 2023, the FICCI Children’s Book of the Year Prize 2024, a Neev Book Award 2024 shortlist, as well as features in the Parag Honor List 2022 and 2024. Her fiction and poetry have appeared in The Bombay Review, The Selkie UK, The Alipore Post, and more.

Sujin (Jennifer) Jiang is a doctoral student in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Georgia, where she will be mentored by Dr. Taotao Wu. Her research focuses on the complexities of traumatic brain injury (TBI), exploring mechanisms and treatments through computational, animal, and human data models.

Originally from Beijing, China, Jiang earned her undergraduate degree from Emory University, double majoring in Quantitative Science with a Biology track and Film and Media Studies. Sujin originally began as a biomedical engineering student at Case Western Reserve University, where she became curious about the relationship between scientific research and health-related imaging. She later transferred to Emory University, where her academic journey was significantly shaped by her time at the Emory National Primate Center’s (EPC) Epilepsy laboratory and Emory Center of Data Science. There, she was deeply engaged in the study of neurological disorders, utilizing EEGs and MRIs to enhance the understanding of brain mechanisms. This experience opened up her interest in biomedical engineering, leading her to analyze EKG and EEG data and develop predictive models for neurological conditions like epilepsy.

During the summer of 2021, Jiang interned at Merck China’s Animal Intelligence division, gaining insights into the use of biomarkers for predicting neurological and cardiological conditions in livestock. This experience reinforced her commitment to leveraging biomedical engineering to advance human and animal health. She later co-authored a paper with her PI at EPC analyzing seizure onset patterns, discovering significant correlations between specific seizure onset patterns and their propagation, particularly in seizures originating from the hippocampus. This research highlighted the importance of considering brain region correlations in the study of neurological disorders.

Recognizing the importance of spreading scientific knowledge to the general public, Jiang pursued a second major in Film and Media Studies. She worked as a videographer at Emory University’s Office of Technology Transfer and as a student attendant at the Michael C. Carlos Museum, aiming to make scientific research more accessible and engaging through creative media. Her passion for combining science with art—using music, film, and visual arts—aims to make science more approachable and to highlight the inherent beauty in human physiological functions. Jiang is committed to exploring this intersection, enhancing the understanding and appreciation of neurological health both scientifically and artistically.

Shan Jiang is a doctoral student in the Department of Environmental Health Science at the University of Georgia, mentored by Dr. Wentao Li. Her research leverages bioinformatics and machine learning to advance the understanding of biological mechanisms and the discovery of novel diagnostics and therapeutics for public health.

Originally from Xi’an, China, Jiang earned a Bachelor of Science in Information & Computing Science from Xi’an University, excelling in mathematics and data mining. Her passion for data science led her to pursue a master’s degree at Syracuse University.

Jiang engaged in significant research projects across various domains and was awarded the iSchool Values Tuition Award. She collaborated with professors on projects involving machine learning applications. Her practical experience includes an internship as a Data Analyst at CluBear and other technical roles where she honed her skills in data analysis and programming. She has published research in IEEE journals and holds an international innovation patent.

She is deeply committed to advancing public health through innovative research and looks forward to contributing to the field with her doctoral studies at the University of Georgia.

Simrandeep Kaur is a doctoral student in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Georgia, working under Dr. Brian Kvitko. Her research interests include studying genetic, genomic, and biochemical basis of plant-bacterial interactions, the generic basis of pathogen virulence, plant defense mechanisms, and their impact on pathogens.

Kaur earned her bachelor’s in agriculture from Punjab Agricultural University in India. Here, she studied various courses but grew highly intrigued by Plant Pathology, which blossomed into a lifelong interest. To widen her knowledge in this field, she completed her master’s in plant pathology at Auburn University, working as a graduate research assistant. Her research focused on characterizing a long-distance, mobile signal of Induced Systemic Resistance using the Arabidopsis-Pseudomonas syringae pathosystem. Additionally, Kaur worked on projects elucidating enzymatic activity and physiological roles of induced systemic tolerance genes and investigating the mode and apparatus of plant defense responses. This experience fueled her passion for understanding the molecular basis of interaction between plants and bacteria to gain a holistic understanding of the arms race for disease and defense, which she aims to explore further in her doctoral studies.

During her undergraduate studies, Kaur received several honors, including the Shri Bal Krishan Vaid Merit Scholarship for the highest grade (2022) and merit scholarship. In addition to her academics, she actively contributed to community service through the National Service Scheme, India and served as a Parliamentarian in AU’s Entomology and Plant Pathology Club.

Kaur chose UGA for her Ph.D. because of its incredible reputation in the agricultural sciences and exciting research work at Dr. Kvitko’s lab, which aligns perfectly with her interests. Her research will investigate how TTG clusters in Pantoea are regulated and how their enzymes enable tolerance to plant-produced thiosulfinate. She is honored to have received the Presidential Graduate Fellow award and looks forward to continuing her research at UGA.

Jiyoung Kim is a doctoral student in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at the University of Georgia, where she will be mentored by Professor Niyantri Ravindran. Her research interests include emotional interactions between parent and child and how it accounts for risk and resilience development.

She seeks to address the following questions: 1) How do parents and children interact during emotionally challenging situations? 2) How can we capture the intricate interplay of physiological and behavioral factors during parent-child interactions? 3) What are the implications of such research findings for promoting family well-being and children’s resilient development?

Kim earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Minnesota. After graduation, she worked as a research assistant at the Psychiatric Clinical Research Center, Jeonbuk National University Hospital. In 2023, she completed a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Jeonbuk National University. Through years of studying mental health, Kim noticed that early experiences within the parent-child relationship are the most potent factors predicting an individual’s risk and resilient functioning.

She has also developed an interest in research, and has authored an article, and presented her findings at public forums. Her most recent research investigated the relationship between depressive symptoms and moment-to-moment dynamics of social states using experience sampling methodology. As a result of her work, she has received awards and scholarships from the National Research Foundation of Korea.

Kim is excited to join the Human Development and Family Science program at the University of Georgia, where she aims to share her ideas and advance her skills to become a well-rounded research scientist focused on critical issues in family science.

Alejandro Najera Medelin is a doctoral student in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Georgia. His research interests include wildlife conservation, seahorses and their relatives, anthropology, human dimensions of conservation, artisanal fisheries, and local ecological knowledge.

Medelin is a first-generation graduate student originally from Chihuahua, Mexico. He was initially trained as a biologist and later obtained his master’s degree in Chemical-Biological Sciences with an emphasis on Natural Resource Management from the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juárez. He has participated in a wide variety of research related to the ecology of the Chihuahuan Desert, distribution and richness of fungi in the Sierra Tarahumara, and biotechnology of edible fungi. However, his passion lies in the conservation of seahorses and their relatives, where through interdisciplinary work with anthropology, he has developed research focused on the use, management, and conservation of these fish through the local ecological knowledge of fishermen in the Mexican Pacific.

Medelin is a current recipient of the Fulbright-García Robles scholarship and aims to foster mutual understanding between Mexico and the United States through education, as well as advances in knowledge across communities and academia.

Being part of the Anthropology and Integrative Conservation Ph.D. program is a crucial step toward realizing his career aspirations. This program offers a unique platform for research, collaboration, and cross-cultural exchanges, which align perfectly with his goals of integrating biological-anthropological fields to address conservation challenges. Building upon his background in biological sciences, Medelin aims to investigate how sustainable practices within communities can contribute not only to the conservation of seahorses and their relatives but also to the socioeconomic improvement of coastal communities and artisanal fishers in Mexico.

Constance Owl is a doctoral student in the Department of History at the University of Georgia, working under Dr. Claudio Saunt. A member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians from Marble, North Carolina, Owl is passionate about the study of Cherokee history, as well as the preservation and revitalization of the Cherokee language. Her research interests include Native American history, Cherokee language and history, Indigenous linguistic archival research, and digital history.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Native American Studies with a minor in History from Stanford University, and a Master of Arts in History with a concentration in Cherokee Studies from Western Carolina University.

While at Western Carolina, Owl published a thesis titled Tsalahi Tsulehisanvhi: Uncovering Cherokee Language Articles from the Cherokee Phoenix Newspaper, 1828 – 1836 where she partnered with first-language Cherokee speakers to translate portions of the bilingual publication which was published during the height of the Cherokee Nation’s struggle against forced removal. At UGA, Owl plans to build on the work of her master’s thesis, which sought to provide scholars an introduction to the Phoenix’s Cherokee language content, in hopes of engaging in a more full-scale reexamination of the newspaper.

For the past four years, Owl has worked in higher education, most recently as the Interim Director of Stanford University’s Native American Cultural Center and previously as Assistant Director of Admission for Diversity Outreach and External Relations in Stanford’s Office of Undergraduate Admission. She is thrilled to return to academic life this fall and honored to have been named as a UGA Presidential Fellow.

Olivier Pilette is doctoral student in the Department of History at the University of Georgia, working under Dr. Jennifer Birch. He specializes in anthropological archaeology, focusing on the socio-cultural interactions and complexities of ancient populations in eastern North America.

For his Ph.D. project, Pilette will focus on the complex relationships between late Woodland and early historic mobile boreal groups and sedentary societies from southern Ontario and Québec provinces. His research combines relational thinking, network science, and social theory to explore interactions among objects, environments, and people.

Pilette completed a multidisciplinary bachelor’s degree and a master’s dissertation at Université Laval (Québec City, Canada) after briefly studying computational music at Université de Montréal. Since 2019, he has worked in diverse archaeological contexts in the province of Québec, ranging from multi-occupation prehistoric sites to major institutional historical buildings and cemetery contexts. He is also on the board of the Québec Association of Archaeologists. For his master’s degree in archaeology, Pilette conducted a comparative macroscopic analysis of lithic raw materials from 79 archaeological sites in the Ottawa River Valley, Laurentians, and Upper Mauricie regions. This research aimed to explore the social aspects of mobility among hunter-gatherer communities in the southern Laurentians region within the drainages of the Lièvre, Rouge, and Petite Nation rivers.

Through his doctoral studies, Pilette seeks to challenge traditional categorical perspectives of culture and provide a more nuanced understanding of the socio-cultural landscapes of northeastern North America. He is committed to creative methodologies and hopes his interdisciplinary research will bring new insights into anthropological archaeology.

Kalpaka Pradip is a doctoral student in the Department of Kinesiology with a concentration in Biomechanics at University of Georgia, working under the mentorship of Dr. Caroline Lisee. Her research endeavors aim to unravel the complexities of ACL Injuries and Sport Biomechanics.

Pradip graduated from Queens University of Charlotte with a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, complemented by a minor in Data Science. During her time at Queens, she worked as a Laboratory Assistant in the Exercise Physiology Lab, gaining valuable experience in exercise science. She also interned as research assistant at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Disability Participation and Quality of Life Laboratory focusing on parathletes and their rehabilitation process. Continuing her academic journey, Pradip obtained a Master of Science in Human Movement & Rehabilitation Science from Northeastern University.

As a research assistant at the Neuromotor Systems Laboratory, she engaged in significant projects related to neurorehabilitation. Post-graduation, she worked as a Research Fellow at the Emory Sports Performance & Research Center, focusing on ACL injury prevention and recovery, which fueled her interest in sports performance and injury biomechanics.

In addition to her academic pursuits, Pradip was a dedicated collegiate tennis player. She has also made meaningful contributions to community service through her involvement with UNICEF, the Queens University Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Task Force, and as a volunteer for South Asian domestic violence initiatives. Her diverse experiences, combined with her proactive leadership and commitment to excellence, position her as a strong leader in the field of kinesiology.

Thamengie Richard is a doctoral student in the Department of Psychology at the University of Georgia. She will be joining Dr. Melissa Robertson to research diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace, mentorship relationships, and work-family dynamics. She believes that because work is where we spend a majority of our waking hours, it is important to make sure it is a safe and equitable experience for all.

Before UGA, Richard earned her Bachelor’s of Science in psychology with honors from Florida State University, with a minor in IT innovation. While at Florida State, she participated as an undergraduate research assistant in many labs such as Dr. Pamela Keel’s eating behaviors lab and Dr. Ashby Plant’s social psychology lab.

Richard also participated in programs such as UROP (the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Programs), Portland State University’s DEI Summer Research Institute, and has presented her research at several conferences. She culminated her undergraduate career with an honors thesis titled “An Analysis of the Mentor Selection Process as Impacted by Stereotypes and Social Group Identification.”

Diana Trindade Drumond is a Brazilian doctoral student in the Department of Romance Languages at the University of Georgia, advised by Dr. Nicolás Lucero. Her research interests include literary theory, women’s studies, gender studies, Latin American literature, and decolonial thinking.

Drumond holds a bachelor’s degree in Languages and Literature, specializing in Portuguese and English, and a master’s degree in Languages and Literature with a focus on Literary Theory and Cultural Criticism, both from the Federal University of São João del-Rei (UFSJ).

She received two CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel) scholarships during her academic journey. She has published papers in Brazilian journals and a book chapter in an edited volume by UERJ (Rio de Janeiro State University). Her work spans topics such as women’s studies, cultural studies, and the intersections between patriarchal and capitalist systems. Her master’s thesis, titled “Can Women Choose?”, has been selected for publication by the Luso-Brazilian/Galician publisher Editora Urutau in 2024.

Drumond’s teaching experience includes serving as an English teacher in the LwB program (an initiative by the Brazilian Ministry of Education), acting as a teaching assistant in literature and English courses at UFSJ, and independently teaching English and Portuguese as additional languages. Additionally, she served as the Literature Coordinator for an International Arts Festival for several years and coordinated UFSJ’s Winter Cultural Festival in 2023.

Excited to begin her Ph.D. studies at the University of Georgia, Drumond aims to leverage the resources available at UGA to deepen her knowledge in literary theory. As a recipient of the Presidential Graduate Fellowship Award, she feels honored and motivated to excel academically. Her Ph.D. research aims to explore Brazilian poetry through the lens of women’s studies and decolonial thinking theories.

Shariful Islam Tushar is a doctoral student in the Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Interiors at the University of Georgia. He is dedicated to advancing this field and making significant contributions. He is passionate about materials science and specializes in fiber and polymer.

With a strong academic background, Tushar holds a Bachelor of Science in Textile Engineering from Bangladesh University of Textiles and a Master of Science in Apparel Design and Production from Oklahoma State University (OSU). His research focuses on biopolymer, composite, nanotechnology, and sustainability.

Tushar conducted studies on the thermal performance, physical, and mechanical properties of flame-resistant textiles. He also played a vital role in developing a state-of-the-art textile laboratory and coordinating online activities during his master’s study. He conducted the lab course ‘Textile Science’ as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at OSU. His research has been published in renowned journals of Wiley, Royal Society of Chemistry, Elsevier, and others. He has presented his work at prestigious conferences and received accolades for his contributions. Recognized for his outstanding contributions, Tushar has received several prestigious honors and awards, including the Bangladesh Sweden Trust Fund, the Kathryn Greenwood Endowed Scholarship, and the Champion title in multiple idea and poster presentation competitions.

Tushar’s long-term goal is to become a professor and an expert in the field of soft materials. He believes that UGA’s diversified PFTS program, which includes independent and collaborative research under esteemed faculty members, will lead to successful graduate study and research.

P. Justin White is a doctoral student at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music with an emphasis in Wind Conducting at the University of Georgia, working under Dr. Michael Robinson and Dr. Nicholas Enrico Williams. His research interests include conducting pedagogy, work-life balance for the music educator, Carlisle Indian School Band, Indigenous composers (particularly Dennison Wheelock), and wind band music in residential schools of the early 20th century.

He is a graduate of the University of Alabama and the University of North Texas. While at UNT, he was a conducting student of Nicholas Enrico Williams, Dennis Fisher, and Eugene Migliaro Corporon. White served as Interim Director of Bands at Samford University and Assistant Director of Bands at the University of Alabama.

In 2020, White was selected as winner in The American Prize conducting competition for winds and outstanding young band director by the Alabama Chapter of Phi Beta Mu. He was chosen as the winner of the World Music Competition’s Conducting Competition – North American Regional and represented the U.S. at the 2017 World Music Competition in Kerkade, Netherlands. The Alabama Music Educators Association selected him as the 2018 Outstanding Young Music Educator. Also in 2018, he conducted the United States Coast Guard Band during a clinic with H. Robert Reynolds at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic.

Sarieh Amiribeirami
Department of Anthropology, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences

Rui Bai
Department of Anthropology, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences

Evelyn Barrales
Human Development/Family Sciences, College of Family and Consumer Sciences

Aditi Bhadauria
Environmental, Civil, Agricultural, and Mechanical Engineering, School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering

Eduardo Monteiro Burkle
International Affairs, School of Public and International Affairs

Karla Carvalho de Almeida
Environmental Design and Planning, College of Environment and Design

Onyinye Choko
Department of Sustainability, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources

Gisell Fuentes
Department of History, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences

Chadley Hollas
Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources

Andy Jiang
Department of Chemistry, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences

Jovan Johnson
J.M. Tull School of Accounting, Terry College of Business

Hunter Jones
Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education

Marta Mohedano Jurado
Industrial-Organizational (I/O) Psychology, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences

Kobina Oduro (Kobi) Korankye
Department of Philosophy, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences

Dallas Kreisa
Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics & Genomics

Yu Wen Lu
Department of Sociology, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences

Fabio Mariano
Department of Romance Languages, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences

Ryan Martinez
Department of Communication Studies, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences

Laura Mathews
Department of Statistics, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences

Delaney Morgan
Department of Mathematics, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences

James Oni
Ecology, Odum School of Ecology

Elizabeth Thomas
Integrated Plant Sciences Program

Danielle Vaughn
Educational Psychology, Mary Frances Early College of Education

William Walker
Higher Education, Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education

Yao Yao
Political Science, School of Public and International Affairs