The Undergraduate Research Peer Ambassadors are experienced student researchers who are available to mentor other students on various undergraduate research topics, such as how to get involved, how to write an abstract, how to navigate conferences, how to make a poster, how to present, and much more.
Peer Ambassadors hold office hours, conduct workshops, and help with other day-to-day
activities in the Office of Undergraduate Research. Click on each student's name below
for more information about our Peer Ambassadors.
Interested in becoming a peer ambassadors?Learn more!
Amelia is currently a junior at Kennesaw State University working towards a degree
in Industrial and Systems Engineering. She was previously in the First Year Scholars Program where she worked with Dr. Roneisha Worthy on “Exploring the Use of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase to Enhance Compost Nitrogen Content”, which was then shown at the Symposium of Student Scholars in the spring of 2022. She is also entering her second year of being a Peer Mentor. Since starting at Kennesaw State University, she has been able to gain undergraduate research experience and familiarize herself with the Office of Undergraduate Research. In her free time, she enjoys reading, gardening, and baking. She would like to let incoming freshmen know that while undergraduate research can present challenges, it is rewarding in the end.
Jennifer is a sophomore majoring in Elementary Education with a minor in Spanish. Previously she participated in the First Year Scholars Program where she worked with Dr. Sanjuana Rodriguez and Grace Soto to research “Censorship in Early Childhood: Analyzing Banned Latinx Picture Books.” She is also involved at KSU as Brand Ambassador as well as being a part of Maestros del Futuro and the Spanish Club. In her free time she enjoys spending time with my cat, Moose. She looks forward to help guide these students as she was also once a freshman in the First-Year Scholars Program.
Ariel is a dual major inanthropologyandAsian Studiesat Kennesaw State University. She also works as a supplemental instructor for the
introduction to anthropology course. On the research side, Ariel is working with Dr.
Tsai-Tien Tseng to create enhanced bioinformatic screening methods for the detection
of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in ancient DNA. She has presented this research at multiple
conferences, including theSymposium of Student Scholarswhere she was awarded first runner-up for best presentation in 2020. Ariel said that participating in research has been one of the most rewarding experiences of her undergraduate career, and that is why she is here as a peer mentor for the Office of Undergraduate Research.
Aryan is currently a second-year student at Kennesaw State University pursuing a Bachelor's
degree inComputer Science. His research journey began last year when he participated in theFirst Year Scholars Programwith Dr. Shirley Tian and Dr. Zhigang Li to address and solve the challenges surrounding
cybersecurity education and research. These experiences allowed him to publish conference
writing to the International Association for Computer Information Systems (IACIS)
and present at theKSU Symposium of Student Scholars.
This year, he will continue to enhance his study by working in theSophomore Scholars Programand further presenting additional work at the 63rd IACIS Annual Conference. He is
also excited to serve as a Research Peer Mentor to utilize his prior knowledge as
a lab assistant to advance others' learning and research experiences.
Caitlin is a current senior working towards an undergraduate degree inpsychologywith aminor in applied statistics and data science. She serves as president of theUndergraduate Research Club. She has experience presenting at conferences, such as theSymposium of Student Scholars, Southeastern Psychological Association (SEPA), and theNational Conference of Undergraduate Research (NCUR). Beyond research, Caitlin is a part of theKSU Journey Honors College, Psi Chi (The International Honor Society in Psychology), and is currently taking graduate statistics courses through the Double Owl Program. Caitlin wants to help others start or continue their research journey and is excited to work with you this semester! In her free time, Caitlin enjoys hiking, listening to Taylor Swift music, and spending time with her cats.
Cesar Lucena is currently a pursuing an undergraduate degree inComputer Scienceat Kennesaw State University. He was previously in theFirst Year Scholars Programwhere he worked with Dr. Khan on “Thoughts to text through a Brain Computer Interface,” which was then presented at theNational Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR)and theSymposium of Student Scholarsin the spring of 2022. He was also selected for theSummer Undergraduate Research Programwhere he continued to pursue his research goals while improving his presenting, time
management and research skills. He hopes to guide the newer research members to a
path where goals can be accomplished.
Daisy is currently working towards a master’s degree in integrative biology. She has been at Kennesaw State University since 2016 and earned a biology degree with a concentration in biotech and a minor in math. Daisy has done research in bioinformatics since her sophomore year. She is the only student in Georgia to have won the American Society of Microbiology Undergraduate Research Fund, a prestigious scholarship awarded to twenty students nationally every year. Both of her siblings have gone to KSU, one in business, the other in nursing. Daisy said that college is hard; hopefully, she can help.
Rebecca is a seniorbiology majorwith achemistry minor. She is a post-baccalaureate student who returned to school in the summer of 2020.
While returning to school was intimidating, the resources at KSU helped her have a
successful career within the college, and she hopes to share her knowledge of navigating
college with other students. Rebecca works in two research labs in theDepartment of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology. Through these labs, she has gained experience in conducting field research, presenting at conferences, and managing research while being a full-time student. In her free time, Rebecca likes to read, hike, and garden.
Tristan is majoring inindustrial and systems engineering andminoring in nuclear engineering. Her research topics spread across aviation and healthcare. Her research combines
aviation and human factors. She is the lead student researcher working alongside Dr.
Ergai and Dr. Khalid on an interdisciplinary project that analyzes the effects of
gaming experience on flight performance. She has been involved with this project since
its early stages and is eager to see it through to fruition. Beyond research, Tristan
is aPresident’s Emerging Global Scholar, nuclear laboratory assistant, and avid reader.
Par is a sophomore at Kennesaw State University working towards a degree inEnvironmental Engineering. She is currently conducting a research project called "The Microbiome and Restoration
of the Longleaf Pine" with Dr. Paula Jackson. She is thrilled to be a research peer
mentor and can't wait to share her experience as a student researcher. "I look forward
to supporting students with the team!"
