STEM Interdisciplinary Mindset Meet & Greet by Efrain Rivera-Serrano

eriveraserrano — 2025-01-27 19:19:16 UTC

Hello! My name is Dr. Efraín Rivera-Serrano (he/him), yet most of my students call me "Dr. E". I am originally from Puerto Rico but have lived in NC for over 15 years. I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology and my research specialty is in the area of immune responses against viral infections. When not grading or responding to emails, you can find me running or taking care of my seven (7!) dogs.

Dr Antonio Izzo

adizzo1220 — 2025-06-03 11:32:58 UTC

Hello! My name is Dr Antonio Izzo (he/him). I teach Microbiology and Cell/Molecular Biology in the Biology Department. My research mixes the fields of Ecology, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology. I love hiking with my wife and our dog, and also love playing folks/blues/bluegrass music on my various guitars (and always looking for people to play music with!)

Hi there!

2025-06-03 13:24:10 UTC

I'm Dr. Perreault (she/her) and I'm an Assistant Professor in the Biology department. I mostly teach Genetics lecture and lab, but also teach Biotechnology and Intro Seminar. My research area is computational genomics, which means my lab uses previously generated sequencing data and computer programs to understand why and how different cancers develop. When I'm not on campus, I'm in my backyard hanging out with my husband, daughter, and dog Marley!

Dr. Matt Wittstein

2025-06-03 14:07:36 UTC

I'm Dr. Wittstein, occasionally Dr. Witty. You can see me here with my amazing family - my wife Christina and daughter Parker. My area of teaching and research is at the intersection of Biomechanics and Neuromotor Control and usually applied to dancers or athletes. I'm an Associate Professor of Exercise Science and Director of the Neuroscience Program. In my free time, I like trying and learning new things. This summer, I'm practicing using my smoker a bit more, playing with my camera, and trying to exercise 3-4 days a week.

Dr. Hwayeon Ryu

2025-06-03 14:24:12 UTC

Hi! My name is Dr. Hwayeon Ryu, Associate Professor of Mathematics. I am originally from South Korea but have lived in NC since 2009! My research specialty is in mathematical modeling of complex biological systems such as immune response to SARS-CoV-2 (commonly known as COVID-19). When not doing mathematics, I am quite busy to hang out with my family (my husband, Tim Lee; Meeso, 9-yo; and twin boys, Jisoo and Jimin, 3.5-yo).

2025-06-03 14:50:50 UTC

Hello! My name is Kelsey Chiu and I'm a senior majoring in Exercise Science with a minor in Psychology. My current research is essentially looking at whether athletes with ADHD are at a greater risk of overtraining and/or underfueling. After graduation, my goal is to hopefully take a gap year to work in strength & conditioning and then apply to physical therapy school. But outside of academics, I enjoy spending time with my 2 dogs, coaching gymnastics, doing puzzles/crafts with my roommates, working out, and exploring new places with my friends (this picture is when I studied abroad in Sydney!).

2025-06-03 18:16:11 UTC

Hi all! I'm Dr. Bernardy (she/her) or Dr. B to my students. I teach microbiology for health professionals and cell biology (and sometimes genetics lab) in the biology department. My research is about bacterial infections in cystic fibrosis patients. I love being silly with my son, Jack (see picture for such an example), and my husband (not pictured but still awesome). I love music and learning new things with podcasts.

2025-06-04 13:42:07 UTC

Greetings! My name is Dr. Ahlam Armaly (she/her), and I'm an Assistant Professor in the Chemistry department and my research focus is in the area of synthetic organic chemistry. Things that bring me joy are dogs, especially ones with smooshed faces, llamas, and just being outside!

2025-06-04 13:47:35 UTC

Hi!! My name is Conter Cornwell (she/her), I'm a rising senior from Columbus, Ohio. I'm a biochem major doing organic chemistry research. I play flute/piccolo in Elon bands, I'm the RA for the Service LLC, I help run Elon ACS and the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, and I volunteer with Music for Dementia! Fun fact: this past school year I won the residence life Program of the Year award for my service program in the Twin Lakes memory care unit!

2025-06-04 13:58:14 UTC

Hi! My name is Annika and I am a junior biochemistry major. This summer I am doing research with Dr. Armaly in organic synthesis. I'm from California and you can tell. (weather below 50 degrees is my worst enemy) I love avocado toast, surfing, and an occasional adventure into nature. Outside of school I love spending time with friends, watching my netflix shows, and reading. I am looking forward to being in the lab, studying abroad in Australia in the spring, and visiting friends over the summer.

2025-06-04 14:11:53 UTC

Hi there! My name is Virginia (she/her) and I'm a rising Senior from the DC area. I'm a Biology major and my research is focused on understanding the evolution of vocal mimicry in the Mimidae family (specifically Northern Mockingbirds, Brown Thrashers, and Gray Catbirds). Some fun facts about me are: I'm an identical twin and have a UTV/ATV license.

2025-06-04 15:34:26 UTC

Hi I’m Hannah Schonhoff! I’m a rising senior and biochemistry major doing research with Dr. Clar. I’m from Rocklin, California and am a member of the Elon Track and Field Team

2025-06-04 15:38:03 UTC

Hello! my name is Billy Impagliazzo (he/him) and I am a rising senior majoring in biology FMS with a minor in economics. my current research with Dr. Izzo involves identifying pathogenic fungi infecting regional forked bluecurl plants. When im not too busy I love to workout or run, play piano, and I'm trying to pick up guitar too(not going well). I love ice hockey and watching the NHL, as well as watching NFL. GO BIRDS.

2025-06-04 15:39:07 UTC

Hi! My name is Kelly (she/her) and I'm from Cincinnati, OH. I’m an Applied Math and Statistics double major with a double minor in Geography and GIS. I am doing research on deep-sea corals, with a primary goal of creating a novel imputation technique to better fill in missing deep-sea coral data. I’m a College Fellow and the ECF Community Director, a Lumen Scholar, I’m currently serving as VP to Elon Muses Show Choir, and I’m a Calc 1/2 tutor for Elon athletes. A fun fact about me is that I’m a huge cat lover and have 3 at home!

2025-06-04 15:58:55 UTC

Hi, all. Karl Sienerth (he/him), Professor of Chemistry, but students generally just call me Sienerth if they aren't using 4-letter-words. I've been at Elon for 27-ish years now. I'm an analytical / instrumental chemist and I dabble in inorganic synthesis as well. We have one cat who I am fairly certain is actually a Bakeneko because it appears to be immortal. If the Bakaneko ever decides to move on to another plane, we intend to get a dog, small-to-medium sized. Non-work activities tend to involve either watching tennis (not actually, you know, playing it) and/or playing poker. The new casino an hour away in Danville has a poker room, so that is either going to shorten or lengthen my path to retirement.

2025-06-04 15:59:15 UTC

my name is Ryder Hutchinson and i am a nursing major with a biology minor. I am currently doing research with Dr. E using viruses to fight a type of mouth cancer.

a fun fact about me is that i am fluent in japanese and i also play classical piano.

2025-06-04 16:02:17 UTC

Hi my name is Alice! I’m a senior now from winston Salem, studying with Dr. Efra in virology/cancer research. I have a beautiful siberian cat and i love dancing! I use they/them pronouns.

2025-06-04 17:06:52 UTC

Hello! My name is Avery Underwood, I am a biology major with a psych minor in the Accelerated Pathway for Physician Assistant Studies. My research is with Dr Perreault in computational genetics on Breast Cancer subtypes. I am from Walkertown, NC and work as a medical assistant in pediatrics and optometry. When I’m not working or doing school related things, I love going on coffee dates with friends, spending time with my family, and going on drives! Would love to connect!

2025-06-04 17:40:02 UTC

Hi! My name is Adam Reisman and I am a rising junior exercise science major from Austin, TX. This summer, I will be working on my research with Dr. Madzima on menstrual cycle-based periodized training and its impacts on performance and recovery. My goal following graduation is to attend physical therapy school. I love coffee, and you can almost always find me in Oak House or Irazu. I also enjoy watching football, reading psychological thriller novels, and working out.

2025-06-04 21:42:29 UTC

Hello! I am Esther, a rising junior studying Exercise Science! This summer I’ll be working with Dr. Nepocatych on cardiovascular disease research. My study looks at how sleep duration/efficiency impacts body fat mass in young adults, then looking at how exercise and diet mediate the relationship between the two. When not in class, you can find me running, hiking, listening to music, and playing rugby. After graduation my hope is to pursue physical therapy :)

Hello!

2025-06-19 13:59:19 UTC

Hi there - this is Martin Kamela in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. I grew up in Poland and Canada and enjoy learning about cultures and places. At Elon I teach introductory physics and advanced theory classes, and enjoy thinking about the fundamental building blocks of Nature. You can sometimes find me in forests, on a bike, at concerts or in museums, or in distant places.

2025-06-19 18:27:18 UTC

Hi Everyone. I'm Dr. Clar from the Chemistry Department. I am also the Director of Undergraduate Research. My research focus is on environmental nanotechnology. Outside of Elon I like to hang out at the pool with my kids and play as much golf as possible.

2025-06-25 02:40:39 UTC

Hi!! My name is Katherine (she/her) and I am a senior biology major doing research with Dr. N and Prof. Bailey in the ESS department! We are currently looking at the risk of Metabolic Syndrome in the Latino population of Alamance County in relation to food access and dietary habits. I was born in Bogota, Colombia, but grew up in Dallas, Texas!! I enjoy cute things, listening to music, eating sweets, and going to the gym!

2025-06-27 08:15:33 UTC

Hi!! My name is Muhammad (he/him), and I’m majoring in Physics and Applied Mathematics with a minor in Leadership Studies! I’m currently doing research with Dr. Kamela in the Physics Department, where I study quantum systems using Wigner functions to explore how classical behavior emerges from quantum mechanics. I’m originally from Ghana and grew up there! Outside of class and research, I love building things with code, volunteering, writing philosophy, and learning languages. Fun fact: I’m a trained fashion designer and have been making clothes for the past 8 years!

Poster sample

eriveraserrano — 2025-07-11 15:52:25 UTC

2025-07-16 15:57:37 UTC

2025-07-16 15:59:36 UTC

hschonhoff — 2025-07-16 15:59:48 UTC

2025-07-16 16:00:08 UTC

2025-07-16 16:03:57 UTC