First Year Scholars 2025

Oregon Health & Science University
School of Medicine, Biomedical Engineering

• The Richardson Family/OHSU Endowment Scholar
• Megan's research focuses on deepening our understanding of ocular biomarkers; particularly, the physical forces which may be connected to the higher eye pressure seen in patients with glaucoma, a leading cause of irreversible blindness.

Oregon State University
College of Science, Department of Mathematics

• The Jill V. Josselyn ARCS Foundation Oregon Chapter Award Endowment
• Lucas is interested in both pure mathematical aspects of shochastic and dynamical systems and their applications to modeling and understanding the world around us.

Oregon Health & Science University
School of Nursing

• The Jill V. Josselyn ARCS Foundation Oregon Chapter Award Endowment
• Aunnah's research focuses on identifyinig interventions to address the complex needs of families and siblings of a child with terminal cancer in hospice care.

University of Oregon
College of Arts and Sciences, Physical Chemistry

• Anonymous
• Téa is passionate about applying physical chemistry tools including spectroscopy and computational methods to study complex biological molecules and systems. Téa is currently completing lab rotations, and she is confident that she will find a lab where she can continue to explore the chemistry she loves.

Oregon State University
College of Engineering, Civil & Construction Engineering

• Richard and Mary Rosenberg Fund Scholar (OCF)
• Jackie will focus on developing techniques to monitor tide variation and sea ice movement in Alaska using GNSS-Reflectometry. She also plans to be involved in research in geodesy, such as helping with the modernization of the National Spatial Reference System.

Oregon Health & Science University
School of Medicine, Program in Biomedical Sciences

• The Kirby & Carl Dyess/OHSU Endowment Scholar
• Paul hopes to understand the structural and molecular basis of diseases spanning from neurodegenerative disorders to addiction through single-particle and tomographic cryogenic electron microscopy of proteins, cells, and tissue.

Oregon State University
College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Geology

• The Caron & Larry Ogg/OSU CEOAS Endowment Scholar
• Emma is planning to focus on hard rock geology techniques.

Oregon State University
College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Geology

• Laurie M. Meigs/OSU CEOAS Endowment Scholar
• Marykathryn’s research focuses on the magmatic sourcing of the Ecuadorian Rhyolite Province (ERP) by studying genetic and spatial relationships between the volcanoes and eruptive materials. Her research is essential to understanding the ERP’s past and future geohazards in northern Ecuador.

Oregon State University 
College of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Marine Mammal Institute

• The Barbara & Philip Silver/OSU Ag Science Endowment Scholar
• Natalie’s research combines sonar and photographic data to assess gray whale health in a changing ocean. By examining how ecosystem variability influences whale condition, she aims to advance ecological understanding and inform conservation strategies that support marine mammals and the habitats they depend on.

Oregon State University 
College of Engineering, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, AI

• The Jill V. Josselyn ARCS Foundation Oregon Chapter Award Endowment
• Zachary’s research focuses on auditing and improving the robustness of machine learning systems against adversarial threats, misuse, and other undesirable behaviors. His goal is to make artificial intelligence more trustworthy and socially responsible.

Oregon Health & Science University 
School of Medicine, MD/PhD, Neuroimmunology

• The Jarnberg Family & Gray Family/OHSU Endowment Scholar
• Taitea’s research dissects androgen receptor signaling in neuroimmune circuits driving autoimmunity. Combining single-cell genomics and systems immunology, she hopes to map causal pathways to sex-biased disease, anchored by the clinical vision of precision biomarkers and therapies that predict flares and personalize treatment for patients with Multiple Sclerosis and related disorders.

Oregon State University 
College of Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrocatalysis

• The ARCS Foundation Oregon Chapter Scholar
• Emily’s research focuses on tailoring the process of converting undesirable CO2 feedstock into value added products, such as C2 based molecules that can be used to make fuels and plastics, which she does by engineering catalysts that undergo both enhanced selectivity and efficiency when performing their characteristic reaction pathways. 

University of Oregon
OSU/UO, Bioengineering, Joint Bioengineering PhD Program

• The Kenda and Ken Singer/OSU/UO Joint Bioengineering Scholar
• Diana aims to design and develop non-invasive materials that accelerate tissue regeneration and support long-term tissue health.

Oregon State University 
College of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Food Science and Technology

• The 10th Anniverary/OSU Endowment Scholar
• Cecilia’s research aims to optimize the extraction of high-value compounds from different food and agricultural biowaste through a zero-waste approach based on each material’s unique composition.

University of Oregon
College of Arts and Sciences, Biology Department, Institute of Neuroscience

• The Fairway Fund/UO Endowment Scholar (Susan H. Swindells)
• Hylen’s research interests revolve around neural systems and circuitry which mediate mental states. How chemical and electrical information is converted into a subjective conscious experience, also known as qualia or feelings. He is especially interested in how neurological disorders such as autism and schizophrenia alter these experiences. 

Oregon State University 
College of Aricultural Sciences, Department of Crop and Soil Science

• The Jill V. Josselyn ARCS Foundation Oregon Chapter Scholar Award Endowment
• Aleksandra's research focuses on developing spectral models to better identify the biogeochemical properties of andisols and to understand the effects of disturbance on those soils.

Oregon State University 
College of Engineering, Civil & Construction Engineering, Clean Energy, Coastal and Ocean Engineering

• The Linda & Paul Gilham and Gretchen & Jeff Sturm Scholar
• Evelyn's research focuses on building and testing a submerged wave energy converter, a device that transforms the movement of ocean waves into usable energy.

Oregon State University 
College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences

• The Jamie & Mike Anderson Family/OSU CEOAS Endowment Scholar
• Isabel hopes to research various atmospheric processes to better our understanding of the atmosphere and to improve the accuracy of climate and weather models.

University of Oregon
College of Arts and Sciences, Human Physiology

• The Jamie & Mike Anderson Family/UO Endowment Scholar
• Ryan’s research interests lie in human performance and biomechanics, with emphasis on athletics and, in particular, running biomechanics.

Oregon Health & Science University 
School of Medicine, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience

• The Fairway Fund/OHSU Endowment Scholar (Susan H. Swindells)
• Sophia’s research interest is in the circuit-level changes that occur in the brain during chronic opioid and pain conditions.

Oregon State University 
College of Engineering, Civil & Construction Engineering

• The Sally & Cecil Drinkward Scholar
• Heather's research investigates coastal geomorphic change by integrating advanced field measurement techniques such as lidar, GNSS, and hydrographic survey data into the modernized National Spatial Reference System. Her work explores capturing and quantifying detailed changes with the ultimate goal of proactively detecting coastal hazards for improved community resilience.

Oregon State University
College of Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering

• The Jill V. Josselyn ARCS Foundation Oregon Chapter Scholar Award Endowment
• Fatima's research focuses on making technology more inclusive for diverse users and empowering users over their tech experience through inclusive design methods.

Oregon State University 
College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences,  Deep Sea Ecology

• The Bernd & Doreen Simoneit/OSU CEOAS Endowment Scholar
• José’s research will be focusing on understanding the community structure, habitat use, and ecological relationships in the deep waters (200m-6000m) of Puerto Rico.

Oregon State University
College of Agricultural Sciences, Environmental and Molecular Toxicology 

• The ARCS Foundation Oregon Chapter Scholar
• Leo’s research is focused on understanding how common air pollutants, such as chemicals in wildfires, cause toxicity to the respiratory system using 3D organotypic culture models of the bronchial epithelium for human risk assessment.

Oregon Health & Science University
School of Medicine, Neuroscience

• The Anne & Jung Yoo Scholar
• Sandra seeks to understand the influence of early life stress on brain circuitry that subsequently contributes to addiction-related behaviors such as substance abuse.

Oregon State University 
College of Forestry, Wood Science and Engineering

• The ARCS Foundation Oregon Chapter Scholar
• Nicole is exploring questions at the intersection of engineered wood products, circular economy, and architecture. She is interested in how material performance and circularity can shape future research and building systems.

University of Oregon
College of Arts & Sciences

• The Anonymous/UO Endowment Scholar
• Tyler’s research focuses on microbe-system interactions across environmental and host-associated contexts. While his ongoing research projects are still to be defined, he integrates molecular biology, biochemistry, and analytical approaches to investigate how microbes function within these systems and influence ecological and evolutionary dynamics.

Oregon State University 
College of Engineering, Civil & Construction Engineering

• The Julie & Wayne Drinkward ARCS Foundation Oregon Endowment Scholar
• At the start of her PhD journey, Emma's research will focus on wave prediction on the Oregon coastline using remote sensing.

Oregon State University 
College of Science, Department of Integrative Biology

• The Sue & Bernie McGrath/OSU Science Endowment Scholar
• Abby’s research focuses on benthic ecology, studying how human activities impact organisms living on the ocean floor.

Oregon State University
College of Science, Chemistry

• The Jill V. Josselyn ARCS Foundation Oregon Chapter Scholar Award Endowment
• KC is still working to discover her scientific niche however her focus is primarily on atmospheric research and airborne pollutants.

Oregon Health & Science University 
School of Medicine, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience

• The Fairway Fund/OHSU Endowment Scholar (Susan H. Swindells)
• Maddy's research revolves around sleep health, with an emphasis on discovering realistic and impactful strategies one can implement during the day that will lead to improved sleep quality at night. She's primarily interested in how light and food affect sleep health.