Meet Jesse from SURF! | OURS Student Spotlight
Validating the 3D Position Calibration of the COSI Germanium sensors Jesse Hart (He/His/Him) (2028) | Physics BA Jesse Hart is a SURF L&S scholarship recipient and a third-year Physics major. Working at the intersection of astrophysics and scientific instrumentation, Jesse is helping validate a calibration method for the germanium detectors aboard the NASA Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI), a satellite mission set to launch in 2027. By improving how the detectors determine the position of incoming gamma rays, his research will help ensure the mission collects reliable data to better […]
Meet Claire from SURF! | OURS Student Spotlight
Longitudinal Associations Between Social Media And Cortical Morphology Claire Tsai (she/her) (2027) | Cognitive Science and Neuroscience Claire Tsai is a SURF L&S scholarship recipient and a member of the Class of 2027 double majoring in Cognitive Science and Neuroscience. For her SURF project this summer, she is investigating how social media use is associated with changes in adolescent brain development over time. Using MRI data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, Claire examines how varying levels of social media use may influence changes in brain structure, […]
Meet Andy from SURF! | OURS Student Spotlight
Identifying Subtypes Of Beta Bursts In Anxiety-Related Brain Circuits Andy Bass (2027) | Applied Mathematics Andy Bass is a SURF L&S scholarship recipient majoring in Applied Mathematics. For his SURF project this summer, Andy is investigating how anxiety-related brain circuits communicate through brief bursts of synchronized neural activity known as beta bursts. Working with neural recordings from the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex, he is using computational and machine learning techniques to determine whether these bursts can be grouped into distinct subtypes. By identifying different patterns of communication within anxiety-related […]
Meet Rayne from SURF! | OURS Student Spotlight
Naturalizing Nabokov: Alienness And Citizenship In Academic Fictions Rayne Xue (she/her) (2027) | Comparative Literature and Legal Studies, Russian Literature. Rayne Xue is a SURF L&S scholarship recipient, a member of the Class of 2027 majoring in Comparative Literature and Legal Studies with a minor in Russian Literature. For her SURF project this summer, she is exploring the relationship between literature and immigration law through the novels of Vladimir Nabokov. By examining how Nabokov’s fiction portrays foreign academics and ideas of citizenship, naturalization, and belonging, Rayne investigates how literary narratives […]
Meet Voica from SURF! | OURS Student Spotlight
The Slow Rebellion: Postmodern SF As Temporal Capitalist Critique Voica Armstrong (she/her) (2027) | English Voica is a SURF L&S scholarship recipient and a third-year English major hoping to double major in Political Economy or Legal Studies. For her SURF project this summer, she is examining how postmodern science fiction challenges the fast-paced and fragmented experience of time shaped by modern capitalism. By analyzing six science fiction novels within their social and economic contexts, Voica explores how the genre imagines alternative ways of experiencing time and offers new perspectives on […]
Meet Ryan from SURF! | OURS Student Spotlight
Creating A Hawaiʻi Sign Language Video Dictionary Ryan Rinerson (he/him) (2027) | Linguistics and Spanish Ryan Rinerson is a SURF L&S scholarship recipient and a third-year transfer student majoring in Linguistics and Spanish. For his SURF project this summer, Ryan is working to preserve Hawaiʻi Sign Language (HSL), the indigenous sign language of the Hawaiian Islands, by documenting linguistic, cultural, and historical knowledge from native HSL signer and educator Linda Lambrecht. His goal is to create the first public HSL video dictionary, helping preserve an endangered language and support future […]
Meet Nandhini from SURF! | OURS Student Spotlight
Investigating CK2 In Alveolar Interferon Regulation Nandhini Sundar (she/her) (2027) | Molecular and Cell Biology and Minor in Data Science. Nandhini is a SURF L&S scholarship recipient majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology with a minor in Data Science. For her SURF project this summer, Nandhini is studying how interferon signaling can be regulated in the lung without disrupting the growth of alveolar type II (AT2) cells, which are essential for lung repair and gas exchange. Using precision-cut lung slice models, she is testing whether inhibiting Casein Kinase 2 (CK2) […]
Meet Eyouel from SURF! | OURS Student Spotlight
Identifying Mars-Shine in MAVEN SEP Particle Observations Eyouel Abate (he/him) (2027) | Astrophysics Major and Aerospace Engineering Minor Eyouel is a SURF L&S scholarship recipient majoring in Astrophysics with a minor in Aerospace Engineering. For his SURF project this summer, Eyouel is investigating whether a subtle reflected-light effect from Mars, similar to Earthshine on the Moon, can be detected in NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft data. By analyzing measurements from the Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) instrument alongside spacecraft geometry and Martian surface reflectivity, he aims to determine whether variations in background signals […]
Meet Ailsa from SURF! | OURS Student Spotlight
Empirical Analysis Of Side-Channel Attacks On Commercial Microkernels Ailsa Sun (Any Pronouns) (2028) | Mathematics and Computer Science Ailsa Sun is a SURF L&S scholarship recipient double majoring in Mathematics and Computer Science. For her SURF project this summer, Ailsa is investigating the security of HarmonyOS 5, a commercial microkernel operating system used by millions of people across Asia. Her research focuses on side-channel attacks, a type of security vulnerability that can expose information through the way a system operates. By analyzing HarmonyOS’s communication protocols and potential weaknesses, Ailsa aims […]
Meet Candido from SURF! | OURS Student Spotlight
Thermal Tolerance and Post-Heat Stress Recovery in Porcelain Crabs Candido Santos (He/Him) (2028) | Integrative Biology (Integrative Human Biology emphasis) Candido Santos is a SURF L&S scholarship recipient and a third-year Integrative Biology major with an emphasis in Integrative Human Biology. Working in the Stillman Lab, Candido is investigating how porcelain crabs respond to heat stress by comparing the thermal tolerance and recovery of species with different environmental adaptations. By measuring physiological responses such as heart rate and metabolic function, his research aims to better understand how marine organisms cope […]