The Undergraduate Research Peer Ambassadors are experienced student researchers representing
each college at Kennesaw State University. They take active roles representing the
Office of Undergraduate Research at on-campus recruitment and student support events.
Additionally, Peer Ambassadors conduct workshops 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. They are also available for one-on-one
appointments, meeting with students in-person or virtually, to provide peer mentoring
on undergraduate research specific topics.
Amelia is currently a Senior at Kennesaw State University working towards a degree
in Industrial Engineering Technology. 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 (2022). She is entering her fourth year of being an Undergraduate Research Peer Ambassador
for the Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology.
Since starting at Kennesaw State University, she has been able to gain undergraduate
research experience and familiarize herself with the Office of Undergraduate Research.
She now works with Dr. Amy Buddie on several research projects including "The Relationship
Between Undergraduate Research Participation and Educational Outcomes", which was
presented at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (2025) and at the Symposium of Student Scholars (2025), and "Enhancing Undergraduate Research Opportunities". Amelia is passionate
about helping students get involved in research, making sure they feel supported,
confident, and excited throughout their research journey.
Navaeh is a senior majoring in Information Technology at Kennesaw State University. She is currently involved in research with Futra Labs,
where she contributes to the development of the user interface for the Atlanta Energy
and Emission Modeling and Analysis Tool (AEEMAT). She is also a member of the Brain Augmented Technology team and recently presented her work at the VIP Consortium. In addition to her research roles, Nevaeh is a new inductee of Upsilon Pi Epsilon,
the international honor society for computing, and enjoys weightlifting as a way to
stay focused and balanced.
Nevaeh joined the Undergraduate Research Peer Ambassadors to help guide fellow students—especially those from underrepresented groups—as they navigate the world of research and discover their potential within it.
Hello, my name is Aichel Candanedo! I am currently a junior Biology major on the Pre-med track here at KSU. I was previously a First-Year Scholar working with Dr. Cyril Okhio on “Brain Augmented Technology (BAT) and STEM-Peer Augmented Success & Support (STEM-PASS).” I presented the project at the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) in the spring of 2024 and at the Symposium of Student Scholars in the spring of 2024. I am entering my second year as an Undergraduate Research Peer Ambassador.
Outside of school, you can catch me participating in 5k’s as I love to run, as well as studying, cooking, going to concerts, and volunteering. I look forward to working with everyone! Please do not hesitate to reach out to me!
Abeer is currently a junior working towards a degree in Economics along with the President's
Emerging Global Scholars minor. She was previously involved in the First Year Scholars
program in which she worked under Professor Melih Madanoglu on "Corporate Governance
Factors and Financial Performance of Restaurant Companies". Outside of research, she
is also involved in the KSU Journey Honors College through the PEGS Program and PEGS
RSO.
Abeer believes that the opportunities provided by the Office of Undergraduate Research
at Kennesaw have helped inculcate a deep-seated interest in research within her and
she hopes to be able to impart the insights she gained through the First-Year Scholars
program to incoming freshmen! This is her second year as a Peer Ambassador.
Hello, I'm Andy! I am a Double Owl Pathway student who graduated in May 2025 with my undergraduate degree in Integrated Health
Science, with minors in Public Health Education and Data Science and Analytics. Now
I am continuing the work I started on my master's degree in Data Science and Analytics.
For over two years, I have been part of the Data Quality & Survey Methods Lab at KSU. Under the guidance of Dr. Kevin Gittner and Dr. Lauren Matheny, I have presented our lab’s "Data Quality Checks: Implementation With Popular Data Collection Crowdsourcing Platforms" and "Think You Can Fake It? We'll Make You Verify It: Utilizing Follow-up Surveys to Detect and Prevent Fraud in Online Crowdsourced Data"
at KSU’s Analytics Day and the Symposium of Student Scholars.
I am also a co-author on "Fraudulent Response Detection in Incentivized Online Survey
Data Collection for Public Health Researchers," "Garbage In, Garbage Out: Quantifying
the Impact of Bad Data on Health Outcomes," and "Normative Values and Psychometric
Properties for an Ankle Activity Level Tool for Public Health Researchers," all of
which have been presented at the American Public Health Association Conference.
In April 2025, I presented "Think You Can Fake It? We'll Make You Verify It: Utilizing
Follow-up Surveys to Detect and Prevent Fraud in Online Crowdsourced Data" at the
National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) and plan to publish a manuscript on this project.
Outside of research, I spend most of my time rowing or running along the Chattahoochee
River. I look forward to the possibility of providing insights and guidance to students
through the Office of Undergraduate Research.
Eric Miller is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Mechatronics Engineering at Kennesaw State University. He is currently a participant in an undergraduate research
program at Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology:
Testing and Simulation of Effects of Raster Angle and Infill Density of Specimens
Created Using Additive Manufacturing. On this project, he is involved in verifying the tolerances of parts and testing for tensile strength and is driven by an eagerness to research additive manufacturing
and its implications in the field of robotics.
Coraima is a fifth-year student majoring in Architecture at Kennesaw State University. This is her second year being a peer ambassador and she is excited to get to know students and their projects for the year. She has previously participated in the Symposium of Student Scholars (2024), showing her research titled “The Ideals of Two Men” with her professor Dr. Ehsan Sheikholharam.
You can find her on the Marietta campus in the Architecture building or around the
Atrium. In her free time, she enjoys watching horror films, cooking, or working on
her next architecture project.
Braden is currently a sophomore working towards a degree in International Affairs with a minor in Economics. He was previously involved in the First Year Scholars Program, in which he worked under Professor Zaplatosch on "Identifying Psychosocial Factors
Influencing Fluid Intake in Underhydrated College Students to Inform a Targeted Intervention".
Outside of research, he is also involved in the KSU Journey Honors College.
Braden thinks that the opportunities provided by the Undergraduate Research Office
help students prepare for further academic studies and success within their respective
fields. Outside of academics, Braden plays pickleball, baseball, tennis, and enjoys
golfing with his friends.
