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 senior 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 presented at the Symposium of Student Scholars in the spring of 2022. She is also entering her third year of being a Peer Ambassador.
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.
Hello, my name is Aichel Candanedo! I am currently a sophomore Biochemistry 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 first year as an Honors Peer Mentor for the
KSU Honors College.
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!
Kaleigh is currently a senior at Kennesaw State University working towards a degree
in Nursing. She was previously in the First Year Scholars Program and the Sophomore Scholars Program where she worked with Dr. Whitney Preisser on fish parasites for catfish and sucker fish. During the First Year Scholars Program she worked on “What’s in a Fish? A Survey of Parasitic Fauna of Some Ictaluridae and Catostomidae Species in Georgia”, which was presented at the Symposium of Student Scholars in the spring of 2023. During the Sophomore Scholars Program, she worked on “A Checklist of Parasites in Catostomidae and Ictaluridae in the United States”, which was presented in the spring of 2024. She is also working with Dr. Whitney Preisser to publish this checklist.
She enjoys video games, houseplants, and movies in her free time. Kaleigh looks forward to having a positive impact and providing a helping hand to students through the Office of Undergraduate Research.
Abeer is currently a sophomore 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!
Jennifer is a junior at Kennesaw State University working towards a degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Spanish. She was previously in the First Year Scholars Program where she worked with Dr. Sanjuana Rodriguez on “Censorship in Early Childhood: Analyzing Banned Latinx Picture Books,” which was presented at the Symposium of Student Scholars in Spring 2023. She participates in an ongoing research project with Dr. Rodriguez and Dr. Paula Guerra on “Experiences of Latinx Pre-Service Teachers in the state of Georgia,” which was presented in the Spring of 2024.
Since starting at Kennesaw State University, she has gained undergraduate research experience and familiarized herself with the Office of Undergraduate Research as she is entering her second year of being a Peer Ambassador. In her free time, she is involved at KSU as a Brand Ambassador and as the President of Maestros del Futuro.
Coraima is a fourth-year student majoring in Architecture at Kennesaw State University. This is her first 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 Spring 2024 Symposium of Student Scholars, 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.
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.
Devyn Woodard, is a sophomore honors political science student. Outside of being a
research ambassador, he serves as the Vice President of Model United Nations and news
editor for The Sentinel.
In his free time he enjoy reading books and spending time with his friends.
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!"
