More than $100,000 in funding was awarded for Bridgewater College students to conduct fulltime research under the mentorship of faculty members this summer. This yearâs funding level is the highest yet for the Collegeâs growing summer initiative and is supporting the largest number of students in program history.
Funding was provided by the Dr. John W. Martin Summer Science Research Institute and by The Research Experience @ Bridgewater (TREB). The 26 recipients of these awards receive free on-campus housing for the duration of their research along with a stipend, enabling them to devote their summers to research and exploration on a wide variety of projects.
âPhilanthropic support for high impact practices has been a top priority and central theme within Connections: The Campaign for Bridgewater College,â said Meg Flory Riner, vice president for institutional advancement. âMany of our donors support these programs because they know first-hand the important role these transformative learning experiences play in a BC education.â
Dr. Elizabeth MacDougall, director of student research, said that having this many students engaged in research demonstrates the Collegeâs commitment to mentoring, experiential learning and developing student-scholars prepared to think critically and contribute to knowledge beyond the classroom.
âThese summer fellowships are a vital part of our academic mission. They deepen student learning, support faculty scholarship and foster the habits of inquiry, creativity and collaboration,â MacDougall said. âI am grateful to our donors, proud of our students and faculty, and excited to see the outcomes of their work this summer.â
Many of the students will present the results of their research at academic conferences or at BCâs own ASPIRE: A Celebration of the Arts, Scholarship, Performance, Innovation and Research Excellence, to be held in spring 2026.
The Dr. John W. Martin Summer Science Research Institute is named for a beloved professor at Bridgewater, who taught in the chemistry department from 1961 until his retirement in 1985.
Martin Science Research Institute awards were given for the following projects:
Godfred Abotar-Aidoo and Isaac Plange, both rising junior engineering majors, âImproving the Efficiency of Turbines in Wave Energy Harvesting Using Computer Simulationsâ with Dr. Mohammad Uddin, Assistant Professor of Engineering.
Emmanuel Acherefi, a rising junior engineering major, âInvestigating Airflow Around an Airfoil Using CFDâ with Dr. Mohammad Uddin, Assistant Professor of Engineering.
Jonathan Amelordzi and Liberty Ammamoo, both rising junior engineering majors, âNumerical Simulations and Analysis of Lid Driven Cavity Flow and Flow Around a Cylinder Using Ansys, OpenFOAM and ParaViewâ with Dr. Mohammad Uddin, Assistant Professor of Engineering.
Calvin Hulleman, a rising senior data science and analytics major, âUsing Machine Learning and Computer Vision to Increase the Accuracy and Precision of Axoloti Measurementâ with Dr. Moshe Khurgel, Associate Professor of Biology.
Nana Montans, a rising junior biology major, âOverexpression of the Polyhydroxyalkanoate Depolymerase Gene of Streptomyces Nymphaeiformis in Streptomyces Lividans TK24â with Dr. Stephen Baron, Harry G M Jopson Professor of Biology.
Skyler Parks, a rising senior biochemistry major, âStructure-function Analysis of Human Mitochondrial Alpha-keto Acid Dehydrogenase Complex Mutations of Clinical Relevance in Neurological Diseasesâ with Dr. Rippa Sehgal, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry.
Meklit Worku, a rising junior biology major, âOptimizing Scandium Triflate-Catalyzed Electrophilic Substitution of Aldehydes for Higher Yieldsâ with Dr. Barnabus Otoo, Assistant Professor of Chemistry.
Nour Ziada, a rising junior biochemistry major, âDevelop[ing] GC Methods for Asymmetric Analysis of Alcoholsâ with Dr. Barnabus Otoo, Assistant Professor of Chemistry.
The Research Experience @ Bridgewater (TREB) is a donor-funded initiative providing support for teams of Bridgewater faculty and undergraduate students to spend the summer in collaborative research and creative, scholarly work in any discipline.
TREB funded the following projects:
Alec Carpenter, a rising junior business administration major, âResults of Muscle Activation and Testosterone Production Through Use of Rest-pause Sets Conducted on Leg Musclesâ with Dr. Robert Shute, Assistant Professor of Health & Human Sciences.
Tess Dean, Amir Suboh and Kiya Whitaker, all rising seniors, âNon-Western Graphic Designâ with Ronald Alabanza, Practitioner in Residence â Art. Dean and Whitaker are digital media arts majors; Suboh is an art major.
Lauren Fisher and Alisa Hart, both environmental science majors, âThe Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Fresh Produce Distribution in Rockingham County and the City of Harrisonburgâ with Dr. Timothy Kreps, Associate Professor of Biology and Environmental Science. Fisher is a rising senior; Hart is a rising sophomore.
Allie Jansen, a rising senior history and political science major, âAsian American Populations in Baltimore: A Historical Perspectiveâ with Dr. Maria Paz Esguerra, Assistant Professor of History.
Madelyn Judson, a rising junior health & exercise science major, âEffects of Contraceptive Use on Clinical Factors of Sport-Related Concussionâ with Dr. Nicholas Erdman, Assistant Professor of Health & Human Sciences.
Tony Lucy, a rising senior art and game design double major, âPachisi Go!: Making a Video Game Older Than Writingâ with Dr. Sam Hamilton, Associate Professor of English.
Reema Mansour, a rising junior computer science major, âEnhancing Data Structure Visualization: Improving Student and Faculty Understanding of Arrays and Linked Listsâ with Dr. Ahmad Alqurneh, Assistant Professor of Data Science & Analytics.
Bri Morgan, a rising senior psychology major, âBeyond the Label: Power, History, and the Meaning of Brandingâ with Dr. Steve Ingham, Instructor of Communication Studies & Theatre.
Samuel Oduro, a rising junior engineering major, âSumming Power Series with all Terms Powers of x3â with Dr. Verne Leininger, Associate Professor Math & Computer Science.
Kaelyn Ramsey, a rising senior psychology major, âAI-driven Sustainability: Examining Consumer Behavior and Practices in Smart Citiesâ with Dr. Sevinj Iskandarova, Assistant Professor of Business Administration.
Meredith Scheiner, a rising senior professional writing major, âReinventing the New Negro: Albert R. Lee (1874-1948), from Messenger to Chief Clerk, and Posthumously, to First Dean of African American Students at the University of Illinoisâ with Dr. Vanessa Rouillon, Assistant Professor of English.
Kayla Stanley, a rising junior strategic communications major, âMark Henryâs Retirement: Breaking Genres and John Cenaâ with Dr. Steve Ingham, Instructor of Communication Studies & Theatre.
Ruth Tsegaye, a rising junior business administration and economics double major, âCreating A Research Database for an Ongoing Research Project Titled âDeveloping Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Africa: Evidence from Nigerian Community Friday Marketsââ with Dr. Nuraddeen Nuhu, Assistant Professor of Business Administration.
Media Contact:
Heather Cole
Editor & Director of Media Relations
hcole@bridgewater.edu
5/27/25
