KYLIE HAMMACK MAJORS: POLITICAL SCIENCE AND ECONOMICS CLASS OF 2025 MENTOR: DR. HOLLEY HANSEN HOMETOWN: BROKEN ARROW, OK HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN RESEARCH? I competed in a high school debate and had some experience working with scholarly level research for my debate cases, but OSU’s Freshman Research Scholar Program was the first time I was an active research participant. After looking at the professor profiles, I met with Dr. Holley Hansen, who would become my research mentor. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING ON? During 2024-25, I looked into the impact of local-level corruption on foreign aid effectiveness in Sub-Saharan Africa. Specifically, I looked at survey results for questions regarding individual experiences and perceptions of corruption. Using this method, I was able to create a local-level measure of corruption for the countries of Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria and Kenya. I used this measure of corruption to investigate whether more corrupt local areas receiving more foreign aid experienced less development. HOW HAS RESEARCH IMPACTED YOU? Working with large datasets and quantitative analysis tools has equipped me with an informed and analytical perspective. Moreover, researching important global phenomena has given me the methodological ability to address complex problems with nuance. While at OSU, I was a finalist for the Truman and Marshall scholarships, which I do not think would have been possible without my involvement in undergraduate research. WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS? This fall, I’m moving to the U.K. to pursue an MPhil in politics and international studies at Cambridge University. I am excited to continue research via my dissertation, and I know the skills I gained as an undergraduate researcher will be incredibly valuable in this next stage of my academic career. IRVING MIGUEL MAJOR: MICROBIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR GENETICS CLASS OF 2025 MENTOR: DR. MARIANNA PATRAUCHAN HOMETOWN: TULSA, OK HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN RESEARCH? Being involved in research and contributing toward discovering new knowledge was a very interesting prospect for me. Eventually, I became aware of incredible opportunities being offered to conduct research through the Beckman Scholars Program and the McNair Scholars Program. I decided to take the chance and apply. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING ON? My research has been focused on the responses of the calcium signaling network in Pseudomonas aeruginosa during host-cell interactions. Specifically, the role of key components of the calcium regulatory and signaling network during invasion of epithelial cells and in survival after uptake by macrophages. I have also had the opportunity to be a research leader in CAS, which involves promoting research to other undergraduates. HOW HAS RESEARCH IMPACTED YOU? The Beckman Scholars Program, the McNair Scholars Program and conducting research under the guidance of my mentor have contributed toward some of the major decisions I’ve made for my future. Being part of a research project has provided me with the technical skills to succeed in a laboratory setting and allowed me to narrow down the topics I’m most interested in studying, thereby making it easier to plan my future. WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS? I graduated in May and continued to conduct research in Dr. Patrauchan’s lab over the summer. I’ll now present my research at the Beckman Symposium in Irvine, California. Ultimately, I intend to obtain a medical degree and practice medicine as a physician. OSU COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES 17
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