Emily Gerstein is a senior Material Science and Engineering student working with Dr. Hugo Lopez on the development of mathematical models capable of predicting rapid solidification phenomena in Co-Cr alloys for biomedical implants. These models will aid in elucidating the effects of cooling on the resulting microstructure and segregation of alloying elements in the hopes of decreasing the effects of wear and corrosion while in the human body. In advancing her knowledge of metallurgy, Emily also presently interns with MetalTek International, and hopes to pursue higher education in Metallurgical Engineering. Email: gerstein@uwm.edu.
Jessye Hale started at UWM in 2013 while concurrently attending high school through the Youth Options program. In the summer of 2015, she began research in a Neurobiology lab on campus with mentors Dr. Moyer and Erin Adams with support from the UR@UWM program. Soon after, she received her first SURF award to continue her work in the fall, studying the neuroprotective effects of apoaeqorin in the case of ischemic stroke. After declaring a biology degree with an emphasis on cell and molecular biology, Jessye began working with Dr. Steeber and his research team in his immunology-focused lab. The Steeber lab was testing novel compounds that fall into a class of up and coming cancer treatment drugs called HDAC inhibitors. The Office of Undergraduate Research provided SURF funding for this project beginning in the summer of 2016. Currently, Jessye is still working in the Steeber lab, focusing on the study of myeloid derived suppressor cells in 4T1 breast cancer tumors. Jessye has also been working for over two years with the Animal Care Program which handles all research having to do with vertebrates. This includes the review of scientific protocols necessary for research and development. She works as a climbing instructor at Adventure Rock and has completed her curriculum through the Honors College with distinction in research. She is also president of Climbing Club at UWM and is involved in many student orgs on campus such as Conservation Club and Strategic Gaming Club. Email: jjhale@uwm.edu.
Nisrit Pandey is a senior in Materials Science and Engineering working with Dr. Benjamin Church on the evaluation of coking resistance of centrifugal cast alumina forming stainless steels. He has worked in Dr. Church’s lab since 2014, conducting various projects on lithium and lead acid batteries. This led to a summer-long research internship at Technische Universität- Ilmenau in Germany as well as an a summer internship at Johnson Controls. After graduation, Nisrit hopes to pursue a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering focusing on energy materials and energy-efficient manufacturing processes. Email: pandeyn@uwm.edu.
Brandon Patterson is a senior majoring in Biochemistry and currently works for the Drug Discovery Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee under Dr. Nicholas Silvaggi. Their work focuses on elucidating the structural and mechanistic properties of enzymes and their active sites. One of his projects is focused on characterizing and mutating an enzyme involved in a biosynthetic pathway that produces a major component of an antibiotic that demonstrates anti-MRSA activity. He has worked in Dr. Silvaggi’s laboratory since the winter of 2016 and plans to continue his work there until graduation. He began his research experience in the Chemistry Department at UWM in Dr. Arsenio Pacheco’s inorganic chemistry laboratory in the summer of 2015. While there he studied and mutated a c-heme protein involved in nitrogen fixing bacteria. In the future he plans to pursue his PhD in Biophysical Chemistry. Email: patte268@uwm.edu.
Kirill Shmilovich is a senior Physics and Mathematics double major working in Dr. Ionel Popa’s Laboratory for Advanced Biopolymers and Nanomechanics of Proteins in the Department of Physics. His work focuses on reconciling the molecular character of protein hydrogels with their mechanical properties through experiments and computer simulations. Kirill is the recipient of UWM’s Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Biology and Mathematics and has interned at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Dr. Alexander Katz’s Laboratory for Theoretical Soft Materials. Kirill has presented his work at seven conferences around the nation and maintains a personal science blog (Kirills.com) where he communicates his passion for science through educational content. As a professional, Kirill aspires to use computational and mathematical tools to model and simulate biological and physical systems—providing a telescope to investigate elusive nanoscale phenomena. Email: shmilov2@uwm.edu.