The Honors College at Auburn University is beyond proud of the work our students are able to accomplish through undergraduate research. This is an opportunity for students to explore their passions, develop new ideas, and incorporate critical thinking in their lives.

With the guidance of an advising professor, students are able to gain hands-on experience in their particular field. Given the type of research, this could be in the lab, out in nature, or in the archives of the library. Honing these skills help the student not only in the classroom, but after graduation as well. 

Our Honors College students participate in undergraduate research in a variety of disciplines from history and English to engineering, science, and other STEM fields.

We welcome you to meet a few of our past and present undergraduate researchers in the Honors College. 

Honors College Undergraduate Research Participants

A 2019 Honors College graduate, Cassie Bebout (Molecular Biology) from Denton, North Carolina, analyzed the effects of a rare neurodegenerative disorder to find a disease-halting therapy. Cassie’s personal connection to this research fueled her decision to come to Auburn and join the Honors College.

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Research Project:

She worked in a laboratory that analyzed the efficacy of adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector gene therapy in a cat colony that breeds GM1 gangliosidosis, a rare neurodegenerative disorder that is fatal. The cat model accurately represents human disease progression.

Advising Professor:

Dr. Douglas Martin, PhD; College of Veterinary Medicine at Scott-Richey Research Center

Undergraduate Research:

In GM1 gangliosidosis, a gene called GLB1 is mutated, causing a deficiency or total absence of the enzyme it codes for (beta-galactosidase). As a result, there is an accumulation of beta-galactosidase (a large molecule) in the brain, causing neurodegeneration and ultimately death. Our research is using a viral vector (that cannot infect the host or patient) that acts as a carrier for the “corrected” GLB1 gene that we make in the laboratory. This virus can then cross the blood-brain barrier and be delivered throughout the body, replacing the “bad” copy of the gene and restoring beta-galactosidase activity. The cats that have been treated with this gene therapy have lived exponentially longer than their untreated counterparts, suggesting that this therapy will be able to halt disease progression in humans.

Why Honors?

I joined the Honors College because of the extra academic resources provided, and the challenge proffered by being an Honors student. My fellow Honors College students are dedicated to their studies and always eager to learn more, and I loved the environment created by being around such enthusiastic students.

Why Auburn?

I honestly chose Auburn to pursue the research I am currently conducting. After losing my older brother to GM1 gangliosidosis when I was six years old, I knew that I would spend my life trying to eradicate this horrible disease. Mr. Martin (my PI) is one of the world’s foremost experts on this disease and I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to not only contribute to his research, but also attend the most beautiful and amazing college in the country!!

Alzheimer’s disease affects many people across the world. A 2020 Honors College graduate, Drew Bonner (Molecular Biology) , monitored cellular pathways in order to observe how these cellular pathways are affected by diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.

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Research Project:

Development of pH-Dependent Probes that Monitor Cellular Pathways that may be affected by Alzheimer’s Disease

Advising Professor:

Douglas Martin at the Veterinary School (Scott-Ritchey Research Center)

Undergraduate Research:

I helped to develop ways to monitor different systems in the cell that may be affected by diseases like Alzheimer’s disease. This mainly involves creating a protein that can localize to membranes of different organelles in the cell, and also giving the protein the ability to fluoresce at varying levels based on the pH of the different cellular environments. The level of fluorescence of these probes can be tracked to monitor whether the different cellular environments have been affected by harmful materials that are introduced to the cell because of Alzheimer’s disease.

Why Honors?

I chose to join the Honors College because of the challenges and advantages that it provides to students during their time at Auburn. I enjoyed my honors classes, and I really appreciated the small class sizes and attention that you receive from a professor in these classes. I also greatly appreciated the access to helpful advisors and the prestigious scholarship office as these staff members have been very helpful during my time at Auburn.

Why Auburn?

Both of my older sisters went to Auburn, so as I was growing up, I would come to Auburn to visit them. During those visits and from what I heard from my sisters, I began to really appreciate what Auburn had to offer for students. I felt that Auburn provides great opportunities for students to pursue career goals in almost any field, and it provides great opportunities to develop great friendships during your time here. Auburn sports were also a great selling point.

Tina Huang (Chemical Engineering), an 2020 Honors College graduate, spent her summer in the lab learning the finer points of research. Due to her hard work, she was assigned a research project that will impact our everyday lives – roadways.

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Research Project:

 Improving the quality of asphalt through polymers.

Advising Professor:

Dr. Bryan Beckingham, Chemical Engineering

Undergraduate Research:

With the ever increasing numbers of vehicles on the road, there is a need to create a polymer-modified asphalt that is more resistant to cracking and rutting in comparison to just asphalt. My research is focuses on improving the quality of asphalt by taking a specific polymer and modifying the polymer using click chemistry. After the modified polymer is successfully made, it will be characterized, and then tested at the National Center of Asphalt Technology which is located in Auburn, AL.

Why Honors?

I chose to join the Honors College to be challenged academically and to be surrounded by like-minded peers. I was attracted by both the social and academic opportunities the Honors College provided. I felt like I had a better chance of success at Auburn by choosing to join the Honors College.

Why Auburn?

The Auburn family really attracted me to Auburn. When I visited Auburn, I met people that were kind, open, and always willing to help out a lost visitor. Auburn was the warm and welcoming college town, full of traditions, that I was looking for. I was excited to experience Saturday game days and be challenged by a nationally ranked engineering school.

Kevin Weiss (Chemistry), a 2018 Honors College graduate was an athlete. When he was not on the track, Kevin could be found in the chemistry lab exploring ways to quickly detect and bind uranium or other radioactive and toxic heavy metals in drinking water after a nuclear contamination event.

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Research Title:

Exploring thorium, uranium, and lanthanide fluorescence in Schiff base sandwich complexes

Advising Professor:

Dr. Anne Gorden within the chemistry & biochemistry department in the College of Sciences and Mathematics

Undergraduate Research:

Although nuclear power is extremely efficient, generates no harmful greenhouse gasses, and uses no fossil fuels, the increased use of nuclear power for civilian energy has been met with much skepticism. This is largely due to fears of radioactivity and contamination as a result of nuclear waste or a disaster related event such as a dirty bomb or power plant accident. Radioactivity cannot be easily detected, and cannot be seen, tasted, smelled, or felt. Most modern detection methods require the use of technical machinery or training, and would not be feasible or time effective to use in disaster situation.

My previous research has tried to develop new strategies to remedy this problem. Along with PhD candidate Emily Hardy, I have worked to develop molecules that will be able to detect and bind Uuranium or other radioactive and toxic heavy metals in a nuclear contamination event. The end goal is that a small amount of powder can simply be stirred into a sample of drinking water, and within seconds it will be possible to determine if the water is contaminated or not by simply watching the color change of the mixture. Some of the challenges associated with this project include the fact that many dissolved metals have similar properties, whether they are toxic and radioactive, or not. Making the molecule sensitive to the presence of uranium and not iron, for example, is central in creating a dependable sensor. Another important quality of an effective sensor is the ability for the sensor to indicate extremely low concentrations of hazardous materials, as extremely small amounts can still be harmful to humans. By tweaking, synthesizing, testing, and analyzing (then repeating this process many times) the sensor molecule has been greatly improved.

Why Honors?

I chose to join the honors college because the smaller class sizes, ability to take graduate level classes, and the emphasis on research all appealed to me.

Why Auburn?

I chose to come to Auburn because I was recruited to be part of the Track team.  After taking my official visits to Auburn and 4 other D1 programs, I was drawn to Auburn because of the academic resources, scholarship, coach, and overall feel of the university.

Staphylococcus aureu, or more commonly known as a staph infection, is a highly contagious skin infection that is typically transferred from person-to-person. 2019 Honors College graduate, Madison Schoeberl investigated some interesting ways of tracking the bacteria. Madison used her undergraduate research experience towards her Honors College Senior-Year Experience, and received her University Honors Scholar designation at graduation.

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Research Title:

 Tracking Staphylococcus aureus infections in vivo

Advising Professor:

Dr. Panizzi in the Department of Drug Discovery and Development of the Auburn University Harrison School of Pharmacy

Undergraduate Research:

The purpose of this project is to track Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infections [staph infections] in a living organism over time. We choose a bioluminescent strain of S. aureus called Xen-36 to use. To determine whether this strain can be tracked in a mammalian model, we injected the pathogen retro-orbitally [that is behind the orbit of the eye] at a sublethal dose into mice. The distribution and kinetics of the infection are analyzed using the In Vivo [taking place in a living organism] Imaging System (IVIS) Lumina XRMS maintained in the Auburn Laboratory for Imaging Animal Systems. Collectively, the study closes the current gaps that exist in the understanding of the best ways to track S. aureus in a host. This is relevant considering the growing threat of methicillin [antibiotic used to treat staph infections] resistant S. aureus infections in hospitals.

Why Honors?

I chose the Honors College because I wanted the opportunity to work with some of the best advisors on campus. I also have really enjoyed all the Honors participation courses especially Dr. Thomas’ Caribbean book club. I feel that they have given me a more well rounded education and allowed me to meet many students who are not in my major.

Why Auburn?

Being from Texas, I really had no idea what Auburn was before I had come to visit. When I was a senior, I visited campus and I toured Dr. Panizzi’s lab. I fell in love with the small town, family feel but also with Auburn’s dedication to research. Even before I came I knew I really wanted to be involved in a project as an undergraduate, so that is what really drew me to Auburn.

The infamous West Nile Fever Virus continues to make headlines worldwide. 2019 Honors College and AU Marching graduate, Emma Hale, hoped to understand the virus better through her undergraduate research. Her work with mouse lemurs from Madagascar provided insight to possible source of human outbreaks of the disease. Emma will used her undergraduate research experience to write her Honors College thesis, and received her University Honors Scholar designation.

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Research Title:

Quantifying the prevalence of the West Nile, Rift Valley Fever, and Dengue Fever Viruses across Mouse Lemurs Populations from Madagascar

Advising Professor:

Dr. Tonia Schwartz, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Sciences and Mathematics

Undergraduate Research:

Wildlife, non-human primates in particular, can serve as reservoirs for arboviruses that can be transferred to humans via mosquitoes. Spillover of pathogens from wildlife to humans is correlated with habitat degradation. West Nile Fever Virus, Rift Valley Fever Virus, and Dengue Fever Virus have all been identified in humans in Madagascar, where deforestation has been extensive. Mouse lemurs (Microcebus spp.) are primates endemic to Madagascar that may be reservoirs for these viruses although this has not yet been investigated. With this study we aim to (1) develop a method to detect all three of these viruses from a small amount of blood dried on TropBio^™ cards that can be used in the field; (2) use this method to quantify the prevalence of these viruses in mouse lemurs of Madagascar; and (3) test if there is a correlation between the presence of these viruses in lemurs and habitat degradation.

Detection of these viruses in mouse lemurs could provide insight to the possible source of human outbreaks of these diseases. Furthermore, if found, a correlation between habitat fragmentation and virus presence can show the effect of habitat degradation on virus presence in endemic species.

Why Honors?

I was attracted to the Honors College here because of the small class sizes, personal advising, and opportunities to expand my education. I have had the best experiences getting to know students in the honors classes I have taken. I am most grateful for my chances to further my research through the Honors College and I am very excited to start on my Honors thesis in the fall.

Why Auburn?

Auburn was not originally on my college radar, however after some nudging from a friend I decided to visit. After speaking with a successful upperclassman from my hometown and exploring the campus and town I fell in love. I immediately knew that the opportunities and experiences that Auburn could give me meant that this is where I was meant to be. Everyday I am reminded that I made the correct choice!

A 2018 Honors College graduate, Elise Mann (Biomedical Sciences and Nutrition Sciences), investigated the timeline of chemicals in the body during DOMS [Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness]. DOMS often occurs after strenuous and unaccustomed exercise, something we have all felt before. Elise used her undergraduate research experience to write her Honors College thesis.

Research Title:

The Time Course of Interleukin-6 (IL-6), dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV), and CD26+ T-cells in Response to Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)

Advising Professor:

Dr. Heidi Kluess in the School of Kinesiology

Undergraduate Research:

DOMS [Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness] often occurs after strenuous and unaccustomed exercise and results in the release of many chemicals such as potassium, histamines, and cytokines such as IL-6. It is known that IL-6 significantly increases in response to DOMS, but IL-6 quickly returns to baseline around 24 hours post DOMS. The mechanism for this return to baseline is unknown, but it can be reasoned that DPP-IV is responsible. DPP-IV is a serine protease that is present in the plasma or as a translocatable enzyme on T-cells (CD26+ T-cells). DPP-IV cleaves and inactivates IL-6 and our recent study found that as IL-6 returns to baseline after DOMS is induced, DPP-IV significantly increases. These results support our theory that DPP-IV is responsible for altering the time course of IL-6 after DOMS.

Exercising can cause you to become sore and sometimes results in myofibril tearing, which can elicit an immune response. Part of this immune response is an increase in IL-6, which is a pro-inflammatory cytokine. After DOMS (which is exercising that results in soreness), IL-6 is known to increase immediately, but then quickly return to baseline. Since IL-6 is a substrate for DPP-IV, we reasoned that DPP-IV is the responsible mechanism for this return to baseline. Our recent research study support this theory because as IL-6 declines, DPP-IV activity increases in DOMS induced patients.

Why Honors?

I wanted to enroll in Honors College courses because the class sizes were smaller and the professors seemed more engaged. I felt like I would be pushed harder academically if I was in the Honors College. I also wanted to take advantage of honors academic advising. It’s been extremely helpful to have an advisor who knows me and is engaged with my Auburn academic experience.

Why Auburn?

Most of my family went to Auburn, so I’ve grown up coming to Auburn football games and spending time on Auburn’s campus. I loved it growing up and couldn’t imagine going anywhere else.

A 2018 Honors College graduate, Jonathan Dismukes (Biomedical Sciences with a pre-med concentration), is a third-generation Auburn student. His research investigated the mechanisms of canine breast cancer in order to enhance human health and well-being.

Research Title:

Expression of the INK4AB/ARF Tumor Suppressor Transcription Factor MSK1 in Canine Breast Cancer

Advising Professor:

R. Curtis Bird, Ph.D., Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathobiology

Undergraduate Research:

This translational research investigates canine breast cancer in order to inform us about the mechanism of the disease in humans. We are hoping to find the specific genetic mutations that allow cancer to escape the cell’s regulation of the cell cycle causing out-of-control cell proliferation. If we find the precise location of these mutations, we could then target therapy to correct the broken mechanism.

Why Honors?

I joined the Honors College because it allows students to supplement their traditional college education with smaller class sizes, volunteer opportunities such as K(no)w Poverty? Week of Service, and unique classes like the Book Club, Lyceum, Forum. Looking back, I have gained friends, mentors, and vital life experiences due to my involvement with the Honors College that I couldn’t have gained otherwise.

Why Auburn?

Auburn offered not only a welcoming atmosphere, but an opportunity for me to pursue a great education while also being involved in various organizations that would give me the professional development needed prior to medical school and my career. Despite attending football games growing up and being a third-generation Auburn student, Auburn still allowed for a unique experience and an ability to carve my own path. My choice to come to Auburn was one that I do not regret and one that actually exceeded my expectations.

A 2018 Honors College graduate, Gabby Gilmer (Chemical Engineering), was one of our first Honors College undergraduate research spotlights. She evaluated the relationship risk factors for ACL injuries, in part due to tearing her own ACL while playing on the soccer pitch. Gabby used her experiences in research to write her Honors thesis. 

Research Title:

Evaluation of the relationship between hormonal, biomechanical, and neuromuscular risk factors for anterior cruciate ligament injury 

Advising Professor:

Dr. Gretchen Oliver, Department of Kinesiology 

Undergraduate Research:

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the ligaments in the knee that is key to stabilizing it. Approximately 10% of female athletes tear their ACL, and females are 2-9 times more likely to tear their ACL then males.

Over the past 20 years, research has focused on creating clinical tests and injury prevention programs to help identify and prevent injury in at risks athletes. However, even though these programs are widely implemented, the ACL injury rates remain high in female athletes. This has led researchers to believe that perhaps these identifiable risk factors are not independent of each other.

So, my research sought out to identify the relationship between these risk factors. My results showed that biomechanical, neuromuscular, and hormonal risk factors are not independent of each other, meaning when creating injury prevention programs and clinical tests, a more holistic approach is needed to determine how at risk an athlete is and how to treat them. 

Why Honors?

As a freshman, I liked the idea of having smaller classes, and I was told by an upperclassman that Honors professors tend to care more about student learning then regular professors. I chose to stay in the Honors College because I learned to love the classes I was taken and the opportunities presented for me. Even though I wasn’t selected for the Goldwater nomination, I enjoyed that process, and my Honors thesis has honestly been my favorite part about Auburn.

Why Auburn?

I would say Auburn chose me. I played soccer throughout high school and signed to play at Emory my senior year. Three days after signing, I tore my ACL for the third time (hence why I do the research that I do), and my doctor highly advised I discontinue playing soccer. I only had an athletic scholarship to Emory, but I had a full academic scholarship to Auburn, so I chose to preserve my knees as best I could and come to Auburn. 

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