The Magellan Scholar Program was created by USC to enrich the academic experience of our undergraduates through research opportunities in all disciplines from science, technology, and medicine, to theatre, music, and art. By providing access to faculty mentoring relationships and a professional research experience, the program enables students to creatively explore their interests at a more in-depth level than can be attained in the classroom. Each Magellan Scholar receives up to $2,500 to help fund the research project, competing for this award with the submission of a research, scholarship, or creative project proposal developed in collaboration with the Scholar’s faculty mentor.

Congrats to ou undergraduate researchers who were were announced as Magellan Scholar Award winners:

• Meredith Bhend will conduct research on "Remediating Ing4 Tumor Suppressor Deficiency Using a Zebrafish Model" with Dr. Katie Kathrein.
• Rene Chinery will be "Characterizing Zfp326 in Peromyscus maniculatus Neural Crest Cells" under the mentorship of Dr. Shannon Davis.
• Allison Fletcher will conduct research on "Determining Historical Wing Coloration and Pattern Changes in Apantesis vittata" with Dr. Eric LoPresti.
• Josephine Gardiner will analyze the "Localization of Ribosomes and Nascent B-actin at Focal Adhesions in Down Syndrome" under the supervision of Dr. Kristy Welshhans.
• Riya Machimada will study the "Effect of Non-Muscle Myosin II Inhibition on Axon Growth through Disassembly of Stress Granules" under the mentorship of Drs. Jeff Twiss and Lauren Vaughn.
• Luke Stasikelis will conduct research aimed at "Understanding How Long-Chain Fatty Acids Influence The Virulence Of Adherent-Invasive Escherichia coli" with Dr. Melissa Ellermann.
• Hildegard Tollefsen will study the "Age-dependent effects of pathogen exposure and infection in a fungal pathogen" under the guidance of Dr. Tad Dallas and Lauren Holian.
• Trinh Van will study the "Progerin-Induced Alterations in DNA End-Joining: Implications for Genomic Stability and Aging" under the supervision of Dr. Alan Waldman.
• Sophia Vrh will study "The Effects of Ionizing Radiation and Environmental Covariates on Wild Boars (Sus scrofa) Surrounding the Fukushima-Daiichi and Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plants" with Dr. Tim Mousseau.