MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Nine Middle Tennessee State University undergraduates and one faculty member are participating in prestigious National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates, or REU, grant programs this summer. 

• Elijah Atkins is researching biomedical informatics at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. 

• Lula Baldriche is researching renewable energy generation and storage at the State University of New York at Binghamton in Vestal.

• Isabel Jacober is researching computational neuroscience at the University of Missouri in Columbia.

• Carlos Aldana Lira is researching computer science education at the University of Washington in Seattle.

• Tatyana Martinez is researching the experimental evolution of microbiomes in response to a fungal pathogen at MTSU.

• Brian Matthews is researching cutting-edge heliophysics at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. 

• Jennifer Milad is researching advanced air mobility at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

• Skye Neal is researching experimental and computation spectroscopy at Ohio State University in Columbus.

• Ian Wilson is researching the experimental evolution of microbiomes in response to a fungal pathogen at MTSU.

Donny Walker, MTSU assistant biology professor, is leading the REU researching fungal pathogens and their impact on the ecology and evolution of herptile — reptile and amphibian — microbiomes. 

The REU Sites program is funded by the government to provide research internship opportunities for undergraduates, according to the National Science Foundation website. Each site can host about 10 students who work on a specific research project with host-university faculty and other researchers for around six to 10 weeks. Funding covers stipends for students’ work and will often additionally pay for students’ travel and housing. 

MTSU support unlocks opportunities for students

Elijah Atkins, a computer science major, pursued an REU to beef up his graduate school resume and credited the university’s AMPLIFY Program, a STEM student mentorship program, for helping guide him through the rigorous application process.

“Applying for many REUs was exhaustive and hard,” said the Dickson native. “Dr. Hanna Terletska and my two research mentors, Dr. Wandi Ding and Dr. Donglin Wang, were all particularly helpful in helping me land a spot and encouraging me to apply in the first place.

“The professors in the computer science department and other departments will find opportunities for you to conduct research no matter what year you are! All you have to do is ask. Professors, like Dr. Terletska, (even) create opportunities and programs like AMPLIFY specifically for applying to graduate school and NSF programs.”

Lula Baldriche, an applied physics major with minors in art and environmental science, applied for an REU to gain hands-on research experience that aligned with her passion for renewable energy. 

Carlos Aldana Lira, another computer science major, was interested in an REU because of the invaluable research experience he could gain to bolster a future career in research. 

Lira credited support from faculty Tasha Frick, April Weissmiller and Grant Gardner along with Laura Clippard, coordinator and advisor at the University Honors College, for helping him clinch an REU spot. 

“My thesis mentor Dr. Frick guided me through my research interests and the research process, reviewing my application materials and writing recommendation letters,” said Lira, who calls La Vergne his hometown. “Laura Clippard helped me identify REU sites to apply to and provided extensive feedback on my application materials. Dr. Weissmiller pointed me towards additional REU sites I could apply to, provided feedback on my application materials and wrote recommendation letters, and Dr. Grant Gardner also reviewed my application materials and provided feedback.”

Lira hopes to conclude the placement able to “apply human-computer interaction studies and design science to computer science education and the learning sciences generally.” 

He also pointed to resources such as the Undergraduate Experiential Training Program and Undergraduate Fellowships Office at the Honors College as key for helping MTSU students get involved in research opportunities. 

Faculty leading beyond-the-classroom research experiences

Donny Walker is leading an REU at MTSU, hosting MTSU students Tatyana Martinez and Ian Wilson, researching the experimental evolution of skin microbiomes — a host’s natural and beneficial microorganisms — in response to a fungal pathogen. 

“I am excited to expose two bright undergraduate students to an active research environment,” Walker said. “We will practice experimental design and various microbiological and molecular techniques. A major highlight will be training the REU students to become independent researchers.”

Walker added that exposing this population to firsthand research is essential to developing future scientists. 

Those interested in pursuing placement in a future REU should reach out to the university’s Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at https://mtsu.edu/research/, the Undergraduate Research Center at https://mtsu.edu/urc/ and the Honors College at https://mtsu.edu/honors/. 

— Stephanie Wagner (Stephanie.Wagner@mtsu.edu)