LAS undergraduate students propel research projects forward

Understanding how cells sense and respond to mechanical stress while dividing. Investigating the material inefficiencies that significantly reduce the performance of quantum computing systems. Studying unexpected periods of inactivity in the Atlantic Ocean during hurricane season to better understand why tropical storms sometimes fail to develop during the busiest time of the year.

This is just a sampling of the groundbreaking research that 25 College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) undergraduate students conducted alongside Iowa State faculty mentors during spring semester 2026. The students were compensated for their work thanks to the LAS Dean’s High Impact Award for Undergraduate Research.

Following is a more in-depth look at some of the students’ research projects. A list of all spring semester 2026 recipients appears at the end of this article.

Connor Fundell (‘27 physics, applied mathematics)
Mentored by Peng Xu, assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry

The forces that hold molecules together are invisible but understanding them is essential to explaining how matter behaves.

Connor Fundell (‘27 physics, applied mathematics) spent the semester studying dispersion interactions and how weak forces between molecules influence properties such as boiling point, viscosity and whether a substance exists as a solid, liquid, or gas. His research focused on developing a more accurate mathematical model of these interactions, work that could improve scientists’ understanding of molecular behavior.

Rather than conducting experiments in a laboratory, Fundell’s work centered on theory. He and his faculty mentor, Peng Xu, assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry, analyzed decades of scientific literature, explored advanced quantum mechanics, and worked through complex mathematical derivations to better describe how molecules interact.

“This was my first opportunity to work on a purely theoretical research project,” Fundell said. “It gave me a glimpse into the type of research I hope to pursue in graduate school and eventually as a career.”

The project also gave Fundell more independence than previous research experiences. Instead of following an established plan, he helped guide the direction of the research by identifying resources, developing ideas, and solving problems alongside his mentor.

“This experience taught me how to think more independently as a researcher,” he said. “Learning how to generate new ideas and work through difficult problems has been one of the most valuable parts of the project.”

Fundell will continue the research this summer, with plans to implement the team’s findings computationally and eventually submit the work for publication. He also presented the project at the Midwest Theoretical Chemistry Confrence.

After graduating, Fundell plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career as a research professor, continuing to explore the theoretical questions that help explain the physical world.

Yingjia (Nina) Huang (’29 biology)
Mentored by Mohan Gupta, associate professor in the Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology

In her first year at Iowa State, Yingjia (Nina) Huang (’29 biology) quickly learned how to use a Nobel Prize-winning gene-editing technique she had only seen in textbooks.

“The coolest part of my project was getting hands-on experience with CRISPR-Cas9, a powerful tool for creating precise mutations in yeast,” she said. “Applying it in real experiments was incredibly exciting.”

Working alongside her faculty mentor Mohan Gupta, associate professor of genetics, development, and cell biology, Huang tested how cells sense and respond to mechanical stress while dividing. To get more technical, she studied whether specific phosphorylation sites on a protein called Ulp2 help control the metaphase checkpoint during cell division, especially when the spindle is pulling on chromosomes.

“Understanding this process may help explain how cells maintain accurate chromosome segregation during cell division, advancing our knowledge of fundamental cellular mechanisms,” Huang said.

Huang’s research built on work she had done during the previous semester. Her experience helped her become proficient in more techniques, such as PCR, cloning, Sanger sequencing, and fluorescence imaging, all skills that will be expected for her future graduate studies.

Huang said Gupta helped her learn everything from basic lab skills to reading scientific literature. Most importantly, she learned how to “think like a scientist.”

“Beyond technical proficiency, I gained a deeper appreciation for the logic of scientific inquiry,” she said. “Through data collection and analysis, I learned that research is not an occasional effort or a matter of luck. It requires replicable evidence, careful controls, and conclusions supported by repeated verification.”

Huang put that mindset into practice during a point when she encountered unexpected results in her project.

“Working through this difficulty strengthened my scientific reasoning and taught me to approach results with both rigor and responsibility,” she said. “These experiences not only improved my technical abilities but also shaped the way I think as a scientist. They continue to guide me toward becoming a more careful, analytical, and accountable researcher.”

Following graduation, Huang plans to pursue a research career, with a long-term goal to lead her own projects and make meaningful scientific contributions.

Noah Reich (’26 physics)
Mentored by Jigang Wang, professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy

Sometimes the greatest advancements in science stem from what we get wrong, not from what we get right.

Last spring, Noah Reich (’26 physics) experienced the profound impact incorrect information can have on a research project while working with Professor Jigang Wang in the physics and astronomy department.

For his research, Reich used metal nanotips – extremely sharp, needle-like structures – to investigate the material inefficiencies that significantly reduce the performance of quantum computing systems.

“During the semester, I spent time simulating different tip shapes to understand how different geometrical tip shapes and features affect the scattered signal,” he said. “Once the tip response of the specific shape being used is well understood, the experimentalists can better investigate the actual sample response, which will eventually lead to a better understanding of the inefficiencies of quantum computing systems.”

While digging deep into published papers and textbooks on how to best approach his research, Reich uncovered an error in previously reported analytical results, which significantly changed some data points and revealed a new nanotip behavior that had been hypothesized in the past, but never observed.

Reich approached the mistake with joy, not frustration.

“It wasn’t frustrating at all! The mistakes made beforehand were simple, such as a simple sign change in a mathematical formula, yet they had a dramatic effect on the results,” he said. “It showed me that everyone makes mistakes, even highly experienced and intelligent members of the field. It was extremely exciting to uncover the error, which led to results much closer to our predictions.”

Reich admits he made errors during his research project last semester, too. But he embraces those mistakes as learning opportunities.

“Even though I learned a lot about different simulation or analytical techniques, the most important thing this experience has taught me is the value of being wrong,” Reich said. “As a surprise to no one, I was wrong a lot. However, every time I was wrong, I learned a new skill in critical thinking, and I could feel the way I approach problems change. This has shown me the insane attention to detail this field requires.”

Following graduation from Iowa State, Reich intends to pursue a Ph.D. in condensed matter physics.

Akshat Valse (’28 data science)
Mentored by Ruoyu Wu, associate professor in the Department of Mathematics

During a timeout at Hilton Coliseum, you decide to make a trip to the concession stand. So does everyone else. You don’t want to miss the Cyclones on court, so you’re quickly searching for the shortest line. In doing so, you’ve just encountered the basic mathematical problems at the heart of Akshat Valse’s (’28 data science) undergraduate research.

“When you pick up the shortest checkout line at a store, or when a website routes your request to whichever server is least busy, that’s a load-balancing strategy called ‘join the shortest queue,’” Valse said. “My research uses probability theory to study how such systems behave in rare, extreme situations, like the small but important chance that many lines get overwhelmed at once, and to characterize the most likely way those unusual events happen.”

Valse said understanding these rare events can help engineers design more reliable systems, whether at servers or theme park rides, that can absorb unexpected surges.

“The most fascinating part has been seeing how a seemingly chaotic, random system has a hidden structure governing its rare events,” he said. “There’s often a single ‘most likely’ way for something improbable to happen, and the mathematics lets you pin it down precisely. Turning that intuition from an introductory course into rigorous proofs and numerical simulations has been deeply rewarding.”

With support from his LAS Dean’s Undergraduate Research Award, Valse worked with his faculty mentor Ruoyu Wu, associate professor of mathematics, on rare-event simulation for large-scale load-balancing systems. Valse learned new technical and professional skills, bringing together areas of study such as probability theory, large deviations, stochastic simulation, and high-performance computing into a single project. It’s work that could help improve how we estimate rare risks in high-performance computer and cloud-service systems.

The project also gave Valse confidence in reading advanced research, making technical decisions, communicating progress, and presenting complex ideas clearly.

“Working with Dr. Ruoyu Wu has been one of the highlights of my time at Iowa State,” Valse said. “He treats undergraduates as genuine research collaborators, gives me room to wrestle with hard problems on my own, and then sharpens my thinking with precise, generous feedback. I’ve learned an enormous amount about how careful mathematical research actually gets done. Over time I have also learned the importance of agents in modern mathematical research in both this and my other research positions.”

Valse plans to pursue a Ph.D. and a research career where he can study the intersection of probability and machine learning. He hopes to build rigorous mathematical foundations for the systems and algorithms that are central to today’s technology.

Bryce Vining (‘27 meteorology)
Mentored by Robert Nystrom, assistant professor in the Department of the Earth, Atmosphere, and Climate

Most hurricanes form during the Atlantic’s peak hurricane season in August and September. But every so often, the tropics go quiet.

Bryce Vining (‘27 meteorology) spent the semester studying these unexpected periods of inactivity, known as “lulls,” to better understand why tropical storms sometimes fail to develop during the busiest time of the year.

Using historical hurricane records and atmospheric datasets from 1980 to 2024, Vining examined how factors such as humidity, sea surface temperatures, wind patterns, and atmospheric rotation influence lull length. His research found that only about one quarter of hurricane seasons experience a lull lasting at least 10 days. One of the most notable findings was that years with longer lulls tend to have unusually high moisture levels over northern Africa, suggesting a connection to the West African monsoon.

“Understanding why these quiet periods happen can help researchers better understand the environments that influence hurricane formation,” Vining said. “That knowledge could eventually contribute to improving hurricane forecasts and giving communities more time to prepare.”

Beyond the research itself, Vining said the experience strengthened his skills in data analysis, scientific communication, and balancing a major research project alongside a full course load and leadership responsibilities.

Working closely with faculty mentor Robert Nystrom, assistant professor in the Department of the Earth, Atmosphere, and Climate, also gave him valuable insight into the research process.

“Dr. Nystrom encouraged me to think critically about my results while also giving me the independence to investigate my own questions,” Vining said. “The experience confirmed that research is something I was to continue pursuing.”

After graduation, Vining hopes to become a meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, where he plans to continue studying tropical weather meteorology and improving forecasting methods that help protect lives and communities.

Remaining spring 2026 LAS Dean’s High Impact Award for Undergraduate Research recipients:

Ishita Bhattacharyya (’28 computer science)
Mentored by Claus Kadelka, associate professor in the Department of Mathematics

Audrey Boswell (’27 biology)
Mentored by Mohan Gupta, associate professor in the Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology

Emily Butera (’27 psychology)
Mentored by Kevin Blankenship, associate professor in the Department of Psychology

Ziyue Chen (’26 mathematics)
Mentored by Jue Yan, associate professor in the Department of Mathematics

Seth Connolly (’27 biology)
Mentored by Kristen Johansen, professor in the Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology

Deesha Deshmukh (’28 computer science)
Mentored by Wallapak Tavanapong, Kingland Systems Professor in Data Analytics or Cognitive Machine Learning in the Department of Computer Science

Duy Doan (’26 mathematics)
Mentored by Yuan Zhang, assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry

Stephanie Gray (’28 anthropology and biology)
Mentored by Matthew Hill, associate professor in the Department of World Languages and Cultures

Leticia Herrera (’27 biochemistry)
Mentored by Mohan Gupta, associate professor in the Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology

Graham Hilligoss (’27 psychology)
Mentored by Christian Meissner, professor in the Department of Psychology

Jordan Howell (’26 meteorology)
Mentored by Robert Nystrom, assistant professor in the Department of the Earth, Atmosphere, and Climate

Miranda Jackson (’28 biochemistry)
Mentored by Joshua Beck, associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences

Naomi Johnson (’27 genetics)
Mentored by Sudhir Kumar, assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences

Caden Klopfenstein (’27 bioinformatics)
Mentored by Claus Kadelka, associate professor in the Department of Mathematics

Sydney McIntosh (’27 psychology)
Mentored by Han Na Lee, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology

Daniel Musel (’26 climate science)
Mentored by Elizabeth Swanner, professor in the Department of the Earth, Atmosphere, and Climate

Kylie Ridgway (’26 biochemistry)
Mentored by Kristen Johansen, professor in the Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology

Ashley Stevens (’28 anthropology)
Mentored by Andrew Somerville, associate professor in the Department of World Languages and Cultures

Megan Uehlein (’28 biochemistry)
Mentored by Eric Underbakke, associate professor in the Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology

Jessica Warner (’27 chemistry)
Mentored by Kirill Kovnir, professor in the Department of Chemistry