Chemistry

Zakithi Khumalo is a senior majoring in Geology with a minor in Chemistry. Her research explores the distribution of microplastics in freshwater ecosystems across northern New York, examining how surrounding land use influences microplastic concentrations in lakes and rivers. She is particularly interested in understanding how these pollutants move through aquatic environments and enter freshwater food webs through organisms such as clams.

Amelia Nicholas, St. Lawrence Class of 2026, is a biology major and African studies and chemistry minor from Winchester, Massachusetts. On campus, she is captain of the Women's Soccer Team, president of Campus Kitchens, and an EMT for SLU EMS. During the Spring of 2025, she studied abroad in Kenya, where she explored the country, culture, and much more. During her internship abroad, she worked at a community health center in Kibera, Nairobi, where she explored the healthcare system by helping patients in a clinical setting.

Lauren Bier is a Biomedical Science and Psychology double major with a minor in Chemistry at St. Lawrence University, originally from Watertown, NY. She is actively involved on campus as the Vice President of the Advocates, the Risk Manager of Kappa Delta Sigma, the Secretary of the Pre-Health Club, and the Recruitment Chair for Ducks Unlimited. Academically, she maintains a strong GPA while serving as a Chemistry Teaching Assistant, helping other students succeed in challenging coursework.

Peyton Robbins '26 is a SLU student majoring in Conservation Biology and minoring in Art and Art History along with Chemistry. As with the major, Peyton enjoys being outdoors and is fascinated with the various biological studies pertaining to it. He also likes drawing, painting, and isn't afraid of lab work. In the Summer of 2025 he did a research project on the effects of invasive water chestnut (Trapa natans) on on fish, plants, invertebrates, and overall water quality in the Oswegatchie River at Heuvelton, Black Lake, and the St. Lawrence River.

Alice Khalil ’27 is a Neuroscience major and Chemistry minor whose research focuses on carbon dots (CDs), including Carbon Nitride dots and Gamma CDs, for detecting cardiac troponin with molecularly imprinted polymers. Passionate about improving diagnostics, she aims to advance early disease detection using nanomaterials. Her next project focuses on magnetic CDs to enhance biomarker detection sensitivity. As both an EMT and future medical student, Alice aspires to become a neurosurgeon while applying nanomaterial diagnostics to combat cardiovascular disease.

Sara St. Clair, ’26, is a neuroscience major with minors in chemistry and statistics at St. Lawrence University. She is interested in understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms behind neurodegenerative diseases, with a focus on Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Through her fellowship, Sara used the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism to study α-synuclein aggregation and evaluate the potential protective effects of mannitol.

For the 2025 summer, I was awarded a fellowship to continue endocrinology research with the biology faculty. During this time, we carried out a longitudinal study on Xenopus laevis tadpoles to determine if glucocorticoids (stress hormones) could accelerate metamorphosis when combined with (t3) thyroid hormone. Based on previous literature and studies, it has been proven that thyroid hormone is a powerful hormone known to climax at the time of metamorphosis in frogs, but we strive to look at the rate at which metamorphosis occurs.

Andrew Bazuro is a member of the class of 2025 and is at St. Lawrence University pursuing a degree in Biomedical Science with a minor in Chemistry and Statistics. He has worked in several labs in the past and has most recently interned at Yale where he was able to work with an Associate Professor of Medicine. After graduation he hopes to attend graduate school and continue learning so that he can perform statistical analysis and perform biological research in the lab.

My name is Mileena Blazonis but most people call me Em. I am going into my senior year at St. Lawrence university. I am a computer science major with a chemistry minor, although when I started college, I had plans to major in chemistry. When I took my first computer science class in the fall of my sophomore year, that is when I knew that's what I wanted to pursue. Currently my goal is to become a video game designer, but I would be happy working in any part of the CS field. 

Agata Janina Faran, class of 2026, is double-majoring in Neuroscience and Art and Art History with a minor in Chemistry. She is fascinated by the mechanisms behind the functions of the human body, especially the brain. Her specific interests focus on the impacts of the environment on behaviour and brain structure. Agata is a student at the Experimental Analysis of Behaviour Lab led by Prof. Fox, with whom she is planning to conduct her Senior Year Experience project. 
Agata is an international student at St. Lawrence University and a UWC Scholar. 

As an undergraduate mathematics major, I’m passionate about creative problem-solving and devising applications to improve the modern world. Namely, I am interested in mathematical applications to the sciences, which motivated me to pursue a summer research experience in organic chemistry under the mentorship of Dr. Tartakoff. Using my skill set, I designed promising syntheses and ran appropriate analyses to draw valuable insights. 

I am Al P. Logan, and I am a Liberian. I went to UWC East Africa, and those were some of the best years of my life. At SLU, I spend most of my time playing intramural soccer or volleyball and spending time with friends.

Grace Hodges is a senior at St. Lawrence. She is a biomedical science major and a chemistry/francophone studies dual minor from Toronto, Ontario. At SLU she is involved in Chi Omega, Beta Beta Beta, and is a TA for general biology. Following graduation, Grace hopes to attend law school. 

My name is Kanonkela and I am a junior from Chienge, Zambia majoring in Biomedical Sciences, and minoring in Chemistry and Public Health. I have always loved doing research and contributing to the science world, and this made me take up the opportunity when it presented itself. I have continued doing the research into this fall.

Megan Nolan '25 is majoring in Biomedical Science, minoring in Chemistry, and aspires to work in the dental field. She helped assist in procedures performed by a general dentist, a prosthodontist, and a periodontist. In a future internship, she will be working with an orthodontist. After graduation, she plans to apply to dental school and eventually specialize in prosthodontics. 

Talya Scott, ’23, has a major in Neuroscience and minors in Public Health and Chemistry. Her time spent working in a nursing home and interest in medicine led her to pursue a research project testing a potential treatment for Parkinson’s Disease in a C. elegans model. After completing this summer research project, she plans to continue her research as an SYE to further expand her own and the scientific community’s understanding of this disease.

Zican Zhou 21' is a senior student with a major in biology and a minor in chemistry. She has been working in the Metamorphosis Lab since Fall 2019 as a research assistant, a summer fellowship student, and plans to expand this fellowship to her Senior Year Experience during 2020-2021, continuing to investigate the effects of thyroid hormone and cortisol on the amphibian immune system. After graduation from St. Lawrence University, Zican intends to obtain a master's degree in biology, and the skillsets she learned from this fellowship will be a great asset. 

Aseman Bagheri Sheshdeh, class of 2022 majoring in neuroscience and mathematics with a minor in chemistry. Aseman is preparing for pursuit of a career in healthcare involving research. This research is a literature review of the COVID-19 virus with focus on its influence on public health. As such, the research has been of great value and resource which has been a guide for better performance in roles such as community assistant and SLU Emergency Medicine Services Staff.