{"id":1234,"date":"2024-07-11T18:55:46","date_gmt":"2024-07-11T18:55:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/live-usc-dornsife.pantheonsite.io\/wrigley\/?page_id=1234"},"modified":"2026-02-02T18:09:02","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T18:09:02","slug":"past-research-interns-and-projects","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/education\/undergraduate-internships\/summer-research-internships\/past-research-interns-and-projects\/","title":{"rendered":"Past Research Interns and Projects"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n          \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--accordions \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--accordions\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      <div class=\"header-container\">\n\n      \n                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p>See below for lists of previous REU and Zinsmeyer research interns, mentors, and projects. Unless otherwise noted, mentors are USC faculty or graduate students.<\/p>\n<section class=\"body-content body-content--accent-none \">\n<div class=\"body-content__container\">\n<div class=\"body-content__wysiwyg\">\n<p><i>This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1852220. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n      \n                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--link\">\n\n    \n    \n  \n<a \n  class=\"link\"\n  href= \/wrigley\/education\/undergraduate-internships\/summer-research-internships\/\n    aria-label=\"Read more about Return to main research internship page\"  \n>\n    Return to main research internship page \n  <svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 35 35\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 35 35\" width=\"25\" height=\"25\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><polygon fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" fill=\"#000\" points=\"19.3,27.5 29.3,17.5,19.3,7.5 16.3,10.4 21.4,15.4 6.7,15.4 6.7,19.6 21.4,19.6 16.3,24.6 \"\/><\/svg>\n<\/a>\n\n\n<\/div>\n      \n    <\/div>\n  \n      <ul>\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-1-SQGWJ1PuY1\" aria-controls=\"section-1-1-SQGWJ1PuY1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">2025<\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-1-SQGWJ1PuY1\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-1-SQGWJ1PuY1\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p class=\"p1\"><b>Kevin Antoine<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>San Francisco State University<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Mark Steele, Ph.D., Karal Stella<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Kelp and marine ecology<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Elyssa Baker<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>California State University, Long Beach<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Naomi Levine, Ph.D., Hagen Buck-Wiese<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Carbon cycling by algae or marine bacterial enzymology<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Kathryn Bancroft<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>University of California, Berkeley<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentor:<\/strong> Rita Mehta, Ph.D.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Marine vertebrate behavior, ecology, and development<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Veronica Britton<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>Pitzer College<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentor:<\/strong> Devaleena Pradhan, Ph.D.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Social behavior, sexual plasticity, marine fish<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Isabelle Gragg<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>The University of Tennessee, Chattanooga<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Carly Kenkel, Ph.D., Maya Gomez, and Daniel Olivarez-Zambrano<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Coral developmental biology, symbiosis, and thermal tolerance<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Calvin Harding<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>California State University, Monterey Bay<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Julia Schwartzman, Ph.D., Danny Osorio, Kurt Castro, Thomas Day<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Marine microbial ecology, kelp microbiome<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Mikayla Harris<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>Heritage University<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Julia Schwartzman, Ph.D., Danny Osorio, Kurt Castro, Thomas Day<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Marine microbial ecology, kelp microbiome<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Brandon Koehn<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>California State Polytechnic University, Pomona<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> David Hutchins, Ph.D., Feixue Fu, Ph.D., Bradley Mackett<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Harmful algal bloom dynamics<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Mateo Monteiro<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>University of California, Santa Cruz<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentor:<\/strong> Rita Mehta, Ph.D.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Marine vertebrate behavior, ecology, and development<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Emily Paslick<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>Salisbury University<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Carly Kenkel, Ph.D., Maya Gomez, and Daniel Olivarez-Zambrano<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Coral developmental biology, symbiosis, and thermal tolerance<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Annika Harusadangkul<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>University of Southern California<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentor:<\/strong> Rita Mehta, Ph.D.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Marine vertebrate behavior, ecology, and development<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Natalia Shahril Ridza<br \/>\n<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>University of Southern California<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Julia Schwartzman, Ph.D., Danny Osorio, Kurt Castro, Thomas Day<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Marine microbial ecology, kelp microbiome<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Sedona Silva<br \/>\n<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>University of Southern California<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Sergey Nuzhdin, Ph.D., Bernadeth Tolentino<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Kelp ecology, restoration, and genomics<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Jesus Venegas<br \/>\n<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>University of Southern California<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentor:<\/strong> Devaleena Pradhan, Ph.D.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Social behavior, sexual plasticity, marine fish<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-2-SQGWJ1PuY1\" aria-controls=\"section-1-2-SQGWJ1PuY1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">2024<\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-2-SQGWJ1PuY1\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-2-SQGWJ1PuY1\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p class=\"p1\"><b>Ria Agrawal<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>University of Miami<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Will Berelson, Rucha Wani<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Ocean alkalization\/CO2 migration<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Varshini Balaji<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>University of California, Riverside<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentor:<\/strong> Julia Schwartzman<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Vibrio hunter\/kelp microbiome<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Ashley Conde<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>Northeastern University<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Carly Kenkel, Daniel Olivares-Zambrano, Jenna Dilworth, Maya Gomez<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Coral restoration\/coral reproductive biology<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Gabriella Corneille<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>University of California, Santa Cruz<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Rita Mehta, Maya McElfish<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Chemosensory in fish\/ecology of moray eels<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Makena Gichuru<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>University of San Francisco<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Jed Fuhrman, Daria Di Blasi, Jelani Williams<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Marine RNA viruses<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Kiana Hernandez<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>Concordia University, Irvine<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Carly Kenkel, Daniel Olivares-Zambrano, Jenna Dilworth, Maya Gomez<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Projec<\/strong>t: Coral restoration\/coral reproductive biology<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Maxwell Pacatte<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>University of California, Santa Barbara<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Feixue Fu, David Hutchines<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Phytoplankton\/heat stress<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Abbey Schedler<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>University of North Texas<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Laura Melissa Guzman, Yan Yin Jenny Cheung<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Soil food webs<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Pascal Kawehi Cabuzel<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>University of Southern California<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentor:<\/strong> Dr. Julia Schwartzman<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Vibrio hunters\/kelp microbiome<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"elementToProof\" data-ogsc=\"black\" data-ogsb=\"rgb(255, 255, 255)\"><b>Monica Wheeler<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"elementToProof\" data-ogsc=\"black\" data-ogsb=\"rgb(255, 255, 255)\"><em>Williams College<\/em><\/p>\n<p data-ogsc=\"black\" data-ogsb=\"rgb(255, 255, 255)\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> David Hutchins and Feixue Fu<\/p>\n<p data-ogsc=\"black\" data-ogsb=\"rgb(255, 255, 255)\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Phytoplankton ecology and heat stress response<\/p>\n<p data-ogsc=\"black\" data-ogsb=\"rgb(255, 255, 255)\"><b>Riley Darrough<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>USC<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> John Heidelberg, Ryan Guillemette<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> eDNA decay rates<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Daniella Leon<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>USC<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Rita Mehta, Maya McElfish<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Chemosensory in fish\/ecology of moray eels<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Tatianna Velicer<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>USC<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Carly Kenkel, Daniel Olivares-Zambrano, Jenna Dilworth, Maya Gomez<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Coral restoration\/coral reproductive biology<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Kathrina Welborn<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>USC<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Suzanne Edmands, Scott Applebaum, Jacob Denova<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Copepod response to stress<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-3-SQGWJ1PuY1\" aria-controls=\"section-1-3-SQGWJ1PuY1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">2023<\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-3-SQGWJ1PuY1\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-3-SQGWJ1PuY1\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p><strong>Aiko Abo Dominguez<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>USC<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Feixue Fu and Dave Hutchins<\/p>\n<p><strong>Project:<\/strong> How marine nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria may evolve in response to global change<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lara Breithaupt<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Duke University<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentor:<\/strong> Naomi Levine<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Response of marine microbes to fluctuating environmental conditions and the impact of these micro-responses on large-scale carbon cycling<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Nicholas Hess<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Eckerd College<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentor:<\/strong> Rita Mehta, University of California Santa Cruz<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> How fishes rely on chemical stimuli and how the natural variation in the concentration of stimuli elicit a feeding response<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gustavo Lopez-Fleming<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Dartmouth College<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Feixue Fu and David Hutchins<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Quantifying how future rising ocean temperatures may interact with global cycles of limiting nutrients<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ian Osborne<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Harvey Mudd College<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentor:<\/strong> James Moffett<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> The extent of hyperaccumulation of heavy metals and iodine in seawater<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mahala Peter-Frank<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>University of California, Los Angeles<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentor:<\/strong> Carly Kenkel<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Causes and consequences of phenotypic plasticity in the foundational Caribbean coral species\u00a0<i>Acropora cervicornis<\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Paola Salazar<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Oklahoma State University<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentor:<\/strong> Rita Mehta, University of California Santa Cruz<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Diet and growth rates of moray eel,\u00a0<i>Gymnothorax mordax,\u00a0<\/i>in rocky reefs around Catalina Island<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Miguel Sanchez<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Webb Institute<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentor:<\/strong> Sergey Nuzhdin<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Physiological process of kelp aging in the field and the internal processes leading to kelp death and carbon release<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Kalen Strunk<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Oklahoma State University<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Mentor:<\/strong> Myrna Jacobsen<\/p>\n<p><strong>Project:<\/strong> Correlating the physiological state of the kelp microbiome using extracellular enzyme analysis<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Isaac Xie<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Middlebury College<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Mentor:<\/strong> Will Berelson<\/p>\n<p><strong>Project:<\/strong> How mixing of ocean waters with CO2 mitigation effluent products impacts ocean chemistry, ocean particles, and ocean life<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-4-SQGWJ1PuY1\" aria-controls=\"section-1-4-SQGWJ1PuY1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">2022<\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-4-SQGWJ1PuY1\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-4-SQGWJ1PuY1\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p><strong>Emma Johnson<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Geological Sciences, USC<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Mentor:<\/strong> James Moffett<\/p>\n<p><strong>Project: <\/strong>Iodide measurements and optimum multi-parameter analysis of water masses off the Oregon coast<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Annapurna Leung<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Marine Science, University of Maine Orono<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Feixue Fu and Dave Hutchins<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> The Influence of Nutrients &amp; Temperature on <em>Prochlorococcus<\/em> in Relation to Climate Change<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Helena Lewis<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Marine Science, Eckerd College<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Mentor:<\/strong> Rita S. Mehta (University of California Santa Cruz)<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Assession Behavioral Repsonses to Ecologically Relevant Prey Chemical Stimuli<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lilia Mendoza<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Mount St. Mary&#8217;s University<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Mentor:<\/strong> Adriane Jones (Mount St. Mary&#8217;s University)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Project:<\/strong> Analysis of the changing microbiome of <em>Macrocystis pyrifera<\/em> in the gametophyte stage<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Kekoa Nelson<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>California State University, Dominguez Hills<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Mentor:<\/strong> Sergey Nuzhdin<\/p>\n<p><strong>Project<\/strong>: The effects of heat stress on the photosynthetic products &amp; byproducts of giant kelp<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Isaac Olson<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>University of Washington<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Feixue Fu and Dave Hutchins<\/p>\n<p><strong>Project:<\/strong> Anthropogenic Change and the Worsening of Pseudo-nitzschia-induced Harmful Algal Blooms<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sarah Padilla<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Connecticut College<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentor:<\/strong> Carly Kenkel<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Comparing measures of algal symbiont health in thermally stressed <em>Acropora cervicornis<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Taylor Trivino<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>California State University Monterey Bay<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Mentor:<\/strong> Jed Fuhrman<\/p>\n<p><strong>Project:<\/strong> Optimizing Sampling Parameters for Bacterial and Viral Counts using SYBR Green I DNA Stain<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-5-SQGWJ1PuY1\" aria-controls=\"section-1-5-SQGWJ1PuY1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">2021<\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-5-SQGWJ1PuY1\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-5-SQGWJ1PuY1\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p class=\"p1\"><b>Vanessa Aguayo<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>Mount St. Mary\u2019s University<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentor:<\/strong> Adriane Jones (Mount St. Mary&#8217;s University)<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Microbiome associated with giant kelp<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Kristina Fleetwood<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>University of California Santa Cruz<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Rita Mehta and Kelley Voss (University of California Santa Cruz)<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Octopus self-defense<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Cristina Garcia-Garcia<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>Mount St. Mary\u2019s University<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentor:<\/strong> Adriane Jones (Mount St. Mary&#8217;s University)<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Microbiome associated with giant kelp<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Maya Gardner<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>Grinnell College<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Carly Kenkel and Wyatt Million<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Local adaptation and growth of corals<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Liam McGouldrick<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>Indiana University<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Carly Kenkel and Wyatt Million<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Local adaptation and growth of corals<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Michelle Paramo-Reyes<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>Ventura College<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Sergey Nuzhdin, Inessa Chandra, Ignacio Navarrete, and Diane Kim<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Kelp aquaculture seed bank and diel patterns<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Bryan Rodriguez<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>California State University, Fullerton<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> David Hutchins and Nina Yang<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Nitrogen fixers in a warming ocean<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Janell Segura<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>Mount St. Mary\u2019s University<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Sergey Nuzhdin, Inessa Chandra, Ignacio Navarrete, and Diane Kim<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Kelp aquaculture seed bank and diel patterns<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Erin Tharp<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>USC<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Larry Allen and Elizabeth Burns (California State University Northridge)<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Catalina kelp forest ecology<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Brayden Wiley<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>San Diego State University<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Matthew Edwards and Darrin Ambat (San Diego State University)<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Project:<\/strong> Blue-banded goby reproductive output and behavior under ocean acidification<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n          <\/ul>\n  \n      <div class=\"links-container\">\n      \n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--link\">\n\n    \n    \n  \n<a \n  class=\"link\"\n  href= \/wrigley\/education\/undergraduate-internships\/summer-research-internships\/\n    aria-label=\"Read more about Return to main research internship page\"  \n>\n    Return to main research internship page \n  <svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 35 35\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 35 35\" width=\"25\" height=\"25\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><polygon fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" fill=\"#FC0\" points=\"19.3,27.5 29.3,17.5,19.3,7.5 16.3,10.4 21.4,15.4 6.7,15.4 6.7,19.6 21.4,19.6 16.3,24.6 \"\/><\/svg>\n<\/a>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n          <\/div>\n  \n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":182,"featured_media":0,"parent":1125,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1234","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Past Research Interns and Projects - Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/education\/undergraduate-internships\/summer-research-internships\/past-research-interns-and-projects\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Past Research Interns and Projects - Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/education\/undergraduate-internships\/summer-research-internships\/past-research-interns-and-projects\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-02T18:09:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/education\/undergraduate-internships\/summer-research-internships\/past-research-interns-and-projects\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/education\/undergraduate-internships\/summer-research-internships\/past-research-interns-and-projects\/\",\"name\":\"Past Research Interns and Projects - Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2024-07-11T18:55:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-02T18:09:02+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/education\/undergraduate-internships\/summer-research-internships\/past-research-interns-and-projects\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/education\/undergraduate-internships\/summer-research-internships\/past-research-interns-and-projects\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/education\/undergraduate-internships\/summer-research-internships\/past-research-interns-and-projects\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Education\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/education\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Undergraduate Internships\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/education\/undergraduate-internships\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Summer Research Internships\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/education\/undergraduate-internships\/summer-research-internships\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":5,\"name\":\"Past Research Interns and Projects\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/\",\"name\":\"Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability\",\"description\":\"Creating a more sustainable and environmentally just future for our planet and all who live on it\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Past Research Interns and Projects - Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/education\/undergraduate-internships\/summer-research-internships\/past-research-interns-and-projects\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Past Research Interns and Projects - Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability","og_url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/education\/undergraduate-internships\/summer-research-internships\/past-research-interns-and-projects\/","og_site_name":"Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability","article_modified_time":"2026-02-02T18:09:02+00:00","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/education\/undergraduate-internships\/summer-research-internships\/past-research-interns-and-projects\/","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/education\/undergraduate-internships\/summer-research-internships\/past-research-interns-and-projects\/","name":"Past Research Interns and Projects - Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/#website"},"datePublished":"2024-07-11T18:55:46+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-02T18:09:02+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/education\/undergraduate-internships\/summer-research-internships\/past-research-interns-and-projects\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/education\/undergraduate-internships\/summer-research-internships\/past-research-interns-and-projects\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/education\/undergraduate-internships\/summer-research-internships\/past-research-interns-and-projects\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Education","item":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/education\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Undergraduate Internships","item":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/education\/undergraduate-internships\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Summer Research Internships","item":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/education\/undergraduate-internships\/summer-research-internships\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"name":"Past Research Interns and Projects"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/#website","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/","name":"Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability","description":"Creating a more sustainable and environmentally just future for our planet and all who live on it","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/182"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1234"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1234\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5707,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1234\/revisions\/5707"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}