Undergraduate Research & Enrichment Programs in the Pennoni Honors College has awarded ten undergraduate research mini-grants to Drexel faculty and student pairs for Spring 2026. These $1,000 grants will pay for research materials, expenses, and student pay for the grantees. In addition to material support, undergraduate research mini-grants give students experience writing applications for funding opportunities.
Robotic Evaluation for Circular Lifecycle Assessment of Infrastructure Materials
Mohd Apurbo, mechanical engineering '29
Arvin Ebrahimkhanlou, PhD, Assistant Professor of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
This project aims to evaluate building materials recovered from old buildings without damaging them, using nondestructive evaluations. The goal is to find the best ways to repair and reuse these materials to reduce demolition waste, carbon emissions, and other environmental impacts at the end of a building's life.
The Adult Lifespan and Loneliness (A.L.L.) Study
Gabrielle Baar, psychology '27, Honors
Kristal Lyn Brown, PhD, MSPH, Assistant Professor of Creative Arts Therapies
This project is a multi-method study focused on better understanding loneliness across the adult lifespan (emerging adults, middle adults, and older adults all 18 years or older) through interviews and self-reported surveys. Participants will be asked to reflect on their experiences of loneliness, how they deal with loneliness, their social media usage, and their social networks.
A Multi-Level NLP Framework for Detecting Sexual Violence Stigma in Online Narratives
Karan Bindal, data science '29, Honors
Shadi Rezapour, PhD, Assistant Professor of Information Science
This project develops a multi-level computational framework to detect and analyze sexual violence stigma in online narratives. By combining large-scale data collection, LLM-based stigma classification, and analysis of community responses, the study examines how different forms of stigma (experienced, anticipated, internalized, and structural) are expressed in online discourse and the types of support individuals receive from online communities.
Exploring Conditional Cash Transfer Policies and Maternal Mortality Rates in Latin America & The Caribbean
Kate Buskirk, custom-designed major in interdisciplinary economic theory & analysis, '28, Honors (2024 STAR Scholar, 2024-25 Aspire Scholar)
Jose Tapia, PhD, Professor of Politics
This project uses econometric methods and sociopolitical research to study the interaction between cash transfer welfare policies and the rates of maternal deaths in countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
A Queery on Space: Intersectional Identities and Programming for Asian Queer Individuals
Kody Cheung, architecture '26, Honors
Kelly Vresilovic, AIA, LEED AP, Adjunct Professor of Architecture
Through decolonizing concepts of heteronormativity and queerness in space, this project aims to research decolonized spatial structures to create spaces that will serve security, safety, pride, and justice to individuals with intersectional identities of being Asian and queer in the American landscape.
Acute Pilot Menopause Study: Assess Immediate Effect of Exercise on Vascular Function
Shekinah Dorceus, health sciences '28, Honors (2025 STAR Scholar)
Meghan Smith, PhD, Assistant Teaching Professor of Health Sciences
This study investigates how exercise influences vascular perfusion across pre‑, peri‑, and post‑menopausal women, with a focus on identifying biomarkers linked to declines in vascular function. By comparing post‑exercise and baseline perfusion, the study aims to clarify how acute exercise responses may predict long‑term impacts on vascular, cognitive, and physical aging.
Quantifying Surface Wear and Finish Degradation of Building Materials for Circular Construction
Rainon Feroze, architectural engineering '30
Arvin Ebrahimkhanlou, PhD, Assistant Professor of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
The research project proposes using a small robotic system to simulate repeated handling of reclaimed building materials in order to measure how surface wear and finish degradation occur over reuse cycles, since aesthetic damage often prevents otherwise functional materials from being reused. By generating quantitative data on surface damage, the study aims to support evidence-based guidelines that improve material reuse and promote circular construction practices.
Lunar Muon Tomography via High-Altitude Balloon Experiments
Keilah Makosi, mechanical engineering '28
Christina Love, PhD, Associate Teaching Professor of Physics
This project will test whether naturally occurring cosmic radiation can generate detectable muons in low-atmosphere environments by using a compact detector system flown on high-altitude balloons. The experiment aims to evaluate a proof-of-concept approach for adapting muon tomography as a non-invasive method to study subsurface structures on the Moon.
Neuronal Adaptation to Hyperammonemia
Nguyen Phan, biological sciences '29 (STAR 2025)
Nianli Sang, PhD, Associate Professor of Biology
The project studies the possible intrinsic cellular mechanisms behind the adaptation of neuronal cells to ammonia neurotoxicity.
Robotics, Automation, and AI for Smart Agriculture
Brian Poon, mechanical engineering '30
Lifeng Zhou, PhD, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
This project explores the use of robotics, computer vision, and AI to automate garlic processing in agriculture. A vision-guided 5-degree-of-freedom robotic arm detects garlic bulbs and performs precise stem and root cutting.