Eighteen graduating seniors completed the SuperNova Undergraduate Research Fellows Program this year, showing their dedication to undergraduate research.
While at Drexel, they completed many terms of research, presented their work at conferences around the world, published articles in peer-reviewed journals, and applied to fellowships. This commitment shone through in their reflections on the impact of research on their lives.
We're immensely proud of their hard work and wish them the best as they enter their next chapter!
Riyana Bhatt, BS biological sciences '26, Honors
I will take from Drexel the curiosity to continuously ask questions, explore new ideas, and remain excited about research! SuperNova provided me with opportunities, mentorship, and resources that prepared me for the next steps of my research career.
Riyana will be pursuing a PhD in molecular biology at the University of Pennsylvania.
Cristina Burz, BS biological sciences '26, Honors
My research at Drexel has prepared me to learn how to ask thoughtful questions to further understand and investigate what I’m researching. This also helps for my professional career as I learned how to articulate my thoughts well!
Christina will be working at CHOP and preparing to apply to graduate school to pursue a PhD.
Alli Dickerson, BS psychology '26
One thing I'll take from my undergraduate research career here at Drexel as I move forward is saying yes to opportunities even if they scare me. Saying yes to an opportunity opens you up to so much learning and leads to even more opportunities later on.
Alli will be pursuing a PsyD at Stevenson University.
Emma Johnson, BA history '26
[I learned] how to manage my time and deadlines on independent research. [SuperNova] helped me to reflect on how much research work I was able to complete during my undergraduate career.
Emma will be pursuing a PhD in history at the University of Southern California.
Madhu Karuppiah, BS biomedical engineering '26
[I learned] that dedication and time yields results in research.
Madhu will be working as a clinical research coordinator at CHOP in the Plastic, Reconstruction and Oral Surgery Department and plans to apply to medical school.
Manya Mittal, BS public health '26, Honors
I learned the importance of research and have found a sphere of research that I hope to continue to contribute in for the rest of my career. SuperNova helped me reflect on my experiences to think about how far I've come and the work I've done to contribute to academia.
Manya will be completing her MPH at Drexel this coming year.
Rhythm Osan, BS/MS architectural & civil engineering '26, Honors
I think one skill I am very grateful for learning through research at Drexel was my public speaking and presentation skills. It's not enough to solely do research and work but also be able to effectively communicate the process and work you did. Through opportunities at my lab and UREP, I was able to write a publication and attend multiple conferences that boosted my self confidence and public speaking skills to convey my research in a cohesive and concise manner.
Rhythm is now working as a structural engineer at Jacobs Engineering in New York.
Madeline Plummer, BS public health '26, Honors
I think the biggest thing I've learned in undergraduate research is that I have the tools I need to answer questions I have about the world around me. When I started at Drexel, I had a lot of ideas and not a lot of skills to systematically answer them. But now I feel more confident in my ability to carry out the scientific process, and how to collaborate with experts around me. Plus, I have learned so much from my peers' research in other fields and am inspired to find interdisciplinary connections between our growing expertise.
Madeline is currently part of the Urban Epidemiology Fellowship Program at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health in the Division of Reproductive, Adolescent and Child Health. This coming year, she will complete her MPH at Drexel.
McKayla Procopio, BS physics '26, Honors
Getting involved with research is a great way to get exposure to a field compared to classes alone. It gave me a sense of what I could be doing with my degree and what I do/don't like while still in college. SuperNova encouraged me to continue seeking out research opportunities and ways to be involved across disciplines.
Caroline Ries, BS biomedical engineering '26, Honors
SuperNova allowed me to keep track of all of the things I have done at Drexel! It's so hard to get caught up and feel like you are falling behind or not doing "enough," but by tracking these experiences and taking the time to reflect, it has been so rewarding to see all of my accomplishments in one place.
Caroline will be working at Runway Healthcare as an engineer.
Vidhi Shah, BS/MS user experience & interaction design, Honors
I think the core learning from my undergraduate research journey included gaining the ability to work within an interdisciplinary field and approaching problems from various perspectives and working with data to ideate solutions.
Sarah Sikder, BS health sciences '26, Honors
The biggest thing I'll take from research is confidence. More than anything, SuperNova made research feel accessible. It gave me the support and confidence to apply for opportunities that I might have otherwise thought were out of reach.
Before college, I never imagined I'd be presenting at conferences, or contributing to studies of my own, and essentially putting myself out there to apply for grants that I would otherwise feel were "too competitive." Research showed me that growth happens when you say yes to opportunities before you feel completely ready.
Looking back, I'm proud of how much I've learned, but I'm even more grateful for how much more confident I've become in my ability to learn new things and take on challenges.
Not pictured:
Sajda Adam, BS psychology '26
Lourdes Akirtha Stephen Raj, BS physics & psychology '26
Maven Mercado, BS environmental science '26
Madeline Navea, BS psychology '26
Tarek Olabi, BS biological sciences '26
Santiago Sosa, BS electrical & computer engineering '26, Honors