Alumni

Adisa Buchanan
Bachelor of Science in Psychology - May 2022

Adisa Buchanan joined the RISE program in the Summer of 2020 and is mentored by Dr. Ingrid Tulloch. Beyond Morgan State University, Adisa plans to further his career in neuropsychology by pursuing a Ph.D. focusing on treating mental disorders, particularly for minorities and impoverished families. He also hopes to inspire other African American men that have an interest in biomedical science to pursue doctoral training. As a RISE scholar, he presented research findings at 10 local and national conferences and won 1 presentation award.

Angelique Williams
Bachelor of Science in Psychology - May 2016 
Ph.D. in the Applied Developmental Psychology Program at George Mason University - May 2020

Angelique Williams became a RISE scholar in June 2015 and worked on research under the mentorship of Dr. Charlene Chester where her research focus was on self-efficacy, stress, well-being, and social problem-solving ability and their links with academic performance. As a RISE scholar, she presented at 8 local and national conferences and won 1 presentation award. She is currently a Senior Researcher and Technical Assistance provider at AnLar and an adjunct faculty at George Mason University. 

Ashley Kennedy
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry - May 2005
Ph.D. from Molecular Systems and Pharmacology Program at  Emory University - May 2011  

Ashley Kennedy is a clinical trials program coordinator at the National Institute of Mental Health. She has worked as a clinical trials program coordinator for Kelly Services and as a post-doctoral fellow at the National Institute on Drug Abuse. While at Morgan she worked on organic synthesis research under the mentorship of Dr. Angela Winstead. As a RISE scholar, she presented her research findings at 7 local and national conferences and won 2 presentation awards.

Barrington Henry
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry - May 2022
Ph.D. student in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at the University of Pennsylvania 

Barrington Henry joined the RISE program in the Spring of 2020 and was mentored by Dr. Alexander Samokhvalov. He presented his research findings at 13 conferences and won 1 research presentation award.

Blessing Akobundu
Bachelor of Science in Biology - May 2017
Ph.D. in Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology Program at Brown University - May 2023

Blessing Akobundu became a RISE scholar in June 2015 and worked on pancreatic cancer research under the mentorship of Dr. Simon Nyaga.  As a RISE scholar, she presented her research findings at 19 local and national conferences, won 1 presentation award, and 1 publication.

Cassandra Bazile
Bachelor of Science in Biology - May 2012
Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology Program at University of Miami - May 2021

Cassandra Bazile became a RISE scholar in 2010 and worked on molecular biology research focusing on the engineering of chemokine receptors to inhibit HIV from infecting CD4 T cells under the mentorship of Dr. James Wachira. As a RISE scholar, she presented her research findings at 8 local and national conferences and won 1 presentation award. She is currently a scientist at JDRF International.

Chante' Vines 
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering - May 2015
Ph.D. in the Civil Engineering Program at The Ohio State University - May 2020

Chante' Vines became a RISE scholar in 2014 and worked with Dr. Richard Damoah and Dr. Anthony Kinyua. She conducted research at Morgan State University and at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. 

Dominique Munson 
Bachelor of Science in Biology - May 2017
Ph.D. in Biological and Biomedical Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - December 2023

Dominique Munson became a RISE scholar in June 2015 focusing on the detection of pathogen research under the mentorship of Dr. Angela Winstead. She also worked at Johns Hopkins University under the mentorship of Dr. Tian-Li Wang and Dr. Ie-Ming Shih focusing on ovarian cancer research. in 2017 to 2018 participated in the NIH-PREP program at Virginia Tech. As a RISE scholar, she presented her research findings at 15 local and national conferences and won 1 presentation award.

LaKeisha Lewter
Bachelor of Science in Biology - December 2013
Ph.D. from Neuroscience Program at the University of Buffalo - December 2018

LaKeisha Lewter became a RISE scholar in 2010 focusing on neuroscience research under the mentorship of Dr. Christine Hohmann. She is currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Duquesne University. As a RISE scholar, she presented her research findings at 19 local and national conferences and won 1 presentation award. She is currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at University of Texas Dallas.

Khalil Makins-Dennis
Bachelor of Science in Biology  - May 2019
Minor in Chemistry - May 2019

Khalil Makins-Dennis joined the RISE program in 2017. As a RISE scholar, he has been working on the synthesis of organic fluorescent molecular sensors used in the detection of metal ions in aqueous media under the mentorship of Dr. Fasil Abebe. As a RISE scholar, he presented his research findings at 9 conferences and had 1 publication.

Mercy Arkorful
Biology Major- May 2020
Research Focus: Finding the role of WASF2 in hypertension in African American Women

Mercy Arkorful joined the RISE program in 2018 and is mentored by Dr. Douglas Dluzen. As a scholar she has participated as a special volunteer at the Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Science, National Institute of Aging, NIH. She has interned at the Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences (LEPS), Intramural Research Program (IRP), and National Institute on Aging (NIA), located on the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center campus in Baltimore, Maryland. She has presented her research findings at 9 national and local conferences and has 1 publication.

Myka Terry
Bachelor of Science in Mathematics - May 2021
Ph.D. student in the Applied Mathematics Program at North Carolina State University

Myka Terry joined the RISE program in Spring 2020 and is mentored by Dr. Kendra Pleasant. Myka has presented her research finding at 22 regional and national conferences. Myka's highlight of being a RISE scholar has been "a supportive environment where they help you become a better you."

Ophelia Ukaegbu
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry - May 2016
Ph.D. from the Biochemistry Program at the University of Delaware- May 2022

Ophelia Ukaegbu became a RISE scholar in June 2015 and worked on vaccine research under the mentorship of Dr. Pumtitwitt McCarthy.  As a RISE scholar, she presented her research findings at 5 local and national conferences, won 3 presentation awards, and had 1 publication.

Pierce Perkins
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry - May 2019
Ph.D. student in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University

Pierce Perkins joined the RISE program in 2016. As a RISE scholar, he has been working on the synthesis of fluorescent sensors utilizing rhodamine dyes to effectively detect metal ions within aqueous media under the mentorship of Dr. Fasil Abebe. Pierce has also been doing research at Johns Hopkins Kavli Institute of Neuroimaging and Johns Hopkins Hospital Bioengineering Cardio Bioelectric Systems Laboratory. As a RISE scholar, he presented his research findings at 17 national and local conferences, won 5 presentation awards, and had 3 publications. He was awarded 2-year post-baccalaureate Intramural Research Training (POSTBAC IRTA) at the NIH. 

Rachel Bauer
Bachelor of Science in Biology and Nutritional Sciences - May 2019
Ph.D. candidate  in the Biomolecular Science Program at Michigan State University

Rachel Bauer graduated in May 2019, majoring in Biology and Nutritional Sciences. She joined the RISE program in 2017. She graduated in May 2019.  As a RISE scholar, she has been working on HIV/HCV research under the mentorship of Dr. Yun-Chi Chen. As a RISE scholar, she presented her research findings at 7 national and local conferences and won 1 presentation award. 

Rachael Matthews
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry - May 2013
Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Case Western University

Rachael Matthews became a RISE scholar in June 2011 and worked on organic synthesis research under the mentorship of Dr. Angela Winstead.  Rachel is a Technical Service Representative at Colortech Inc in Morristown, TN. As a RISE scholar, she presented her research findings at 9 local and national conferences, won 4 presentation awards, and had 1 publication.

Shamara Collins
Bachelor of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering - May 2011
Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of South Florida - May 2018

Shamara Collins is a Science and Technology Policy Fellow at Solar Energy Technology Office. While at Morgan she worked on "Optimizing the Fabrication of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells" under the mentorship of Dr. Corey Dickens.

Shaneka Lawson
Bachelor of Science in Biology - May 2001
Ph.D. in Molecular Tree Physiology at Purdue University - May 2011

Shaneka Lawson is a research plant physiologist at USDA Forest Service and an adjunct assistant professor at Purdue University. She received her Master of Science in Biotechnology with a concentration in Biodefense from Johns Hopkins University in 2004. While at Morgan she was mentored by Dr. Casonya Johnson.

Teressa Alexander
Bachelor of Science degree in Physics - May 2014
Ph.D. student in the Plant Psychology Program at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad

Teressa Alexander became a RISE scholar in 2012 and worked on Biomechanics research at Johns Hopkins University and at Harvard University under the mentorship of Dr. Noah Cowan and Dr. Stacey Combes. She was a post-baccalaureate fellow at Harvard University School of Arts and Science. As a RISE scholar, she presented her research findings at 5 local and national conferences, won 4 presentation awards, and had 3 publications.

Tiara Hinton
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry - May 2018
Ph.D. candidate in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Program at Wayne University

Tiara Hinton became a RISE scholar in May 2016 and worked on anticancer agent research under the mentorship of Dr. Santosh Mandal. As a RISE scholar, she presented her research findings at 19 local and national conferences and had 1 publication.

Tresshaun Sutton
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry - May 2018
Ph.D. candidate in the Chemistry Program at Brown University

Treshaun Sutton became a RISE scholar in June 2016 and worked on the detection of metals using chemosensors research under the mentorship of Dr. Fasil Abebe. As a RISE scholar, she presented her research findings at 15 local and national conferences and had 2 publications.

Wendy Camejo Nunez
Biology Major, and Chemistry Minor-May 2020
Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Genetic Medicine at Johns Hopkins University

Wendy Camejo Nunez joined the RISE program in 2018 and is mentored by Dr. Douglas Dluzen. As a scholar, she has had the opportunity to be a special volunteer at the Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Science, National Institute of Aging, NIH. She has interned at Laney Graduate School, Summer Opportunity for Academic Research (LGS-SOAR) Program within the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program at Emory University. She has presented her research findings at 9 national and local conferences and won 1 award.

Zegbeh Kpadeh
Bachelor of in Biology - May 2008
Ph.D. from the Microbiology-Immunology and Infectious Diseases Program at the University of Virginia -  May 2004

Zegbeh Kpadeh is the director of the microbiology laboratory at Noxilizer, Inc. She has also held a postdoctoral fellowship position at NIH. While at Morgan Zegbeh worked on neuroscience research under the mentorship of Dr. Christine Hohmann.