Meet the Fellows

Emma Bell is an anthropology major with a focus in archaeology. She wanted to become a McKearn Fellow because doing research is something engaging that brings her a lot of joy. In her senior year of high school, she presented research with her school's science club and in college she is a Research Rookie and part of OSEEL's Undergraduate Research Funding. Research brings her a lot of joy because she knows she is contributing to something larger that can lead to good for society. She hopes through being a McKearn Fellow she will be able to continue growing as a researcher and will be able to connect with other students that have the same passions.

Megan Gray is a biological sciences major and a chemistry and psychology minor. She wanted to be a McKearn Fellow to have the opportunity to complete professional research and build her professional network. This fellowship will help her create a plan for her career goals and meet people in that field of study. Her previous research experiences include her current and previous chemistry and biology classes. These experiences benefited her college career so far by expanding her education through research and hands-on investigations, which helped her make connections with professors in her field of study. Megan has always loved the science field along with research and plans on attending medical school after graduation, which she will need a lot of research experiences for. She wants to expand her education during her undergraduate years through research to be able to gain the experiences necessary for medical school. She hopes to make connections with professionals in the field, further her research experiences and knowledge. Megan wants to meet new people and learn from professionals with years of experience.

Ava Krall is a biological sciences major. She wanted to become a McKearn Fellow because she wanted to challenge herself in new ways while also doing something she is passionate about. She comes in with a few research projects she has done with different professors around campus, however, she hopes to grow through this experience and learn more about research. Doing other research projects has provided Ava with an understanding of how beneficial and important research is in the academic world. She has also gained friendships and connections with professors and other people passionate about research. She needs research hours to help her get into her future profession as a doctor and getting an early start allows her to become familiar with it. As a McKearn Fellow she hopes to become more familiar with research, make connections with fellow researchers and give back to her community.

Elizabeth Nowak is an anthropology and theatre studies double major. They want to be a McKearn Fellow because they want to learn how to be a better researcher and expand upon the research they have conducted. Elizabeth has conducted an interdisciplinary research project through Research Rookies. The project looked at the impact exhibits have on the audience of a theatrical production. They loved combining museums and theatre and they are planning on conducting similar research projects soon. Their research is applicable to their future career. They have conducted historical research as the Dramaturg of NIU School of Theatre and Dance's production of Witch by Jen Silverman. Elizabeth researched gender roles, class and witchcraft accusations of Early Modern England. Their research benefited the production, their Research Rookies project, as well as their understanding and perception of gender roles. They decided to start researching their freshman year because they love research and it will be a big part of their post-college career in museum curation. Elizabeth hopes to gain confidence in their research skills, get support for their research and further their research project.

Zoey Proper is a health science pre-physical therapy major. She wanted to become a McKearn Fellow to continue her research journey while improving her professional skills and participating in new experiences. She participated in the Research Rookies program and explored speech and bimanual coordination in autistic and non-autistic children using the video analysis software, DeepLabCut. This experience allowed her to work on an interdisciplinary team, learn new skills and step outside her comfort zone. Zoey is excited to continue working on this project. She wanted to start early to gain professional and research skills. She also wanted to make meaningful connections with professors and other student researchers. She hopes to continue to improve her critical thinking, communication and research writing skills for her future career. Zoey also looks forward to learning new information and making a positive impact on our community.

Vana is majoring in biological sciences and medical laboratory sciences and minoring in chemistry. She is conducting undergraduate research that aims to understand the genes and mechanisms responsible for the arrangement and maintenance of epithelial cells, using Drosophila melanogaster as a model system. She has volunteered for STEM Fest as part of Chemistry Club, participated in the Asian American Resource Center's OHANA Lecture Series, and played viola for the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Vana's passion for physiology motivates her to attend medical school and become a physician. Healthcare access is important to her; she imagines herself working in an underserved community and participating in pro bono services. As a McKearn Fellow, Vana is excited to continue her research, build career skills, and give back to her community.

Hannah Havel is a double major in OM&IS and computer science. She has a previous academic background in computer science with business applications and has been recognized by the National Center for Women & Information Technology for her academic efforts.

Thus far, she has engaged in undergraduate research within the Mathematical Sciences department in new advances towards predicting the motions of particles under mutual gravitational attraction. She has further research interests in machine learning/AI and computational software. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school for computer science and continue research in computer science and discrete mathematics.

Her other passions include music production as an alto saxophonist, volunteering such as in STEM Fest and foreign language as a Spanish minor.

Alia Moran is an anthropology and art history major with minors in French and a focus in classical studies. Upon graduation, she plans to attend a Ph.D. program abroad to work onsite in archaeological digs and in museums. This past year, she researched how museum curation works from start to end through Research Rookies. In her free time, she enjoys reading all genres of literature and writing poetry. Through McKearn Fellows Program, she is excited to continue research and partake in opportunities to explore the world and other perspectives.

Emanuel Naumann is a chemistry major who is currently exploring which subfields of chemistry he prefers. After graduating from NIU, he plans to continue his studies as a graduate student in chemistry and hopes to eventually conduct his own research. During the 2022-2023 academic year, he participated in Research Rookies, where he utilized computational chemistry to analyze the structure of ions that could potentially be used in lithium-ion batteries. He hopes to use his attention to detail, pragmatic demeanor, and mathematical understanding to further explore his interests in chemistry, and looks forward to the research opportunities and experiences that await being a McKearn Fellow.

In addition to expanding his connections with the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Naumann has taken on leadership roles in other spaces. Recently, he was inaugurated as the 2023-2024 Secretary for NIU's Circle K Club, a subcategory of the volunteer organization Kiwanis International. He also volunteers as a moderator to a small online game server that aims to provide a safe space for kids to interact online. In his free time, he enjoys playing old-school video games and exploring ways to improve his health.