We invite you to send any questions you have about the application process or the program to the Dean's Scholars listed below. All serve as CNS Honors Ambassadors.
ALISH AHMED
alisha.ahmed63@gmail.com
"Hi, I'm Alisha and I am a second-year Dean's Scholar Neuroscience and Plan II major from Austin! I am interested in the links between the humanities and the sciences, and I hope to go to graduate school in the future to pursue research in these topics. On campus, I am involved in Room to Read, Natural Sciences Council, and I am currently in the Bioactive Molecules FRI stream. In my free time I enjoy hiking, impulsively shopping at Sephora, and reading contemporary novels."
ASHISH CHAKRABORTY
ashishchak@utexas.edu
"I'm a freshman from Katy, Texas double majoring in Biochemistry and Biomedical Engineering, and am part of the Dean's Scholars and Engineering honors programs on a pre-med track. I really enjoy the close-knit feeling of the CNS Honors community that I've experienced so far through mentorship opportunities, seminars, and extracurricular events. I'm excited to be spending the next four years around motivated students with such a strong passion for learning!"
ZOE DE BEURS
zdebeurs@utexas.edu
"I was born in Amsterdam, lived in College Station for high school, and am now happy to be in Austin. I'm a physics and astronomy double major and Dean's Scholar. I work as a research assistant in Dr. Raizen's Atom Optics lab which seeks to develop a neutral atom microscope. A few of my research interests include atom optics, ultra-high energy cosmic rays, and nanomaterials for catalysis. I'm also the outreach coordinator of Natural Sciences Council and in charge of their fundraising. Other than that, I'm always interested in hearing about anyone's interest and passion for science, coffee, or anything else! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or are unsure of applying to honors!"
LAUREN DO
laurendo@utexas.edu
"Hi! My name is Lauren Do and I'm a Public Health / Plan II double major. In the future, I hope to attend medical school. I enjoy doing work for the college through the Dean's Scholars Council and Natural Sciences Council, and in my free time I like to run, bike, and hike around Austin. I'm also currently in the Bioactive Molecules FRI Stream."
GRIFFIN GLENN
griffin.d.glenn@utexas.edu
"I'm from League City, Texas and am a Dean's Scholars Physics and Plan II major. I have spent much of my time at UT working in a field known as high energy density science (HEDS), where we use ultra-intense lasers to study how materials behave at extreme temperatures and pressures. After graduation, I plan to enroll in a physics PhD program and continue working on HEDS with the goal of staying in the field long-term at a university or national laboratory. In my free time I like to read about medieval and early modern manuscripts and play games with my friends. I'm also in the Junior Fellows Program and play double bass in the University Orchestra."
DORA GURFINKEL
doracgp@utexas.edu
"I am a sophomore Dean's Scholar majoring in Computer Science and Mathematics. I’m originally from Venezuela, but I grew up in Houston. On campus, I am involved in Natural Sciences Council and Undergraduate Computational Finance. I participated in the Nanochemistry FRI stream, but my current interests lie in natural language processing. In the future, I plan on attending graduate school and hopefully becoming a professor."
MANDY JUSTIZ
mmjustiz@gmail.com
"I am 4th-year Dean's Scholar majoring in nutrition honors, Plan II, and dietetics. My ultimate career goal is to become a physician assistant, hopefully working in OBGYN or fertility medicine! I am currently a student in Dr. Jaimie Davis's TX Sprouts lab at UT, studying how nutrition, cooking, and garden classes influence child eating, movement, and learning behaviors. My other interests include travel, conservation, marine biology, and cooking!"
MEGHAN MALLYA
meghan.mallya@gmail.com
"I am a sophomore neuroscience major in Dean’s Scholars. I work in Dr. Audrey Brumback’s neuroscience lab, where we conduct research on circuit-based therapeutics for autism. In the future, I plan to pursue either medical school or an MD/Ph.D. program in the hope of becoming a psychiatrist."
MAIKE MORRISON
maikem123@gmail.com
"I am a junior math and biology major and am the chair of the Dean's Scholars honors program. I do research in the fields of public health and evolution; my current projects focus on understanding Texas' growing rate of vaccination exemption and defining the concept of species for microorganisms. After undergrad, I plan to pursue a PhD in biostatistics."
JULIAN SENNETTE
jsennette2018@gmail.com
SINDHU VENKAT
sindhuvenkat@gmail.com
"I'm a sophomore chemistry major. I'm a member of Dean's Scholars, and I'm active on DS Council. I work in an FRI lab called Bioactive Molecules that conducts research in organic chemistry. Our focus is synthesizing ligands that bind to sigma receptors and can be used to treat neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. In the future, I plan to pursue either pharmacy school or graduate school in chemistry."
