2021 Holster Scholars

The Holster Scholars Program is a selective enrichment opportunity for curious Honors students that supports a select number of motivated students interested in independent research the summer following their first year. Holster projects are in-depth, individualized learning experiences.  Beyond some basic requirements, projects are self-designed.  The Holster Scholars Program is made possible by a generous gift from Robert (’68) and Carlotta (’68) Holster.


Charlotte Chen
Project: Antibacterial Silk-Based Surfaces for Urinary Catheters
Mentor:  Prof. Kelly Burke, Chemical & Biomedical Engineering


Ethan Wicko
Project: Assessing the Feasibility of a Belt Based Continuously Varied Transmission for Bicycles
Mentor: Prof. David Pierce, Mechanical Engineering)


Lyla White
Project: Can 3D Printers Create Viable Personalized Therapy in the Treatment of Diabetes?
Mentor: Prof. Bodhi Chaudhuri, Pharmaceutical Sciences


Olivia Ferrigno
Project: 3D Light Sheet Microscopy of Growth Plate Cartilage
Mentor: Prof. Liisa Kuhn, Biomedical Engineering


Hari Patchigolla
Project: Determining the Primary DNA Substrates of SHLD2’s OB-fold Domains
Mentor: Prof. Dmitry Korzhnev, Molecular Biology & Biophysics


Sanjana Nistala
Project: The Effect of Degree of Acetylation on Injectable Glycol Chitosan
Mentor:  Prof. Lakshmi Nair, Orthopedic Surgery


Ananya Aggarwal
Project: Cisplatin Loaded Nanoparticles for the Intraperitoneal Treatment of Ovarian Cancer
Mentor: Prof. Xiuling Lu, Pharmaceutical Sciences


Jackson Ayers
Project: Identification of Secretion Factors that Restructure Neural Tissue in a Model of Low Grade Glioma
Mentor: Prof. Joseph LoTurco, Physiology & Neurobiology


Christian Chlebowski
Project: The Senator and the Citizen: Comparing the Agendas of the United States Senate and Populace
Mentor:  Prof. Thomas Hayes, Political Science)


Rylee Thomas
Project: The Film Adaptation as an Essay on Feminism in the Victorian Novel
Mentor: Prof. Eleni Coundouriotis, English