Aug. 18, 2025

Turning an Interest into a Passion

Story and photo by Logan Jackson While Jamie Lu had always had an interest in writing, it wasn’t until the summer before her senior year of high school that her interest turned into passion. Lu participated in an internship with the Osprey Observer newspaper that summer, where she covered various local news stories around her hometown of Riverview, Florida. “I was able to meet a bunch of community members through the internship,” Lu said. “It was so eye-opening for me to see how vibrant the individuals in my city truly are. There are so many brilliant people…

Aug. 17, 2025

The Best of Both Worlds

Story by Logan Jackson As Silas Bloch was making his college decision, there were two distinct reasons that Mizzou was at the top of his list – degree programs that appealed to his interests and a spot where he could find a more individualized learning experience. Being named a Stamps Scholar sealed the deal. Bloch plans to pursue a degree in constitutional democracy when he arrives at Mizzou this fall, a program offered through the College of Arts and Science’s Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy. Bloch also plans…

Aug. 13, 2025

Making an Impact Through Research

Story and photos by Logan Jackson While Joseph Oyewusi knew there were plenty of opportunities to explore his interests at the University of Missouri, there was one primary experience he knew he wanted to pursue – research. Oyewusi was able to participate in a laboratory last year as a freshman and, through the Cherng Summer Scholars program, has led his own project in the same lab this summer. “I read Ben Carson’s autobiography, Gifted Hands, when I was younger,” said Oyewusi, a sophomore biological sciences and psychological sciences double major. “Through that book, I knew I wanted…

Aug. 12, 2025

Making a Lasting Impact

Story and photos by Logan Jackson Pari Patel knew she was going to pursue research while at the University of Missouri, but she wanted to make sure she chose a laboratory and project that she was passionate about. Patel found the perfect spot last year in the Mizzou Cyber Education, Research and Infrastructure Center (Mizzou CERI), where she has been able to research confidential computing, a technology that protects data while it is being processed. “When I was first introduced to software like ChatGPT, it definitely brought up a lot of questions tied to how people are…

Aug. 11, 2025

Contributing to a Growing Field

Story and photos by Logan Jackson Cole Stevens has gained experience and confidence throughout his three years in the Thompson Laboratory for Regenerative Orthopaedics, a lab focused on conducting the highest quality, hypothesis-driven research centered on orthopaedic disorders. Stevens, who will be a senior this fall, joined the lab as a freshman. The health science major has led his own research project this summer, through the Cherng Summer Scholars program. “When I arrived at Mizzou, I knew I wanted to get involved in research,” Stevens said. “I did a deep dive into…

Aug. 10, 2025

A Passion for Answering Questions

Story and photos by Logan Jackson Ava Fleury was a young child when her mother suffered a health scare. Her mother was thankfully able to pull through, and as she grew up, the experience motivated Fleury to look at careers in the medical field. She took advantage of learning opportunities throughout mid-Missouri, such as the Mizzou Mini Medical School, a week-long program where high school students can preview what medical school looks like. Those experiences only strengthened Fleury’s interest in medicine, and she wanted to continue on that pathway when she enrolled at Mizzou two years ago.

Aug. 7, 2025

Publicizing Research Findings

Story and photos by Logan Jackson Natalie Schaefer spent part of her freshman year gaining valuable research experience through the ASH Scholars program, which supports teams of undergraduate research students in the arts, social sciences or humanities. ASH Scholars work as members of a faculty-led research or design team. While research wasn’t something Schaefer expected to participate in as a college student, her experience as an ASH Scholar led her to look at other opportunities. This summer, Schaefer is one of 15 Honors College students who is part of the Cherng Summer Scholars program. “I never…

Aug. 6, 2025

Reaching a Major Milestone

Story and photos by Logan Jackson Zach Wright’s freshman year at the University of Missouri was full of firsts and included a major milestone – he was able to get his first experience as an undergraduate researcher. Wright, who will be a sophomore this fall, plans to pursue medical school after finishing his biochemistry degree and was interested in seeing what research opportunities were available to him at Mizzou. He was able to join the Finegan-Bergstralh Laboratory, which studies how animal tissues acquire and maintain their shape, as well as what happens when that…

Aug. 5, 2025

Solving Challenging Problems

Story and photos by Logan Jackson Research has been a key part of Thao Nguyen’s Mizzou experience. Nguyen will be a junior this fall and has already spent time in laboratories across campus where she has explored her interests and built a solid research portfolio.   Nguyen, an electrical engineering major, is adding to that portfolio this summer, through the Cherng Summer Scholars program. A nine-week research or creative scholarship program for Mizzou students who are pursuing the Honors Certificate, the Cherng Summer Scholars program allows students to participate in individually designed projects under the mentorship of…

Aug. 4, 2025

Designing Her Own Research

Story and photos by Logan Jackson Nya Dodd jumped into her first research project last semester as part of the Regulation of Emotion, Addiction, and Conflict Trajectories (REACT) Laboratory. Led by Sean Lane, an associate professor of psychological sciences, the lab focuses on the development of quantitative models of personality and psychopathology. Dodd has been able to build on that research this summer through the Cherng Summer Scholars program. A nine-week research or creative scholarship program for Mizzou students who are pursuing the Honors Certificate, the Cherng Summer Scholars program allows students…