Augustana today announced that 59 undergraduate students are participating in summer research projects on- and off-campus.

“At Augustana, we’re proud of the fact that many students choose to come here because of the extensive scientific research opportunities available to our undergraduates. Thanks to our exceptional faculty and low student-to-professor ratios, our students have exceptional opportunities to conduct research alongside our faculty scientists and at partnering institutions throughout the U.S.,” said Rob Oliver, president of Augustana.

Rachel Hurley, a senior majoring in Chemistry and Biology, is one example.

Hurley, a native of Canton, S.D., was one of 65 students selected from more than 1,100 applicants to participate in Mayo Clinic’s summer research initiatives. She’s spent the summer in Rochester, Minn., researching therapeutic efficiencies for the treatment of non-follicular thyroid cancer alongside a faculty member from Mayo’s Bio-Chemistry Department.

Following is a list of the participating students and, where available, their mentor/advisor, project funding, and location of the research:

• Tom Alexander, senior, Vesta, Minn. Majors: Physics, Communication/Business. Mentor/advisor: Drew Alton. Funding: Research Corp. Location: Augustana.
• Mathew Amundson, junior, Sioux Falls. Majors: Biochemistry, Chemistry. Mentor/advisor: Grigority Sereda and Randall Koodali. Funding: Northern Plains Undergraduate Research Center. Location: University of South Dakota, Vermillion, S.D.
• Trent Anderson, senior, Lake Benton, Minn. Majors: Math, Chemistry, Physics. Mentor/advisor: Martha Gregg. Funding: South Dakota Space Grant and Augustana Wagner Award. Location: Augustana.
• Phillip Andrews, sophomore, Sioux Falls. Major: Physics. Mentor/advisor: Eric Wells. Funding: National Science Foundation. Location: Augustana.
• Russ Averin, senior, Sioux Falls. Majors: Physics, Math. Mentor/advisor: Eric Wells. Funding: National Science Foundation. Location: Augustana.
• MacKenzie Beukelman, senior, Sioux Falls. Major: Biology. Mentor/advisor: John Lee. Funding:National Institutes of Health andBiomedical Research Infrastructure Network. Location: Sanford Research.
• Elliot Bloom, senior, Rapid City. Majors: Biology, Chemistry. Mentor/advisor: Pete Vitiello. Funding: Sanford Program for Undergraduate Research. Location: Sanford Research.
• Rebecka Bogue, junior, Beresford. Major: Biology. Funding: UCSD Summer Research Program/Amgen. Location: University of California, San Diego.
• Jordan Clark, senior, Byron, Illinois. Majors: Chemistry, Music. Mentor/advisor: Jared Mays. Funding: National Institutes of Health and Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network. Location: Augustana.
• Jay Cole, sophomore, Canton. Major: Physics. Mentor/advisor: Drew Alton. Funding: Research Corp. Location: Augustana.
• Gates Cook, senior, Fremont, Neb. Majors: Biology, Chemistry. Funding: Summer Undergraduate Research Program. Location: Nebraska Medical Center, Internal Medicine.
• Jared Drenkow, junior, Sioux Falls. Major: Chemistry. Mentor/advisor: Barrett Eichler. Funding: National Institutes of Health and Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network. Location: Augustana.
• Jeremy Erickson, senior, Lincoln, Neb. Majors: Chemistry, Physics. Mentor/advisor: Barrett Eichler. Funding: National Science Foundation and Northern Plains Undergraduate Research Center. Location: Augustana.
• Robert Fick, senior, Shenandoah, Iowa. Majors: Chemistry, Biology. Mentor/advisor: Bijoy Dey. Funding: National Science Foundation and Northern Plains Undergraduate Research Center. Location: Augustana.
• Evan Gardner, sophomore, Sioux Falls. Major: Chemistry. Mentor/advisor: Barrett Eichler. Funding: Chemistry Department. Location: Augustana.
• Chelsie Gransee, senior, Sanborn, Minn. Majors: Biology, Psychology. Mentor/advisor: Pat Ronan. Funding: National Institutes of Health and Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network. Location: USDSSM/Avera Research Inst/VA.
• Justin Grassmeyer, senior, Fremont, Neb. Majors: Chemistry, Biology. Funding: Medical Scientist (MD/PhD) Training Program. Location: University of Iowa.
• Neal Gregerson, junior, Sioux Falls. Majors: Physics, Chemistry. Mentor/advisor: Eric Wells. Funding: National Science Foundation. Location: Augustana.
• Coral Hanson, sophomore, Andover, Minn. Major: Chemistry. Mentor/advisor: Jetty Duffy Matzner. Funding: National Institutes of Health and Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network. Location: Augustana.
• Mercedes Hodges, junior, Welcome, Minn. Major: Biology. Mentor/advisor: Mark Larson. Funding: National Institutes of Health andBiomedical Research Infrastructure Network. Location: Augustana.
• John Hokanson, senior, Cottonwood, Minn. Major: Biology. Mentor/advisor: Greg Shearer. Funding: National Institutes of Health and Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network. Location: Sanford Research.
• Rachel Hurley, senior, Canton. Major: Chemistry, Biology. Mentor/advisor: Mayo Clinic faculty. Location: Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
• Bailey Jackson, sophomore, Sioux City, Iowa. Major: Chemistry. Mentor/advisor: Barrett Eichler. Funding: National Science Foundation and Northern Plains Undergraduate Research Center. Location: Augustana.
• Bethany Jochim, senior, Pierre. Major: Physics. Mentor/advisor: Itzik Ben-Itzhak. Funding: DOE/National Science Foundation. Location: Kansas State University.
• Brian Juber, senior, Worthington, Minn. Major: Biology. Mentor/advisor: Jason Petersen. Funding: National Institutes of Health and Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network. Location: USDSSM/Avera Research Institute.
• Taylor Kapsch, junior, Sioux Falls. Major: Chemistry. Mentor/advisor: Bijoy Dey. Funding: National Science Foundation and Northern Plains Undergraduate Research Center. Location: Augustana.
• Marissa Kern, senior, Porter, Minn. Major: Biology. Mentor/advisor: John Cisar. Funding: National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research. Location: National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD.
• Connor Lamberson, senior, Marshall, Minn. Major: Chemistry. Location: Vanderbilt University.
• Laura Leckband, senior, Ocheyedan, Iowa. Major: Biology. Mentor: Jill Weimer. Funding: Sanford Program for Undergraduate Research. Location: Sanford Research.
• Cody Lensing, junior, Mounds View, Minn. Majors: Chemistry, Biology. Mentor/advisor: Jared Mays. Funding: Sanford Program for Undergraduate Research. Location: Augustana.
• Luke Lynass, junior, Sturgis. Major: Biology. Mentor/advisor: Craig Spencer. Funding: Biology Department. Location: Augustana.
• Paul Mallory, junior, Fairmont, Minn. Major: Biology. Mentor/advisor: Paul Egland. Funding: National Institutes of Health and Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network. Location: Augustana.
• Jamie Martin, senior, Valley City, N.D. Majors: Computer Science, Business Administration. Mentor/advisor: Dan Swets. Funding: NASA. Location: Augustana.
• Kayla Mehlhoff, senior, Sioux Falls. Majors: Spanish, Education. Mentor/advisor: Dan Swets. Funding: NASA. Location: Augustana.
• Daniel Mickelson, senior, Pipestone, Minn. Majors: Physics, Math. Mentor/advisor: Eric Abraham. Location: University of Oklahoma.
• Jackie Miles, junior, Tea. Major: Biology. Mentor/advisor: Jennifer Gubbels. Funding: National Institutes of Health and Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network. Location: Augustana.
• Huy Nguyen, senior, Vietnam. Major: Chemistry. Mentor/advisor: Jetty Duffy Matzner. Funding: Sanford Program for Undergraduate Research. Location: Augustana.
• Megan Overlander, senior, Circle Pines, Minn. Major: Biology. Funding: Research Assoc. Location: University of Minnesota.
• Ben Parsley, junior, Flandreau. Major: Chemistry. Mentor/advisor: Duane Weisshaar. Funding: Chemistry Department. Location: Augustana College.
• Anne Pfeifle, sophomore, Rapid City. Major: Chemistry. Mentor/advisor: Jetty Duffy Matzner. Funding: National Institutes of Health and Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network. Location: Augustana.
• Chris Rallis, senior, Sioux Falls. Major: Physics, Math. Mentor/advisor: Eric Wells. Funding: National Science Foundation. Location: Augustana.
• Dane Rasmussen, sophomore, Aberdeen. Major: Biology. Mentor/advisor: Paul Egland. Funding: National Institutes of Health and Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network. Location: Augustana.
• Rachel Reynen, senior, Aberdeen. Major: Biology. Mentor/advisor: Karen Munger. Funding: National Institutes of Health and Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network. Location: USDSSM/Avera Research Inst/VA.
• Hannah Rogers, junior, Plymouth, Minn. Majors: Physics, Math, Chemistry. Mentor/advisor: Drew Alton. Funding: State of South Dakota. Location: Augustana.
• Natalie Ronning, senior, Rapid City. Majors: Biology, Chemistry. Mentor/advisor: Steve Matzner. Funding: U.S. Department of Agriculture and ARAF. Location: Augustana.
• Kristina Roth, junior, Sioux Falls. Major: Biology, Bus Administration. Mentor/advisor: Jennifer Gubbels. Funding: National Institutes of Health and Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network. Location: Augustana.
• Heidi Senst, senior, Aberdeen. Major: Biology. Mentor/advisor: Michael Chaussee. Funding: National Institutes of Health and Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network. Location: University of South Dakota, Sanford School of Medicine, Vermillion.
• Jared Soundy, junior, Sioux Falls. Majors: Biology, Interdepartmental. Funding: BIG Summer Institute. Location: Harvard-MIT, Division of Health Science and Technology.
• Matt Stoker, senior, Norwalk, Iowa. Major: Computer Science. Mentor/advisor: Dan Swets. Funding: NASA. Location: Augustana.
• David Swanson, junior, St. James, Minn. Majors: Math, Chemistry. Mentor/advisor: Drew Alton. Funding: Research Corp. Location: Augustana.
• Kyle Tamminga, senior, Rochester, Minn. Major: Biology. Mentor/advisor: Kristi Egland. Funding: National Institutes of Health andBiomedical Research Infrastructure Network. Location: Sanford Research.
• Kenan Tokmic, senior, Sioux Falls. Majors: Chemistry, Physics. Mentor/advisor: Aaron Wright. Funding: National Science Foundation and Northern Plains Undergraduate Research Center. Location: Pacific Northwest National Labs.
• Nathan Truex, junior, Sioux Falls. Major: Chemistry. Mentor/advisor: Bijoy Dey. Funding: Augustana Viste Fellowship. Location: Augustana.
• Kayla Vastenhout, junior, Dell Rapids. Major: Chemistry. Mentor/advisor: Jared Mays. Funding: National Institutes of Health and Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network. Location: Augustana.
• Ashley Weber, junior, Cold Spring, Minn. Majors: Biology, Spanish. Mentor/advisor: Kristi Egland. Funding: Sanford Program for Undergraduate Research. Location: Sanford Research.
• Kelly Wong, sophomore, Custer. Major: Biology. Mentor/advisor: Fathi Halaweish. Funding: National Institutes of Health and Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network. Location: South Dakota State University, Brookings.
• Megan Ziemek, senior, Stillwater, Minn. Majors: Math, Secondary Education. Mentor/advisor: Dan Swets. Funding: NASA. Location: Augustana.
• Erika Zetterlund, sophomore, St. Cloud, Minn. Major: Physics. Mentor/advisor: Barbara Szczerbinska. Funding: National Science Foundation. Location: Dakota State University, Madison.
• Kevin Zogg, sophomore, Albert Lea, Minn. Major: Chemistry. Mentor/advisor: Duane Weisshaar. Funding: Chemistry Department. Location: Augustana College.