Current Scholars

Kai Brantley

Kai Brantley

Kai Gurnoe Brantley is a first-generation nontraditional college student from Santa Cruz, CA. He is working towards his degree in biology with a minor in chemistry and concentrations/ certificates in honors and pre-health. 

Sofia Estes

Sofia Estes

Sofia Estes comes to FLC from Allen, Texas and is currently working with mentor Dr. Kulesza to pursue a degree in cellular molecular biology.

Megan McKinley

Megan McKinley works in a chemistry lab.

Newest recipient of the U-RISE Scholarship program. Megan McKinley is originally from New Orleans and pursuing a degree in Cellular-Molecular Biology with mentor Dr. Carlson.

Jycole Bush

URISE scholar Jycole Bush

Jycole Bush comes to FLC from Albuquerque, New Mexico and is pursuing a degree in Biochemistry. Her mentor is Dr. Shere Byrd.

Asa Laskie

URISE Scholar Asa Laskie

Asa Laskie is from Los Alamos, New Mexico and is currently working with mentor Dr. Caroline Kulezsa towards his degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology. 

Jasmine Keyes

Jasmine Keyes URISE Scholar in a chemistry lab

Jasmine came to Fort Lewis from Colorado Springs. She is currently working with mentor Dr. Kenny Miller and plans to graduate with a degree in Chemistry.


Past Scholars

Gerald Bush

Gerald Bush, MARC U*STAR scholar

Gerald Bush is from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He graduated in May 2022 with a degree in Cell and Molecular Biology. His MARC/U-RISE mentor was Dr. Steven Fenster. Gerald Bush is currently obtaining his doctoral degree in Neuroscience at the University of Miami.

Jesse Duran

Jesse Duran, MARC U*STAR scholar

Jesse Duran is from Española, New Mexico. He graduated in May 2022 with a degree in Computer Engineering. His MARC Mentor was Dr. Yiyan Li. Jesse spent some time working at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and in fall 2023 he will be starting a doctoral program in Engineering at Texas A&M University.

Ayax Anguiano

MARC U*STAR scholar Ayax Anguiano

Ayax Anguiano is from Canyon, Texas and recently graduated with a degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology. His mentor was Dr. Caroline Kulesza. In the Fall of 2022, Ayax will continue pursuing his research education at University of Colorado at Denver.

Nicole Atencio

Nicole Atencio, MARC U*STAR scholar

Nicole Atencio graduated with a degree in Biochemistry in May of 2021 and with the support of mentor Dr. Kenny Miller. 

Cassidy Hawley

MARC U*STAR scholar, Cassidy Hawley

Cassidy Hawley came to Fort Lewis from Oklahoma and graduated with a degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology in May 2021. Her mentor was Dr. Shere Byrd.

Lindsey Charley

MARC U*STAR scholar, Lindsey Charley

Lindsey Charley hails from Indiana and graduated in May 2021 with a degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology. Her mentor was Dr. Steven Fenster. Lindsey is currently employed as a Research Technician at CellChorus in Houston, Texas. 

Hannah Tsingine

Hannah Tsingine MARC U*STAR scholar

Hannah Tsingine is from Kirtland, New Mexico. She graduated from Fort Lewis College in 2020 with a degree in Cell and Molecular Biology and her U-RISE mentor was Dr. Caroline Kulesza. Currently, Hannah is obtaining her doctorate in Immunology at Johns Hopkins University as a Vivien Thomas Scholar.

Marcus Williams

Marcus Williams, MARC U*STAR scholar

Marcus Williams is from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He graduated from Fort Lewis College in 2020 with a degree in Biochemistry. Marcus went on as a PREP Scholar at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and is currently starting the Medical Science Training Program at the University of California – San Francisco where he will be working towards earning his MD and PhD degrees. His MARC mentors were Dr. Jeff Jessings and Dr. David Blake.

Alexa Dobbs

MARC U*STAR scholar Alexa Dobb

Alexa Dobbs graduated from FLC with a Chemistry degree in 2019 under the mentorship of Dr. Callie Cole. She is currently a doctoral student in Chemical Engineering at Georgia Tech University.

Victoria (Tori) Quintana

Tori Quintana, MARC U*STAR scholar

Tori Quintana is from Santa Fe, New Mexico. She graduated from Fort Lewis College in 2019 with a degree in Cell and Molecular Biology. Currently, she is a doctoral student in Cancer Biology at the University of Arizona. Her MARC mentor was Dr. Steven Fenster.

Diego Novoa

Diego Novoa, MARC U *STAR scholar

Diego Novoa is from Juneau, Alaska. He graduated in 2019 from Fort Lewis College with degree in Chemistry. Currently, he is a doctoral student in Chemistry at the University of California – Berkeley.  His MARC mentor was Dr. Callie Cole.

Sophie Mancha

Sophie Mancha, MARC U*STAR scholar

Sophie Mancha is from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She graduated from Fort Lewis College with a degree in Engineering in 2018. Currently, she is a doctoral student and National Science Foundation GRFP Fellow in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  Her MARC mentors were Dr. Jeff Jessings and Dr. David Blake.

Leandrew Dailey

Leandrew Dailey, MARC U*STAR scholar

Leandrew Dailey is from Piñon, Arizona. He graduated from Fort Lewis College in 2018 with a degree in Biochemistry. Currently, he is doctoral student in Chemical Biology at the University of California – San Francisco.  His MARC mentor was Dr. Steven Fenster.

Hollie (Wall) Dahlenberg

Wall Dahlenberg, MARC U*STAR scholar

Wall Dahlenberg is from Tulsa, Oklahoma. She graduated from Fort Lewis College in 2017 with a degree in Cell and Molecular Biology. She is completing her graduate degree in Biology at the University of Minnesota.  Her MARC Mentor was Dr. Les Sommerville.

Scholars not pictured

  • Hector Caldera (Biochemistry, 2016) - Aurum Labs - Senior Microbiologist Mentor: Dr. Kenny Miller
  • Jacob Harrison (Biochemistry 2020) – lab tech – Mentor: Dr. Yiyan Li
  • Natalie Joe (Biochemistry 2017) – Johns Hopkins – Mentor:  Dr. Aimee Morris
  • Mercedes Romero (Cellular and Molecular Biology 2019) – Mentor: Dr. Caroline Kulesza