2024 Provost's Scholars
Peter is a Biology major with minors in Biochemistry and Great Texts. His medical aspirations stemmed from missional work overseas, clinical exposure, and an ever-growing desire to serve his Houston community. Peter has conducted research at Hope Biosciences, a stem cell facility in Houston, in Dr. Dwayne Simmons' neurodegenerative research lab at Baylor, and most recently at the Department of Infectious Disease at MD Anderson under Dr. Issam Raad. He serves as the president of the Christian Pre-Health Fellowship and, through his Honors thesis, hopes to bridge the metaphysical pursuit of truth with his scientific background. After obtaining his MD, Peter aims to do two things: conduct clinical research as an attending physician and medically serve both overseas and locally.
CN Profile: https://www.thecn.com/PB744
Aron Basurto is a Senior from El Paso, Texas studying Medical Humanities and minoring in Business Administration. He has previously worked with Waco Family Medicine as an intern and research assistant. His research focused on the impact Centering Programs at Federal Qualified Health Centers have on pregnancy and childbirth. Aron serves as Finance Chair and Student Senator in Baylor’s Student Government, President of Sigma Alpha Epsilon – Texas Theta Chapter, Senior Baylor Experience and Admissions Representative, Teaching Assistant, and office worker for the Medical Humanities Department at Baylor University. Aron was also named as the 2022 Fraternity Man of the Year for his leadership skills, advocacy, and pivotal role in dramatically increasing the service opportunities across campus. In the summer of 2022, Aron studied abroad at Christ Church in the United Kingdom where he developed his interest in global health. He has most recently completed Baylor's Fellowship for Religion and Social Life in Washington D.C. where he was a biomedical ethics intern for the John J. Lynch center for Ethics focusing on policy research. After graduation in May of 2025, Aron plans to pursue a graduate program in the Netherlands for Global Health or a master's in healthcare policy before pursuing a career in public and global health.
CN Profile: https://www.thecn.com/AB3204
Sarah Beno is a senior Biology major with a minor in Chemistry. She’s an Honors student currently working on her thesis on organ tissue proteomics in Dr. Solouki’s chemistry lab. After graduating, she is pursuing a PhD in Biochemistry to become a research director for industry labs. In the spring of 2024, she was awarded the Barry Goldwater Scholarship, a national award for excellence in undergraduate STEM research. She also serves as a Biology student ambassador and works for Baylor's recruitment events such as Invitation to Excellence and Scholar's Day. She is excited be a Provost's Scholar and continue to spread her passion for research and science with her community.
CN Portfolio link: https://www.thecn.com/SB2618
Felise Bressler is a senior University Scholars major concentrating in Neuroscience, Psychology, and Sociology. In the Summer of '24, she conducted neuroscience research at Weill-Cornell Medicine in the lab of Dr. Kristen Pleil. At Baylor, Felise works as an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Jacques Nguyen's lab studying the neurobiological basis of addiction. She is also a McNair Scholar and Pre-Health Research Scholar, both of which support her passion for biomedical research and mentoring other undergraduates in research. Aside from research, Felise advocates for mental health education as the President of Active Minds. She also works as a tutor for high school students experiencing homelessness in Waco through The Cove to promote continued education. After graduation, Felise plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Neuroscience to research the neurobiological basis of psychiatric disorders.
CN Profile: https://www.thecn.com/FB384
Connor Cabot is a senior from Wake Forest, North Carolina. He is a double major in English and Spanish. He has studied abroad in Argentina, conducted linguistic research with Dual Language Programs in Waco primary schools, and worked as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI). His passion for teaching and the Spanish language intersect at the Master of Arts in Teaching degree at Baylor, which he will finish in December 2025. His career aspirations include educational leadership, opening a school in South America, becoming a polyglot, and giving a TED talk.
CN Profile: https://www.thecn.com/CC2779
Mike Chapple is a senior William Carey Crane Scholar from Jones, Oklahoma double majoring in Political Science and Philosophy with a pre-law designation. He is a member of the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core and Honors Program where his thesis “New Natural Law in Theories of Adjudication” is directed by Dr. Thomas S. Hibbs. On campus, he serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Baylor Undergraduate Law Review, Student Body Attorney General, and competes on the nationally-ranked Baylor Undergraduate Moot Court Team. Mike was the recipient of the Stuart E. Rosenbaum Memorial Scholarship for Baylor in Oxford study abroad, is an inaugural fellow of the Baylor in Washington Fellowship for Religion and Social Life and was selected to attend the Witherspoon Institute held at Princeton University. He currently works in the Office of the Dean at Baylor Law School as an undergraduate assistant and has previously worked for the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. In the Spring of 2024, Mike was named a finalist for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship. Upon graduation, Mike hopes to pursue a Juris Doctorate and become an accomplished jurist.
CN Profile: https://www.thecn.com/MC8525
Maggie Cielesz is a Political Science and Philosophy double major with a minor in History and a Certificate in Global Engagement. She is a student in both the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core and Honors Program. During the summer of 2023, she interned at the Religious Freedom Institute in Washington, D.C. on the Mayborn Scholarship. Following that summer, she spent her junior fall semester abroad at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland studying continental philosophy and international relations. This past summer, she interned with the City of Waco on the Baylor Summer Engage Fellowship researching ways to address issues of homelessness. Maggie has also virtually interned with the U.S. State Department Office of International Religious Freedom and participated in American Enterprise Institute's Summer Honors Program. After graduation, Maggie plans to attend graduate school and work towards a PhD in political theory in order to work at the intersection of public policy and academia.
CN Profile: https://www.thecn.com/MC8490
Annalise Cornett is a senior Elementary Education major with additional concentrations in Educational Psychology, English as a Second Language, and Gifted Education, from Fairfax, VA. While interning full-time in an elementary school this year, she will also be studying for her teaching licensure exams. Outside of her schoolwork and teaching, Annalise is a camp director back home in Virginia, the President of the Baylor Swim Club, a Student Ambassador for the School of Education, and a leader in Highland Baptist Church’s college ministry. Last year, she worked as a research assistant in the Department of Educational Psychology. After she graduates from Baylor she hopes to teach abroad and pursue a graduate degree to become a curriculum specialist in schools, developing and implementing differentiation practices for diverse student populations. She looks forward to engaging with other passionate students as a Provost’s Scholar.
CN Profile: https://www.thecn.com/AC2634/v/annalisecornettcn/290629
John Austin DeLozier is a junior from Orange County, California studying political science, sociology, great texts, and classics at Baylor University. He has previously worked as an investigative legal intern for the Kanawha County Public Defender’s office, a research assistant to Baylor’s Undergraduate Sociology Program Director, and a tumbling and acrobatics coach. To his delight and distress, he has many interests. For example, he is a contributor to a monograph examining the social implications of new spatial computing technologies, is working on a conference paper regarding Haitian Liberation Theology, and has published several poems in various literary magazines. He enjoys cross-disciplinary conversation and community-building. On campus, he is an officer in Eta Sigma Phi, the Pulse Undergraduate Research Journal, a super-secret Dead Poets Society, and a Residential Assistant.
CN Profile: https://www.thecn.com/JD1209
Lily Dickenson is a History and Political Science major from St.Louis, Missouri. In the summer of 2024, Lily was funded by the Shepherd Higher Consortium on Poverty Program to intern with Catholic Charities of Louisville in Migrant and Refugee Services. Her internship primarily focused on resettling migrants and refugees in addition to researching the resources available for displaced people seeking refuge in the United States. Additionally, Lily has served as a teacher’s assistant in the “Learning for the World” course and supervised Baylor Students teaching English as a Second Language and Citizenship classes. She has worked as an ESL assistant and Citizenship tutor for three years and has a passion for citizenship and immigration policy. Ultimately, Lily hopes to work in academia and specialize in Immigration Policy.
CN Profile: https://www.thecn.com/LD877
Emma Firminger is a senior from Seattle, WA. She studies communication ethics across the philosophy, religion and professional writing and rhetoric departments. She in the University Scholars program, has served on Honors Residential College leadership within the academic committee, and recently chartered Digital Humanities Club, now serving as co-chair. Her professional focus is on the intersection of ethics and expression in technology, and she previously interned on the communications and public engagement teams at the Oversight Board, the independent content moderation review board for Meta. After graduation, Emma hopes to further engage ethical digital culture while establishing a supplemental writing career.
CN Profile: https://www.thecn.com/EF507
Emma Freemyer is a senior University Scholar at Baylor University, concentrating in Great Texts and Classics, with a minor in Philosophy. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in either Classics or Philosophy, driven by her passion for academia and her honors thesis, which critiques critical pedagogy and defends classical education. Emma currently works as a research assistant for Dr. Daniel Watkins on a project examining missionary literature from the 16th-17th centuries. She has also worked at the Institute for Studies of Religion and collaborated with Dr. Matt Anderson on the '100 Days of Dante' project as a Content Creator and Social Media Coordinator. Active in the William Carey Crane Scholars Program, Emma fosters discussions on faith and academics. Her academic experiences include studying at Oxford's Wycliffe Hall and completing a semester at St Andrews University. Emma's dedication to teaching is evident in her role at The Cottage School and as a UNSC Mentor for Baylor University Scholars. She looks forward to further contributing to the scholarly community through her research and teaching.
CN Profile: https://www.thecn.com/EF506?preview
Kaitlyn is a Senior All-Level Special Education major and will be an intern at a local elementary school this year. Outside of school, Kaitlyn has had field experiences working with children with autism as a research assistant and a registered behavior technician. She also enjoys representing the School of Education as a student ambassador. During her time here at Baylor, Kaitlyn added a History minor and studied history abroad in the United Kingdom. After graduation, Kaitlyn hopes to be a special educator and get her master's in educational psychology to be a better advocate for students with disabilities. Right now, she looks forward to collaborating with students at Baylor as a Provost Scholar.
CN Portfolio: https://www.thecn.com/KG1075
Abigail Ingram is a Political Science major with a minor in History. Her Honors Program thesis focuses on the use of gastronomy in diplomacy. During the summer of 2024, Abigail was a Hudson Institute Political Studies Fellow. While in Washington D.C., she studied politics, philosophy, and history. At Baylor, Abigail has served as a Transfer Student Mentor and a Welcome Week Leader. During the summer of 2023, she participated in the Baylor in Oxford study abroad program and the following semester she served as a Study Abroad Student Leader. She is a member of both Pi Sigma Alpha and Tau Sigma honor societies. After graduation, Abigail intends to pursue a master's degree in diplomacy and international affairs.
CN Profile: https://www.thecn.com/AI565/
Sarah Sohail Jewanee is a senior majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in Biochemistry from Houston, TX. She aspires to pursue a Ph.D. in neuroscience and build a career in academia. For the past three years, Sarah has been involved in the Nguyen lab, where she is leading a project investigating opioid-induced changes in metaplasticity in both contingent and non-contingent drug exposure. As a first-generation college student, Sarah is committed to passing her knowledge forward. She is a McNair Scholar, a First in Line Student Ambassador, a Well-being Ambassador, and serves as the Vice-President of the Neuroscience Student Association. Additionally, she is a TA for the Foundations in Medical Research course and a student worker at the Center for Microscopy and Imaging and the Molecular Biosciences Center, where she trains both undergraduate and graduate students in various microscopy and lab techniques.
Beyond her academic pursuits, Sarah is passionate about working with children. On weekends and holidays, she volunteers at a camp for kids with chronic illnesses and serves as an officer for Moment of Magic, where she brings joy to children by playing Princess Jasmine at local events in Waco and in Dallas area children's hospitals!
CN Profile: https://www.thecn.com/SJ2235
Theodora John Milton is a senior from Minneapolis pursuing a Corporate Communication degree and double minoring in Business Administration and Public Relations at Baylor University. She is a member of the Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society. She is a two-time nominee for the Women in Leadership Conference at Rice University ('23, '24), the Baylor Leadership Summit ('24), and LeaderShape Catalyst at TCU ('24). Outside of the classroom, she is the VP of Marketing for the Baylor Activities Council, where she designs and delivers large-scale events for campus-wide outreach. In her past three years at Baylor University, she has worked closely with a wide array of organizations: IFC, UGC, AKPSI, TWN, Panhellenic, NPHC, Multicultural Affairs, Intercultural Affairs, Women in Business, Active Minds, Scholars of Finance, PRSSA, AMA, ISSA, Facetime with God, and SAIV. Theodora has served as Co-VP for The Women's Network during its inaugural year on campus to help women develop their professional skills, inviting accomplished women in their professional careers to network and mentor. From her background in tutoring and now mentoring fellow students, Theodora hopes to continue working with students from diverse backgrounds. Theodora aims to contribute to education reform in underserved communities as someone impacted by education. With a Master's in Teaching from Rice University as her goal, she aims to become a professor and advocate for underrepresented students.
CN Profile: https://thecn.com/TJ697
Leah Kalinoff is a senior Neuroscience major from Woodbury, Minnesota. She spent half of this summer working as a medical scribe and the other half studying at The National School of Tropical Medicine. She currently serves as an undergraduate research assistant for Dr. Schnitker’s Science of Virtues Lab. Passionate about sustainability and community empowerment, Leah is also an aquaponics specialist at Urban REAP, where she plays a key role in advancing the organization’s mission to combat environmental degradation and support vulnerable communities. She is also a part of the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core. Last year she was a part of the Community-Based Global Learning class and was able to serve as a TA for an ESL class at La Puerta. After graduation, Leah plans to pursue a master’s degree in biomedical science, followed by medical school.
CN Profile: http://thecn.com/LK854
Alaina Le is a senior Biology major (Pre-Med) with a Civic Interfaith Studies minor from Lafayette, LA. She is also a member of the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core program. Through her studies of the sciences and humanities, she has developed a love for the interdisciplinary nature of global and public health, leading her to choose a major concentration in Global Health. During her sophomore year, she hosted an HPV Vaccination campaign on campus and then contributed to cervical cancer prevention initiatives at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center during a summer internship. This past summer, she studied abroad through the BIC in South Korea, which allowed her to learn more about Korean culture and broaden her global perspective. After graduation, she aspires to pursue a Medical Degree and Master of Public Health with current interest in primary care. Alaina hopes to integrate the sciences and humanities in her practice to serve people equitably and compassionately.
CN Profile: https://www.thecn.com/AL1954
Nathan Lee is a senior from Eastvale, California studying Political Science major with a minor in Legal Reasoning and Analysis on the Pre-Law track and will graduate in December 2024. This past summer, Nathan returned to Washington D.C. with the Baylor in Washington Summer Fellowship on Religion and Social Life where he participated in intensive seminars on the intersection of politics, religion, and society, while interning at the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition with the Chinese Communist Party. In Fall 2023, Nathan was a part of the Baylor in Washington Semester Program with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Additionally, he studied at the American Enterprise Institute’s Summer Honors Program during David French's seminar on "American Unity and the Promise of Pluralism" and interned at the district office of Assemblymember Bill Essayli during the Summer of 2023. Nathan is involved in Model United Nations, the William Carey Cranes Scholars Program, the Alexander Hamilton Society, Moot Court, and the American Enterprise Institute’s Collegiate Network where he recorded an episode of the Campus Exchange Podcast with Senior Fellow Zack Cooper on China and Competition in the Indo-Pacific. Nathan is also a part of the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core, as well as the Honors Program, where he is currently writing his senior undergraduate thesis on a case study of Employment Division v. Smith and its relation to the Founding Fathers’ conception of religious liberty.
CN Profile: https://www.thecn.com/NL861
Annie Jo Piet is a senior University Scholar with concentrations in Psychology and Neuroscience and minors in Educational Psychology and Classics. She has volunteered as a research assistant in the Mind-Body Medicine Research Laboratory at Baylor and will be joining the Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Laboratory this year. She completed an internship during her junior year at the Waco Center for Youth, where she assisted the Habilitation Department with recreational therapy activities for adolescent psychiatric patients. This experience in the Waco community led her to pursue more community involvement outside of Baylor, and during the summer she volunteered in an adult ESL classroom and is excited to continue her classroom experience in the fall. She will also participate as a Teach for America Ignite Fellow for the fall semester where she will tutor underserved children. Her plans for after graduation include pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in neuropsychology.
CN Profile: https://www.thecn.com/AP2344
Abigail Pitts is a Medical Humanities major minoring in Biochemistry at Baylor University. She has worked in Dr. Aaron Wright’s chemical biology lab since October 2022. As part of her work there, Abigail has researched environmental effects on the gut microbiome and the synthesis of chemical probes for proteomic functional analysis. Her current work is exploring the mechanisms of intestinal mucin degradation as part of microbe-host interactions. Upon graduation, Abigail plans to pursue a Ph.D. in chemical biology to further incorporate her scientific interests and passion for public health.
CN Profile: https://www.thecn.com/AP2339
Isabelle Russo is a Medical Humanities major on the pre-medical track with minors in Biology and Greek and Roman Studies. Her interdisciplinary interests include philosophy, literature, Classical antiquity, theology, and ethics, with a specific focus on applications to medicine. Isabelle has had the opportunity to extend her learning over the past two summers by studying abroad in Italy and France and by attending a week-long conference on spirituality and medicine at Cambridge University. Her examination of medicine from a humanities standpoint has been complemented by her foundation in the biological sciences. As an Undergraduate Researcher in Dr. Aaron Wright’s multidisciplinary lab at Baylor University, she has gained experience in Biology, Organic Chemistry, and Microbiology research. Isabelle will be attending medical school next fall where she intends to utilize her science and humanities-based background to better understand human health.
CN Profile: https://www.thecn.com/IR300/v/022924ir/935367
Emma Shoemaker is a Science Research Fellow, concentrating in Biology and Biochemistry. She is passionate about context-specific solutions for patient treatment, taking into account individual metabolic processes as well as environmental modulators of health. She is currently working in the Human Evolutionary Biology and Health Lab under Dr. Samuel Urlacher on campus, developing new gut biomarker analyses to optimize the study of environmental enteric disease in school-age children. Furthermore, as Co-Founder of the Medical Anthropology Society at Baylor University, she has created a platform for hosting medical anthropology learning activities for the Baylor Pre-Health Community, initiating unprecedented interdisciplinary discussions between the Anthropology and Pre-Health Studies departments. In addition to her work at Baylor, she interned at the MD Anderson UT Health Center under Dr. Jennifer Wargo during the Summer of 2024, leading the characterization of the host microbiota of melanoma patients in order to augment individual response to immunotherapy. Upon graduation, she plans to pursue an MD/PhD to continue her study of personalized medicine in relation to the gut microbiome in order to better serve pediatric populations in her community and on an international scale. As a Provost Scholar, she is an ardent mentor for incoming freshman and transfer students and looks forward to developing community scholarship alongside her peers.
CN Profile: thecn.com/ES1429
Liberty Tucker is a senior Cell and Molecular Biology Major with a minor in English. She is passionate about improving patient care, treatment, and resources for those with chronic illnesses. She has been an Undergraduate Research Fellow for the National Institutes of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases since 2023 focusing specifically on Type 1 Diabetes. This past summer, she was a research fellow at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis where she researched T cell activation in the autoimmune response of Type 1 Diabetes with different antigenic epitopes under Dr. Xiaoxiao Wan. This past school year, she was a Teaching Assistant for the Baylor University Undergraduate Laparoscopic Surgery Lab where she had the privilege of mentoring freshmen and sophomore students through a yearlong research project with the aims of improving efficiency of laparoscopic surgery. This upcoming year, she will be a Teaching Assistant for the Prehealth Mentors and PHP 1105: Foundations of Medicine course. In this role, she will help guide freshmen pre-medical students as they start on their journey to get into graduate school and support them to achieve their professional goals. After graduation, Liberty plans to pursue an MD/PhD program to become a physician scientist and continue to bridge gaps between resources and treatment plans for Type 1 Diabetics.
CN Profile: https://www.thecn.com/LT1025
Ava Watson is a senior Biology major concentrating in Molecular Cell Biology with a minor in Biochemistry. Originally from Huntsville, Alabama, she has dedicated her academic and extracurricular efforts to improving healthcare access and advancing STEM education for underserved global communities. Alongside Dr. Marty Harvill, Ava co-founded the international branch of the iBEARS (Inclusive Biologists Exploring Active Research with Students) program. This initiative allows Baylor undergraduates to teach science to elementary students in Valladolid, Mexico, through weekly Zoom sessions during the school year. In the summer of 2024, Ava was an iBEARS Abroad Fellow, where she taught elementary science in Yucatán, Mexico, while also researching interventions in STEM education and interest development. Ava has also participated in various student organizations and volunteered on medical service trips throughout Latin America. She aspires to attend medical school and research global health issues, particularly focusing on how STEM education influences disparities in healthcare access. Ultimately, Ava aims to become a pediatric surgeon, providing medical care to underserved communities worldwide.
CN Profile: thecn.com/AW1700
Ella Whatley is a senior University Scholar concentrating in Statistics, Spanish, and Biochemistry with a secondary major in Statistical Science. As a Baylor Engage Fellow and TA for Learning for the World, she has enjoyed volunteering in English as a Second Language classes at McLennan Community College for the past two years. Through the relationships she has formed with ESL students, many of whom are Spanish-speaking immigrants, as well as through weekly volunteering at Waco Family Medicine, Ella has seen the language barriers that non-English speakers face in the Waco community. To address these barriers, she plans to earn her Spanish medical interpreter certification and pursue a medical degree. Her other academic and research interests focus on global health and vaccine development. This past summer, Ella was an OEL Summer Fellow, earning her a grant to study the molecular mechanisms of Chagas disease infection on murine tissues at the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. Throughout medical school and her future career as a physician, Ella aspires to concentrate on global health research and advocacy for underserved populations.
CN Profile: https://www.thecn.com/EW766/v/provostscholarswebsite/197160
Isabella Zárate is a fourth-year Honors student at Baylor University, double majoring in International Studies and Environmental Studies, with a minor in Poverty Studies and Social Justice. As Head Delegate of Baylor's Model United Nations Team and a Student Director of the LEAD LLC program, Isabella actively engages in cross-cultural understanding, climate change advocacy, and international relations. Last Spring, she studied abroad in Madrid, Spain, to further her global perspective on U.S. policies. Isabella’s dedication to marginalized communities is evident through her internships with environmental non-profits and government agencies over the past two years, where she has focused on advocacy, community education, and transparent dialogue. Overall, she aims to pursue a career as a Foreign Service Officer, strengthening diplomatic relations and supporting climate change mitigation efforts worldwide.
CN Profile: https://www.thecn.com/IZ109