Eighteen CAS students named 2025-26 Wentz, Purdie Research Scholars

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Media Contact: Elizabeth Gosney | CAS Marketing and Communications Manager | 405-744-7497 | egosney@okstate.edu

The College of Arts and Sciences is well represented in Oklahoma State University’s 2025-26 Wentz Research Scholars and Purdie Research Scholars awardee lists: 14 of 43 Wentz recipients are majoring in a CAS discipline, while all four Purdie scholars call CAS home.

"This is a testimony of our faculty’s dedication to undergraduate research and the leadership from the CAS Research Office,” said Dr. Camelia Knapp, CAS associate dean for research. “Dr. Rachael Eaton, the CAS program director for research engagement, dedicates endless hours to working with the students and the mentors. It pays off when we look at the success CAS has had in the last few years in placing our students in research leadership positions and making them competitive at the national level.” 

Eaton pointed out that CAS encourages students to engage with research regardless of major or discipline.

“Research is for everyone,” Eaton said. “Opportunities like the Wentz and Purdie scholarships expand opportunity for CAS students to develop vital skills through research that will strengthen not only their academic content knowledge but also the skills they will transfer into whatever path and profession the future holds.”

The Wentz Research Scholars program, supported by the Lew Wentz Foundation and the Henry Bellmon Office of Scholar Development and Undergraduate Research, awards $4,500 to approximately 40 undergraduates every year. The awards empower students to pursue independent research projects under the mentorship of OSU faculty across a wide range of disciplines.

The Purdie Research Scholarship honors the legacy of former OSU chemistry professor Dr. Neil Purdie. It provides $6,500 in funding to support undergraduate research in chemistry, geology or physics.

“CAS students have the chance to work alongside faculty scholars answering tough questions about our world, deepening our understanding of humanity and expanding our creative expression through the arts,” Eaton said. “CAS undergraduate research opportunities include scholarships like the Wentz and Purdie, plus research for course credit, paid assistant roles and volunteer options.”

Knapp added that students should take initiative to explore their academic interests and connect with faculty mentors who share their research passions.  

“Then reach out to them,” Knapp said. “Being proactive helps. The CAS Research Office is always available for one-on-one conversations and research mentoring. And we will always be here, ready to provide guidance.”

For more information on student research, visit the CAS Undergraduate Research webpage.  

2025-26 Purdie Research Scholars

• Amber Meeker (Anderson, South Carolina) – Zoology: Pre-vet 
  Project: Immune Interactions During Mycobacterium abscessus Infection in Cystic Fibrosis Models 
  Mentor: Dr. Yong Cheng, Assistant Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  Nash Nevels (Sulphur, Oklahoma) – Chemistry 
  Project: A New Approach to Indole Synthesis 
  Mentor: Dr. Richard Bunce, Regents Professor, Chemistry 
• Brancen Redman (Antlers, Oklahoma) – Geology; Global Studies 
  Project: Geochemical Insights into Cold Seeps and Methane Hydrates 
  Mentor: Dr. Natascha Riedinger, Associate Professor, Geology 
• Xander Rouk (Aubrey, Texas) – Physics, Mathematics 
  Project: Probing ΛCDM and Dark Energy Evolution Using High-Redshift Type Ia Supernovae 
  Mentor: Dr. Wenlei Chen, Assistant Professor, Physics

2025-26 Wentz Research Scholars from CAS

• Madeline Bryan (Piedmont, Oklahoma) – Communication Sciences and Disorders 
  Project: Women in the Book of Judges 
  Mentor: Dr. Ryan Armstrong, Visiting Assistant Professor, Philosophy, Religious Studies 
• Isaiah Burns (Inola, Oklahoma) – Microbiology and Molecular Genetics 
  Project: Antifungal Mechanism of Metallopeptidase 25 on Cryptococcus Neoformans 
  Mentor: Dr. Karen Wozniak, Associate Professor, Microbiology & Molecular Genetics 
• Katie Gamblin (Muskogee, Oklahoma) – Sociology 
  Project: Identifying Early Apache Sites: Rock Art and Archaeological Remains at Chancellor Ranch 
  Mentor: Dr. Stephen Perkins, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Sociology
• Audrey Hardgrave (Sachse, Texas) – Biochemistry 
  Project: Speciation and Sequestration of Manganese in Wetland Environments 
  Mentor: Dr. Julie LaBar, Assistant Professor, Environmental Science 
• Charley Johnson (Orlando, Oklahoma) – Philosophy & Computer Science 
  Project: Rethinking Identity: Approaching Race and Gender through an Ameliorative Lens 
  Mentor: Dr. Christopher Blake-Turner, Assistant Professor, Philosophy
• Emily Kohn (Tulsa, Oklahoma) – Zoology 
  Project: Quantifying Phenotypic Changes in Anole Lizards Through Scale Measurements 
  Mentor: Dr. Guinevere Wogan, Assistant Professor, Integrative Biology 
• Eric Lebar (Stillwater, Oklahoma) – Geology 
  Project: The Effect of Global Temperature Rise on Isostatic Rebound in the Yukon Fault Zone 
  Mentor: Dr. Daniel Lao-Davila, Professor, Geology 
• Kelsey Lowe (Edmond, Oklahoma) – Biology: Pre-Medical Sciences 
  Project: Determining the Role of INI-1 in Cell Proliferation 
  Mentor: Dr. Donald Ruhl, Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 
• Cora Martin (Tulsa, Oklahoma) – English Literature 
  Project: Flipping the Narrative in Transformative Works 
  Mentor: Dr. Chelsea Silva, Assistant Professor, English
• Madison Neal (Bartlesville, Oklahoma) – Biochemistry and Microbiology 
  Project: Antibiotic Resistance Gene Loss in E. coli from Livestock Operations 
  Mentor: Dr. Wouter Hoff, Professor, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
• Alexis Northrup (Tahlequah, Oklahoma) – Biochemistry, Microbiology 
  Project: Calcium Regulates Uptake of Essential Iron in Pseudomonas aeruginosa 
  Mentor: Dr. Marianna Patrauchan, Professor, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
• Parker Perry (Keyes, Oklahoma) – Political Science, Biology 
  Project: How Women's Participation Impacts Rule of Law in Post-Conflict States 
  Mentor: Dr. Holley Hansen, Teaching Associate Professor, Political Science
• Madison Smith (Owasso, Oklahoma) – Biology, Psychology 
  Project: Dual Hormone Hypothesis: Hierarchical Ranking in Male College Athletes 
  Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Byrd-Craven, Professor, Psychology
• Jodi Tarbet (Sayre, Oklahoma) – History and Sociology 
  Project: Women Pirates Tell No Tales: Investigating Historical Context and Literary Implications 
  Mentor: Dr. Richard Frohock, Professor, Associate Dean, English