Former graduate students

Anslei Foster (M.S. 2025)

Bishwa Kiran Giri (Ph.D. 2022)

Päivi Leinonen (Ph.D. 2011 -- University of Oulu, Finland.  Co-advisor with Outi Savolainen)

Päivi is currently an Information Specialist at the University of Oulu and an independent software consultant.

Richard Vestal (M.S. 2010)

Richard received his PhD in Nanoscience from the UNCG/NCA&T Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering in 2015.

Glen Acosta (M.S. 2009) 

Glen received his PhD in Neuroscience  from Purdue University in 2017.  He is now Associate Director, Pharmacology, Translational & Early Clinical Development at nChroma Bio.

Jolly Shrivastava (M.S. 2005) 

Jolly received her PhD in Bioinformatics from  UC Riverside in 2017.  She is now a Bioinformatics Scientist at mdxhealth.

Recent student news:

• December 2025:  Congratulations to Chris Pilgrim, who has received a UNCG Undergraduate Research and Creativity Award (URCA) for his undergraduate research in my lab, investigating UBP22-mediated histone modification and lncRNA regulation under abiotic stress in A. thaliana.

• December 2023:  Roxanne Rigney has completed her Master's in Addiction Research and Clinical Health at Wake Forest University!  Congratulations, Roxanne!!

• July 2023:  Undergraduate research student Nina Bravo-Chan has started a PhD program in plant molecular biology and bioinformatics at Wake Forest University.

• June 2022:  Undergraduate research student Abby Muscoreil has been accepted into a Biomedical Science Master's Program at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg, VA!

• June 2022:  Undergraduate research students Jiny Patel and Roxanne Rigney have both been accepted into the Master's Program in Biomedical Science at Wake Forest University!  Jiny will be studying in the Neuroscience program, and Roxanne in Addiction Research.