Undergraduate Researchers Represent Georgia Tech at the 2025 ACC Meeting of the Minds

Five students whose research bridges boundaries were selected to represent Georgia Tech at the 2025 ACC Meeting of the Minds Undergraduate Research Symposium. Their fields range from inorganic chemistry to information retrieval in financial documents, from nanoscale 3D Printing to nanoparticle drug delivery systems to narrative game design. Some boundaries are physical, such as when Brooke Chambliss moves between the wet and dry research spaces in the lab, and some are disciplinary, such as Arnav Hiray’s application of computational methodology to Congressional hearings and their influence on financial markets. In every case, these students’ research projects aim for innovative solutions to questions at the forefront of scientific and technological achievement. 

Dr. Laura Williams, Director of Undergraduate Research, and Dr. Courtney Hoffman were encouraged by quality of candidates this year; 51 undergraduate researchers were nominated for the Meeting of the Minds by their faculty mentors. “Georgia Tech undergraduate students produce high-quality research in many different fields, and so much of their research is interdisciplinary. This is an exceptional group of students to showcase undergraduate research and scholarship on our campus,” says Dr. Williams. Dr. Hoffman concurs: “We are privileged to learn about students’ work during the Meeting of the Minds selection process; all Tech students are excellent and our job of selecting participants gets more difficult every year.” 

The University of Pittsburgh is the host for this year’s Meeting of the Minds on March 29.

Mariah Castillo

Mariah Castillo is a Fourth-year Chemistry major studying earth-abundant transition metal catalysis with Dr. Jake Soper. In collaboration with Andrew Hill, a Ph.D. student in the lab, Mariah is studying how reoxidation reactions can create new synthetic pathways for commonly used chemicals. These types of reactions are usually done by both toxic and expensive rare metals, so Mariah and her team are attempting to bridge the gap by finding alternatives that are cheaper, more effective, and eco-friendlier. “Research has allowed me to dive into difficult concepts, explore different areas and also experience the impact that research can have on the world,” Mariah says, adding that her work has inspired her to pursue a graduate degree in Chemistry. 

Brooke Chambliss

Brooke Chambliss is a fourth-year Biomedical Engineering major studying the applications of medical imaging and nanotechnology in stem cell therapy with Dr. Stanislav Emelianov. Along with her PhD student mentor, Anamik Jhunjhunwala, Brooke’s research explores how using magnets can aid in drug therapies. In the joint BME and ECE lab work, they create gold and iron nanoparticles, each having a unique shape, which they can then monitor through ultrasound-guided photoacoustic imaging. Brooke identifies their research as finding solutions to two problems: monitoring therapeutic applications as well as retaining those therapies at sites where they are most effective. “Undergraduate research is one of the best opportunities on campus to work on something larger than yourself and contribute to a team,” she says; “Working in a joint Electrical Engineering (ECE) and Biomedical Engineering (BME) lab has allowed me to dive into the multidisciplinary aspects of research. By bridging the two fields together, I am a part of valuable work being conducted to improve medical outcomes.” 

Arnav Hiray

Arnav Hiray is a 4th-year double major in Industrial Engineering and Mathematics studying Applications of Mathematics and Machine Learning in Finance with Dr. Sudheer Chava. His recent work revolves around Congressional committee hearings and their effect on the energy market. Using computational methods, particularly Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques which rely on text to create and understand insights in data, Arnav’s research aims to increase the amount of quality data available to researchers to better understand the impact of political discourse, such as that within the US House Committee on Energy and Commerce. This work helps to bridge gaps in existing data sets within the NLP community, as well as to bridge the boundaries of Congressional hearings and financial markets to understand how energy markets react to Congress. “My work provides an excellent opportunity for me to apply what I have learned from my classes to real-life, fascinating problems,” Arnav say. “As you delve into a challenging yet fascinating problem, you may find that you are discovering more questions than answers - that's how you know you're in the right spot.” 

Jocelyn Le

Jocelyn Le is a 4th-year Computational Media major studying the use of serious (video) games as a tool for advocacy with Dr. Allegra Smith. Video games are a site for narrative and decision-making to allow players to engage in situations to which they might not normally be exposed. By using anecdotal data gained through consultation, interviews, and secondary research, Jocelyn has created a game that challenges players to empathize with characters and be educated about the effects of various modes of gender-based discrimination. She is bridging boundaries between people’s lived experiences through her game creation, helping to share stories and spread joy. "I strive to represent unsung stories through my research by bridging the gap between researchers and people outside of traditional academic spheres,” Jocelyn says. “Representation is crucial for marginalized communities, both as a way of sharing and preserving their stories and as a way to build empathy amongst the larger social groups they are situated in." 

Harry Watkins

Harry Watkins is a 2nd-year Computer Engineering major studying nanoscale 3D printing with Dr. Sourabh Saha. One of the problems with nanoscale 3D Printing, Harry talks about how expensive the process is – this means the parts manufactured are more expensive than gold. Because this type of 3D printing has the potential for many applications, including in microfluidics and inertial fusion, the research bridges several fields and has a large scope. Harry’s VIP team is attempting to speed up a very slow process, as well as make it cheaper. By hacking the problem, Harry and his team, which he led last semester, was able to use a much less expensive optical pickup unit to make their machine more affordable, even while being able to achieve a smaller scale than others had in the past; they got their 3D printing down to a resolution of 1 micron. "Nano is the future,” Harry claims, “3D printing is how we build it.”