Student Showcase

Stratton Bacogeorge ’22

Engineering

A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Stratton was part of a three-student team that researched the use of lasers to find microscopic surface defects in silicon-carbide wafers in the Senior Engineering Design Capstone. The project was sponsored by Wolfspeed of Durham, which manufactures semiconductors used in high-tech electronics. The research, mentored by Associate Professor of Engineering Scott Wolter and Associate Professor of Chemistry Anthony Rizzuto, proved fruitful. Stratton presented the results to Wolfspeed and at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in spring 2022.

Stratton was also deeply involved in undergraduate research with Professor of Physics Ben Evans, advancing techniques to analyze and control magnetic polymers. Beginning his first year, he designed and built an automated vibrating-sample magnetometer — an instrument that sells commercially for hundreds of thousands of dollars — for about $7,000. The magnetometer will advance future physics research at Elon.

Stratton entertained competing job offers from high-profile companies during his senior year and plans to pursue a career in electro-mechanical engineering. A summer 2021 internship with Wastequip in Charlotte led to a full-time position in the waste equipment company’s engineering leadership program beginning in fall 2022.

Melissa Denish ’22

Biochemistry

A Lumen Scholar and biochemistry major from the Philadelphia area, Melissa will enroll in Thomas Jefferson University’s Sidney Kimmel Medical School this fall as she pursues a career in neurology.

In addition to her biochemistry degree, Melissa graduated with minors in psychology and criminal justice studies. She was a teaching and learning assistant for general chemistry labs beginning her sophomore year and continued in that role through her senior year, working alongside numerous chemistry faculty. Her Lumen Prize-winning research project examined Tay-Sachs Disease, a fatal neurodegenerative disease, through molecular modeling in a laboratory setting. Melissa selected the topic because the disease is more prevalent in the Ashkenazi Jewish population, bridging her Jewish identity with her professional aspirations. The project was co-mentored by Associate Professor of Biology Tonya Train and Professor of Chemistry Kathy Matera.

Melissa is a member of Phi Lambda Upsilon chemistry honor society and was active in the Elon Pre-Health Society and Elon Hillel. She was also a successful member of the Elon Mock Trial Team that advanced to the Opening Round Championship Series — the equivalent of national quarter-finals — at Georgia Tech in spring 2022.

Deena Elrefai ‘22

Public Health Studies and International & Global Studies

A Lumen Scholar and Fulbright finalist from Leesburg, Virginia, Deena double majored in public health studies and international and global studies. She was an Elon College Fellow and Periclean Scholar and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Delta Pi, Sigma Iota Rho and Kappa Omicron Nu honor societies. She also served as a bilingual campus tour guide for Elon Admissions and an Elon Challenge team leader.

Deena was among the first student researchers to participate with Elon’s Health Equity and Racism (H.E.R.) Lab, which launched in her junior year. The lab examines health care systems to unearth and remove racial barriers to care. Her Lumen research with Associate Professor of Public Health Studies Stephanie Baker relied on her Spanish minor to convene focus groups of Latin American women to study reproductive health care experiences, patient-provider communication and fetal health. In February, she presented her research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Minority Health Conference.

Through the Fulbright Award, Deena will travel to Uruguay this fall to teach English. When she returns, she plans to pursue advanced degrees in public or global health with the goal of improving health equity and outcomes.

Amy Moore ’22

Applied Math and Biostatistics

An Honors Fellow and Lumen Scholar from Hillsborough, North Carolina, Amy combined her passion for statistics with an exploration of the effects of gerrymandering on politics and voting in her home state. A double major in applied math and biostatistics, her research coincided with the redrawing of congressional districts and increased national scrutiny of the partisan process.

With her mentor, Professor of Mathematics Todd Lee, Amy wrote computer code to sort large U.S. Census data sets and computed different possibilities in creating North Carolina’s congressional districts. Modeling hypothetical elections to understand different outcomes related to how election maps are drawn, Amy used those results to assess the fairness of newly drawn state district maps.

Amy is a member of Phi Kappa Phi honor society. She minored in dance and served as president of the Elon Dance Works organization and vice president of Mu Sigma Rho statistics honor society. She participated in summer research experiences in 2020 and 2021 around disease modeling and machine learning algorithms. She enrolls at Emory University this fall seeking a Doctorate in Biostatistics with a focus on spatial statistics around geographic data and disease modeling.

Cassidy Perry ‘22

Dance Performance and Choreography

An Honors Fellow and Lumen Scholar from the Atlanta area, Cassidy achieved a broad foundation in the performing arts and entrepreneurship at Elon. Cassidy majored in dance performance and choreography and earned minors in exercise science, business administration and entrepreneurship. She also served as president of the Elon African Society and worked in the Department of Performing Arts’ costume shop.

Her Lumen research — co-mentored by Associate Professor of Dance Renay Aumiller and Associate Professor of Exercise Science Titch Madzima — focused on determining the optimal body composition for dance performance. She analyzed dancers’ body composition, musculature and core strength in tandem with qualitative analyses of their performances. The results showed that training likely has as much to do with performance as body shape and showed a path for future research. Cassidy presented at the Southeast Regional Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine Conference and the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. She is planning an international career as a professional dancer.