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91���� Center for Undergraduate Research (CUGR) has announced the 2026 recipients of the CUGR and Maine Space Grant Consortium (MSGC) Summer Research Fellowships. 

The fellowships were developed to increase undergraduate student involvement in faculty-supervised research and creative activity. Winners receive $3,000 to put toward their research projects over the summer months.

The 2026 CUGR Summer Undergraduate Fellowship Recipients are:

• Abigail Bergmark, microbiology, for a project titled “Cyclic-di-GMP Effects on Candida albicans in the Presence of Fluconazole.” Bergmark will be advised by Robert Wheeler.
• Amelia Bradford, anthropology, for a project titled “Who’s Who In Biddeford, ME: The Life of 20th Century Textile Mill Workers as Told Through the Company Newspaper.” Bradford will be advised by Susan Pinette. 
• Rachel Harrington, marine science, for a project titled “PFAS Contamination and Temperature Effects on American Lobster.” Harrington will be advised by Amalia Harrington.
• Alyssa Hinderer, marine science, for a project titled “Predicting PFAS Deposition In Maine Estuaries.” The award for Hinderer, who will be advised by Margaret Estapa, was funded by Maine Sea Grant. 
• Emily Leszczewski, marine science, for a project titled “Effects of 41% Glyphosate Exposure On Behavior, Molting, And Stress Response Of Postlarval American Lobsters (Homarus americanus).” Leszczewski will be advised by Amalia Harrington.
• Tyler Lilya, marine science, for a project titled “A Novel Multi-Trophic Bio-Filter Apparatus To Remove Point Source, Anthropogenic Eutrophication From Waste Treatment Outflows.” Lilya will be advised by Timothy Bowden.
• Willow McConochie, botany, for a project titled “Assessing the Emotional Responses of Hikers to Hand Drawn Versus Generative AI Imagery of a High Alpine Species.” McConochie will be advised by Jacquelyn Gill.
• Declan Mercer, engineering physics, for a project titled “Fueling The Magnetic Machine: Applications Of Superparamagnetic Functionalization.” Mercer will be advised by Ioan-Augustin Chioar.
• Mackenzie Michaud, wildlife ecology, for a project titled “Nesting Ecology of Maine Wood Turtles.” Michaud will be advised by Matthew Chatfield.
• Emma Morrison, biochemistry, for a project titled “Antibacterial Agent Cetylpyridinium Chloride (CPC) Ironically Inhibits Immune Cell Function: Mechanisms of Action on Signaling and Cytokines.” The award for Morrison, who will be advised by Julie Gosse, was funded by the 91���� Institute of Medicine. 
• Lindsey Pellett, child development and family relationships, for a project titled “Parental ACE Scores and Family Dynamics: A Qualitative Study.” Pellett will be advised by Daniel Puhlman.
• Wyatt Perron, philosophy, for a project titled “Posing In Bondage: A Phenomenological Investigation of The Male Loneliness Epidemic.” Perron advised by Derek Michaud.
• Jayde Temby, child development and family relations, for a project titled “A Qualitative Analysis of Family Relations with Children with ASD.” Temby will be advised by Puhlman.

The 2026 MSGC Summer Undergraduate Award Recipients are:

• Berra Algul, engineering physics, for a project titled “Polar Magneto-Optic Kerr Effect Microscopy.” Algul advised by Nicholas Bingham.
• Keith Falkner, physics for a project titled “Inverse Magnetic Origami: Exploring Collective Magnetic Behavior By Unfolding Platonic Solids.” Falkner will be advised by Chioar.
• Eloise Fontaine, physics, for a project titled “Measuring Exchange Bias in Hysteresis Loops.” Fontaine will be advised by Bingham.
• Drake Grove, biomedical engineering, for a project titled “Improving CNF Processing Through Press-Assisted Dewatering.” Grove will be advised by Caitlin Howell.
• Mino Iobs, physics, for a project titled “Growth, Characterization, and Quantum Analysis of Weyl Semimetal Mn2Sn Thin Films.” Iobs will be advised by Bingham.
• Mackenzie Jones, physics, for a project titled “Creating Fe3O4 Films for Quantum Sensing & Astronomy Applications.” Jones will be advised by Bingham.
• Gavin Libby, engineering physics, for a project titled “Solar Thermal Reactor Prototype Sensor Update.” Libby will be advised by Justin Lapp.
• Benjamin Morgan, mechanical engineering, for a project titled “Education for K-8 in Manufacturing Engineering.” Morgan will be advised by Philip King.
• Alexander Thayer, physics, for a project titled “Investigating Electronic Band Structure of Cr-doped WSe2 via Vertical Magnetoelectrical Transport.” Thayer will be advised by Dinh Loc Duong.