MEET OUR 2026-2027 PEER MENTORS!
The Peer Mentoring Program is designed to provide support to undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing research and inquiry. Our peer mentors are wonderful undergraduate and graduate students who represent active researchers and role models from FAU's colleges and partner campuses. If you are interested in participating in undergraduate research or have questions related to how you can get started in research please email one of the mentors in your college to set up a time to meet. Mentors are available to meet in person or virtually. The Peer Mentor page can tell you more about how YOU can become a mentor too!
To meet with a Peer Mentor, visit them during their , or send them an email to set up an appointment. Similarly, you can connect with our Peer Mentors during one of the scheduled workshops; click here for more information on the OURI Peer Mentor Workshop Series.
| Peer Mentor Names | College | Peer Mentor Email Address |
| Brielle Walter | Arts and Letters | briellewalte2023@fau.edu |
| Kayla Ahlness | Broward Campus | kahlness2020@fau.edu |
| Suhaan Mahtani | Business | smahtani2023@fau.edu |
| Lauren Maier | Education | Lmaier2024@fau.edu |
| Suniyah Sohail | Engineering and Computer Science | ssohail2025@fau.edu |
| Cristal Auger | FAU High | cauger2022@fau.edu |
| Valentina Campos | Jupiter Campus | vcampos2023@fau.edu |
| Jack Meyer | Medicine | jmeyer2023@fau.edu |
| Kanaa Clarke | Nursing | clarkek2023@fau.edu |
| Jake Thornberry听 | Prestigious Fellowships | jthornberry2022@fau.edu |
| Bella Moon听 | Science | imoon2024@fau.edu |
| Sarah Roldan | Social Work and Criminal Justice | sroldan2023@fau.edu |
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Peer Mentor Bios
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Brielle Walter
College & Major: College of Arts and Letters; Languages, Linguistics, and Comparative Literature (LLCL) with Certificates in TESOL and Undergraduate Research
Research Interest(s): Speech and language development, Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), effects of sleep and rest on the speech motor skill, early literacy
Hobbies/Fun Facts: Reading, trying new foods, babysitting, dogsitting, & decorating cakes
Previous OURI Program Involvements and Awards: F-LEARN Program Alumni, F-LEARN Peer Mentor, Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Fellow, Undergraduate Research Grant Recipient, Undergraduate Research Symposium Presenter (2nd Place People鈥檚 Choice Award)
Email:
briellewalte2023@fau.edu听听
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Kayla Ahlness
College & Major: College of Science; PhD in Integrative Biology
Research Interest(s): Animal conservation, behavioral ecology, data science, citizen science, and biological education听
Hobbies/Fun Facts:听
Previous OURI Program Involvements and Awards:
Email:
kahlness2020@fau.edu听听
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Suhaan Mahtani
College & Major: College of Business; International Business with a minor in Business Law
Research Interest(s): The Economic Impact of Urban Mining in America
Hobbies/Fun Facts: Painting, Basketball, Wood Engravings Previous OURI Program
Involvements and Awards: Undergraduate Research Symposium Presenter
Email:
smahtani2023@fau.edu听 听
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Lauren Maier
College & Major: College of Science; Neuroscience and Behavior
Research Interest(s): Examining the effectiveness of the newly developed BRIDGE program in supporting transition-aged individuals with autism, excitation/inhibition (E/I) balance of the neurotransmitters glutamate and GABA activity in the brains of individuals with autism Hobbies/Fun Facts: running, listening to music, watching movies with my roommate, and cooking and baking Previous OURI Program Involvements and Awards: F-LEARN Program Alumni
Email:
Lmaier2024@fau.edu听
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Suniyah Sohail
College & Major: College of Engineering and Computer Science; Biomedical Engineering
Research Interest(s): Neuropsychiatry/Neuroscience Hobbies/Fun Facts: Crocheting, watching shows Previous OURI Program Involvements and Awards: F-LEARN Program Alumni, Undergraduate Research Symposium Presenter
Email:
ssohail2025@fau.edu
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Cristal Auger
College & Major: Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College; Biology and Data Analytics 听
Research Interest(s): Neurotransmitter signaling, Protein modeling, Bioinformatics and AI analysis Hobbies/Fun Fact: Cross-stitch, hiking, and thrifting Previous OURI Program Involvements and Awards: Undergraduate Research Grant Recipient, Undergraduate Research Symposium Presenter, Wilkes Honors College Symposium Presenter
Email:
cauger2022@fau.edu听
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Valentina Campos
College & Major: Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College; Cellular Neuroscience 听
Research Interest(s): Extracellular matrix, synaptic pruning, and neuronal plasticity听 Hobbies/Fun Fact: Reading, spending time with friends, and playing tennis Previous OURI Program Involvements and Awards: Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Fellow
Email:
vcampos2023@fau.edu听 听
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Jack Meyer
College & Major: College of Science; Biological Sciences听 |
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Kanaa Clarke
College & Major: College of Science; Biological Sciences
Research Interest(s): Disease Ecology & One Health听 Hobbies/Fun Fact: Reading, Kayaking, Going to the movie theater, Learning how to crochet, Spending time with family/friends Previous OURI Program Involvements and Awards: Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Fellow
Email:
clarkek2023@fau.edu听
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Jake Thornberry
College & Major: Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College; Neuroscience
Research Interest(s): Pain neuroscience, neuroinflammation, the neural mechanisms of chronic and migraine-associated pain听 Hobbies/Fun Fact: Watching movies, listening to music, going to the gym, and going scuba diving Previous OURI Program Involvements and Awards: Undergraduate Research Grant Recipient
Email:
jthornberry2022@fau.edu听听
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Bella Moon
College & Major: College of Science; Biological Sciences with a minor in Environment and Society
Research Interest(s): Water Quality, Marine Botany, Environmental and Sustainability Initiatives Hobbies/Fun Fact: Snorkeling, Paddleboarding, Shelling, Cooking Previous OURI Program Involvements and Awards: F-LEARN Program Alumni, F-LEARN Peer Mentor (2025-Present), Undergraduate Research Symposium Presenter
Email:
imoon2024@fau.edu听
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Sarah Roldan
College & Major: College of Arts and Letters; History
Research Interest(s): Central America, women and gender, the Hispanic experience, assimilation, and political science Hobbies/Fun Fact: Martial arts, reading, Model United Nations, writing, and music Previous OURI Program Involvements and Awards: Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Fellow, Undergraduate Research Symposium Presenter
Email:
sroldan2023@fau.edu听
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