2021-22 Presidential Scholars

Maya Cottone is a Psychology major preparing for a career in research and provision of treatment services in the field psychology. She is currently the lab coordinator of Dr. Lynch’s psychopathology and physiological neural response research lab and contributes to research with Dr. Allen on the psychology of happiness. She is a volunteer for the Pathways Peer Advocacy Program and a volunteer at Little Portion Friary, a homeless shelter in Buffalo, New York. Additionally, Maya is a yoga teacher for the non-profit Yogis in Service specializing in classes for adults with disabilities; and is a student employee at the campus Starbucks. She is a member of the Royal Lady Knights, a local service and social sorority. After Geneseo, she plans to attend graduate school in the field of psychology.

Jillian DeMaria is an Anthropology and Sociomedical Sciences dual major with a minor in Human Development. On campus, Jillian is a member of the Women's Club Rugby Team, Phi Lambda Chi Sorority, Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, the Anthropology National Honor Society Lambda Alpha, the Student Coalition for Migrant Workers, and Partners in Health. At GREAT Day 2020, Jillian presented an independent research project comparing the mortality rates of tuberculosis in urban and rural areas of New York State before antibiotics and vaccines were introduced during the 19th century. This upcoming intercession, Jillian will be working as Dr. Kristi Krumrine’s Research Assistant in Coba, Mexico where she will be studying the human growth and development of mothers and their children. Along with that, Jillian will be joining Dr. Ganie DeHeart’s Sibling Peer Research Group as a lab assistant in the Latinx Coding Group. She will also become a member of the Anthropology Department’s Peer Mentorship this upcoming fall as well. After graduating from Geneseo, Jillian hopes to attend graduate school and earn a Master’s degree in Public Health.

Yannis Dimitroff is a Biology major with a minor in Political Science. He has been conducting research with Dr. Gregg Hartvigsen and the Biomathematics Innovation Group (BIG) with his most recent work on analyzing the spread of COVID-19. With his help, BIG was able to win a TRAC Research/Creative Grant to aid in purchasing a computer for the research lab. With this new computer, he was able to test different COVID-19 vacation strategies in a population by using an SIR model; he later presented his findings at the 2021 GREAT Day event. He has also been a Supplemental Instructor (S.I) for General Chemistry I and II for four semesters. Also, he is an active volunteer at the Geneseo Fire Department responding to emergency calls in the Geneseo area. In addition, Yannis has volunteered at the Syracuse Veteran Affairs Hospital where he would engage with veterans and hospital staff in setting up activities to work with patients' mental and physical health.

Arianna Falletta is a Biology major with a minor in Mathematics preparing for a career in medicine. She currently researches with Dr. Travis Bailey using mutants to uncover the regeneration pathway of retinal cells in zebrafish. Arianna is a mentor in the Geneseo Opportunities for Leadership Development (GOLD) program and will be taking on the role of Chief Promotional Manager next semester. This semester, she has taken on the GOLD community service project of community lesion, and coordinated a pen pal program with the NYS Office for People of Disabilities. She has also served as the USAEC Chair this past year and was responsible for leading and administering all SA-sponsored, campus-wide elections throughout the academic year. Additionally, she has been a member of the Geneseo Swimming and Diving team since her freshman year. Outside of campus, Arianna volunteers at the Teresa House, a comfort care home for the terminally ill.

Cassidy Jones-Goucher is a Psychology major with minors in Spanish and the Edgar Fellows Honors Program. She conducts research in Behavioral Neurotoxicology with Dr. Vincent Markowski of the Psychology and Neuroscience departments, which focuses on the longitudinal effects of prenatal and perinatal exposure to different psychoactive drugs. Additionally, Cassidy serves as a Head Research Assistant under Dr. Ganie DeHart of the Psychology department, where she leads the Latinx Cultural Group and has helped spearhead a project focusing on adolescent use of sarcasm. Cassidy is also an active member of Sigma Gamma Phi and is the chief founder of the Nu Rho Psi Neuroscience Honors Society which aims to be established in Fall 2021. After graduating from Geneseo, Cassidy hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Developmental Neurotoxicology to examine the long-term neurological and behavioral effects of prenatal exposure to psychiatric medications and produce research that will alter how medical professionals prescribe these medications to children and teens.

Riley Grossman is an Applied Mathematics major with minors in Economics and the Edgar Fellows Program. His primary interests are data science and machine learning. This past spring, he did a directed study with Dr. Douglas Baldwin on machine learning and algorithmic bias. He presented his research at GREAT Day. He also received the Geneseo Foundation’s Undergraduate Summer Fellowship so he can research machine learning models and attempt to apply those models to cross country race results. Outside academics, Riley is a member of both the Geneseo cross country and track and field teams. He is a captain of both teams. He has qualified for the NCAA Championships twice and has been a member of six teams that have won SUNYAC Championships. After graduation, Riley plans to attend graduate school to pursue a graduate degree in data science.

Michael Kleinlercher is a History and International Relations double major with a minor in the Edgar Fellows program and a concentration in the Developing World. He studied abroad in Japan through Rikkyo University during the summer of 2019, and in the summer of 2020 he attended and presented at the 72nd Japan-America Student Conference. During the summer of 2021, Michael held internships at Sayegh Law firm and the Japan Society in Manhattan. While attending Geneseo, Michael held roles on both Student Senate and College Senate, and has been a member of the executive board for the Japanese Culture Club at Geneseo. He is also a student board member on the Campus Auxiliary Services Board of Directors. Outside of school, you can find Michael pursuing his passions for bike riding, skiing, and education. Post-Geneseo, Michael hopes to partake in the JET program and pursue a master's degree in International Relations.

Kaitlin Miron is a Mathematics and Adolescence Education: Mathematics major with minors in the Edgar Fellows Honors Program and German. She is a member of Pi Mu Epsilon and Phi Beta Kappa honor societies. On campus, Kaitlin tutors mathematics for the Access Opportunity Programs and is a member of the Committee for AOP Tutoring Support. After spending her sophomore year as a member of the Academic Rights and Advancement Committee of the Undergraduate Student Senate, she took on and developed a new executive board position, the Geneseo Community Representative, where she was tasked with enhancing the relationship between Geneseo Village leadership and the Student Senate. She also spent the spring semester of her junior year as a Resident Assistant in Wayne Hall. Come fall, Kaitlin will student teach, and she could not be more excited to apply the knowledge and skills she has learned in her courses in a real classroom setting.

Alissa Moeller is a History major with minors in American Studies and Museum Studies. On campus, she is the president of History Club and works as a tutor at the Writing Learning Center. In the History Department she has served as a research assistant and a teaching assistant, and is also a member of the Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society. Alissa has received numerous awards for her writing, most recently including the Val Rabe Prize for Best 400-Level Paper and the Bill Derby Award for Best History 302 Paper from the History Department, as well as the Research Paper category in the English Department’s 2021 Writing Contest. Much of her research focuses on environmental history, and during her senior year she will be completing a directed study on the topic. During the summer of 2021 Alissa will serve as an intern with the Long Island Museum and the Vanderbilt Museum. In her free time, she enjoys playing the viola and volunteering with an animal rescue. 

Katherine Rodgers is a Communication major with a concentration in Journalism and Media. On campus, she is a member of Sigma Delta Tau, a national service and social sorority. In this, she serves as the Diversity Equity and Inclusion chair, working to educate her chapter about local and national social issues. Next year, she will also serve as the Professional Development chair, hosting workshops to help her sisters get the professional opportunities they deserve. Kate is very passionate about art and communications, and combines these topics in many of her endeavors. She is the Photo Editor of the Lamron, responsible for all newspaper photo shooting, editing, and decisions. She received the Ambassador Apartments Excellence In Journalism scholarship in spring 2021, as well as a Student Association merit award, both for photojournalism. Her passion project is an Instagram account named @geneseocameraroll, which started as a place to display her photos of Geneseo during the pandemic lockdown, and has since become a source of news, commentary, and photojournalism for thousands of students and alumni. Kate has served as a teacher’s and research assistant for the Communications department, and is especially interested in the ways that social movements and social values are reflected in media. After she graduates, she may look into a master’s degree in communications, or continue on to creative opportunities and positions in the media industry. 

Vincent Scalcione is a Biology major with a minor in the Edgar Fellows Honors Program preparing for a career in medicine. For his CAPstone project, he does research with Dr. Jani Lewis on Vulvar cancer cells. He obtained a Geneseo Foundation Undergraduate Full-time Summer Fellowship to continue this research during the summer of 2021. He earned the Mary McNeilly Bennett Memorial Scholarship Endowment Award in October of 2020. Vincent is an active member of the Supplemental Instructor (SI) Program, and has served as an Organic Chemistry SI for 3 semesters. He has worked as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) and is currently an ambulatory technician at UR Medicine Vascular Care in Geneseo. Vincent is a member of Christ Community Church, InterVarsity and Men’s Group. He is president of Ping Pong Club in South Hall and a member of the Green Environmental Organization. In October of 2020, as a member of Eco House in Monroe Hall, Vincent organized a sustainability “Caps for Kids” event in which over 700 bottle caps were collected around campus. These caps will have alphabet letters written on them and be sent to Guatemalan schools to be used to teach students to read and write. 

Isaac Schiller is an English major with a concentration in Literature and minors in French and the Edgar Fellows Honors Program. He has written for MiNT and Blank magazines. Isaac enjoys literature-related research, and plans to engage in much more of it in his future career, as he aspires to become a professor. He is involved in Geneseo’s Pride Alliance, the Alliance for Community Enrichment as a representative for Pride, and Hillel. The principles of equity and inclusion, particularly within academia, are important to him, and he believes in advocating for his peers. When it’s nice out, Isaac likes to go outside to look at frogs and other animals. He enjoys hiking, and his favorite place to hike is Letchworth State Park. 

Bri Wellenzohn is a Psychology major with a minor in sociology. Since her sophomore year, she has served as a mental health advocate for Geneseo’s Pathways, a peer-to-peer based program that offers emotional support for students. In Pathways, she holds the social media chair and works on the advertising committee to spread the word about their mission and services. Bri has used her knowledge and skills accumulated throughout her internship at a Manhattan-based mental health clinic to grow as an advocate to serve Geneseo’s campus. She works as a research assistant for Dr. Whitney Brown’s SURE lab, focusing on understanding the interplay between substance use and emotional regulation among college students. She worked as a teaching assistant her sophomore year for an adolescent development course, and as a teaching intern during her junior year for a social psychology course. Bri is also a member of Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society. Additionally, she has held the sustainability chair for Delta Phi Epsilon, working to make the organization a more environmentally-conscious group. In her free time, she dances for Slainte, Geneseo’s Irish dance team, where she is the president of the club. After graduation, Bri hopes to attend graduate school to pursue a master’s degree in social work. 

Luis Yanez is a dual Physics and Mathematics major with a minor is Political Science. He is a McNair scholar and currently serves in various roles, including member of the Mathematical Association of America, the Society of Physics Students, the ΣΠΣ Physics Honors Society, College Senate, and as vice chair of the Student Association Academic Affairs Committee. In the past, Luis has had the opportunity of serving as vice chair of both the Student Association Student Senate and Student Senate Student Rights and Affairs Subcommittee, working with faculty in both the Chancellor’s Excellence Award and Registrar Search committees, and tutoring students in the Physics Learning Center. Luis is very passionate about engaging in the campus community, and aspires to advance the greater world through the leadership skills gained at SUNY Geneseo. Currently, he researches black hole inspirals and the production of gravitational waves with Dr. Thomas Osburn, and plans to pursue a PhD in theoretical astrophysics after graduation.