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People

Faculty

To see a list of faculty in NUTGAP, please see the Research page.

Scholars

2025 Cohort

student at a poster session
Adonis Thomas at the concluding poster session. Photo: TJ Ushing/UC Davis.
  • Jiwon Choi conducted research in Peng Ji's lab, had great adventures in weekend road trips, and now is in a PhD program at the University of Rochester.
  • Warner Davis worked with Gerardo Mackenzie and has returned to Savannah State University to complete his undergraduate degree.
  • Adonis Thomas did research in Patricia Oteiza's lab under the mentorship of Imani Muhammad (2020 Cohort). He has has returned to Savannah State University to complete his studies.
  • Olivia White joined Lauren Au's research lab for summer 2025. She will wrap up her studies at SSU and plans to apply to medical school.

2024 Cohort

  • Aanyiah Anthony worked with Lauren Au and her students studying diet and food consumption of college students in residence halls. She has returned to FVSU and is considering her next steps
  • Teray Davis conducted research in Ameer Taha’s lab, and has returned to FVSU for his junior year
  • Amaiya Murphy is off to new ventures after completing research in Gerardo Mackenzie’s lab.
    • Update: Amaiya will begin the PhD program in Nutritional Biology at UC Davis in Fall 2025.

2023 Cohort

  • Naomi Becks returned to Davis for research as a rising senior.
    • Update: After graduation, Naomi entered the UC Davis PhD program in Nutritional Biology, with funding from an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. She will be in Francene Steinberg’s lab.
  • Marie Delcy wrapped up her research in Patrician Oteiza’s lab and immediately moved to Athens, GA, to began a PhD program in Biochemistry at the University of Georgia.
  • Jaequon Henderson returned to FVSU for his junior year. He spent the summer working with Dr. Mary Kable and grad student Ste Traxler, doing fantastic work on honey consumption, enterotoxins, and intestinal health.
    • Update: Jaequon now is a MS student at the University of North Florida.
  • Maraé M. Woodson, currently a junior at Savannah State, spent the summer in the Mackenzie lab studying the effects of a high fat diet on early stages of pancreatic cancer in a mouse model.
    • Update: Maraé has been commissioned as an officer in the US Army and will be stationed in South Korea.

2022 Cohort

We had students in Davis for eight weeks of good ol’ face-to-face wet lab research, and it was marvelous.

  • Naomi Becks returned to FVSU for her junior year. She’s considering a return to UC Davis for more research in Summer 2023, this time with a focus on nutritional effects on cardiovascular disease.
  • Jaquan Hall returned to Savannah State University and is considering his options for future study.
  • Cornelius Ellington was able to come to Davis for an in-person research experience! He’s now back at FVSU and continues to consider his options for future study.
    • Update: Cornelius has entered the MS program in Animal Science at Fort Valley State University
  • Robyn Willis returned to FVSU for her junior year. She’s considering a return to UC Davis for more research in Summer 2023.

2021 cohort

  • Lindsay Anderson returned to Savannah State University and applied to doctoral programs.
    • Fall 2022 update: Lindsay is beginning a PhD program in Neuroscience at The Ohio State University. Congratulations, Lindsay! Keep UC Davis Neuro in mind when it’s time for a faculty position!
  • Cornelius Ellington returned to FVSU and is considering his options for future study.
  • LaTorrence Jeffery returned to FVSU and is considering his options for future study.
  • Nakejia Spencer graduated from Savannah State and is considering her options for future study.

2020 cohort

  • Nola Carter graduated from FVSU and has joined a graduate program at St. Leo University.
  • Razan Eldurssi returned to FVSU and is considering her options for future study.
  • Imani Muhammad returned to Savannah State University and is preparing applications for graduate study.
    • Update: Imani entered the PhD program in Nutritional Biology at UC Davis and now is a doctoral candidate in the Oteiza lab.
  • Sarry Pierre returned to Savannah State University and is considering his options for future study.

primary image: 2022 NUTGAP Scholars with Professor Gerardo Mackenzie, their research mentors, and FVSU faculty Professors Celia Dodd and Tiffani Holmes.