Undergraduate Research Ambassadors

Undergraduate Research Ambassadors are available to speak about their research experiences through UCARE, how to find a faculty advisor, and how to apply for funding.

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Meet the Ambassadors

UCARE Ambassadors
Front row: Kourtney Meysenburg, Vicki Liu, Celeste Labedz
Second row: Lee Kreimer, Schuyler Chambers, Adrienne Ricker
Third row: Morgan Mallisee, Daniel Rico, Kevin Real
Not pictured: Boqiang Tu

Kourtney Meysenburg

  • Hometown: Lincoln, NE
  • Major: Classics and Religious Studies; English
  • Year in school: Senior
  • Random fact: I love reading the Garfield comic strip.
  • Most memorable moments as a UNL student: Finishing my UCARE website and putting it online to be publically viewed.
  • On-campus activities: Sigma Alpha Iota - UNL's Women's Music Fraternity (Vice President).
  • Plans after graduation: Graduate school for a master of science in education and become a school librarian.
  • Hobbies/interests: Reading and watching movies (especially fantasy and historical fiction); drawing; Greek mythology; digital humanities.

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Vicki Liu

  • Hometown: ShenYang, China
  • Major: Biochemistry
  • Year in school: Senior
  • Random fact: My favorite color Skittle is green.
  • Most memorable moments as a UNL student: Moving into Neihardt freshman year.
  • On-campus activities: Omicron Delta Kappa, research under Dr. Bin Yu in the School of Biological Sciences, lab worker at a gnotobiotic mouse facility on East Campus, Launch Leadership.
  • Plans after graduation: Taking a gap year to travel before pursuing professional schools.
  • Hobbies/interests: Reading, bike riding, crafts and art, listening to music, TV shows.

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Celeste Labedz

  • Hometown: Lincoln, NE
  • Major: Physics and Geology
  • Year in School: Senior
  • Random fact: I can sing the periodic table of elements.
  • Most memorable moments as a UNL student: When I realized that being a scientist really is within my reach.
  • On-campus activities: Mortar Board, Society of Physics Students, AAPG Student Chapter, Students of Earth and Atmospheric Science, and various research projects.
  • Plans after graduation: I will attend graduate school and work toward a research career in geophysics, likely in either seismology or planetary science.
  • Hobbies/Interests: Science fiction, hiking, sitcoms, gender issues in STEM fields.

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Lee Kreimer

  • Hometown: Lincoln, NE
  • Major: Global Studies/Spanish
  • Year in school: Senior
  • Random fact: I love to bake apple pies.
  • Most memorable moments as a UNL student: My study abroad trips to Turkey and Spain!
  • On-campus activities: I am a member of the EN Thompson Scholars and the Honors Program.
  • Plans after graduation: After graduation, I am considering teaching abroad, various internships, and law school.
  • Hobbies/interests: I am a big animal lover! I ride my horse, Molly, regularly. I also teach therapeutic riding lessons to handicapped children and adults. In addition to animals, I love sports, reading, sewing, and traveling.

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Adrienne Ricker

  • Hometown: Minot, ND
  • Major: Geology and Biological Sciences
  • Year in school: 5th Year Senior
  • Random fact: I love trying new foods and finding small, hole-in-the-wall restaurants. I recently found an Ethiopian restaurant and it was delicious.
  • Most memorable moments as a UNL student: It's all been memorable!
  • On-campus activities: National Residence Hall Honorary; College of Arts and Sciences Ambassador, University of Nebraska State Museum Ambassador, McNair Scholars Program.
  • Plans after graduation: Continuing my education in a PhD program in evolutionary biology.
  • Hobbies/interests: Board games, hiking, camping.

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Morgan Mallisee

  • Hometown: Des Moines, IA
  • Major: Nursing
  • Year in school: Senior
  • Random fact: I've never broken a bone!
  • Most memorable moments as a UNL student: Going to football games at Memorial Stadium.
  • On-campus activities: Tutor, Student Nursing Association.
  • Plans after graduation: Apply to graduate school to pursue a degree in nursing anesthesia.
  • Hobbies/interests: Watching Netflix, running, hanging out with friends and family.

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Daniel Rico

  • Hometown: Omaha, NE
  • Major: Electrical Engineering
  • Year in school: Junior
  • Random fact: I have studied abroad in Japan (world religions) and Iceland (reneweable energy) and have researched abroad in Costa Rica (tropical field research).
  • Most memorable moments as a UNL student: Tough question!!! My study and research abroad experiences; conquering Physics 211 (calculus-based classic mechanics) and Physics 212 (calculus-based electricity and magnetism) in the first and second 5-week summer session. It was a great challenge, I assure you!
  • On-campus activities: undergraduate research, McNair Scholars Program.
  • Plans after graduation: Going to graduate school.
  • Hobbies/interests: Watching movies, learning the violin, building circuits (FM radio transmitter, etc), anything nature related.

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Kevin Real

  • Hometown: Papillion, NE
  • Major: Biological Systems Engineering
  • Year in school: Junior
  • Random fact: I play Starcraft competitively.
  • Most memorable moments as a UNL student: Being inducted into the Innocent's Society.
  • On-campus activities: Innocents Society, Beta Theta Pi, UCARE, UCARE Ambassadors, Honors Program Student Advisor , UHON 198H TA, CHEM 109 TA.
  • Plans after graduation: Attend medical school.
  • Hobbies/interests: I love playing video games, working out, watching game of thrones, and I identify myself as an avid reader.

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Schuyler Chambers

  • Hometown: Los Angeles, California
  • Major: Chemistry
  • Year in school: Senior
  • Random fact: While I am from Los Angeles, California, I am actually named after the city of Schuyler here in Nebraska.
  • Most memorable moments as a UNL student: My most memorable moment at UNL was the first time I walked through the tunnel at Memorial Stadium. Walking onto the field reminded me of how exciting it is to be apart of such a devoted school and community.
  • On-campus activities: I am a teaching assistant for UNL's Department of Chemistry, and a member of both the Chemistry Club and the American Chemical Society.
  • Plans after graduation: Next year, I plan to continue onto graduate school and pursue a doctoral degree in chemistry.
  • Hobbies/interests: I love to travel in my spare time and I even studied abroad during my time here at UNL.

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