Mentoring

To ensure that ASCEND Scholars become outstanding biomedical researchers, ASCEND pairs faculty lead mentors and near-peer mentors with Scholar research teams. The mentors guide and assist the Scholars with their team-based projects. The faculty mentors and near-peer mentors also guide the Scholars in professional development and in enhancing their critical thinking, strategic planning, organizational and leadership skills.

View information about Mentor Training Workshops.

Lead Mentors (listed alphabetically by last name)

Paul Archibald, PhD

Assistant Professor, Social Work (former)
Team Project: The Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety in Collegiate Athletes

 

Justin Bonny, PhD

Assistant Professor, Psychology (former)
justin.bonny@morgan.edu
Team Project: Effect of sleep quality on attention
Profile: https://jbonny2.wixsite.com/caprlab

 

Terra Bowen-Reid, PhD

Associate Professor, Psychology
terra.bowenreid@morgan.edu
Team Project: College African American Male Freshmen and Their Media Influenced Perceptions of Female Sexual Objectification

 

Charlene Chester, PhD

Assistant Dean for Student Services, College of Liberal Arts
charlene.chester@morgan.edu
Team Project: Family Structure, Health and Academic Performance of students at an HBCU

 

Anthony Estreet, PhD

Faculty, Social Work
anthony.estreet@morgan.edu
Team Project: Does stress play a role between non-medical stimulant use and risky behaviors?

 

Craig Ferris, PhD

Professor, Psychology and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Director, Center for Translational Neuroimaging
Northeastern University
c.ferris@northeastern.edu
Team Projects:
(1) The Effect of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on the Hippocampus and Amygdala of Adolescent and Adult Rats 
(2) The Effects of Different Modes of Marijuana Use on the Brain
Profile: https://web.northeastern.edu/ctni/facultystaff/

 

Maryam, Ganjavi, PhD

Assistant Professor, Nutritional Sciences
maryam.ganjavi@morgan.edu
Team Project: Perceived Distress and its Relationship to Cognition and Food Choice in College Students

 

Christine Hohmann, PhD

Professor, Biology
christine.hohmann@morgan.edu
Team Project: The Effect of Sleep Deprivation on Learning and Memory.

 

Farin Kamangar, MD, PhD

Associate Dean and Professor
School of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences
farin.kamangar@morgan.edu
Team Projects:
(1) Intervention to reduce alcohol consumption in first year college students at an HBCU
(2) Identifying sources of stress among first generation traditional college aged students in an HBCU

 

Niangoran Koissi, PhD

Lecturer, Chemistry
Niangoran.Koissi@morgan.edu
Team Project: Solvent-Free Microwave Synthesis of Metal Organic Framework (CAU-10) with Anti-cancer Drug (Gemcitabine).

 

Mollie Lange, MA

Senior Research Associate, ASCEND Center for Biomedical Research
Team Project: Effects of chronic marijuana exposure on the adolescent rodent brain

 

Yuejin Li, PhD

Assistant Professor, Biology
yuejin.li@morgan.edu
Team Project: The Effect of Fluoxetine use in Pregnancy on Fetal Cardiovascular Abnormalities in Rats

 

Ming Liu, PhD

Oyster Genomics Researcher, Patuxent Environmental & Aquatic Research Laboratory (PEARL)
ming.liu@morgan.edu
Team Project: Identification of Salinity Genes in Crassotrea (Oysters)

 

Marciea McMillian, PhD

Associate Professor, Teacher Education and Professional Development
marciea.mcmillian@morgan.edu
Team Project: Adolescents experiences of parental divorce and its effect on stress levels as college freshman
Profile: http://mcmillian.socialpsychology.org

 

Simon Nyaga, PhD

Assistant Professor, Biology
simon.nyaga@morgan.edu
Team Project: Efficacy of Anti-cancer drugs in glioma carrying BRAFV600E mutation

 

Alexandr Samokhvalov, PhD

Assistant Professor, Chemistry
Alexandr.Samokhvalov@morgan.edu
Team Project: Solvent-Free Microwave Synthesis of Metal Organic Framework (CAU-10) with Anti-cancer Drug (Gemcitabine)

 

Payam Sheikhatari, MD, MPH

Professor, Public Health
payam.sheikhatari@morgan.edu
Team Projects: 
(1) MSU students' perception of a smoke-free campus policy
(2) Testing of Acetone sensory devices for stages of diabetes diagnoses

 

Viji Sitther, PhD

Associate Professor, Biology
Viji.Sitther@morgan.edu
Team Project: Microcystin toxin production: Microcystis aeruginosa and anabaena cylindrica

 

Dawn Thurman, PhD

Assistant Professor, Social Work
dawn.thurman@morgan.edu
Team Project: Childhood Trauma and Social Functioning among College Students

 

Jocelyn Turner-Musa, PhD

Chairperson and Associate Professor, Psychology
jocelyn.turnermusa@morgan.edu
Team Project: Sexual assault and academic success among students at an HBCU

 

Ingrid Tulloch, PhD

Assistant Professor, Psychology and Director of the Rodent Research Facility
ingrid.tulloch@morgan.edu
Team Project: Assessing the Relationship between Frequent Exposure to Community Violence and Desensitization among Students in a Historically Black College/University
Profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ingrid_Tulloch2

Near-Peer Mentors

Research has shown the positive influence of near-peer mentors in research training. Near-peer mentors (in our case, MSU graduate students and some undergraduate seniors) are trained to work with ASCEND students.

The near-peer mentors' roles and responsibilities include:

• Assisting with selection of research topics
• Assisting with accessing online and other library resources
• Assisting with writing proposals and assignments.

Selection of near-peer mentors is based on their:

• Knowledge in health research fields
• Didactic skills
• Written and verbal communication skills
• Synergy with their own educational development plan

Cohort 1 (2015-2017)

Name: Elana Levine (MS)
Team Project: Family structure, health and academic performance of students at an HBCU

Name: Ebele Oranuba (MD, DrPH)
Team Project (1): Sexual assault and academic success among students at an HBCU
Team Project (2): MSU students' perception of a smoke-free campus policy.

Name: Loretta Anankwaah (BSc)
Team Project (1): Identifying sources of stress among first generation traditional college aged students in an HBCU.
Team Project (2): Testing of Acetone sensory devices for stages of diabetes diagnoses.

Name: Paris Adkins-Jackson (PhD)
Team Project: Intervention to reduce alcohol consumption in first year college students at an HBCU.

Cohort 2 (2016-2018)

Name: Tabatobi Behnam (PhD)
Team Project: Microcystin toxin production: Microcystis aeruginosa and anabaena cylindrica

Name: Sandra Oguwole (BSc)
Team Project: Efficacy of Anti-cancer drugs in glioma carrying BRAFV600E mutation

Name: Oluwatoyin Ajayi (MPH)
Team Project (1): Effect of sleep quality on attention
Team Project (2): Adolescents experiences of parental divorce and its effect on stress levels as college freshman

Name: Eric Boorman (MSc)
Team Project: Does stress play a role between non-medical stimulant use and risky behaviors?

Cohort 3 (2017-2019)

Name: Ebele Oranuba (MD, DrPH)
Team Project: Childhood trauma and social functioning among college students

Name: Adekunle Adejumo (MPH)
Team Project: The effect of fluoxetine use in pregnancy on fetal cardiovascular abnormalities in rats

Name: Kelly Boham (BSc)
Team Project: The effect of sleep deprivation on learning and memory

Name: Atia Sharmeen (MBBS)
Team Project: The prevalence of depression and anxiety in collegiate athletes

Name: Oluwatoyin Ajayi (MPH)
Team Project: College African-American male freshmen and their media-influenced perceptions of female sexual objectification

Name: George Anyumba (DrPH)
Team Project: College African-American male freshmen and their media-influenced perceptions of female sexual objectification

Name: Kaveh Emdad (BSc)
Team Project: The Effect of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on the hippocampus and amygdala of adolescent and adult rats

Cohort 4 (2018-2020)

Name: Givania Griffin (BSc)
Team Project (1): Assessing the relationship between frequent exposure to community violence and desensitization among students in a historically black university
Team Project (2): Perceived distress and its relationship to cognition and food choice in college students

Name: Kaveh Emdad (BSc)
Team Project: The effects of different modes of marijuana use on the brain

Name: Opuruiche Ibekwe (MBBS, MPH)
Team Project (1): Solvent-free microwave synthesis of metal organic framework (CAU-10) with anti-cancer drug (gemcitabine)
Team Project (2): The effects of different modes of marijuana use on the brain

Name: Oluwatoyin Ajayi (MPH)
Team Project: Assessing the relationship between frequent exposure to community violence and desensitization among students in a historically black university

Name: Kelly Boham (BSc)
Team Project: Identification of salinity genes in crassotrea (oysters