The LAUNCH: Undergraduate Research office welcomes the Texas A&M University students selected for the 2021-2022 cohort of The Academy of Undergraduate Research Across Texas (AURA Texas).
AURA Texas is a partnership among the offices of undergraduate research at Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Austin and their offices of Government Relations that fosters a community of elite student researchers at the two flagship universities.
12 students are selected each year from a range of disciplines:
6 from Texas A&M University
6 from University of Texas
2021-2022 Texas A&M University Members include:
Valeri Cangelosi ’22 – University Studies – Society, Ethics, and Law
Emily Curtis ’22 – Biology
Michael Lee ’22 – Statistics
Sunjay Letchuman ’22 – Business Honors
Maggie Martin ’22 – Environmental Design
Michael Pitonak ’22 – Biology
The 2021-2022 AURA Texas cohort is also joined by two alumni members. During her time as an undergraduate, Natalie Coleman ‘20 researched resilience in infrastructure systems and assessed the disparities of vulnerable populations during service disruptions. She has continued her undergraduate research as a Ph.D. student in Civil Engineering under Dr. Ali Mostafavi in the Urban Resilience Lab. During her time as an undergraduate, Cora Garcia ‘21 researched how to help declining honey bee populations through the use of proper nutrition and pathogen tolerance. She is now pursuing a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
Natalie Coleman ’20 – Civil Engineering
Cora Garcia ’22 – Biomedical Sciences and Entomology
Members of AURA Texas are selected from LAUNCH programs. These students are chosen for their contributions to undergraduate research at Texas A&M University. Many of these students participate in one of LAUNCH: Undergraduate Research’s three flagship programs: The Undergraduate Research Scholars thesis program, the Undergraduate Research Ambassadors program, and Explorations: The Texas A&M Undergraduate Journal. The LAUNCH Undergraduate Research Scholars thesis program, where undergraduate students at Texas A&M work under the supervision of a faculty advisor to create a thesis grounded in the research of their choosing. The Undergraduate Research Ambassadors program consists of student volunteers who work to inspire broader engagement in undergraduate research by educating and serving the Texas A&M University community and beyond. And Explorations: The Texas A&M Undergraduate Journal is an interdisciplinary student-run journal that showcases the most cutting-edge, original, and student-driven scholarship by undergraduates pursuing intellectual and aesthetic experiences outside of the classroom
These members of AURA Texas will represent Texas A&M University as they publicize the importance of undergraduate research and the impact this research can have on students and their future careers. AURA Texas members interact with researchers from Texas A&M and the University of Austin, as well as their faculty, their administrators, and state officials to showcase the importance of undergraduate programs that exist outside of the classroom.
(From left to right: Michael Lee, Emily Curtis, Valeri Cangelosi, Dr. Sarah Meismer, Nicole Guentzel, Natalie Coleman, Sunjay Letchuman, Maggie Martin.)
On October 15th, 2021, AURA Texas members traveled to the University of Austin. Here they attended a professional development workshop, where students learned how to effectively present their research and make the most out of conferences. They then attended a presentation over Archives and Archival research, before going to the Harry Ransom Center to observe the international collection of archives regarding art, film, and other creative works.
Digitally explore the Harry Ransom Center collections here: https://www.hrc.utexas.edu/
Let Us LAUNCH "U" into Research! 
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