Current Scholars

Meet the first-year cohort from the class of 2028

The Coulter Scholars Program is structured in two main phases. In the preparatory phase, which includes the Class of 2028 scholars, first-year and sophomores are focused on laying the groundwork for their future projects. During this time, they will explore a variety of research methods and to help them identify the focus of their work. They will also receive guidance from the Scholars Programs team to develop and refine their project proposals, which they will ultimately carry out during their junior and senior years with the goal of producing a meaningful outcome by graduation.

Melissa Ballesteros (she/her) is from Texas and plans to study Biomedical Engineering. At Dartmouth, she wants to get involved with the Latine and Caribbean Council, Consult Your Community, and Minority Association of Pre-Health Students. She would also like to travel abroad, preferably to Latin America.

Sidney A. Crockett (he/him) is from West Virginia and plans to focus on Public Health. He would love to do club soccer as well as maybe participate in ROTC. He looks forward to getting on the slopes and FINALLY learning to properly snowboard, and he would like to write for People Places Pines to share his experience at Dartmouth.

Kris Garcia (he/she/they) is from Texas and hopes to double major in Biology (with concentrations in Ecology and Botany) and Music. They are interested in all things botanical, mechanical, music theory, board games, and generally anything that captures their intellectual curiosity. At Dartmouth, they hope to get involved with the Organic Farm, the STEM Educator Partnership, the Robotics team, and the Symphony Orchestra.

Violet V. Cueva-Flores (she/her) is from California and plans to study Mathematics and/or Computer Science. She hopes to join the DOC and stay active through snow sports (which she has never done before).

Meet the third-year cohort from the class of 2026

For the project phase, the Class of 2026 scholars have already embarked on their STEM research projects. These scholars, selected in the summer of 2024, entered the program with their own project proposals. Now, they are actively working on these projects, utilizing their experiential learning grants to carry out their plans. 

Sonia Meytin (they/them) 
Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of gene expression in ovarian mouse models
Faculty mentors: Britt Goods, ENGS and Soni Lacefield, MED

Shahidullah Dost (he/him)
Complex Neural mechanisms of learning in social networks
Faculty mentor: Alireza Soltani, PSYC

Victoria Ruiz (she/her)
Investigating the mechanism and effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Faculty mentors: Douglas Van Citters, ENGS and Afton Limberg, ENGS

Christian Nyamekye (he/him)
Enhancing reading comprehension through gaze-aware reading-aid for the browser
Faculty mentor: Tim Tregubov, COSC