Royster Graduation Celebration 2025

Clara Busse, Ph.D.

Maternal and Child Health, August 2024

Acute care in the postpartum period: patterns of utilization and the perspectives of birthing people

Carolina H. and Thomas S. Royster Fellowship

Advisor: Alison Stuebe

“The Royster Society of Fellows has had a massive positive impact on my life! Knowing that I had five full years of funding to complete my PhD allowed me to focus on my research and professional development instead of searching for funding. I am immensely grateful for their investment in me.”

Matthew Clayton, Ph.D.

Psychology, August 2024

Social Stress Responses, Inflammatory Processes, and Risk for Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Adolescence

Carolina H. and Thomas S. Royster Fellowship

Advisor: Mitch Prinstein

“The Royster Society of Fellows has been an invaluable support throughout my doctoral studies. I have made excellent friends through the Royster Society, as well as lasting, meaningful professional connections that I hope to maintain past my graduate studies. I loved my work with Stigma Free Carolina (via my involvement with Royster), in addition to the My PhD and Me podcast series that we conducted during the pandemic. I hope I continue to stay connected to the Royster Society! Truly, thank you for everything.”

Vincent Ray Curtis, Ph.D.

Materials Sciences, August 2024

Optical Instrumentation and Methods for Animal Behavior Tracking and Modulation

William R. Kenan Jr. Fellowship

Advisor: Nicolas Pegard, Jose Rodríguez-Romaguera

“Royster connected me with resources when I needed it most and facilitated a smooth graduation. I may not have been able to graduate without this resource connection and the financial support provided by the fellowship. I am very thankful for this opportunity.”

Amanda Dale, Ph.D.

Maternal and Child Health, August 2024

Family Characteristics and Children's Access to Primary Care Before and During the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2019 (COVID-19)

Carolina H. and Thomas S. Royster Fellowship

Advisor: Angela Parcesepe

“The Royster Society of Fellows provided financial and social support throughout my doctoral degree.”

Mekhala Dissanayake, Ph.D.

Epidemiology, August 2024

Race and Racial Composition of County: Inequities in Maternal Health and HealthCare in Rural North Carolina

Lovick P. Corn Dissertation Fellowship

Advisor: Mollie Wood

“Being a dissertation fellow was a really enriching experience — I especially enjoyed getting to hear snippets of people’s research from across the university. I’m also so grateful to have had funding for the last year of my program that allowed for uninterrupted work on my dissertation.”

Chelsea Ducille, Ph.D.

Maternal and Child Health, August 2024

Association of Remittances with Skilled Delivery and Child Health in Uganda, 2015-2020

William R. Kenan Jr. Fellowship

Advisor: Kavita Singh Ongechi

“RSoF has been THE BIGGEST support to me socially, emotionally, and academically over the last 5 years. It has been a place of true fellowship with my Royster cohort and a source of support and advocacy when I felt like I was not receiving it from my own department.”

Arianne Ekinci, Ph.D.

History, August 2024

Permanent Precarity: East Turkestani and the quest for political belonging 1920-1970

Carolina H. and Thomas S. Royster Fellowship

Advisor: Michael Tsin

“The Royster Fellowship allowed me to focus on research and writing, and provided both invaluable opportunities to network with scholars across the university and a community I could turn to for guidance and feedback. Free coffee and donuts during Focus Fridays certainly didn’t hurt ;)”

Sarah Godoy, Ph.D.

Social Work, August 2024

Exploring Sexual Exploitation Initiated During Preadolescence in the United States

William R. Kenan Jr. Fellowship

Advisor: Mimi Chapman

Emily Harmon, Ph.D.

Biology, August 2024

Plasticity Minimizes Mismatch and Promotes Persistence

Carolina H. and Thomas S. Royster Fellowship

Advisor: David Pfennig

“Being a Royster Fellow has expanded my viewpoint to the types of research and important questions being addressed across an interdisciplinary range. It has also provided a great support network as I pursued my degree.”

Katharine Henry, Ph.D.

English and Comparative Literature, August 2024

“One Blood of All Nations”: American Protestant Missionaries in Early Nineteenth-Century China

Carolina H. and Thomas S. Royster Fellowship

Advisor: Philip F. Gura

“Royster was a great, positive community that supported and encouraged me and for whose funding I am very grateful!”

Heesoo Jang, Ph.D.

Media and Communication, August 2024

An Integrative Framing Study of the Public Discourse Around AI Ethics

William R. Kenan Jr. Fellowship

Advisor: Shannon C. McGregor

“I thank the Royster Society of Fellows for not only providing financial support but also for the community, which has granted me so much intellectual and personal connections.”

Chris Yun Lane, Ph.D.

Human Movement Science, August 2024

Reducing Long-Term Disability after Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury: Examining Opportunities in Those at Greatest Risk

William R. Kenan Jr. Fellowship

Advisor: Louise Thoma

“The Royster Society of Fellows has been an enriching and enjoyable experience. I have made many new friends through the events, including those in other countries from the Global conferences, and enhanced my professional development. ”

Slki Narae Lim, Ph.D.

Education, August 2024

Exploring How Primary Students Develop Computational Thinking Using Educational Robotics: A Mixed Methods Case Study.

Jessie Ball duPont Dissertation Fellowship

Advisor: Peter Halpin

“The Royster Society of Fellows provided me with the opportunity to meet and work with colleagues and build a supportive community. They helped each other and supported me through the challenging process. I loved every aspect of what the Royster Society of Fellows offered.”

Kylan Rice, Ph.D.

English and Comparative Literature, August 2024

The Costs of Cherishing

Lyle V. Jones Dissertation Fellowship

Advisor: Eliza Richards

“The Lyle V. Jones Dissertation Fellowship, awarded through the Royster Society of Fellows, gave me invaluable time and resources to focus on my dissertation during a pivotal phase. More specifically, thanks to the Royster Fellowship, I was able to write a fourth dissertation chapter, which enriched my overall project.”

Raven Smith, Ph.D.

Nursing, August 2024

A Multi-Method Approach to Understanding the Intersections of Cardiometabolic Disease, Gendered Race Based Stress, and Biological Aging in African American Women

William R. Kenan Jr. Fellowship

Advisor: Cheryl Giscombe

Caz Armstrong, Ph.D.

Environmental Sciences and Engineering, December 2024

Formation and Evolution of Isoprene Epoxydiol-Derived Secondary Organic Aerosol: Composition, Hygroscopicity, and Role of Heterogeneous Oxidation

William Neal Reynolds Fellowship

Advisor: Jason Surratt

Stephanie Betancur Grondona, Ph.D.

Nursing, December 2024

Evaluation of Environmental Services (EVS) Workers’ Risk for Occupational Exposure to Antineoplastic Drugs in Hospital Settings

Lyle V. Jones Dissertation Fellowship

Advisor: Ashley Bryant and AnnMarie Walton

Clare Marie Byers, Ph.D.

History, December 2024

Expanding Knowledge, Exploring Empire: Constructing Credibility Among English and French Readers of the Natural History and Geography of North America, 1673–1763

Joseph E. Pogue Fellowship

Advisor: Jay Smith

“The Royster Society gave me the tools and time to finish my doctoral program and dissertation in five years, with the enthusiastic support and tireless efforts of staff members who helped me figure out how to fund research, travel, work, and teaching opportunities.”

Sean McCann, Ph.D.

Pharmaceutical Sciences, December 2024

Characterizing Sources of Pediatric Pharmacokinetic Variability Through Diverse Real-World Data Sources

William R. Kenan Jr. Fellowship

Advisor: Daniel Gonzalez

Yifan Li, Ph.D.

Philosophy, December 2024

Unity of Science: A Mechanistic Approach

Carolina H. and Thomas S. Royster Fellowship

Advisor: John Roberts

“I am very grateful for the financial and administrative support RSF had provided me with during my study. In particular, I want to thank Laura, who has been a very friendly and supportive person throughout.”

Rebeca Alvarado-Harris, Ph.D.

Nursing, May 2025

The Role of Structural and Interpersonal Discrimination in Latina Mother and Child Immune Pathways

Carolina H. and Thomas S. Royster Fellowship

Advisor: Hudson Santos

“The Royster Society of Fellows has generously provided me with the freedom to focus on my research by offering invaluable financial support and creating opportunities for academic development.”

Frankie Bauer, Ph.D.

American Studies, May 2025

Joseph E. Pogue Fellowship

Advisor: Daniel Cobb

Caroline Blount, Ph.D.

German Studies, May 2025

Race and Space in 19th century German-American Literature

Carolina H. and Thomas S. Royster Fellowship

Advisor: Jakob Norberg

Umit Celik, Ph.D.

Business Administration, May 2025

Streamlining Healthcare Operations Using Causal Inference and Machine Learning

Lovick P. Corn Dissertation Fellowship

Advisor: Bradley Staats

“Royster Society impacted my life by fostering interdisciplinary thinking and providing a supportive academic community.”

Angelica Cristello, Ph.D.

Nutrition, May 2025

Use of A Priori and A Posteriori Methodologies to Inform the Development of Feasible Eating Strategies That Promote Glycemic Management in Young People with Type 1 Diabetes

Carolina H. and Thomas S. Royster Fellowship

Advisor: Elizabeth Mayer-Davis

Natalie Lynn Croitoru, Ph.D.

Business Administration, May 2025

How Resilience Makes for Tough Leaders: The Downsides of Adversity Tolerance

Carolina H. and Thomas S. Royster Fellowship

Advisor: Tim Kundro and Mike Christian

“I’m deeply grateful to the Royster Society of Fellows for its generous support, which has allowed me to pursue professional opportunities like presenting at academic conferences. This experience has enriched my education and helped me grow as a scholar by connecting with others in my field.”

Amjad Dabi, Ph.D.

Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, May 2025

Forward-in-Time Simulations in Population Genetics: Promises and Pitfalls

Carolina H. and Thomas S. Royster Fellowship

Advisor: Dan Schrider

Karishma D'Souza, Ph.D.

Health Policy and Management, May 2025

Technology, Innovation and Healthcare Markets in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Case Study of Telemedicine in India

Thomas S. and Helen Borda Royster and Snowden and Elspeth Merck Henry Dissertation Fellowship

Advisor: Sean Sylvia

Nicholas Pierce Funnell, Ph.D.

Environment and Ecology, May 2025

The Influence of Ecological Interactions and Environmental Context on Shellfish Mariculture and Restoration Outcomes in North Carolina

Henry H. Dearman Dissertation Fellowship

Advisor: Joel Fodrie

“The Royster Society broadened my academic horizons by learning about others' work and supported me financially to write my dissertation this year instead of teaching.”

Brian Lerch, Ph.D.

Biology, May 2025

Formalizing Feedback between Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior

William R. Kenan Jr. Fellowship

Advisor: Maria Servedio

“The Royster Society of Fellows provided me the freedom to follow my own interests over the course of my PhD.”

Joshua Miller, Ph.D.

Nutrition, May 2025

Differential Impacts of Water Insecurity on Diet and Body Composition throughout the Life Course

Carolina H. and Thomas S. Royster Fellowship

Advisor: Linda Adair

“The Royster Society of Fellow was a defining feature of my graduate studies. Through it, I was connected to a wonderful community of thoughtful scholars, activists, and friends who I will continue to collaborate with in my future endeavors.”

Zora Piskačová, Ph.D.

History, May 2025

Torn Men in a Torn Town: Municipal Administrators in Cieszyn and Český Těšín, 1918-1938

Ross and Charlotte Johnson Family Dissertation Fellowship

Advisor: Chad Bryant

“The Royster Society provided me with the opportunity to connect with PhD candidates from various departments during my final year at UNC. It encouraged me to think more expansively about my own research and taught me how to effectively communicate with an interdisciplinary audience. I found this training crucial in terms of the job market.”

Zara Surratt, Ph.D.

Religious Studies, May 2025

“Those Who Wear Black Dresses”: Indigenous Students, Catholic Immigrants, and Belonging at St. Francis Indian School

Sequoyah Dissertation Fellowship

Advisor: Brandon Bayne