The Office of the Provost at the University of Mississippi announced 14 new recipients of the Stamps Impact Prize for the spring 2026 cycle on April 15th. The Stamps Impact Prize is awarded to undergraduate students who exhibit elite skills in research and creative achievement and serve in community service projects.
Students who apply for the Stamps Impact Prize submit a proposal for an ongoing project, which then is reviewed by a panel in the Office of the Provost. Stamps Impact Prize recipients also receive funding for their projects to purchase supplies, travel and stipends if the student is doing work for their project over the summer months.
James Barber
Barber is a junior mechanical engineering major from Englewood, Colo. Barber’s proposal is titled “Advanced Heat Exchanger Design for Nuclear Applications.” Amitav Tikadar, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, serves as Barber’s faculty mentor.
Isabella DesOrmeaux
DesOrmeaux is a sophomore forensic chemistry major from Slidell, La., and her proposal is titled “Investigating the Ultraviolet Degradation of Organic Gunshot Residue (OGSR) for Forensic Chronology.” Damian Stoddard, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, is her faculty mentor.
DesOrmeaux elaborated on her experience working with Stoddard on her proposal.
“I plan to build a career in firearm examination with the end goal of crime scene reconstruction,” DesOrmeaux said. “I specifically looked for someone who could address my gaps in understanding without overshadowing my own discovery process, and Dr. Stoddard has exceeded that expectation.”
David Hadley
Hadley is a junior biomedical engineering major from Mobile, Ala., and his proposal is titled “Fabrication and Characterization of Piezoceramic Metamaterials for Biomedical Sensing Applications.” Zhe Xu, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, serves as Hadley’s faculty mentor.
Hadley discussed the inspiration behind his project and his experience working with Xu.
“I am very interested in injury recovery and rehabilitation. My interest in this, and my wish to improve recovery processes, inspired me to take on this project,” Hadley said. “I was fortunate enough to have already worked in Dr. Xu’s lab, so he was an easy choice as my mentor. He really helped me fine-tune my idea and ensure that my proposal covered everything I wanted to research while remaining feasible.”
Marina Hall
Hall is a sophomore biological science major from Southaven, Miss., and her proposal is titled “Measuring the Evolutionary Potential of Thermal Traits in Amphibians to Improve Conservation Under a Changing Climate.” Dr. Michel Ohmer, assistant professor of biological science, is Hall’s faculty mentor.
Hall reflected on the benefits of the Stamps Impact Prize and her experience researching and working in the lab for her project.
“Undergraduate research always felt like a huge, ominous secret that was impossible to get in on and hard to contribute to once you joined a lab. The Stamps Impact Prize makes it way more feasible, both financially and intellectually,” Hall said. “I am extremely fortunate to work alongside wonderful mentors in the Ohmer lab who have kindly taken me under their wing and introduced me to research. Being able to collaborate with them on a goal we are all so passionate about is truly an honor.”
Talia Harsa
Harsa is a freshman theater and English double major from Ocean Springs, Miss. Her proposal is titled “Trapped Inside The Land That Time Forgot: How Parade the Musical (1998 & 2023) Reinforces and Subverts Stereotypes of the American South.” Richard Purcell, Hubert H. McAlexander Chair and associate professor of English, is Harsa’s faculty mentor.
Harsa described how her interest for her research project started and how Purcell impacted her work.
“When I first listened to ‘Parade (the Musical),’ a musical which dramatizes the historical injustice of Leo Frank, I became curious about how the show portrays the South,” Harsa said. “Disdain for Southerners and Southern culture made me wonder how theater might be impacting national viewpoints. Dr. Purcell had a strong understanding of my research, and his guidance was brilliant in helping me refine and strengthen my ideas and organize my research more cohesively.”
Sarah Homburg
Homburg is a junior exercise science major from Slidell, La. Her proposal is titled “Gait Mechanics Across the Menstrual Cycle.” Chip Wade, associate professor of biomechanics, is her faculty mentor.
Homburg discussed why she was interested in researching how women’s hormonal cycles impact performance and injury rates in physical activities.
“I became particularly interested in how female-specific physiological factors, such as hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle, may influence biomechanics, injury risk and overall performance,” Homburg said. “This project allows me to explore those questions in a meaningful, research-driven way while contributing to a population that has historically been underrepresented in exercise science. Traditional research opportunities often involve joining existing projects, but this award empowers students to pursue questions they are personally passionate about and to take ownership of the research process.”
Hayden Lambert
Lambert is a senior biological science major whose proposal is titled “Investigation into Potential Speciation in the Dollar Sunfish.” Ryan Garrick, associate professor of biology, is Lambert’s faculty mentor.
Story Lee
Lee is a junior film production major whose proposal is titled “I Am Awake In the Place Where Women Die.” Keith Davis, instructional assistant professor of film production, will serve as Lee’s faculty mentor.
Jordan Machols
Machols is a junior elementary education and psychology double major from Palm Coast, Fla. Her proposal is titled “Building Early Childhood Community Resources and Knowledge through Museum Participation.” Dr. Stephanie Miller, professor of psychology, served as Machols’ faculty mentor.
Machols elaborated on the benefits of initiatives like the Stamps Impact Prize and the resources it provides for students.
“I think that (the Stamps Impact Prize) expands the world of research, especially in undergrad,” Machols said. “It allows students to get exposure to the process of research and developing projects during a time that students typically don’t get that type of experience. There are so many ideas from students that are waiting to be brought to life, and the Stamps Impact Prize gives a real chance to do just that.”
Abdelrahman Marzouk
Marzouk is a freshman biological science major from Oxford, Miss. His proposal is titled “NabdCare: Developing a Dialect-Aware Bilingual Intake Tool to Improve Clinical Communication for Arabic Speaking Patients.” Charles Joukhadar, assistant professor of Arabic, serves as faculty mentor.
Marzouk explained the inspiration behind his project.
“I aspire to be a physician someday. Many times, patients — whether Arabic speakers or not — lose out on the very first step in their healthcare process,” Marzouk said. “I wanted to create something that would help make this experience more human, enabling every patient to express their discomfort in any language and be truly understood before their appointment even begins.”
Rachel Ni
Ni is a junior biochemistry major from Carthage, Miss., whose proposal is titled “Investigating the Role of O-GlcNAcylation in Cardiac Development Using Zebrafish Models.” Joshua Bloomekatz, associate professor of biology, served as faculty mentor.
Ni hopes that her research will provide more insight into diabetes, cardiac defects and women’s health.
“Since I started research, I have been seriously deciding to pursue an MD-PhD degree with a focus in women’s health,” Ni said. “Diabetes is such a common disease in modern society, and diabetic mothers are three times more likely to give birth to a child with cardiac defects. However, the biological mechanisms behind this predisposition are still not understood, so I hope that my research is able to close that gap.”
Ellie Porray
Porray is a junior elementary education major from Dallas. Porray’s proposal is titled “LitKits: Evidence Based Lessons & Activities for Families of Students with Dyslexia or Characteristics of Dyslexia.” Kristina Livingston, assistant professor of elementary education, is Porray’s as faculty mentor.
Porray discussed her experience growing up with dyslexia and how she hopes to help other children who do not have access to the resources she had.
“Growing up with dyslexia, I had a strong support system and ample resources to combat my daily struggles,” Porray said. “When I found out that many students in Mississippi who struggle with dyslexia could not afford the necessary resources, I knew I wanted to contribute to their educational experiences and overall life experiences.”
Karissa Sena-Fadenrecht
Sena-Fadenrecht is a junior social work major from Elko, Nev., and her proposal is titled “A Patchwork of Purpose: Remembering Why We Stay, Serve, and Begin Again.” Tess Lefmann, associate professor of social work, is her faculty mentor.
Sena-Fadenrecht explained that the purpose behind her project was to find a better way to represent social work.
“I wanted to create something that shows social work in a more honest, human form — a space where students can explain why they chose this path in their own way, without it being simplified or filtered down,” Sena-Fadenrecht said. “I was guided toward Tess Lefmann through recommendations from both my academic adviser and my honors college adviser. Her contribution to my success has been instrumental in helping me build a committee of other professors to support and guide this project.”
Emily Smith
Smith is a junior English and classics double major whose proposal is titled “Reimagining the Classics: A Novella Adaptation of the Tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice.” Beth Spencer, senior lecturer in English, is Smith’s faculty mentor.
Smith encouraged others to utilize the resources the university and professors have available to them.
“To be able to pursue my creative research interests has been the absolute privilege of my life,” Smith said. “I cannot imagine how my goals could be achieved without both the guidance of my mentors and the financial support of the university. If you have an idea, pitch it to a professor (who) shares similar interests. You will be surprised to see how willing faculty members are to support your research.”
The application portal for the Fall 2026 Stamps Impact Prize opens on Oct. 1, 2026, with recipients announced on Nov. 15.
