Three Minute Thesis Contest

Marco Balboa received his Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from the University of Nevada in 2019. His research background includes work in biomedical imaging at the University of Shanghai, chemical engineering at the University of the Basque Country, olfactory neuroscience at NYU, and visual neuroscience at both the University of Nevada and the University of Pennsylvania. Before coming to UVM to complete a pre-med post-baccalaureate program, he spent several years working as an EMT and Basic Life Support Instructor.

Instead of pursuing medical school, he transitioned into the lab of Dr. Booker Davis IV, where he is currently a first-year Ph.D. student in Animal Biosciences. His research focuses on investigating the mechanisms through which the gut and brain communicate after traumatic brain injury, as well as exploring ways to modulate the gut microbiome to mitigate neurological damage.

Rafael Sanchez Luperini, is a Ph.D. student at the Department of Animal Biosciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at UVM. He is currently involved in Antimicrobial Resistance research related to animal food products, with past experiences with genetics and microbiology laboratories in academia, industrial, and clinical diagnosis.

Teresa Tinenenji Mungazi is a Ph.D. candidate whose research focuses on understanding sustainable consumer behavior, the construction of sustainability meanings in marketing, and the development of emerging markets. She conducts research that builds knowledge about how novel products can move from hype to sustainable markets to facilitate sustainability transitions.  

Veronika Scavacini is a queer Latine researcher who is pursing their Masters of Science in Community Development and Applied Economics at UVM. They spend their time at UVM conducting research on a variety of topics at the intersection of health equity, public policy, and economics. Research topics include the impact of gender identity policy on transgender health and broadband funding on health outcomes. Veronika also serves as a graduate teaching assistant. They graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Nevada Reno in 2020, where they received a Bachelor of Science in Business, Economics and International Business. They will continue at UVM to pursue their Ph.D. in Sustainable Development Policy, Economics and Governance (SDPEG) to further their research in health economics.

Hannah Shafer is a Ph.D. candidate in Dr. Jill Preston's lab in the Department of Plant Biology at the University of Vermont. Hannah’s research is focused on the evolution of genetic flowering pathways in the temperate Pooideae subfamily of grasses, and how these pathways differ between annual and perennial species. Her dissertation work is motivated by a desire to research how climate change might affect cereal crop production, and how genetics can be leveraged to mitigate adverse effects

Hao (Hallie) Shi grew up in Qingdao, China, a beautiful coastal city. After earning her bachelor’s degree in food quality and safety in China, she moved to the University of Vermont to pursue her M.S. in Nutrition and Food Sciences under the mentorship of Dr. Mingruo Guo, working on functional dairy product development. She began her Ph.D. research in 2021, focusing on CBD-infused dairy products and their flavor mitigation. The rising interest in functional foods sparked her curiosity about their effects on human health. In 2022, she transferred to Dr. Jana Kraft’s lab, where she is currently studying the role of probiotic yogurt in preventing cardiometabolic disease. During her free time, Hallie enjoys outdoor activities.

Elad Stotland is a Ph.D. candidate in Animal Biosciences, a veterinarian, and a board-certified specialist in preventive medicine. He has built his career at the intersection of animal health, environmental risk, and human disease, and is drawn to the areas where these fields merge, and definitive answers are uncommon. His doctoral research investigates a deceptively straightforward question: How do we keep people safe when the standard tools aren't available?

Melinda (Mel) Wetzel completed her B.S. in Biological Science from the UVM in 2025. As an undergraduate, her research focused on cardiac physiology and biophysics with an emphasis on the role of the extracellular matrix in heart failure. Mel is currently pursuing a master's in nutrition and food science at UVM, where she works under the mentorship of both Dr. Chris Skinner and Dr. Matthew Caporizzo. Her graduate research explores the effects of a Western diet and alcohol consumption on cardiac function.