The College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Peer Mentor Internship Program is part of the UVM Student Government Association's university-wide peer mentoring and advising initiative.
CEMS Peer Mentors are sophomores, juniors, and seniors in the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences who provide academic and social support to first-year students throughout the academic year. During the fall semester, the Peer Mentor Internship Program is connected to CEMS 1500, a first-year seminar course designed to welcome incoming students and prepare them to succeed in their respective programs. Peer Mentors support and facilitate CEMS 1500 lecture and lab activities and regularly communicate and meet with mentees outside of class. Through regular class sessions, meet-ups, and social activities, Peer Mentors help first-year students adjust to life on campus, find academic and tutoring help, connect with clubs, activities, and services, and navigate the Burlington area. In addition to regular Peer Mentors, two Student Directors are selected each year to help coordinate activities and communication with the other mentors. Student Directors are typically juniors or seniors with prior experience in the program.
CEMS Peer Mentor Bios
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| Heather Clarke Data Science | Heather Clarke is a senior in Data Science with minors in Geography and Math. Heather is from Fairfield, Connecticut and it will be her second year as a CEMS Peer Mentor. At UVM, she is part of the Alpine Ski Racing Club and works with the Transportation Research Center. Heather loves to get outside, run, bike, and explore Vermont! |
| Maurah Gorney Civil Engineering | Maurah is a senior in Civil Engineering. Maurah is from Rockford, Michigan. She's excited for her third year as a CEMS Peer Mentor. In her free time Maurah enjoys skiing, biking, and spending time with her friends and family. |
| Aria Humphries Mathematics | Aria is a sophomore mathematics major. Aria is from Dudley, MA. This will be her first year as a CEMS Peer Mentor. On campus, she is the vice president of Dance Force and the treasurer of Alpha Phi Omega. Aria also loves reading, watching and making youtube videos, and spending time with her friends. |
| Lauren Knopp Computer Science | Lauren Knopp is a junior in Computer Science and Mathematics. She is from Nashua, New Hampshire. This will be Lauren's first year as a CEMS Peer Mentor. She has worked with computer science and math in many different ways (writing decision making algorithms and using LLMs for research are two things she has done over the past year). She loves to read fantasy novels, do yoga, and meditate. |
| Carissa Lee Electrical Engineering | Carissa Lee is a sophomore majoring in biomedical and electrical engineering with a minor in computer science and mathematics. Carissa is from Merrimack, New Hampshire. This will be her first year as a CEMS Peer Mentor. She enjoys skateboarding, hiking, thrifting, and snowboarding in her free time. She also works at the Lego store and as a waitress during the summer. She loves trader joes peach halves, Davis burgers, and nerd clusters. |
| Kate Lockwood Civil Engineering | Kate Lockwood is a sophomore in civil engineering, has a minor of history and is in the honors college. Kate is from Bridgewater Massachusetts. This will be her first year as a CEMS Peer Mentor. Outside of college, she enjoys reading, art, baking, and gardening. |
| Ella Niemeyer Environmental Engineering | Ella is a junior majoring in Environmental Engineering and Math. She is from Tolland, Connecticut and this will be her second year as a CEMS Peer Mentor. Ella likes to spend her time studying in Innovation E327, hanging out, and attempting to teach herself the banjo. |
| Jacklyn O'Brien Data Science | Jackie is a senior in Data Science with a minor in Health and Society. Jackie is from Franklin, Massachusetts. This will be her first year as a CEMS Peer Mentor. When she is not studying or working in the Davis Center, Jackie enjoys hiking with her dogs, skiing, gardening, and playing bass guitar. She spent her summer in an internship, and is excited to return for her senior year. |
| Brendan Phalen Civil Engineering | Brendan is a senior in civil engineering. Brendan is from Underhill, Vermont. This will be his first year as a CEMS Peer Mentor. Some things I enjoy in my free time include recording music, cooking, and snowboarding. I worked as a carpenter over the previous summer but I am looking for a job related to landscape design in the future. I’m excited to meet everyone! |
| Willa Regal Environmental Engineering | Willa is a junior majoring in environmental engineering with a minor in chemistry. She is from Erie, PA and this will be her second year as a CEMS Peer Mentor. Willa spent her summer as a student researcher at NC State University and her hobbies include playing guitar, hiking, and spending time on a lake (Lake Erie or Lake Champlain). |
| Lauren Santanen Environmental Engineering | Lauren is a senior in Environmental Engineering who has recently been accepted into the Accelerated Master's Program. Lauren is from Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. This will be her second year as a CEMS Peer Mentor, and she is very excited to continue her involvement in the CEMS community. Her hobbies are baking, reading, and playing with her dog. During her sophomore year, Lauren studied abroad at the University of Leeds in England where she took classes to further her engineering major as well as her English minor. |
| Greta Schutz Computer Science | Greta is a junior in Computer Science. She is from Brownsville, Vermont. This will be her second year as a CEMS Peer Mentor. She is a member of the UVM Club Roller Hockey team which competed in Nationals this last year, and the UVM Symphony Orchestra for which she plays the Cello. Like any good Vermonter she spends much of her winter on the slopes skiing, and when she's not outside, she can be found curled up reading a good book. |
| Taylor Seitz Biomedical Engineering | Taylor is a sophomore in biomedical engineering. Taylor is from Buffalo, New York. This will be her first year as a CEMS Peer Mentor. In her free time, Taylor enjoys running, going out to cafes, and baking. |
| Sidonia Summers Data Science | Sidonia is a senior in Data Science with minors in Statistics and Mathematics. Sidonia is from Portland, Maine, and this will be her first year as a CEMS Peer Mentor. In her free time, she loves to rock climb, make art, and travel. Sidonia spent last semester studying abroad in Sevilla, Spain, and choosing to do that was one of the best decisions of her life. |
| Jack Thompson Mechanical Engineering | Jack Thompson is a sophomore in Mechanical Engineering. Jack is from Harwich, Massachusets. This will be his first year as a CEMS Peer Mentor. I enjoy fishing and building wooden boats. I have just finished an old wooden fishing boat and have used it to travel up all the rivers of my home. |
| Emma Trainer Biomedical Engineering | Emma Trainer is a senior Biomedical Engineering major with a minor in Pure Mathematics. Emma is from Saint Albans, Vemont. This will be her second year as a CEMS Peer Mentor. Emma is captain of the UVM cheerleading team and enjoys hiking and running for fun! |
| Jai Veilleux Computer Science | Jai is a senior in Computer Science with a minor in Physics. Jai is from Seattle, WA. This will be his first year as a peer mentor. He enjoys creating digital artwork, exploring the great outdoors, and cooking in his free time. Recently, he created a software library to control an LED matrix panel for his art projects. In summer 2024, he worked with BNL and ORNL studying quantum computing. |