Senior Spotlight: Reflections from the Class of 2026

Hundreds of Duke undergraduates participate in Bass Connections each year, conducting interdisciplinary research alongside faculty, graduate students and community partners.

For some, the experience deepens their commitment to their area of study. Others discover completely new pathways to follow. Many expand on their research through summer projects and programs, or complete honors theses and distinction projects based on their Bass Connections work.

We're excited to share a sampling of reflections from the Class of 2026, which show the many facets of the Bass Connections experience and the impact it can have on students' lives.

Congratulations to all our graduating seniors!

Emely Arredondo

Environmental Sciences and Policy; International Comparative Studies

Storytelling Our Latinx Community and the Fandango de Durham (2025-2026)

Image

“My Bass Connections experience provided me with invaluable insight into what it truly means to do community-engaged work. From learning about Son Jarocho and engaging with oral history via interviews to the behind-the-scenes work of organizing a community gathering and its accompanying community workshops, it was a genuine honor to contribute to research that was meticulously informed and created alongside the community.  It was incredibly meaningful to see the palpable implications of what it means for a migrant community to not only see themselves represented, but to also have a space to rejoice in their traditions.”

Emely hopes to continue pursuing her interests in storytelling, environmental justice and migrant justice after graduation.

Chris-Ann Bennett

Psychology

What Is Hope? Bridging the Gap Between Lived Experience and Research (2024-2025)

Image

“Bass Connections fundamentally expanded how I think about psychology and human experience. Spending the year exploring gaps in the hope literature and conducting interviews with religious leaders gave me a perspective I could not have gained in a classroom alone. Last summer, I had the opportunity to travel to Moshi, Tanzania, where I met with religious leaders and saw firsthand how psychiatrists there are working to integrate mental health interventions with patients' personal and spiritual beliefs.”

After graduation, Chris-Ann will complete a post-baccalaureate program at Goucher College as she transitions into pre-med studies.

Ethan Castellino

Computer Science

Virtual Reality for Health Education Advanced Learning (VR-HEAL) (2024-2025)

“This project allowed me to engage with a field of medicine that truly excites me, Interventional Radiology, while being able to integrate my knowledge of computer science to advance the project's progress. Along the way, and as a Team Lead, I learned so much about transformational leadership and how to overcome hurdles in the process of reaching our final goal of creating an impactful biomedical training tool.”

Image

Ethan will take a gap year to engage in clinical research before applying to medical school.

Julian Diaz-Ayala

Biomedical Engineering

Spine Surgery Patient Navigators (2023-2024)

Image

“Through Bass Connections, I developed strong skills in conducting methodical qualitative research and completing a systematic review from start to finish. I explored how biological and social factors intersect to shape health outcomes, which revealed the power of research to drive meaningful healthcare reform. Engaging with patients also strengthened my ability to approach individuals with professionalism, empathy, and respect.”

Julian will work at a healthcare consulting firm in Durham for a year before going to medical school.

LaNaiah Frieson

Psychology

Increasing Children's Sense of Belonging in STEM Fields (2023-2024)

“[Through Bass Connections] I witnessed the magic of research being built from the ground up. As a naturally curious person, this team introduced me to the ways I could turn my millions of questions about how to help my community be seen into raw data that could translate into actionable plans. From that point on, I have worked in four labs during my time at Duke. [These experiences] helped me realize that my work can be the glue for a sustainable, ethical and healthier relationship between my community and research, and I plan to continue producing meaningful research to help all people be truly seen.”

Image

In the future, LaNaiah hopes to work as a developmental psychologist and bridge the gender and race-related diagnoses gap for Black girls with undiagnosed ADHD and ASD who would be susceptible to discrimination in the classroom.

Lizzy Glazer

Marine Science and Conservation; Neuroscience

Enhancing Diversity in STEM Careers Through Mentored Training (2025-2026)
Enhancing Diversity in STEM Careers Through Mentored Training (2024-2025)
Enhancing Diversity in STEM Careers Through Mentored Training (2023-2024)

Image

“My Bass Connections experience has been one of the most meaningful parts of my time at Duke, shaping both my academic interests and my commitment to equity in STEM. As a student leader on the “Enhancing Diversity in STEM Careers Through Mentored Training” team, I helped design and lead the Health and Environment Scholars Program, where mentoring Durham Public School students deepened my passion for environmental science and community-centered education.”

Lizzy's goal is to pursue a graduate degree in marine mammal research and conservation while supporting younger students and continuing to expand opportunities for underrepresented students in STEM. She's committed to paving the way for more women in PhD programs by fostering inclusive mentorship and serving as a visible example of leadership in scientific research.

Willy Wai Yan Min Htike

Global Health; Public Policy

Empowering Family Caregiving Research in the Philippines (2024-2025)

“Through my Bass Connections experience, I developed a strong foundation in statistical methods used in health services research, which deepened my understanding of how to translate data into meaningful insights for policy and practice. Last summer, I had the opportunity to do fieldwork in the Philippines. Visiting elderly care homes and engaging with organizations involved in palliative care helped me connect quantitative analysis with real-world health system challenges, especially in resource constrained settings.”

Image

Willy's Bass Connections experience has directly influenced his plans after graduation. He will pursue a Ph.D. in health services research, building on the analytical skills and practical insights he gained through this project to study and improve care systems for aging populations.

Kenechukwu Yvonne Okolo

Computer Science

Brain Portal: Designing Multimedia Displays for Duke Neuroscience (2024-2025)

Image

“My project was the perfect intersection of my interests in user experience, neuroscience and technology, and it challenged me to bring all three together into something tangible and impactful. Our product leads gave our team meaningful ownership over the work, which pushed us to practice real product and project management from ideation through mockups to a final product. In high school, I ran youth programs focused on making educational information more accessible through community initiatives. Bass Connections let me pursue that same goal through a product lens by creating augmented reality experiences that allowed users to interact with neuroscience knowledge in a fun way.”

After graduation, Kenechukwu will join Deloitte as a technology strategy analyst.

Angelie Quimbo

Political Science

University-Assisted Community Schools (2025-2026)
Building Stronger Communities: The Evolution of Funding in North Carolina Public Education (Data+, summer 2025)
Strengthening Partnerships Between Durham Schools and Local Universities (2023-2024)

“Working with the North Carolina Public School Forum, a nonpartisan organization that seeks to improve public schools throughout the state, opened my eyes to possibilities I hadn't considered. Seeing the impact when children feel supported at school is meaningful, especially given my background in developmental psychology. It has also been quite meaningful to work with the Durham Public Schools community. We enter spaces knowing we aren't the experts, that's why we do site visits and have conversations with community school coordinators.”

Read more about Angelie's Bass Connections experience.

Image

Angelie is considering a career in educational policy and looking at job opportunities and graduate programs in that field.

Abigail Zaroff

Neuroscience

Children's Complex Care Coalition of North Carolina (4CNC) (2025-2026)
Children's Complex Care Coalition of North Carolina (4CNC) (2024-2025)
Children's Complex Care Coalition of North Carolina (4CNC) (2023-2024)

Image

“Bass Connections has been one of the most formative parts of my time at Duke because it showed me how fragmented systems shape the daily lives of medically complex children and their families. Through analyzing “Days at Home” data, attending community advisory board meetings, and listening and interviewing directly with parents, providers and transitional health managers, I began to understand that clinical care is only one small piece of what determines health. What stood out most was hearing families describe how much effort it takes to coordinate services, advocate for resources, and simply keep their child stable at home. It shifted my perspective from seeing healthcare as individual clinical encounters to seeing it as a system that must function cohesively around patients’ lives.”

Abigail will take a gap year working in a full-time clinical research or patient-facing role before applying to medical school.

Learn More

• See highlights from the 2026 Fortin Foundation Bass Connections Showcase.
• Explore additional reflections from students about their Bass Connections experiences.
• Check out the winners of this year’s Bass Connections Award For Outstanding Mentorship and Student Research Awards.