Audrey Collins – audreyc@udel.edu
Audrey is from Rochester, New York, and earned her B.S. in Chemistry: Biochemistry and Spanish from St. John Fisher University in 2022. During her undergraduate studies, she conducted research as part of St. John Fisher’s Science Scholars program, designing and manufacturing microfluidic devices for applications in science outreach (e.g. primary education) and biologically relevant uses (portable LAMP assays and cell-sorting device) under the mentorship of Professor Fernando Ontiveros. She also participated in an NSF-REU at the University of Alabama at Birmingham with Professor Renato Camata, where she analyzed trajectories from laser-ablated particle dynamics simulations, identifying plasma plume trends that may impact thin-film material synthesis and advance laser deposition technology. Currently, Audrey is pursuing her Ph.D. in Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Delaware, where she is grateful to have been part of the Chemistry-Biology Interface program. Now in Professor Arthi Jayaraman’s research group, she uses modeling and simulation to study and develop bio-inspired and bio-related materials. Audrey is excited to be part of the NRT-MIDAS program, and she looks forward to expanding her professional network with mentors and trainees from diverse scientific backgrounds. Outside of research, Audrey enjoys traveling, reading, visiting her family, and cheering on the Buffalo Bills.