Hands-on science, lasting confidence: Student researchers impress at Summer Undergraduate Research Fest
Izabella Maria Marzano, a senior biological sciences major who transferred to UMBC from Anne Arundel Community College, was one of more than 120 undergraduate and high school student presenters who packed the University Center Ballroom on August 5 for UMBC’s 29th annual Summer Undergraduate Research Fest (SURF). Marzano was presenting work she completed with Diana Elizondo, assistant professor of biological sciences, on certain enzymes involved in metabolic dysfunction resulting from a poor diet. The experience had been transformative.
“In the short time I’ve been here, Dr. Elizondo has shown more faith in what I can achieve and given me more confidence than anyone else ever has, and I’m incredibly grateful,” Marzano says. She was one of four undergraduates from Elizondo’s research group who presented their summer work at SURF, which included two poster sessions and six short oral presentations.
Marzano joined the lab after taking Elizondo’s cell biology course, drawn to the group by the far-reaching impact of diabetes research, Elizondo’s approachability, and her desire to gain research experience to support her goal of becoming an orthodontist. In addition to Elizondo, Marzano says graduate students Marveline Akinola and Benjamin Cole have supported her growth.
Izabella Marzano (left) and Zaira Ahmed (right) have steadily gained skills and confidence as scientists with the support of their research mentor, Diana Elizondo. Presenting at SURF was an important chance to share their work publicly. (Photos by Diana Elizondo)
Supported independence
Across the room, junior biochemistry and molecular biology major Zaira Ahmed, who began at UMBC this spring after transferring from Prince George’s Community College (PGCC), presented findings on how diet-induced obesity alters the composition of fat tissue’s extracellular matrix—a complex network of proteins, sugars, and other molecules surrounding cells. Ahmed first conducted research at PGCC, and she sought out Elizondo’s lab after taking the same cell biology course as Marzano, motivated in part by family members living with diabetes.
“Dr. Elizondo has been an amazing mentor. She explains everything so clearly and has been hands-on in teaching me different laboratory techniques,” Ahmed says. “But then once she sees I’ve got it, she lets me move forward independently.”
Irene Teye, a junior biological sciences major who started in Elizondo’s lab in January 2025, focused on the three-dimensional structural changes that obesity drives in the extracellular matrix. She worked with Tagide deCarvalho, manager of the Keith R. Porter Imaging Facility at UMBC, to generate and digitally analyze microscopy images of the matrix.
Irene Teye (left) loves working in Diana Elizondo’s research group, for both the sense of accomplishment she experiences doing the science and the closeness of the relationships she’s formed. Dzifa Ameko (right) is passionate about her research with Elizondo for its potential impact on women worldwide. (Photos by Diana Elizondo)
“It took three weeks to analyze the microscopy data to get just two images for my research poster, but it felt like such an accomplishment when I finished,” Teye says. She’s found a home in the Elizondo group, sharing that given how close the members are, “You’d think we’re all related.”
Dzifa Ameko, a junior biological sciences major, began with Elizondo in March 2025 after another faculty member recommended the lab based on Ameko’s interests. Long intrigued by endocrinology and gynecology, she investigated the role of neuropeptide Y, a small signaling molecule released by neurons, in an understudied hormonal and metabolic disorder that affects up to 170 million women worldwide.
“Dr. Elizondo’s door is always open,” Ameko said. “I can also always send her a Slack message and she is so responsive, whether it’s about research or a personal challenge.”
Students at the heart of research
Elizondo, who joined the UMBC faculty in January 2025, sees supporting student researchers as the heart of her work. “One of the most rewarding parts of starting my lab has been watching these students grow in confidence and independence,” she said. “Many of them joined with little or no prior research experience, and it has been incredibly exciting to see them develop into scientists who can think critically, troubleshoot experiments, and communicate their work so effectively. I strongly believe that the best way to learn science is by doing science. My goal is to create an environment where students are genuine contributors to the research, not just assistants.”
Ben Bazarsuren, a senior mechanical engineering major, was one of six students who gave five-minute “lightning talks” to kick off SURF 2026. (Melissa Penley Cormier, M.F.A. ’17/UMBC)
SURF gave those contributions a public stage. Outgoing dean of the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, William R. LaCourse, welcomed participants to the event, highlighting the mix of student researchers from UMBC, regional community colleges, and other institutions. “SURF is one of the highlights of summer each year, because it celebrates the curiosity, perseverance, and excellence of our students and the faculty who guide them,” he said.
For transfer students like Marzano and Ahmed, and for first-time researchers across the university, the combination of hands-on projects, responsive mentoring, and a forum like SURF turns their motivation and potential into tangible results.
“You are ending this summer more knowledgeable, more experienced, more skilled, and a better scientist. Remember that the full benefits of your research may never be known to you. Science is not for those who seek glory—it’s not for me today, it’s for others tomorrow,” LaCourse reflected in his opening remarks. “Your spirit is an inspiration to us all. We hope that UMBC will always be a part of you.”
Posted: August 19, 2026, 11:48 AM