Undergraduate Research and Scholarship
Undergraduate research is a way to get research experience before leaving college. As a student you will work closely with a faculty mentor on a shared research project. The research options are almost limitless and the experience is invaluable.
About Undergraduate Research and Scholarship
College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences offers students a traditional liberal arts education to meet the needs of the 21st century, allowing them to compete for a variety of careers in an increasingly complex and evolving world.
How to Apply
Anyone can apply to be part of the undergraduate research program, but ideally, a prospective researcher will be entering their junior year, planning on advancing in the sciences after graduation, and have at a B average or better in their science courses. The final decision will be made by the research mentor you choose to work with.
Get started on your Undergraduate Research journey today.
Student Success Stories
Karthik Narapareddy
Karthik is a graduate student in the Master of Computer Information Systems and Cyber Security at AUM. He has recently been awarded a Google Vulnerability Award which he shared with us.
In the past, Karthik’s research in Cyber Security has been rewarded with a number of different accolades. He has received substantial monetary awards from Harvard University, MIT, University of California at Berkley, Facebook, Apple, Hackerone, Bugcrowd, IKEA and Blackberry.
He has participated in video calls with lead Cyber Security experts in these companies to glean more insight into secure network systems. In addition, Cisco has released an update and release note of Webex with his name appearing three times.
Karthik began researching in the Google Vulnerabilities Program in 2019, reporting vulnerabilities like RCE, SQLI XSS and others. Currently, he is completing research on IDS, IPS and malware signature detection in memory pixel.
Riley Taylor
Riley is a Senior student who will graduate a full semester earlier than anticipated (Class of 2021). In the summer of 2021, he undertook a paid internship, and received credit towards his degree, at Hyundai.
He worked on a panel replacement project, paint repair project (tracking storm damages) and various project management tasks (SAP). Riley’s work was both independent and as part of the ‘A Team’ or summer interns.
As an intern, senior management of Hyundai relied on him to offer suggestions for improvement, recommendations to advance processes and a variety of coding tasks to add value to their current software systems. Overall, it was a very enjoyable summer and we congratulate Riley on his success in the program.
Undergraduate Research Faculty and Staff
Kimberly Pyszka
Department Chair; Associate Professor of Anthropology | College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Dr. Kimberly Pyszka is a historical archaeologist that specializes in studies of landscapes and architecture of the US Southeast. She has conducted archaeological research throughout the Southeast, including South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Alabama, including on the AUM campus. Dr. Pyszka has published several peer-reviewed journal articles and in 2023 published, The Archaeology of Protestant Landscapes: Revealing the Formation of Community Identity in the US South. Some of her favorite classes to teach include Death and Dying, Themes in Food, Culture, and History, and Historical Archaeology. Dr. Pyszka also serves on the Alabama National Register of Historic Places Review Board.
Lee Farrow
Chair; Distinguished Research & Distinguished Teaching Professor
Lee Farrow
Chair; Distinguished Research & Distinguished Teaching Professor | College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Dr. Lee A. Farrow was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and is a first-generation graduate. She specializes in Russian History and has published a number of articles and books over her 25-year career at Auburn University at Montgomery. Some of her publications are Alexis in America: A Grand Duke’s Tour, 1871-72, Seward’s Folly: A New Look at the Alaska Purchase, and The Catacazy Affair and the Uneasy Path of Russian American Relations. She also has given many public lectures on various aspects of Russian history and literature. She has served in various administrative positions, including as Associate Dean and Director of a teaching and learning center. She is in her fifth year as Chair of the Department of History and World Cultures.
Andrew Cortell
Department Chair, Professor of Political Science
Andrew Cortell
Department Chair, Professor of Political Science | College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Andrew Cortell is Chair of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration and a Professor of Political Science. His primary area of specialization is international relations. His teaching and research focus on globalization, international organizations, international norms, and national institutions. His work has been published in leading journals such as International Studies Quarterly, International Studies Review, the Review of International Studies, and Comparative Political Studies among others. He is the author of Mediating Globalization: Domestic Institutions and Industrial Policies in the United States and Britain. He spent many years as a faculty member at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, where he received the Teacher of the Year Award and chaired the Department of International Affairs. Previously, he was an Olin Fellow in Economics and National Security at Harvard University. He earned a Ph.D. in Political Science and a M.A. in International Affairs from Columbia University, and a B.A. with honors in History from Wesleyan University.
William Fenn
Department Chair; Associate Professor | College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
William Fenn has worked at Auburn University at Montgomery since 2011. He received his MFA in Studio Art from the University of California at Santa Barbara and his BA in Art from California State University, Fresno. He is a photographer whose work includes use of artificial intelligence, digital practices, and analog processes such as black and white film, color film, and 19th century alternative techniques like wet-plate, cyanotype, and platinum printing.
Darren Harris-Fain
Honors Professor; Distinguished Research Professor | College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Dr. Harris-Fain teaches and writes about British and American literature since the 1800s and popular culture. The topics of his publications include Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Kate Chopin, H. G. Wells, Tarzan, James Bond, superheroes, Star Trek, Ray Bradbury, Ken Kesey, Kurt Vonnegut, New Wave science fiction, Harlan Ellison, Alan Moore, and Alison Bechdel, among others. His courses include surveys of British and American literature as well as upper-level and graduate classes on editing, American film history, and science fiction, fantasy, and graphic novels. Dr. Harris-Fain was a reference book editor and writer before beginning his teaching career and has taught at AUM since 2011. In 2015, he was a three-day champion on Jeopardy!
Matthew Killmeier
Department Chair; Associate Professor | College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Matthew A. Killmeier (Ph.D. University of Iowa) is an associate professor and chair of the Department of Communication and Theatre. His research focuses on theatre of the imagination: radio and audio drama. Recent work has considered conspiracy-investigative horror podcasts (i.e., The Black Tapes), 1930s-40s horror radio dramas, and World War II morale dramas. He teaches Media and Culture, Opinion Writing, Horror Film, and Intercultural Communication. Off the clock he likes to read, watch films, cook, shop at thrift stores, hike, and woodwork.
