Undergraduate Research

Congratulations to the November Undergraduate Researcher of the Month, Abby Crossman! 

 Abby Crossman is a Hicks Honors College student majoring in Biochemistry with minors in Mathematics and Leadership. Since January of 2024, Abby has been working under the mentorship of Dr. Willis (Will) Jones in the UNF Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry. Their work focuses on trace level calibration method development through a variety of spectroscopic methods, including inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS).  

Working in Dr. Jones’ lab has enabled Abby to work on multiple projects, including two manuscripts that she has written and published as the first author. Additionally, she has presented their work at several conferences including the Advancements in Research, Inquiry, and Scholarship Exhibition (ARISE), the Undergraduate – Graduate Learning, Inquiry and Distinctive Experimentation Symposium (U-GLIDE), the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC), and the Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Societies’ (FACSS) SciX Conference. 

When reflecting on her favorite aspects of research, Abby notes that she enjoys applying what she learns in class and the lab to real-world contexts and uncovering new findings to share with others. She especially values the opportunity to collaborate with her research mentor and lab teammates and to operate the different lab instruments that are used for data collection. Through her research, Abby has also strengthened her ability to communicate science concepts effectively—both through written publications and delivering presentations to audiences with varying levels of understanding and expertise. 

After graduating this spring, Abby plans to pursue a PhD in Chemistry. Her advice to current or aspiring researchers is, “Research is also a great way to connect with a mentor in your field who can provide advice while you make the next steps in your education and career.”