Two standout undergraduate student researchers at Indiana University of Pennsylvania were selected to participate in the 2026 Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol event held on March 24.
From left: IUP computer science faculty member Sam Grieggs, Megan Seaman, Rep. Jim Struzzi, Serena Aumick, Associate Vice Provost for Libraries and Research Support Services Kelly Heider
Serena Aumick, a pre-veterinary biology major in the Cook Honors College from Tunkhannock, presented “Expanding the Available Data for Green Spiny Lizards (Sceloporus hondurensis complex).”
Megan Seaman, a computer science major in the Cook Honors College from Bethel Park, presented “Painting AI Pink: Utilizing Artificial Intelligence in Breast Cancer Diagnosis.”
Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol-PA poster conference is an educational event allowing undergraduate students enrolled in Pennsylvania’s colleges and universities to showcase their research talents to the Commonwealth’s key decision-makers. All fields of research are encouraged, and students are nominated by their universities to participate in the event. Posters are on display in the Capitol Complex main rotunda.
IUP Associate Vice Provost for Libraries and Research Support Services Kelly Heider selected Aumick and Seaman to represent IUP at the event and accompanied them to Harrisburg.
From left: Aaron Riggleman, Neal Lasher, IUP computer science faculty member Sam Grieggs, Megan Seaman
Sen. Joe Pittman with Serena Aumick
“Serena and Megan exemplify the very best of IUP’s commitment to undergraduate research. Their selection for this prestigious event highlights the strength of their scholarship and the mentorship they’ve received from our faculty. It’s inspiring to see our students engaging directly with state leaders and showcasing how their research contributes to solving meaningful, real-world problems.
Legislators and other dignitaries who visited the students’ poster presentations during the Capitol event included Senator Joe Pittman; Representative Jim Struzzi; Senator Devlin Robinson; Karin Rhodes, special advisor for the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Secretary Valerie Arkoosh; Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce Vice President Neal Lasher and Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Manager Aaron Riggleman; Keystone Strategic Advocacy Group CEO Lou Crocco; AT&T PA/WV President Dave Kerr; and State System of Higher Education Vice Chancellor Randy Goin.
The IUP students were two of only 43 students from 28 colleges and universities in Pennsylvania who were invited to participate in the 2026 event.
“The Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol event was an incredible opportunity,” Aumick said. “I was grateful to be able to network and share my research with other undergraduate students, professors, and politicians throughout Pennsylvania.”
“I’m so grateful that Dr. Heider thought of me for the Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol-PA,” Seaman said. “It means so much to me that I was selected to represent IUP at such a prestigious event and that my research and work is valued by IUP faculty. This poster session was a great opportunity to gain experience presenting research on a much larger scale. I truly learned a lot about networking, public speaking, and building confidence in these types of settings that will be valuable in my future career,” Seaman said.
Aumick is one of IUP’s inaugural Fusion Fellows. The IUP Fusion Fellows Program is designed to foster collaboration between students and faculty from the College of Arts, Humanities, Media, and Public Affairs and the John J. and Char Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. The program aims to cultivate innovative projects that integrate diverse disciplines, encouraging students to address complex real-world challenges through multifaceted perspectives. IUP alumni Tim and Deb Cejka, 1973 IUP graduates from Westmoreland County, gifted $265,000 to establish the IUP Fusion Fellows Program and support it for the next five years.
Serena Aumick discussing her research with Rep. Jim Struzzi
Megan Seaman presenting her research to Sen. Devlin Robinson
The inaugural Fusion Fellows, working in teams of two, were selected through a competitive application process held during the fall 2025 semester. The successful teams were introduced at the Fusion Fellowship kickoff event on January 30.
Aumick is mentored by IUP professor of biology Josiah Townsend for her research.
Aumick received the 2024 Sushak Undergraduate Biology Fund for Excellence Award. She is part of the Biology Undergraduate Research Experience, is a member of Phi Eta Sigma honor society, received the John J. and Char Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Unique Scholar Award, is the founder and president of the Pre-Veterinary Club, is president of the IUP Sailing Club, is vice president of the Terrarium Club, is a former member of Andale (Spanish club), and volunteers at the Indiana County Humane Society and Four-Footed Friends. She is the daughter of Rachel Aumick and a graduate of Tunkhannock High School.
She was selected for the 2025 Undergraduate Summer Opportunities for Applying Research (U-SOAR) program, presenting her research, “The Phylogeographical of the Sceloporus malachiticus Species Complex from Honduras and Nicaragua.”
Her project began the necessary work to delimitate the species complex by displaying the genetic drift of several populations based on their geography.
Starting during her first year at IUP, Aumick worked in biology professor Sarah Emel’s research laboratory, totaling about 200 hours of time in the laboratory, performing DNA extractions of lagomorph fecal samples and polymerase chain reaction on the refined DNA, and aiding in various procedures for genomic library preparation. She also analyzed chromatograms on MEGA11, utilized GenBank to determine the species based on sequenced DNA data, and aided in general data entry.
As a sophomore, she began work with Townsend, working in the Townsend Lab on campus and participating in his study abroad programs in Honduras. The summer 2025 trip revolved around conservation efforts of the Utila spiny-tailed iguana, Ctenosaura bakeri.
Seaman, daughter of Lori Seaman and Kevin Seaman, is a 2023 graduate of Bethel Park High School. She received the Sutton Scholarship and is a member of IUP Women in STEAM and the IUP Programming Team. Her faculty mentor is Samuel Grieggs from the Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences, who accompanied her for the Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol event.
Seaman started working on the project she presented at Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol during the 2025 Undergraduate Student Opportunities for Applying Research (U-SOAR). She is continuing that research with “Rebalancing the Ribbon: Correcting Dataset Imbalance in AI-Driven Breast Cancer Detection,” working to improve the model’s performance.
Both students will be participating in IUP’s 2026 Scholars Forum on April 8, part of the university’s annual Research Appreciation Week events.
Since its founding in 1875, IUP has evolved from a teacher-training institution into a doctoral research university recognized for its commitment to student success and achievement. As IUP celebrates its 150th anniversary during the 2025–26 academic year and through the Impact 150 comprehensive campaign, the university honors a legacy of educational excellence while looking to its next 150 years of student success, innovation, leadership in healthcare education, and public service.