Undergraduate Research
Welcome to the Office of Undergraduate Research
Congratulations to the August Undergraduate Researcher of the Month, Austin Hess!
Austin Hess is a senior majoring in physics, with a minor in mathematics. He has been a member of the UNF NanoMaX Lab of Dr. Paula Mariel Coelho Neto in the Department of Physics and Astronomy for several semesters and has been involved in several projects. His current focus is a materials science project aimed at making tiny patterns on a surface and then imaging them with a scanning tunnel microscope, a technique known as nanolithography, with the intent of eventually developing improved nanofabrication methods for batteries, solar cells and hydrogen storage. Hess won an Undergraduate-Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities (U-RSCA) Training Grant from the Office of Undergraduate Research to support that work and presented his findings at several on-campus events, as well as the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference held at UNF in March and the Florida Quantum Conference in Tallahassee, Florida in April of this year. His favorite part of research is the data collection phase. Hess said that because “everything differs from project to project,” he is repeatedly exposed to new concepts that allow him to strengthen his analytical skills. In addition to his research activities, Hess is the vice president of the Space Science Engineering Club. Through that association, he participated in the Space Dynamics Laboratory CubeSat research project, which gives students real-world experience in designing small satellites, and directed several of the club’s research balloon launches. After graduating next fall, Hess plans to pursue a graduate degree in condensed matter physics. He encourages students to reach out to a professor whose research interests them because “UNF provides excellent support and opportunities for undergraduate researchers.”
The 2026 Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year
Congratulations to Dr. Indika Kahanda, associate professor of computing at the University of North Florida, on being named the 2026 Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year! Kahanda was nominated by Ella Luedeke, who wrote in her nomination letter that he played a tremendous role in her success. When asked to describe his mentoring philosophy, Kahanda said that he “balances structure with freedom, guidance with independence, and rigor with encouragement. By creating inclusive, scaffolded, and authentic research experiences, I aim to help undergraduates not only acquire technical skills but also develop confidence, curiosity, and a lasting identity as researchers.”
The Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year award, which consists of a plaque and monetary prize, was presented as part of the Spring 2026 UNF Student Research Symposium on Friday, April 24, in the John A. Delaney Student Union.
Congratulations, Dr. Kahanda, on this well-deserved honor and achievement!
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