The OSCAR Peer Leaders are a cohort of peer advisors that assist Mason students with undergraduate research. The peer leaders help other Mason students prepare their grant proposals, work on their posters, and practice their conference presentations.
We are hiring OSCAR Peer Leaders! We will be selecting a group of undergraduate students who display a sincere interest in promoting the growth of undergraduate research, scholarly, and creative activities. This is your chance to share what research has meant to you and become a leader in the undergraduate scholars’ community at Mason. OSCAR Peer Leaders must be undergraduate students enrolled at Mason who have previous experience with research or creative activities. OSCAR Peer Leaders will provide information to the Mason community about undergraduate research opportunities. They will be paid $15 per hour for their work recruiting, supporting, and encouraging students interested in undergraduate research, scholarly, and creative activities.
To apply to be an OSCAR Peer Leader, please fill out the application form (https://gmu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dpzeAl3DCENtUmG) by August 29, 2025.
Sofie Strompf
Neuroscience 2026
Research Interest: Her research interest lies within translational neurobiological research. She is particularly interested in immunological mechanisms of neurodegenerative disease, specifically in the context of mast cells and their involvement in dopaminergic neurodegenerative disease.
Last Research Project: Her last OSCAR project involved wet lab research at the Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine on Mason’s SciTech campus. Her project explored induction of mitophagy as a potential mechanism for the reversal of neuronal cell damage, particularly in the instance of drug-induced damage to dopaminergic neurons. This year, she is continuing her research in the same lab under an NCI R21 supplemental grant.
Luciano Byrd
Government and International Politics 2025
Research Interest: His research interest focuses on American Politics, with particular emphasis on legislation, legal studies, and the executive branch.
Last Research Project: While he has not participated in an OSCAR project, he presented research on executive orders at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) under the mentorship of Dr. Lee, Associate Director of the Office of Student, Creative Activities, and Research.
Aaron Morton
Biology 2026
Research Interest: His research interest centers on avian biology with a particular focus on bird conservation and genetics.
Last Research Project: His last OSCAR project was conducted in the HC Lim lab, working alongside PhD student Will Brooks. The research focused on analyzing Bornean bird diets through fecal metabarcoding techniques. His work involved extracting and sequencing insect DNA from bird fecal samples to investigate the relationship between diet breadth and fragmentation sensitivity in avian populations.
Karissa Raucheisen
Criminology 2026
Research Interest: Her research focuses on comparative legal research and the effects of victimization.
Last Research Project: She participated in a STIP (Summer Team Impact Project) project analyzing and addressing inequalities in Fairfax County's Domestic and Sexual Violence Services, with particular attention to at-risk communities.
Angela Rivera
Medical Laboratory 2027
Research Interest: Her interests lie in biomedical research, with a focus on analyzing the tumor tissue microenvironment and tumor progression in cancer.
Last Research Project: She participated in the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP), where she studied metabolic plasticity in the tumor microenvironment in vivo through mitophagy-generated extracellular vesicles.
Margaret Doan
Biology 2026
Research Interests: Her research interest is to examine neurological diseases and other diseases as well as develop possible diagnostic tools for those diseases to improve the wellbeing of human life.
Last Research Project: Her last Oscar project was to search for a new and potential diagnostic tool for Alzheimer's Disease by examining biological substances.
OSCAR Peer Leader's Office Hours
Wondering about how to get started in research as an undergraduate? Interested in finding out more about OSCAR programs?
Come to our office to talk to an OSCAR Peer Leader, an undergraduate student who has done research at Mason. There are no OSCAR Peer Leader drop-in hours in the summer.
Fall 2025 Schedule
Coming Soon!
The Undergraduate Education Office front door will be open from Monday until Thursday from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm, and closed on Fridays in the summer.