The Luminaries are the official student ambassadors for the UF Honors Program and assist Honors leadership with info sessions and outreach. If you're a prospective student, feel free to reach out to a Luminary with your question(s).

Meet the Luminaries by college:

Accounting

James Walter, walterj@ufl.edu

  • Major: Accounting
  • Minor: Sustainability Studies
  • Involvement: Florida Students of Accounting Council, Florida Leadership Academy, Florida Running Club, Honors Athletics

Business, Warrington College 

Theresa LaNasa, theresalanasa@ufl.edu

  • Major: Business Administration
  • Minor: General Theatre
  • Involvement: Freshman Leadership Council, Honor Chords, Catholic Gators, Sailing Club

Erik Ruszkowski, erik.ruszkowski@ufl.edu

  • Major: Finance
  • Involvement: Undergraduate Consulting Club, Student Investment Club, Association of Latino Professionals for America, Florida Ski & Snowboard Club, Fellow for the Hamilton Center of Classical and Civic Education; Honors Athletics 

Design, Construction, and Planning

Hana Checketts, hchecketts@ufl.edu

  • Major: Architecture
  • Minor: Sustainability and the Built Environment
  • Involvement: URSP, MentorGNV Tutor, American Institute of Architecture Students, Honors Gators for Gainesville, Japanese Club

Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College

Camille Grimaldi, camille.grimaldi@ufl.edu

  • Major: Chemical Engineering
  • Minor: Nutritional Sciences
  • Involvement: Freshman Leadership Engineering Group (FLEG), Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), ChemE Car, Argentine Student Association (ArSA), Undergraduate research

Kaylie Martling, kmartling@ufl.edu

  • Major: Environmental Engineering
  • Involvement: Freshman Leadership Engineering Group, Society of Women Engineers, URSP, Honors Professional Development for Engineers Peer Mentor, Resident Assistant in Hume

Phoebe Barron, barronp@ufl.edu

  • Major: Environmental Engineering
  • Involvement: University College Democrats, Honors Theatre Appreciation

Public Health and Health Professions

Caleb Moncrief, cmoncrief@ufl.edu

  • Major: Applied Physiology and Kinesiology
  • Involvement: Phi Delta Epsilon Pre-Medical Fraternity, University of Florida Cheerleading

Casi Ramirez, cramirez3@ufl.edu

  • Major: Applied Physiology and Kinesiology
  • Minor: Geography
  • Involvement: The Salt Company, SHO, H-Camp/H-Day SOFA (2022) and Exec (2023), Medigators, Orthopedics and Athletic Medicine Club

Journalism and Communications

Marinna Stopa, marinnastopa@ufl.edu

  • Major: Journalism
  • Minors: Statistics and Geography
  • Involvement: Editor-in-Chief of Her Campus UFL, Beat Reporter and Statistician for UF Club Hockey, PRISM Honors Literary Magazine

Liberal Arts and Sciences

Abhi Bommineni, abommineni@ufl.edu

  • Major: Economics
  • Involvement: Securities Analysis Club, Gator Impact Ventures, Inter-Residence Hall Association, Florida Community Innovation, URSP

Gabriella Berardi, gabriellaberardi@ufl.edu

  • Majors: Psychology (Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience)
  • Minor: Italian Studies
  • Involvement: URSP, Nueroscience Club, Psychology Club, Italian Student Association, Spoon University, Phi Alpha Delta Mock Trial, Study Abroad (Florence)

Jasmyne Nelson, jnelson2@ufl.edu

  • Major: Psychology (Behavioral Analysis), Criminology
  • Minors: Sociology of Social Justice and Policy
  • Involvement: Psychology club, McNair Scholars Research Program, Students Against Mass Incarceration, Student Support Services Scholar, TRiO Honor Society, Psychology TA, Florida Alternative Breaks, First-Gen LLC Council (2021-2022)

Vanessa Obando, vanessaobando@ufl.edu

  • Majors: Political Science and Sociology
  • Minor: African American Studies
  • Involvement: Central American Latin Organization, Junior Research Fellow, Sankofa African American Studies Society

Sarah Paprotna, sarahpaprotna@ufl.edu

  • Major: Psychology (Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience)
  • Minors: Flute Performance, Certificate in Music in Medicine
  • Involvement: UF Wind Symphony, Alpha Epsilon Delta, Honors General Chemistry TA, URSP mentor, Warren Lab addiction research, TEDxUF

Jacob Roman, jjonathan.roman@ufl.edu

  • Majors: Anthropology, Political Sciences (Pre-Med)
  • Involvement: H-Camp/H-Day SOFA, UF Speech Lab Consultant, Polish Student Association, SHO Exec

Avery Teman, averyteman@ufl.edu

  • Major: Economics
  • Involvement: URSP, Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Co-ed Business Fraternity, Entrepreneurship Collective, Florida Women in Business, Alpha Chi Omega

Chase Virta-Steel, cvirtasteel@ufl.edu

  • Majors: Biology and Political Science
  • Involvement: SHO, Undergraduate research, Physician shadowing, Clinical volunteering

CJ Volpe, c.volpe@ufl.edu

  • Major: Biology
  • Minors: Spanish and Chemistry
  • Involvement: UF Center for Undergraduate Research Board of Students, Gator Muscular Dystrophy Association, laboratory assistant, Research Experiences for Undergraduates, UF Mesa de Español
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