Luminaries

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:

Business and Accounting

Olivia Hughes, oliviahughes@ufl.edu

• Major: Finance
• Involvement: Phi Mu Fraternity, Business Undergraduate Mentorship Program, The Big Event Staff, Florida Leadership Academy, Finance Professional Development Program

Erik Ruszkowski, erik.ruszkowski@ufl.edu

• Majors: Information Systems and Economics
• Minor: Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences
• Involvement: Florida Ski & Snowboard Club, Undergraduate Consulting Club, Exchange Program at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, European Policy Review Author, Hamilton Center Society of Fellows, Finance Professional Development (FPD) Program, Association of Latino Professionals for America, Honors Athletics, PRISM Honors Magazine

James Walter, walterj@ufl.edu

• Major: Accounting
• Minor: Sustainability Studies
• Involvement: Florida Students of Accounting Council, Florida Leadership Academy, Florida Running Club, Honors Athletics, Student for New Urbanism, Epsilon Tau Pi Eagle Scout Fraternity

Claire Wong, claire.wong@ufl.edu 

• Major: Information Systems and Operations Management
• Minor: Economics
• Involvement: Undergraduate Consulting Club, Association for Information Systems, Special Olympics, Sigma Kappa

Design, Construction, and Planning

Hana Checketts, hchecketts@ufl.edu

• Major: Architecture
• Minor: Sustainability and the Built Environment
• Involvement: URSP, American Institute of Architecture Students, Honors Gators for Gainesville, Freedom by Design, Teaching Assistant, Rock Climbing

Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College

Carter Amaba, carter.amaba@ufl.edu

• Major: Electrical Engineering
• Certificate: AI Fundamentals and Applications
• Involvement: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Treasurer, Electrical & Computer Engineering Ambassador, Florida Institute of National Security, URSP, UF Club Tennis, Honors Professional Development Peer Mentor, and Circuits 1 TA. Previous Internships: NextEra Energy Solar Fleet Team (Summer ’24) and NextEra Energy Fossil Operations (Summer ’25)

Emilia Delaune, emiliadelaune@ufl.edu 

• Major: Computer Engineering
• Minor: Astronomy
• Involvement: Freshman Leadership Engineering Group, Society of Women Engineers, Engineers Without Borders

Camille Grimaldi, camille.grimaldi@ufl.edu

• Major: Chemical Engineering
• Minor: Nutritional Sciences
• Involvement: Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), ChemE Car, Argentine Student Association, and American Institute of Chemical Engineers. Previous Internships: ExxonMobil (Fall 2024) and Fairlife (Summer 2024)

Kaylie Martling, kmartling@ufl.edu

• Major: Environmental Engineering
• Involvement: Society of Women Engineers, , Westside Baptist Church College Ministry, Honors Professional Development for Engineers Peer Mentor, Resident Assistant, Freshmen Leadership Engineering Group (FLEG), and URSP. Summer Internships: USDA - NRCS (2023) and ExxonMobil (2024)

Phoebe Barron, barronp@ufl.edu

• Major: Environmental Engineering
• Involvement: University College Democrats, Honors Theatre Appreciation, Society of Environmental Engineers, The Oh Lab, URSP

Health and Human Performance

Leila Hilliard, leilahilliard@ufl.edu 

• Major: Sport Management
• Minor: Business Administration
• Certificate: AI Fundamentals and Applications
• Involvement: Delta Zeta Sorority, Sorority Invitations Committee, Panhellenic Sister Support Ambassadors, Gator Sport Management Organization, Women in Sports Empowerment, Student Volunteer for the Football On-Campus Recruitment Team

Caleb Moncrief, cmoncrief@ufl.edu

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

Liberal Arts and Sciences

Abhi Bommineni, abommineni@ufl.edu

• Majors: Economics and Mathematics
• Involvement: Florida Fixed Income Group, Finance Professional Development Program, URSP

Peyton Harris, peyton.harris@ufl.edu

• Major: English
• Minor: Religion
• Involvement: The Independent Florida Alligator, Undergraduate research (USP and URSP), Teach for America Ignite Fellowship, Writing Center Tutoring, CURBS Ambassador, Student Legal Services Research Intern, UnCommon Peer Instructor

Drew Herberich, andrewherberich@ufl.edu 

• Major: Economics
• Minor: History
• Involvement: Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Fraternity External Vice President, Lead IFC, H-Camp SOFA, Florida Future Leadership Program, Homecoming/Gator Growl Assistant Director of Operations

Michele Hirn, mhirn@ufl.edu 

• Major: Data Science
• Minor: African Studies
• Certificate: AI Fundamentals and Applications
• Involvement: Black Student Union, Data Science and Informatics Club, Students Taking Action Against Racism (STAAR), Center for African Studies Ambassador

Ian Mayhood, ianmayhood@ufl.edu 

• Majors: Economics and Political Science
• Minors: History, Statistics
• Involvement: University Economics Society, Undergraduate Research, Active Learning Program Research Intern, Study Abroad (Salzburg)

Keely Moody, keelymoody@ufl.edu 

• Major: Biochemistry
• Involvement: URSP, Freshman Leadership Council (FLC), H-Camp SOFA

Erik Ruszkowski, erik.ruszkowski@ufl.edu

• Majors: Information Systems and Economics
• Minor: Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences
• Involvement: Florida Ski & Snowboard Club, Undergraduate Consulting Club, Exchange Program at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, European Policy Review Author, Hamilton Center Society of Fellows, Finance Professional Development (FPD) Program, Association of Latino Professionals for America, Honors Athletics, PRISM Honors Magazine

Primrose Tanachaiwiwat, ptanachaiwiwat@ufl.edu 

• Major: Microbiology
• Minors: Entomology, Bioinformatics
• Involvement: Research in the UF College of Medicine; USDA Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology; Florida Medical Entomology Lap, PRISM Honors Literary Magazine Creative Section Editor; Thai-Laos Student Association

Avery Teman, averyteman@ufl.edu

• Major: Economics
• Involvement: President and Founder of AI Club, AI Scholars Program, University Scholars Program, URSP, Research at Shands Hospital, Alpha Kappa Psi Co-ed Business Fraternity, Alpha Chi Omega

Esly Villeda Castillo, evilledacastillo@ufl.edu 

• Major: Psychology (General)
• Involvement: Hispanic Student Association (HSA) Member Leadership Program, Women's Student Association (WSA), Gators for Gainesville Volunteer, UF Impacto English Instructor, University Research Scholars Program (URSP) Advisory Board, Summer Intern at American Public Transportation Association

Sam Waterston, swaterston@ufl.edu 

• Majors: Economics and Statistics
• Involvement: Undergraduate research, UF Writing Center tutor, TEA Literary Magazine, Women in Economics

Jake Wooley, jake.wooley@ufl.edu 

• Major: Psychology (Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience)
• Minor: Health Disparities in Society
• Involvement: URSP and advisory board, Preview Coordinator, UF Shands Health Volunteer, Medigators; Phi Delta Epsilon Medical Fraternity

Public Health and Health Professions

Adaora Edeoga, a.edeoga@ufl.edu 

• Major: Health Science
• Minors: Nutritional Sciences, Early Childhood Studies
• Involvement: HerCampusUFL, Health Education and Literacy Organization (HELO), National Society of Black Women in Medicine (NSBWM), Small Bites Nutrition, Taft lab for infant gastrointestinal microbiology, URSP

Daisy Jones, daisyjones@ufl.edu 

• Major: Communication Sciences and Disorders
• Involvement: French Club, Kappa Kappa Gamma, AI in Education research, ELI conversation partner

Lucy Pellenbarg, lucypellenbarg@ufl.edu 

• Major: Public Health
• Involvement: URSP, iGEM Team Captain, Dinglasan Lab for Malaria Transmission Biology, Study Abroad and SUIRP (Summer Undergraduate International Research Program) in Tanzania, Wilderness First Responder, Outdoor Trip Leader with UF CORE, Florida's Future Leadership Program, Chi Omega Executive Board

Mikayla Stesney, mikayla.stesney@ufl.edu 

• Major: Health Science
• Involvement: Medi-Gators Mentorship Program, Clinical research and education development at UF Health Shands Children’s PICU, Writing Tutor at University Writing Studio, Writing and Presentation Tutor at Santa Fe College, UF Transfer Guide at Santa Fe College Honors Program