2026 Outstanding Seniors Named

Alenairam Castillo of Lawrence, Mass., graduates with a bachelor of arts in African American Studies. Castillo worked with Professor Keith Griffler as part of an independent study researching the school-to-prison pipeline and diasporic legacies in the Dominican Republic. Following graduation, Castillo will pursue a master’s degree in Diversity, Equity and Social Justice in Education at The University of Texas at El Paso.

Andrew Rankins of Farmington, N.Y., graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts in anthropology and history. Rankins is a member of both Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society and Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society and is graduating from the Univeristy Honors College. He was a field technician at UB's Archaeological Survey and currently works as a student assistant in the University Archives. Rankins also works seasonally as a substitute teacher at Victor Senior High School in Victor, N.Y. He serves as president of UB's Undergraduate Anthropology Club and as a trumpet section leader in UB’s Thunder of the East Marching Band. In the fall, Rankins will pursue a master's degree in history at UB.

Gardner Astalos of Buffalo, N.Y., graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor of fine arts with a concentration in print media. Astalos is a college ambassador representing the Department of Art. He works with Ron Gaczewski, preservation and access services librarian, in the preservation department at the Lockwood Memorial Library. During the summer of 2025, Astalos assisted the head of the print media department, Noah Breuer, with his exhibition "Návrat,”which was on view in the Czech Republic at the Moravian Beauty Foundation. Astalos was a 2025 recipient of the UB Evelyn Rumsey Lord Travel Award. In the future, Astalos plans to continue living, working and creating in Western New York

Liana Sicroff of Ithaca, N.Y., graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor of science in biological sciences. Sicroff is a member of the Biological Sciences Honors Program and a recipient of the Darryl Raszl Fellowship for Juniors. She completed undergraduate research under Professor Laura Rusche for four semesters as well as a summer in the SUNY Undergraduate Research Excellence Program. Sicroff was also a teaching assistant for both Professor Nitasha Sehgal and Professor Heather Williams. Outside of class, she was on the executive board of the UB Pre-Veterinary Association and a member of Impulse Dance Force. In the fall, Sicroff plans to pursue a doctorate in Veterinary Medicine at Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine.

Harrison Sly of Tonawanda, N.Y., graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor of science in chemistry and a minor in Spanish. Sly received the UB Organic Chemistry Award as a sophomore. Sly is the coach and vice president of UB Club Swimming. In the fall, Sly will pursue a Juris Doctor at UB.

Avery Barnard of Arvada, Colo., graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts in classics and anthropology. Barnard is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society and a college ambassador representing the Department of Anthropology. He is the recipient of the Marion Dickson Scholarship. Barnard worked as a field archaeologist for the UB archaeological survey team. In the fall, he plans to pursue a master's degree in critical museum studies at UB on the path to a doctorate.

Morgan Ginger Maniscalco of Westchester, N.Y., graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts in communication. Maniscalco maintained a 3.97 GPA while actively pursuing professional development within the entertainment industry. She is a member of the UB Marketing Association, where she has further cultivated her passion for marketing and brand strategy. Maniscalco completed three internships with Warner Bros. Discovery, working as a social marketing strategy intern supporting multiple networks. Following graduation, she plans to pursue a career as a social media strategy coordinator within the media industry.

Eman Salem of Buffalo, N.Y., graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in speech and hearing science. Salem is a University Honors College student who interned in Professor Alison Hendrick's Language Learning Lab, where she conducted research to develop an AI-based progress monitoring tool for children. She also worked on the Engaging Families in Literacy for Better Outcomes Study with Professor Turquessa Francis and created educational presentations on different forms of literacy to help improve families' future outcomes. Additionally, she worked in Professor Mishaela DiNino's Auditory Processing and Perception Lab, where she collected data from participants to support research on auditory perception in older adults. Salem also participated in the Western New York Sophomore Externship Experience and worked in the UB Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Clinic to develop marketing materials that help patients identify available services. In the fall, Salem will pursue a master's degree in speech-language pathology at UB.

Justus Rodriguez of Buffalo, N.Y., graduates magna cum laude with a bachelor of science in geology and a minor in geographic information systems and cartography. Rodriguez served as a college ambassador representing the Department of Earth Sciences as well as an undergraduate research advocate for the College. He learned to love research studying Arctic paleoclimate in Professor Elizabeth Thomas' Organic and Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry Laboratory and pursued an interest in structural geology working with Professor Margarete Jadamec to develop an intuitive 3D interpretive geologic map of a structurally complex region in the eastern Brooks Range of northern Alaska. In the fall, Rodriguez will pursue a master of science in geology at Idaho State University.

Bennett Schaefer of Duanesburg, N.Y., graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor of science in economics and a minor in law. Bennett is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society and a member of the Economics Department's Academic Grievance Committee. Additionally, Bennett was the treasurer of the UB Taekwondo Club since 2024. Bennett worked on several research projects within the department and won first place in the 2025 Scarpati Economics Conference for his research into the effect of minimum wage on income inequality. Following graduation, Bennett plans to take a gap year before attending law school.

Basil Thomas of Yorktown Heights, N.Y., graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts in English, political science and legal studies. Thomas is a member of the University Honors College. They developed a senior thesis project in English under the guidance of Professor Miriam Thaggert on the life and work of poet, lawyer and activist, Pauli Murray. Thomas served as a residential advisor with UB Campus Living for two years and is the tournament director for the Mock Trial Association, successfully hosting two interstate tournaments. After graduation, Thomas plans to work as a litigation paralegal and attend law school.

Riley Fields of Buffalo, N.Y., graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor of science in environmental geosciences and a bachelor of arts in geography. A member of the University Honors College, Fields worked as a research assistant in Professor Isabel Porto-Hannes' laboratory to help assess the status of the critically imperiled salamander mussel in Western New York. Additionally, he worked as an undergraduate teaching assistant and co-led independent research on dragonfly and damselfly biodiversity on campus in relation to water quality and streambank habitat integrity. After graduating, Fields plans to enter the workforce as a wetlands scientist to help conservation and restoration efforts.

Lauren Elizabeth Phung of Brooklyn, N.Y., graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor of science in geographic information science, a bachelor of arts in environmental sustainability and a minor in history. Phung is a member of the University Honors College, Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society and is a Western New York Prosperity Fellow. She completed a geography honors thesis under the supervision of Professor Sara Metcalf. Phung conducted transportation geography research in Vietnam and Cambodia and also studied abroad in Singapore. On campus, she served as an Honors Colloquium teaching assistant, College Ambassador representing the Department of Geography, Student Engagement ambassador, Future Alumni Network leader and director of sustainability for the UB Chapter of the Food Recovery Network. Phung previously interned at National Grid and the Western New York Sustainable Business Roundtable. In the fall, Phung will pursue a master of city and regional planning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Maria Arango of West Seneca, N.Y. and Medellín, Colombia, graduates magna cum laude with a bachelor of arts in English, environmental sustainability and global gender studies. Arango is a McNair Scholar and member of the University Honors College. Arango is recipient of a variety of awards including the 2025 SUNY Student Sustainability Award; the SUNY Dr. L Eudora Pettigrew Women's History Research Excellence Grant; the Paul Pizzella and Marta Ayala Experiential Learning Fund; and the Career Design Center Unpaid Internship Scholarship. They have presented research papers and posters at community events and academic conferences, working with the Buffalo Niagara LGBTQ+ History Project and the Buffalo Maritime Center. At UB, Arango founded and served as president of the Environmental Students of Color club and worked at the Center for Excellence in Writing and UB Sustainability. After graduation, Arango plans to go camping, continue birding and explore career opportunities aligned with community-centered values.

Wren Jordan-West of Manhattan, N.Y., graduates magna cum laude with a bachelor of science in environmental geoscience and a minor in Indigenous studies. During his time at UB, he interned under Professor Toni Lyn Morelli and Jamie Adkins, PhD, at the University of Massachusetts Amherst as part of the Student Federal Service, studying climate adaptation and resiliency. He currently works with Professor Hope Russell to investigate the history of brownfields in Haudenosaunee territory and create maps as educational material for visitors at the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area. After graduation, Jordan-West plans to pursue a master's degree in natural resources, focusing on how large mammals disperse invasive plants.

Ori Edgar of Saugerties, N.Y., graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts in Jewish thought and philosophy. Edgar is a member of Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society and the Honors College. They worked at the Chautauqua Institute as a member of The Abrahamic Program for Young Adults. Ori also worked with Professor Sergey Dolgopolski on an independent study and wrote a thesis titled "A Conceptual History of Idolatry." They are planning on taking a year off before potentially seeking rabbinical ordination.

Eva Espejo of Buffalo, N.Y., graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts in linguistics and a minor in Spanish. Espejo is the vice president and social media manager of the UB Rotaract Club and has been involved in numerous community service events and projects in and around Buffalo. They participated in the Linguistics Department Teaching Internship, as well as a study abroad program in Oviedo, Spain. Following graduation, Espejo will pursue a career as an immigration paralegal.

Alia Spaker of Honeoye Falls, N.Y., graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor of science in mathematics. Spaker is a Summer Math Scholar and recipient of the Harriet Montague Award. She completed an honors thesis in analytic number theory under the supervision of Professor Jakob Streipel. She served as a teaching assistant for the Department of Mathematics and participated in the Directed Reading Program for three semesters. In the fall, Spaker will pursue a doctorate in pure mathematics at the University of Connecticut.

Natalie Bucki of West Seneca, N.Y., graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts in media study and a minor in dance. Bucki directed a film in titled, "Essence,” that premiered at the 2025 Buffalo International Film Festival. She also won Best Undergraduate Film at the Community and Civic Engagement Film Festival in February 2026. Following graduation, Bucki plans on continuing to make films and pursuing a career in the film industry.

Eric Salvatore Aquilina of Buffalo, N.Y., graduates magna cum laude with a bachelor of arts in music performance. Aquilina was mentored on electric bass by the Professor Sungmin Shin and mentored on the upright bass by Professor Sabu Adeyola. Aquilina was part of the UB Jazz ensembles, Choro ensemble, “Open!” String ensemble and was secretary of the musicians club for a year. He is also a composer as well as a performer, having composed several ensemble and solo pieces in his time at UB. In the fall, Aquilina will take a gap year in order to build up his musician network around Buffalo.

Dylan Kleehammer of Spencerport, N.Y., graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts in economics and philosophy. Kleehammer served as a lead diversity advocate in the UB Intercultural and Diversity Center and received an Empire State Service Corps Recognition Award for his leadership Additionally, he worked as a community organizer in Mississippi with the Southern Poverty Law Center to promote racial equity and build the political, social and economic power of vulnerable communities. Mentored by Professor Ryan Muldoon, Kleehammer conducted research modeling segregation and multidimensional conceptions of identity, earning the UB Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creativity Award for his work. He is committed to building connected, civically engaged and tolerant communities and plans to pursue a career in public service to advance justice and equity. This fall, Kleehammer will begin a master's degree in philosophy at UB with an advanced concentration in philosophy, politics and economics.

Liam Jones of Queensbury, N.Y., graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor of science in physics and a minor in mathematics. Jones is a member of the University Honors College and Sigma Pi Sigma physics honor society as well as a recipient of the Department of Physics' Bahethi Senior Scholarship. In his time at UB, he served as the treasurer and vice president of the UB Society of Physics Students and worked as a peer instructor for several undergraduate physics courses. In the fall, Jones will pursue a doctorate in physics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Victoria Oldman of Grand Island, N.Y., graduates with a 4.0 GPA and a bachelor of arts in political science. Oldman was a member of pre-law fraternity Phi Alpha Delta and served as the philanthropy chair of UB's Sisters in Law club for two semesters. Through her time at UB, she worked as a teaching assistant for Professor Colin Anderson and took Professor Sam Bell's International Relations graduate seminar. She attended the 2025 Midwest Political Science Association conference in Chicago to present on her research regarding political extremism, radicalization and violence. She will attend again in 2026 to present further research on radicalization and currently serves as an informal research advisor for other students attending. This fall, Oldman will pursue a master's degree in political science at UB and plans to apply for doctoral programs.

Katherine Kremer of Youngstown, N.Y., graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor of science in psychology and a bachelor of arts in music. Kremer is a University Honors College scholar where she also serves as an honors ambassador, peer mentor and teaching assistant. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society and the president of UB's chapter of Psi Chi. She also serves as a College of Arts and Sciences research advocate, works for the Office of Admissions and plays cello in the UB symphony orchestra. Additionally, Kremer conducts research on aggression in early childhood and is completing the Psychology Honors Program. This fall, she will pursue a post-baccalaureate research position to prepare her for future doctoral study.

Isabella Sotgiu of London, England, graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts in linguistics and Italian. She served as a college ambassador representing the Department of Romance Language and Literatures for all four years at UB and served as the UB Italian Student Association President. Sotgiu is a member of the University Honors College, the Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society and was inducted into the Gamma Kappa Alpha Italian Honors Society in her sophomore year. Sotgiu has been on the dean's list every semester, maintaining a 3.9 GPA. In the fall, Sotgiu is continuing her education in UB’s Graduate School of Education and is finishing her master’s degree in teaching English for speakers of other languages.

Cole Terwilliger of Grahamsville, N.Y., graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts in urban and public policy studies and a minor in environmental studies. Terwilliger is the secretary of UB’s Sociology club and vice president of Audubon Club, a birding club. He worked as an intern for the Department of Environment and Sustainability’s Lead Safe Taskforce. In the fall he will pursue a master's degree in urban planning at UB.

Afiyah Khan of Buffalo, N.Y., graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts in sociology and a minor in criminology. Khan is a teaching assistant for Professor Jared Strohland is involved in educating the Buffalo student community at various levels. Khan’s research focuses on mothers in prison, IPV victims and the connection to race with high school dropouts. Along with her work at UB, she also works at Darul Iman Academy and Erie Community College. In the fall, she will pursue a master's degree in criminology at UB.

Selena Pereyra of Westhampton Beach, N.Y., graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor of fine arts in dance and a bachelor of arts in psychology. A presidential scholar in the University Honors College, she served as student assistant to the directors of undergraduate dance, ChoreoLab and to the Emerging Choreographers Showcase. She founded Choreo Club and created Campus to Community (C2C), a program that brings UB students to perform in nursing homes and community centers, supported by the Paul and Christine Nussbaum Experiential Learning Innovation Fund. She also traveled to Guatemala with “JUNTOS” to lead workshops and perform in underserved communities; performed in multiple university showcases; is a member of Zodiaque Dance Company; choreographed departmental productions; and trained with both the Urban Bush Women and the Fosse Legacy Intensive. A recipient of Jack and Lucille Yellen Award, Pereyra graduates with a strong commitment to performance, choreography and community engagement through dance, while remaining dedicated to advancing mental health and considering future graduate study in psychology.