Alexxa Kowalski, a biology pre-medicine major at Indiana University of Pennsylvania from Mary D, Schuylkill County, was selected to participate in IUP’s U-SOAR program.

U-SOAR (Undergraduate Summer Opportunities for Applying Research) is a 10-week summer program that allows selected undergraduate students, working with a faculty mentor, to do original, inquiry-based research or creative endeavors, with a number of enrichment programs related to research success.

Kowalski, daughter of Rebecca Kowalski and Daniel Kowalski, is a 2022 graduate of Tamaqua Area Senior High School, a dean’s list student and provost scholar, received a Sutton Scholarship, is a Kopchick Faculty Student Fellow, and won an award for work in molecular biology.

Kowalski is president of National Residence Hall Honorary, secretary of Crimson Chords, is a biology peer mentor, is a member of the American Medical Student Association, Phi Eta Sigma honor society and Beta Beta Beta honor society. This is Kowalski’s second year to be selected for the U-SOAR program.

Kowalski’s project is “Mechanism for fungal drug resistance in the FKS1 gene,” researching human known mutants outside of the hot spot region of S.C. to discover the mechanism for the resistance.