Contact

Office Location

The External Scholarships and Undergraduate Research Center is located on the second floor of the University Union (UU 260) above the Fleishman Center.

Walk-in Advising

Basic walk-in appointments:

Monday 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Tuesday 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Wednesday 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Friday 12 p.m. – 2 p.m.

Advanced walk-in appointments:

Thursday  1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. with Director Steve Ortiz

Advising by Appointment

Scheduled appointments are available for research and scholarship advising. Please email with convenient times/days to urc@binghamton.edu.

Advising for Goldwater Scholarship and Truman Scholarship:

Contact Dr. Susan Flynn (sflynn@binghamton.edu) to schedule a meeting. 

Advising for Fulbright Scholarship:

Contact Dr. Elisa Camiscioli (ecamis@binghamton.edu) to schedule a meeting. 

Contact Information

Phone: 607-777-4325
Fax: 607-777-4345
Email: urc@binghamton.edu

Physical Address (for GPS):

Binghamton University
State University of New York
4400 Vestal Parkway East
Vestal, NY 13850

Mailing Address:

External Scholarships and Undergraduate Research Center
Binghamton University
P.O. Box 6000
Binghamton, NY 13902-6000

Subscribe to our newsletter

---

Meet the Team

Dr. Stephen R. Ortiz (He/Him), Director

sortiz@binghamton.edu

---

Caroline Antalek (She/Her), Source Project Program Coordinator

cantalek@binghamton.edu

Caroline Antalek is a proud Binghamton University alumna with a bachelor's degree in Spanish language and literature, and a minor in education. As the Source Project Program Coordinator, Caroline assists in the program’s facilitation and helps plan the poster sessions for Research Days. After graduating with her associate's degree from SUNY Broome Community College, Binghamton University was calling her name! Between volunteering as a translator for the Multicultural Resource Center, participating in undergraduate research, and studying abroad in Madrid, Spain, Caroline is grateful to Binghamton University for offering her a plethora of opportunities. As a former exchange student with Rotary International, Caroline has a passion for diverse cultures, language learning and education. Prior to starting at ESURC, she worked in admissions with a stellar team recruiting future Bearcats! When Caroline is not working with undergraduate research, you can find her at a concert, in the gym, or hanging out with her daughter and husband. 

---

Barbara Kachmar (She/Her), Office Assistant

bkachmar@binghamton.edu

Barbara Kachmar is an alumna and retired employees of Binghamton University who has accepted a temporary Office Assistant position in the External Scholarships and Undergraduate Research Center. She brings over 25 years of clerical and administrative experience working with faculty, staff, students, various departments and off campus constituents. She has been known as the “Go To Person” because of all her knowledge and connections on campus and in the community. In her spare time, she travels the globe with family and friends by RV, ships, trains, planes and/or whatever means are needed to get where she wants to go. Barbara is the proud mother of two military boys who are serving in the Unites States Airforce which has contributed to her travels.

---

Gervlyne Auguste (She/Her), McNair Scholars Program Coordinator

gauguste@binghamton.edu

Gervlyne Auguste currently serves as the program coordinator for the Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program (McNair Scholars Program). She brings over 15 years of experience in educational and administrative management. Her academic experiences serve as an important framework that better allows her to understand and identify with a diverse range of students. Gervlyne's familiarities of being a first-generation college student with English as a second language present the main ideals that are the backbone of her educational philosophy. As a project coordinator, her primary mission is to help students navigate successfully through their academic careers while exploring their educational and career options. Her immediate responsibility is to prepare students to be self-sufficient and life-long learners. Her obligation is to contribute and remain attentive to issues pertaining to student services and retention. This is especially important when addressing the needs of underrepresented and underserved students.

In her spare time, she serves on several nongovernmental organizations as an advocate for better access to education, youth development and women owned businesses reaching life-long independence.

Gervlyne holds a Masters in Science degree with an Administration and Planning concentration from the University of Massachusetts in Boston and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Emmanuel College, Boston. 

---

Régina Nguyen (She/Her), McNair Scholars Program Assistant Director

rnguyen@binghamton.edu

Régina Nguyen is thrilled to join the McNair Scholar Program as the team's newest member! She is originally from Northern California and is still getting used to driving in the snow. Before joining the McNair Scholars Program, she served as an instructor in the Languages Across the Curriculum Program. In this capacity, she worked with students who wished to explore curricula through the prisms of another language and culture. This work was quite meaningful to her because she is very interested in language and culture as indexes of power. You are more than likely to see her walking around on campus wearing bright, vivid colors in unique patterns as she expresses herself through textures, shapes, and colors! In her free time, she enjoys many genres of music and freestyle dancing.

---

Dr. Susan Flynn (She/Her), Faculty Research and Scholarship Advisor

sflynn@binghamton.edu

Dr. Flynn is a research assistant professor in biomedical chemistry for the First-year Research Immersion Program. Her research interests include medicinal chemistry, neurobiochemistry, and disease cellular processing.

---

Trevor Fornara (He/Him), Communications and Outreach Coordinator

tfornar1@binghamton.edu

Trevor Fornara is a senior undergraduate student from Mystic, Connecticut, majoring in philosophy, politics, and law. His role at the Undergraduate Research Center includes updating the website and the SOAR database, as well as helping to currate marketing content. Trevor has served as Editor in Chief of Happy Medium, BU's student-run political magazine, since founding the publication in December 2021. During his first year at Binghamton University, Trevor participated in the Source Project, where he investigated the effects of the university on the city’s housing market and was published in Alpenglow: Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity in October 2022. Over summer 2022, Trevor was a participant in the Summer Scholars and Artists Program, through which he received funding to create the first print edition of Happy Medium Magazine. In October 2022, he received a grant from the Harpur Edge Student Success Fund to create a second print edition of the magazine, focusing on the 2022 midterm elections.

---

Undergraduate Research Ambassadors

Abby Gifeisman (She/They)

agifei1@binghamton.edu

Abby is a junior majoring in philosophy, politics, and law. She facilitates outreach events for the Undergraduate Research Center, including panels which showcase the research of BU students and staff. Abby founded the Interdisciplinary Research Club in September 2021 and has served as president since. Abby participated in the People, Politics, and Environment stream of the Source Project in 2020-21, researching the relationship between small businesses and gentrification.

---

Janea Harris (She/They)

jharri71@binghamton.edu 

Janea is a senior majoring in Chinese studies. She designs all promotional materials for the Undergraduate Reseach Center and manages the center's Instagram and other social media pages. Janea also serves as an English Speaking Assistant for the English Language Institution at BU. She is a former member of the Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity, where she served as Marketing Committee Chair and helped manage their Instagram page. Janea was an acrobatic gymnast for three years.