Two Honors College Students Selected for the 2025 Portz Interdisciplinary Fellowship
Posted on July 8, 2025
University of South Alabama Honors College students Mary Helene Marmande and Dev Mehta, both of Mobile, were recently selected as recipients of the 2025 John and Edythe Portz Interdisciplinary Fellowship. Mehta and Marmande will each receive an award to support their research projects.
鈥淭his is a nationally competitive research fellowship open to all honors students in the United States,鈥� said Dean of the Honors College Dr. Douglas Marshall. 鈥淲e are proud that two of our students have risen to the top to be recognized with this distinguished fellowship that is usually only awarded to six students nationally.鈥�
The Portz Interdisciplinary Fellowship, sponsored by the National Collegiate Honors Council, was established in 2010 through a gift from John and Edythe Portz, pioneers and advocates of honors education. The fellowship provides a means to highlight the research of honors program students from two-and four-year colleges and universities.
Marmande is a junior majoring in chemistry with a minor in music in the College of Arts and Sciences. Marmande鈥檚 research project is 鈥淎ssembling Norcantharidin Bioconjugates to Explore the Enhanced Permeability and Retention Effect.鈥� Marmande will receive a $5,000 award.
鈥淭he opportunity to dive into research was presented to me at the start of my freshman year in 2023,鈥� Marmande said. 鈥淚 work on a unique interdisciplinary project that combines organic chemistry and biochemistry. I love research because it enables me to learn and understand concepts and lab techniques beyond what is possible in the classroom and collaborate with awesome students also interested in science.鈥�
Marmande鈥檚 research mentors are Dr. David Forbes, professor of chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Dr. Richard E. Honkanen, professor and chair of biochemistry and molecular biology in the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine.
Dev Mehta, a senior, is majoring in biomedical sciences in the Pat Capps Covey College of Allied Health Professions and philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences. Mehta鈥榮 research project 鈥淐omparative Study of Microbial Populations and Biofilm Formation on Inpatient and Outpatient Orthoses: Implications for Infection Prevention.鈥� Mehta will receive a $1,500 award.
鈥淚 first joined a research lab in March of 2020 as part of a high school biology project, which ultimately sparked my research interest,鈥� Mehta said. 鈥淭his fellowship gives me the exciting opportunity to design and complete my new study, which will serve as a significant part of my honors thesis.鈥�
Mehta鈥檚 research mentors are Dr. Catherine Brock, assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy, and Dr. Terry Ravine, associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences.
