Meet Team BLAZE!
Mentor: Dr. Kaci Thompson
College of Life Sciences
Instructor of Biological Sciences and Director of Undergraduate Research and Internship Programs
Librarian: Mr. Timothy Hackman
Logan Anbinder is a double major in Physics and Philosophy. In addition to Gemstone, he is a member of
Maryland Images, the campus tour guides group, Honors Ambassadors, and is active in both the Maryland
Academic Quiz Team and the University of Maryland's Quidditch Team.
Amy Cordell is a psychology major from Cramerton, North Carolina. She serves as BLAZE's team secretary. In Fall
2009, she joined the Beta Phi chapter of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority and now serves as the chapter's Scholarship
chair. She is a fan of all ACC sports, especially Maryland football, and loves the Carolina Panthers.
Gretchen Downey is a Conservation Biology major whose interests include horseback riding, sports and cheering
on the Terps. She hopes to one day work at the Smithsonian National Zoo and so Team BLAZE is the perfect
outlet for her animal–loving tendencies.
Kelly Freudenberger is a Pre-Vet and Neurophysiology & Biology double major from Fair Hill, Maryland. She has
always loved animals and according to many of her friends, her house could be considered a zoo. Her plans
include going to vet school and eventually getting a PhD. Even though her interests are mainly about animals,
Kelly also enjoys all things computers including some graphic design, music, and traveling.
Shabaab Kamal is studying for a double degree in Information Systems and Psychology. He is a campus tour guide
with Maryland Images, sings in UMD's only South-Asian a capella group, Anokha, and teaches part-time. In his
spare time Shabaab enjoys reading, playing video games, and driving around with loud music playing! He aspires
to eventually join the video game development and localization industry.
Nikko Khuc is a Public Health Major/Pre-Medical Major planning to attend Medical school upon graduating from
the University of Maryland. He works part time at a lab on campus researching the growth properties and
reproductive anatomy of species Phytophthora and Pythium. He also holds leadership positions in activities on
campus. Currently, he is the Vice President of Community Development/Communication for the Residential Hall
Association and the Class Representative for the Student Activities Committee for the Gemstone Student
Council. He also partakes in community leadership activities as a certified Eagle Mentor. Nikko enjoys exercising
and tutoring friends and hopes that one day he will be able to make a career out of his passion for helping
others.
Josh Lacey is a Government and Politics and Criminal Justice double major. He is currently studying abroad in
Sweden (the home of IKEA) for the spring semester! When not watching NCIS, Josh can be found at Dunkin
Donuts or listening to Justin Timberlake. He hopes to one day be head of the International Olympic Committee.
Caitlin Moore is pursuing a career in veterinary medicine as a Biology major here at the University of Maryland.
After spending four more additional years in vet school, she hopes to work in large animal medicine and
specialize in equine. When she’s not striving for a 4.0, she can be found singing in the University Chorale (or to
whomever will listen to her), riding her horse at home, working for the MD 4-H Horse Program, or at any Terps
sporting event. She lives in Westminster, MD on her family’s farm (pretty big difference from College Park!) but
she loves UMD. Wish BLAZE luck!
Emmarie Myers is a Bioengineering major from Silver Spring, MD. She is also pre-med and plans on attending
medical school after graduating from Maryland. Emmarie is very involved with Maryland's chapter of Alpha
Omega Epsilon, the engineering sorority. And of course, she is very excited for the project and working with the
animals at the zoo!
Andrea Schmidt is a mathematics major who plans on becoming a high school teacher. She is from Rockaway,
New Jersey, where she spends her summers working as a camp counselor at Camp White Meadow. Andrea loves
being a Terp and attending all the sporting events on campus. Her interests include soccer, Manchester
United, camp, and spending time with her family and friends.