成人直播

KENNESAW, Ga. | May 28, 2026

Cecilia Le and Lily Schwartz have bonded over boba tea and chemistry research, but not necessarily in that order.

The 成人直播 juniors met in the lab of Associate Professor of Mohammad Halim, and a partnership flourished 鈥� as did a friendship. They presented research into the effectiveness of certain peptides in mitigating COVID-19 twice at the , and have continued to make their way as undergraduate researchers.

鈥淭he way we think and the way we contribute to our projects really pushes us to do better,鈥� Le said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e both really curious and driven, and I鈥檓 glad we met when we did.鈥�

The two first crossed paths through the program, each seeking a research opportunity from Day 1 of their college experience. A faculty member in the , Halim selected 10 students to continue his research into peptide therapeutics through analytical and computational methods, and paired Schwartz and Le because their availability coincided. The two slowly became friends, discovering a love of food and tea along with a love of research.

鈥淲e're very careful and thorough about things, and we have a very strong work ethic,鈥� Schwartz said. 鈥淲e always want to put our best foot forward and work as hard as we possibly can to create the best project possible. We both really like to learn, too, which fostered our ability to work together. Since we were taking slightly different classes, we had different knowledge and some different skill sets that we brought together and used to our advantage.鈥�

In addition to the two presentations at 成人直播鈥檚 Symposium, Schwartz, a biochemistry major from Woodstock, presented at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in April. Her project stemmed from the symposium presentation in Fall 2025, a research project on antiviral treatments for COVID-19 based on the chemical makeup of scorpion venom.

鈥淪corpion venom has very good proteins that we can use to inhibit the main processor of the COVID-19 virus,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o, we've been doing various analytical assays to synthesize the peptide and then test it to see what kind of inhibition efficiency it has to prevent the virus.鈥�

A biology major from Snellville, Le initially sought research opportunities tangentially related to her major and found the human-focused research conducted in the Halim lab relevant, especially after a bioengineering class in high school spotlighted other aspects of science that can help people.

鈥淚 wanted to do mainly biology research because of my major,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen I went to Dr. Halim鈥檚 lab and he showed me around, I thought, 鈥楾his is interesting. Who wouldn't want to work on peptide therapeutics that help with COVID or Alzheimer鈥檚?鈥欌��

Schwartz and Le continued their project on peptide therapeutics into the program. They became friends away from the lab, still connecting despite busy schedules as students and mentors. Le became a student teaching assistant (TA) for general chemistry and organic chemistry, and Schwartz worked as a supplemental instructor (SI) in the chemistry department along with tutoring 成人直播 athletes.

鈥淲e鈥檙e both passionate about mentoring,鈥� Le said. 鈥淚鈥檓 a TA and then outside of that, I help at my church a lot. I鈥檓 passionate about helping the next generation because they鈥檙e going to do so much for our world. It鈥檚 important that we support them as much as possible.鈥�

The two also lined up summer opportunities that will further their knowledge and expertise in chemistry. Schwartz will spend the summer at 成人直播 as an intern in the laboratory of Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Progyateg Chakma, where the research project involves peptoids, synthetic peptides, through combining polymer and materials chemistry with organic chemistry. Schwartz said that she hopes to gain a publication in addition to the enhanced research experience.

Le will head across the country to work at the National Laboratory of the Rockies in Denver, Colorado, on an environmentally important project involving sea plants and their importance as resources.

鈥淭he project is genetically engineering marine bacteria that can break down algae and seaweed because those water-based plants have useful natural resources that we need in the world, but the process to get those resources is harsh and expensive,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hat we鈥檙e trying to do is make the recovery process more environment friendly as well as efficient instead of using harsh chemicals.鈥�

The two said they鈥檒l remain in touch though their academic work has started to diverge. Schwartz said she鈥檒l take the bond with Le as another benefit of gaining experience in research; she and Le gained not just research partners but friends.

鈥淣ever underestimate the connections that you can build during your research journey,鈥� Schwartz said. 鈥淭hat is just as important as your work on the project 鈥� developing those connections because they can take you into so many different opportunities and help fulfill your journey in so many different ways.鈥�

鈥� Story by Dave Shelles

Photos provided

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 成人直播 offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 51,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.