Summer 2025 was nothing short of transformative for Jaralynn Tammi Morellano, a biological science major. For the second year in a row, Morellano – who hails from Guam – took part in the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. Following a stimulating internship at Purdue University in 2024, Morellano spent the past summer conducting research at Washington State University.
“My most recent REU internship enabled me to develop a collaborative project between The University of Tulsa and WSU focused on elucidating the activation and inhibition of cellular pathways in zebrafish embryos when they are subjected to differing water pressure,” she explained. Traveling back and forth several times between the two sites, Morellano conducted the experiments in the Mika Lab at UTulsa, while in Pullman, Washington, she completed all the DNA/RNA sequencing and analyses in a lab run by Zhihua Jiang.
“It was a pleasure having Tammi in our lab over the summer,” Jiang remarked. “She distinguished herself as an exceptionally capable and motivated researcher. Tammi independently designed and executed experiments, skillfully adapted to challenges by developing alternative approaches and effectively presented her work to both scientific and general audiences. Her intellectual curiosity, work ethic and collegial spirit made her a valued member of the team. I have no doubt she will excel in her future scientific endeavors.”
Thriving on UTulsa time
Opportunities to get involved in serious, career-focused scientific research was what drew Morellano to UTulsa. “When I was finishing high school and considering universities, I didn’t have much preference for any particular state, given that all of them would be far, far away from my home on the other side of the Pacific,” she said. “But after meeting with a UTulsa admission counselor and learning about the array of opportunities, including the Tulsa Undergraduate Research Challenge (TURC) and volunteer research positions, I saw I would be able to immerse myself in meaningful scientific projects. And that’s proven to be the case since day one.”
Indeed, fall 2025 marked the beginning of Morellano’s third year in the Mika Lab. “My high school didn’t have labs, so developing my skills and knowledge under the expert guidance of Professor Katelyn Mika has been an incredible experience,” she noted. “I’ve been able to get involved in everything from planning and managing projects to conducting experiments and analyses. My time in this lab spurred me to learn how to conduct bioinformatic analysis involving genomics and transcriptomics.”
In addition to her work in laboratory settings, Morellano highlights the impact of participating in the Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (OK-LSAMP). Funded by the NSF, the OK-LSAMP program is a consortium of 11 Oklahoma universities that strives to increase the recruitment, enrollment and retention of underrepresented students in STEM fields. As an OK-LSAMP scholar, Morellano gathers with peers from around the state to share research. Last year, she represented OK-LSAMP on the national organization’s trip to Europe, which involved visiting universities and science-focused companies in Paris and Barcelona.
Life beyond the microscope
There are over 7,000 miles of plains, deserts, mountains and sea between Tulsa and Guam. Coming from a small community where she was supported by family and friends to a big city where she knew no one, Morellano knew that if she was going to survive and thrive, she would need to make a concerted effort to interact with other people. “What really helped me acclimate to my new environment was saying yes to new experiences,” she recalled.
The moment she truly broke out of her shell was during orientation, when she went to the UTulsa chapter of Baptist Collegiate Ministries with the intention of playing soccer. “When I showed up, however, the guy in charge of intramural sports asked if I would like to join their flag football team. I hadn’t any experience with football, but it sounded like fun, so I said, ‘Yes!’ That experience ended up being a big part of my freshman year, and it led me to meeting a lot of people I would likely not have spoken to otherwise.”
Two of those people are Interim President Rick Dickson and his wife, Brenda. “We met Tammi during her first semester at UTulsa. She was a student worker in the Golden Hurricane athletics communications office and quickly earned the nickname ‘Pick 6’ for her flag football prowess! Her enthusiasm was infectious,” Dickson laughed. “Tammi is an extraordinarily bright and bold student – truly a dynamic force, which is the very definition of a Hurricane!”
Today, Morellano enjoys what she describes as “a circle of amazing people I can count on to support me even though I’m far away from my family.” In fact, despite not having been back to Guam in three years, she has not spent even one holiday alone, thanks to the friendship of the people she has met through the Office of Admission, working on campus and serving as a peer mentor, helping new students navigate their first year at UTulsa. Now, as a university ambassador, Morellano is a member of the vibrant team that gives a blue-and-gold campus welcome to prospective students as they consider whether to entrust their futures to the university that, in a matter of months, will be her own alma mater.
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