Tess Overton

Hometown: Raleigh, NC

Tess is a member and leader in several campus organizations, including the Earth Club (President), the Student Gardening Club, and the University Honors Program. In addition to her campus involvement, Tess is deeply involved in undergraduate research within the Department of Biological Sciences. Her current research focus is “DNA Damage Repair and Response,” which involves studying the interaction between two DNA Damage Response molecules using molecular biology techniques. She has also recently begun a new project studying the tumor suppressor protein PTEN and its interaction with DNA. In the spring of 2017, Tess became one of three UNC Charlotte students ever to win a Goldwater scholarship, the most prestigious national award for undergraduates in the sciences. During the summer of 2016, Tess studied abroad in Paris, France, as a part of the Honors College Summer Program “Art and Architecture in the City of Light.” In her free time, Tess enjoys playing the ukulele, sewing, gardening (especially succulents), and playing soccer.