Dr. Karina Kapusta is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Tougaloo College whose research focuses on molecular modeling, computer-aided drug discovery, and computational biochemistry. Her work integrates quantum and molecular mechanics, molecular dynamics, and machine-learning approaches to study molecular recognition and biomolecular interactions. She is one of the principal investigators for the NSF-funded E-RISE RII project establishing the Mississippi Nano-Bio and ImmunoEngineering Consortium (NIEC), where she leads computational biomedical sciences efforts across two research focus areas and serves as the team lead for Diversity and Culture of Inclusion in STEM. Dr. Kapusta mentors undergraduate researchers and promotes interdisciplinary collaboration to advance computational methods in biomedical and chemical research.