Past Winners

Academic Year 2021-2022 Undergraduate Research Support Winners

• The Undergraduate Research Support Program (URSP) provides up to $3000 for faculty-mentored, independent student research projects. Below is a list of current awardees listed by name, department/school, title of the project, and faculty mentor. CONGRATULATIONS, student researchers!
• Kaitlyn Blake, English, Reading the Readers of Young Adult Literature, Dr. Danielle Lillge
• Connor Chambers, Geography, Geology and the Environment, Erosional Ages of The Grand Tetons, Dr. Tenley Banik
• Ryan Gearman, Construction Management, Transforming Low-income Old Homes into Sustainable Homes through Minimal Investment, Dr. Sundeep Inti
• Jacob Giles, Biological Sciences, Mechanism of Psilocybin Action in the Brain, Dr. Paul Garris
• Gabrielle Goytia, Kinesiology and Recreation, Improving the Health Trajectories of Future Generations, Dr. Dale Brown
• Audrey Harrod, Biological Sciences, Exposure to Pesticide and Pathogen Multiple Stressors and Between-host Transmission in Bumble Bees, Dr. Benjamin Sadd
• William Kuna, Biological Sciences, Effects of Varying Sexual Selection through Operational Sex Ratio on Investment of Gryllodes sigillatus Males into Nuptial Food Gifts, Dr. Benjamin Sadd.
• Alexander Olson, Geography, Geology and the Environment, Proposal for Analysis of Greenspace Land Use in Philadelphia, Dr. Alec Foster
• Jordon Osborne, Alex Diffor, and Jake Weihe, Technology, The Next Generation of Hands-On Learning, Dr. Isaac Chang
• Megan Parks, Biological Sciences, The Effect of Maternal Progesterone on Steroid Metabolism during Embryonic Development, Dr. Ryan Paitz
• Christopher Turner, Theater, Arts Integration: Theatre and Mathematics, Dr. Jimmy Chrismon

Summer 2021 Undergraduate Research Support Winners

The Undergraduate Research Support Program provides up to $5000 to support undergraduate student(s) engaged in an intensive, faculty-mentored research experience over the Summer. Congratulations to summer 2021 grantees:

• Riley Cox, Geology, “Investigation of Oxygen Isotopes in Icelandic Rocks to Uncover Continent-Forming Processes,” mentored by Dr. Tenley Banik
• Cameron Essex, Geology, “Understanding Magma Formation at Þingmúli volcano, Iceland,” mentored by Dr. Tenley Banik
• Ian Freeman, Physics, “Simulated Multifragmentation of Nuclear Collisions” mentored by Dr. Matt Caplan
• Arthur Harris, Chemistry, “Expanding the Organometallic Chemistry of Molybdenum-Based Clusters,” mentored by Dr. Lisa Szczpura
• Evan Hazzard, Information Technology, “Predicting, Preventing and Visualizing Vaccination Deficiency in Illinois with AI,” mentored by Dr. Shaoen Wu
• Catalina Hernandes-Ramos, Creative Technologies, “Sharing Darien: Digital tools for communication and engagement of cultural and historical artifacts,” mentored by Krisin Carlson. Jointly sponsored by Illinois State University’s Center for Civic Engagement
• Joseph Hoberg, Geology, “ Utilizing a TRAC and a tracer test to better quantify the dynamic movement of shallow groundwater,” mentored by Dr. Eric Peterson. Jointly sponsored by Illinois State University’s Center for a Sustainable Water Future
• Christopher Hota (Biochemistry) and Miles Howley (Creative Technologies), “Chemistry of Biology: A Holographic Learning Initiative,” mentored by Dr. Kevin Edwards
• Caleb Hudspath, Biology, “Determining the molecular underpinnings for modulation of escape responses” mentored by Dr. Wolfgang Stein
• Amelia Korveziroska and Marco Perez (Physics) “Silicon Nitride and Silicon Dioxide Materials Deposition in Nanopatterned Polymeric Films,” mentored by Dr. Mahua Biswas.
• Jennifer Miller, Biology, “Determining the relative contribution of electrical synapse subunits to the tail flip escape of the Marbled Crayfish” mentored by Dr. Wolfgang Stein
• Emerson Roden, Biology, “Could invasive species reduce the risk of parasitism for native species? Testing the dilution effect on Aedes triseriatus and Aedes albopictus” mentored by Dr. Steven Juliano
• Brendan Roseberry, Biology, “Analyzing Effects of Neutorphil Produced Oxidants on UPEC Strains In Vivo,” mentored by Dr. Jan Dahl
• Evan Talbott-Swain, Biology, “The effect of food limitation on family size in the strawberry poison frog,” mentored by Dr. Mattew Dugas
• Faeq Zaman, Chemistry, “Cloning and Characterization of Sulfolobus islandicus Cytidylyltransferase,” mentored by Dr. Jon Friesen
• Shariq Zaman, Chemistry, “Testing Unique Class of Organic Molecules for Their Effect on Leishmania Parasites,” mentored by Dr. Marjorie Jones