Report

Undergraduate Conference Presentations Funded by UROP in FY2026

Timothy O'Neil — Thu, 14 May 2026 18:31:29 +0000

Undergraduate Conference Presentations Funded by UROP in FY2026 Timothy O'Neil Thu, 05/14/2026 - 12:31

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) at ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� celebrates undergraduate engagement in academic and professional conferences, providing $54,700 to support 135 student presentations at 35 events hosted at 29 cities in 20 states and 3 countries in fiscal year 2026.

As students presented and exhibited their work, they not only connected with leaders in their fields, they moved conversations forward—and in new directions. With strong evidence of meaningful learning outcomes in disciplinary knowledge and transferrable skills, UROP supports these high-impact practices that enable transformative growth while advancing humankind in all its scientific and creative endeavors.

Since 2011, UROP with the help of the Boettcher Foundation and alumni has provided $317,362 to support 711 student presentations. We invite you to explore this year's activities, read student reflections about their experiences and mentor comments on the significance of these events, view the photo gallery and encourage eligible students to apply for Individual Conference Travel Grants and faculty to apply for Group Conference Travel Grants. Prospective applicants will find resources for engagement in academic and professional conferences, including opportunities and guides, at the bottom of this page.

Fiscal Year Totals

Students Supported

135

Funding Provided

$54,700

Individual Conference Travel Grants

Individual Grants

Individual Grant Funding

$28,700

Recipient: Martin Anaya Anaya
Mentor: Jen Triplett
Event: Pacific Sociological Association Conference
Location: Long Beach, CA
Presentation: The Role of Migration and Assimilation in the Transformation of Cultural Norms and Family Values: A Qualitative Study of Mexican Immigrants in the United States

Recipient: Aidan Anderson
Mentor: Barbra Sobhani
Event: Geological Society of America Connects
Location: San Antonio, TX
Presentation: Optimization and Calibration of STELLA: Lab and Field Methods for Local Spectroscopy Measurements

Recipient: Jadyn Anderson
Mentor: Giulia Brachi
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Richmond, VA
Presentation: Sprouting Structures: Exploring Directed Root Growth for Engineered Living Systems

Recipient: Alex Baker
Mentor: Divya Vernerey
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Richmond, VA
Presentation: Infinite Brushstroke: Where Math, Code, and Art Merge in an Aperiodic Monotile

Recipient: Karlee Bane
Mentor: Prakriti Sardana
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Richmond, VA
Presentation: Understanding the Importance of Timing: Exploring the Implementation Outcomes of Potable Reuse Projects through a Project Phase Analysis

Recipient: Jamison Barcelona
Mentor: Christopher Bowman
Event: American Institute of Chemical
Engineers Student Conference
Location: Boston, MA
Presentation: Modeling Crosslinked Thiol-Yne Polymerizations

Recipient: Malak Belaissaoui
Mentor: Glenda Walden
Event: Pacific Sociological Association Conference
Location: Long Beach, CA
Presentation: Formerly Incarcerated Individuals Experiences and Opinions of Recidivism, Reintegration, and Rehabilitation

Recipient: Junior Chapman
Mentor: Glenda Walden
Event: Pacific Sociological Association Conference
Location: Long Beach, CA
Presentation: The performance of power: A Qualitative study on Black Masculinity and the development of Self worth and Identity in consumers of hip-hop culture

Recipient: Autumn Christeson
Mentor: Amanda Stewart
Event: Pacific Sociological Association Conference
Location: Long Beach, CA
Presentation: “The Impact of Experiential Learning Environments on Student Perception of their Academic Self-efficacy”

Recipient: Henry Coghlin
Mentor: Robert Davis
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Richmond, VA
Presentation: Elastohydrodynamic Theory of Wet Particles

Recipient: Ethan Coleman
Mentor: Ankur Gupta
Event: American Institute of Chemical Engineers Student Conference
Location: Boston, MA
Presentation: pH-dependent focusing of diffusiophoretic particles

Recipient: Aidan Dalleck
Mentor: Luis Navarro
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Richmond, VA
Presentation: Exploring Volume Emission Rate asymmetries for the ICON-MIGHTI

Recipient: Isa Davila
Mentor: Andrew Morell
Event: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Region V Student Conference
Location: Ames, IA
Presentation: Expanded Backsubstitution Dynamics Modeling for Multi-Body Spacecraft Simulation

Recipient: Meghan Densmore
Mentor: Lynneatte Quenin
Event: American Psychological Association Conference
Location: Denver, CO
Presentation: To Trust or Not to Trust: Investigating the Role of Attention in Trust Decisions

Recipient: Mary Dowd
Mentor: Emma Wells
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Richmond, VA
Presentation: Organizing for Safe Water Services

Recipient: Chloe Els
Mentor: Karen Bailey
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Richmond, VA
Presentation: Evaluating how different sources of scientific evidence shaped the EPA’s regulation of the herbicide Dacthal

Recipient: Emma Erdman
Mentor: Marayna Martinez
Event: Midwest Political Science Association Conference
Location: Chicago, IL
Presentation: Activism and Efficacy Post-Dobbs: Perspectives from College Students

Recipient: Talli Fox
Mentor: Michelle Ellsworth
Event: Strings of Motion: An Exhibition on Puppetry’s Lineage in Dance
Location: Boulder, CO
Presentation: Strings of Motion: An Exhibition on Puppetry's Lineage in Dance

Recipient: Kayla Gill
Mentor: Barbra Sobhani
Event: Geological Society of America Connects
Location: San Antonio, TX
Presentation: CARMA: Using Ground Based Spectroscopy to Bring Positive Change in the World

Recipient: Bri Grindrod
Mentor: Eric Vance
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Richmond, VA
Presentation: LISA: The Design and Future of Collaborative Statistical Analysis

Recipient: Andy Gusty
Mentor: Emily Jensen
Event: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Conference on Decision and Control
Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Presentation: Optimal Control of Soft-Robotic Crawlers Subject to Nonlinear Friction: A Perturbation Analysis Approach

Recipient: Julian Hansell
Mentor: Robert MacCurdy
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Richmond, VA
Presentation: Increasing Out-of-Plane Stiffness in 3D Printed Pneumatic Soft Robotic Actuators Using a Print-in-Place Endoskeleton

Recipient: Diana Hernandez
Mentor: Austin Smith
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Richmond, VA
Presentation: Analysis of Space Dust Impact Waveforms on the Parker Solar Probe

Recipient: Taketo Horigome
Mentor: Eric Vance
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Richmond, VA
Presentation: Evaluating the Effectiveness of the LISA Model in Training Interdisciplinary Data Scientists: National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) 2026 Oral Presentation

Recipient: Jessie Hsu
Mentor: Orit Peleg
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Richmond, VA
Presentation: Temporal Analysis of Defect Formation in Honeycomb Under Geometric Frustration

Recipient: My Huynh
Mentor: Alan Weimer
Event: American Institute of Chemical Engineers Student Conference
Location: Boston, MA
Presentation: Correcting Non-ideal Flow Patterns in Chemical Looping Reforming of Methane Systems for Accurate Productivity Measurements

Recipient: Pinchadevage Kanishka Jayathilake
Mentor: Divya Vernerey
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Richmond, VA
Presentation: A Hybrid Classical and Quantum Side Channel Attack on Kyber 512

Recipient: Oliver Kaplan
Mentor: Robert Marshall
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Richmond, VA
Presentation: Optimal Instrument Alignment Estimation and Attitude Filtering for the COSMO CubeSat Mission

Recipient: Claire Koch
Mentor: Barbra Sobhani
Event: Geological Society of America Connects
Location: San Antonio, TX
Presentation: GSA Connects 2025 Poster Presentation

Recipient: Dylan Liu-WalterMentor: Shu-Wei Huang
Event: Society of Photographic Instrumentation Engineers Photonics West
Location: San Francisco, CA
Presentation: Physics-Informed Frequency Resolved Optical Gating for Intelligent Discovery of Ultrafast Photonics Systems

Recipient: Amanda Lopez
Mentor: Lynneatte Quenin
Event: Midwest Political Science Association Conference
Location: Chicago, IL
Presentation: Investigating Strategies for Change Detection Using a Qualitative Approach

Recipient: Alice Ly
Mentor: Alan Weimer
Event: American Institute of Chemical Engineers Student Conference
Location: Boston, MA
Presentation: Customizable Silicon Carbide Parts via Direct Ink Writing and Liquid Silicon Infiltration

Recipient: Utkarsh Mandavilli
Mentor: Barbra Sobhani
Event: Geological Society of America Connects
Location: San Antonio, TX
Presentation: Optimization and Calibration of STELLA: Lab and Field Methods for Local Spectroscopy Measurements

Recipient: Arianna McCarty
Mentor: Jason Burdick
Event: Society for Biomaterials Annual Meeting & Exposition
Location: Atlanta, GA
Presentation: Engineering Focal Cardiac Fibrosis Models via Digital Light Processing of Hydrogel Molds

Recipient: Ankit Mukkamala
Mentor: Abby Hickcox
Event: National Collegiate Honors Council Conference
Location: San Diego, CA
Presentation: Dopaminergic Regulation of Pair Bonding in Early Adolescent Female Prairie Voles

Recipient: Leo Nelson
Mentor: Brian Fleming
Event: Space Telescopes and Instrumentation: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Presentation: A novel method for grating array alignment on the INFUSE sounding rocket

Recipient: Jordan Pan
Mentor: Lisa Spencer
Event: National Collegiate Research Conference
Location: Cambridge, MA
Presentation: Targeted Notch 2 Deletion Leads to Extreme Hypereosinophilia

Recipient: Will Paulson
Mentor: Alan Weimer
Event: American Institute of Chemical Engineers Student Conference
Location: Boston, MA
Presentation: Fluidization of NMC811 Cathode Powders for Particle Atomic Layer Deposition

Recipient: Isabella Perrin
Mentor: Meaghan Courvan
Event: Yale Undergraduate Research Conference
Location: New Haven, CT
Presentation: Mechanisms of Transcriptional Regulation in Trisomy 21 and Their Contribution to Elevated Immune Signaling and Inflammation

Recipient: Isabella Perrin
Mentor: Meaghan Courvan
Event: Stanford Research Conference
Location: Stanford, CA
Presentation: Mechanisms of Transcriptional Regulation in Trisomy 21 and Their Contribution to Elevated Immune Signaling and Inflammation

Recipient: Chiara Pesce
Mentor: Michael Hannigan
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Richmond, VA
Presentation: Improving Embedded Calibrations in Low-Cost Sensing for Air Quality

Recipient: Ailey Pittman
Mentor: Chris Ray
Event: The Wildlife Society Western Section Meeting
Location: Monterey, CA
Presentation: Winter climate explains American pika (Ochotona princeps saxatilis) habitat occupancy in a southern core of the species range

Recipient: Tâllwyn Powell
Mentor: Azza Kamal
Event: American Research Center in Egypt Meeting
Location: Westminster, CO
Presentation: Blueprints of Power: Modeling Rosetta’s Architecture and Urbanism

Recipient: Katya Presnar
Mentor: Luis Navarro
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Richmond, VA
Presentation: Field Testing of an Ultra-Narrowband Filter for Fabry–Perot Interferometer Imaging Systems

Recipient: Aaron Price
Mentor: Kristin Oliver
Event: American Association of Physics Teachers Summer Meeting & Physics Education Research Conference
Location: Washington, D.C.,
Presentation: Analyzing graduate student views on the challenges of self-guided leadership and team structure in a laboratory setting.

Recipient: Maeve Royer
Mentor: Amanda Stewart
Event: Pacific Sociological Association Conference
Location: Long Beach, CA
Presentation: Stability and Security in Relationships for Queer and Trans Disabled Individuals

Recipient: Kirstie Scott
Mentor: Sarah Wilson Sokhey
Event: Midwest Political Science Association Conference
Location: Chicago, IL
Presentation: Civic Embers in Ukraine: Case Studies of Youth Engagement and Local Civic Support

Recipient: Aryan Sharma
Mentor: Jay McMahon
Event: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Sci-Tech Forum
Location: Orlando, FL
Presentation: Title of My Research Paper: Time-Optimal Control of Axi-Symmetric Rigid Spacecraft Through Uniform Trigonometrization Method

Recipient: Zanghyeoun Shim
Mentor: Eric Bogatin
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Richmond, VA
Presentation: Resistance Characterization of PCB Traces and Vias for Improved Reliability in Modern Electronic

Recipient: Kalen Sieja
Mentor: Tamar Malloy
Event: Midwest Political Science Association Conference
Location: Chicago, IL
Presentation: Activism and Efficacy Post-Dobbs: Perspectives from College Students

Recipient: Ana Singureanu
Mentor: Alan Weimer
Event: American Institute of Chemical Engineers Student Conference
Location: Boston, MA
Presentation: Optimizing Reactor for Triamine Film Deposition through Particle Molecular Layer Deposition

Recipient: Josh Smith
Mentor: Wyatt Shields
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Richmond, VA
Presentation: Microrobot-Assisted Delivery of Circular RNA-Lipid Nanoparticles for Lung-Associated Diseases

Recipient: Max Soong
Mentor: Lynneatte Quenin
Event: Midwest Political Science Association Conference
Location: Chicago, IL
Presentation: Investigating Strategies for Change Detection Using a Qualitative Approach

Recipient: Annika Stephan
Mentor: Amy Palmer
Event: National Collegiate Honors Council Conference
Location: San Diego, CA
Presentation: Quantification of Metallothionein and its Impact on Breast Cancer Apoptosis

Recipient: Sarah Taylor
Mentor: Annabelle Lewis
Event: Society of American Archaeology Meeting
Location: San Francisco, CA
Presentation: Connecting Rural Lifeways and Mortuary Practices in Nineteenth-Century Upstate New York

Recipient: Maura Thomas
Mentor: Barbra Sobhani
Event: Geological Society of America Connects
Location: San Antonio, TX
Presentation: CARMA: Using Ground Based Spectroscopy to Bring Positive Change in the World

Recipient: Lila Thomasson
Mentor: Rai Farrelly
Event: Teachers of English to Speaker of Other Languages International Convention and Expo
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Presentation: Cross-Institutional Partnerships for TESOL Teacher Development and Multilingual Learner Success

Recipient: Markkus Tong
Mentor: Tom Yeh
Event: Biomedical Engineering Society Meeting
Location: San Diego, CA
Presentation: Supporting Strategies to Address Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformations in Fontan Patients

Recipient: Cate Trautman
Mentor: Linnea Helenius
Event: American Institute of Chemical Engineers Student Conference
Location: Boston, MA
Presentation: Alumina and Iron Aluminate Reticulated Porous Ceramic Fabrication and Characterization for Use in Solar Thermochemistry Reactor

Recipient: Alena Tucker
Mentor: Debanjan Mukherjee
Event: American Society of Mechanical Engineers Summer Bioengineering Conference
Location: Santa Ana Pueblo, NM
Presentation: In Vitro Model of the Human Circle of Willis to Investigate Drug Delivery in the Brain

Recipient: Aspasia Vazquez
Mentor: Alta Howells
Event: Astrobiology Science Conference
Location: Madison, WI
Presentation: Evolutionary Ecology of Formylmethanofuran Dehydrogenase Across Methanogenic Niches in Serpentinizing Systems

Recipient: Nicholas Villagomez
Mentor: Amanda Stewart
Event: Pacific Sociological Association Conference
Location: Long Beach, CA
Presentation: Ideology and Intimacy: The Intersection Between Politics and Sexual Behaviors

Recipient: Colin Watkins
Mentor: Aseem Visal
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Richmond, VA
Presentation: Mechanical Properties of Tough and Stretchable Slide-Ring Hydrogels

Recipient: Trevor Wilson
Mentor: Madelyn Bennett
Event: American Institute of Chemical Engineers Student Conference
Location: Boston, MA
Presentation: A Novel Experimental Setup for the Collection of Greenhouse Gas Temperatures in Ultra-High Temperature Thermal Energy Storage

Recipient: Beata Wolak
Mentor: Katya Arquilla
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Richmond, VA
Presentation: Enabling Health Monitoring in Extreme Environments: A Low-Power Electrocardiogram System for Wearable Applications

Recipient: Avi Wonek
Mentor: Francisco Lopez Jimenez
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Richmond, VA
Presentation: Rapid Fatigue Categorization of Metal Alloys

Recipient: Ian Youngblood
Mentor: Hanspeter Schaub
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Richmond, VA
Presentation: Necessity and Application of Ion Gun Emissions on an Electrostatic Tractor Spacecraft

Recipient: Nick Yurchak
Mentor: Tatsuya Akiba
Event: Annual Meeting of the Division for Dynamical Astronomy
Location: Chicago, IL
Presentation: Tracing a Possible Black Hole Merger Through Stellar Orbits at the Galactic Center

Recipient: Charli Zern
Mentor: Lynneatte Quenin
Event: American Psychological Association Conference
Location: Denver, CO
Presentation: To Trust or Not to Trust: Investigating the Role of Attention in Trust Decisions

Group Conference Travel Grants

Group Grants

Group Funding

$26,000

Event: Colorado Robotics Challenge
Location: Alamosa, CO
Recipient: Barbra Sobhani
Recipient’s Unit: Colorado Space Grant Consortium
Students: 8

Event: Lunar and Planetary Science Conference
Location: The Woodlands, TX
Recipient: Annie Strange
Recipient’s Unit: Colorado Space Grant Consortium
Students: 6

Event: Augmented World Expo
Location: Long Beach, CA
Recipient: Pat Clark
Recipient’s Unit: Critical Media Practices
Students: 3

Event: Association of Writing Programs
Location: Baltimore, MD
Recipient: Jay Ellis
Recipient’s Unit: Program for Writing and Rhetoric
Students: 6

Event: American College Dance Association - Baja Conference
Location: Long Beach, CA
Recipient: Anya Cloud
Recipient’s Unit: Theatre and Dance
Students: 4

Event: American Geophysical Union - Fall Meeting
Location: New Orleans, LA
Recipient: Sean Peters
Recipient’s Unit: Aerospace Engineering
Students: 3

Event: Psychonomic Society Meeting
Location: Denver, CO
Recipient: Frederik Bergmann
Recipient’s Unit: Psychology & Neuroscience
Students: 7

Event: Senior Showcase
Location: New York City, NY
Recipient: Tamara Meneghini
Recipient’s Unit: Theatre & Dance
Students: 22

Event: Percussive Arts Society International Convention
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Recipient: Carl Dixon
Recipient’s Unit: College of Music
Students: 6

Photo Gallery

Student Reflections

Participating at this early point in my career inspired me to stick with my research and continue to graduate school. I felt like I was joining a community. - Aaron Price

The most valuable part of the conference was being able to talk with other people who love research as much as I do. It was a sense of community in academics I have never felt before. - Meghan Densmore

I learned that this field is much bigger than I previously thought; there are so many different paths people can take from an already specialized field, and it was refreshing to see how different people approached problems. - Markkus Tong

I was able to interact with academic professionals from a field I would never have interacted with otherwise. I learned about the incredible scale of the research community. Even just within the field of geology there is a massive amount of variance in topics covered. My project feels like only a small part in a much larger 'big picture'. - Aidan Anderson

Preparing and participating in this conference helped me find my professional strengths through the mock interview I participated in, how to communicate and make strong first impressions on others during the networking event, and how to use technical, concise language to share my research findings with other engineers who may not have as deep of an understanding of my research as I do. - Trevor Wilson

I started to see data science less as a purely technical filed and more as a way to connect ideas, people, and real-world problems. Many projects combined data science with areas like social science, education, and environmental studies. This made me realize that understanding the context of a problem is just as important as having strong technical skills. - Taketo Horigome

Participating in this conference helped me better understand the way I want to market and brand my academic work to appeal to a wide variety of disciplines. - Chloe Els

I connected with a professor at another university whose career trajectory aligns with my goals and whose research I am fascinated by. We began a mentoring relationship. - Kalen Sieja

Attending this conference has made me want to attend more, which I can definitely see myself doing. I believe that I will start researching other conferences to go to and seeing what all they have to offer. - Kayla Gil

Preparing for and participating in the conference altered my mindset on research and chemical engineering from thinking in terms of theories, formulas, and data to understanding how research and chemical engineering jobs engage with and impact the real world. - Cate Trautman

Participating in this conference has given me an opportunity to learn about fields I never would have thought to explore otherwise, and I was able to make many connections that could lead to career opportunities. I also gained a better confidence in presenting in front of others and improved my ability to network at events, both of which are skills I have been struggling to improve upon. - Maura Thomas

I feel that my experience presenting at a professional conference has prepared me for future scenarios in which I will be required to confidently discuss my field of study and answer important and challenging questions. - Claire Koch

The most valuable part of my participation was opening new opportunities for collaboration. I'm currently pursuing new research projects and discussing future directions with connections made at the conference. - Andy Gusty

This experience completely changed my career trajectory. Seeing the scope of what research can be showed me what I want to do with science. Going to class, doing equations, and performing codes can make you feel like a robot. Research fixes all that—and that’s a beautiful thing. - Bri Grindrod

I did not realize how expensive it can be to attend academic events, which makes me so thankful for all of the grant resources available. - Aspasia Vazquez

This conference taught me how to visually present technical work. I learned how to adjust the communication of my research based of the audience's understanding of my field. - Avi Wonek

It was fascinating to see how professionals in the industry interact and present their findings. One of the most interesting things I noticed was unconventional approaches to problem solving often turned out to be the best solutions. - Ryan Koh

Preparing for this conference made me realize how I enjoy thinking through data and developing my own understanding of the material. It has also made me more curious in classes as before I would just learn the material for the exam. - Jordan Pan

My participation in this conference highlighted the intrinsic interdisciplinary nature of research and the way in which the junction of different subjects and perspectives moves research, and science specifically, forward. It was also impactful to hear how individuals found joy and excitement in their research, and it was a strong reminder to me that incorporating play and whimsy into scientific research is worthwhile. - Isabella Perrin

This was one of the most formative experiences of my academic career. Presenting was unlike anything I’d done in class. There wasn’t a rubric or a professor leading the discussion. I had to take full responsibility for my work, answer questions right away, and explain my understanding of a topic I chose myself. That experience gave me a confidence I couldn’t get from regular coursework. - Alex Baker

The feedback I received on my work was very valuable and will shape how I proceed with my work. Other students had processes or thoughts that I didn’t have in my research approach that could help to make it more effective. - Julian Hansell

From deep learning, I built my confidence and identity as a researcher and ultimately solidified my decisions to pursue academics. From networking, I now have multiple connections to explore potential research and potential branches within the field of psychology. - Amanda Lopez

I feel much more confident about attending and presenting at conferences in the future. I am eager to attend more so that I can share my work with others and connect with my fellow researchers. - Ollie Kaplan

Note: Student reflections were excerpted from post-event surveys and edited for length.

Significance of Events

The Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon) is the premier and only recurring U.S. conference dedicated to astrobiology, convening every two years to unite researchers across planetary science, microbiology, geochemistry, and evolutionary biology. AbSciCon provides exposure to NASA scientists, principal investigators, and graduate program leaders who fund and study these systems. Presenting original findings at this stage positions the student as an emerging contributor to a high-priority NASA research area. - Alta Howells

AIAA is the premier technical society for the field of aerospace engineering, hosting some of the most widely respected academic journals and conferences within the field. This conference is designed for undergraduate and masters students and acts as a stepping off point to present in bigger conferences. - Andrew Morell

NCUR offers a national platform for students to present original research and engage with the broader scientific community. Participation enhances the visibility undergraduate research while developing essential communication and networking skills. - Austin Smith

I am particularly excited about this venue because it combines cutting-edge research with an environment focused on learning and scientific development. My mentee will be able to have rigorous scientific discussions with other exceptional undergraduates and convey our research to an audience of experts. - Meaghan Courvan

AIChE is an international organization that connects chemical engineers doing a wide range of work. The student conference gives undergraduates a great opportunity to learn about career paths for chemical engineers. Most graduate students and undergraduates who are seriously involved in research are expected to attend. - Madelyn Bennett

This is the flagship event of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Bioengineering Division. The student paper competition is one of the most prestigious bioengineering student events in the community. Selection as a finalist itself is a high recognition. - Debanjan Mukherjee

DDA's annual meetings are one of the most well-known and well-attended conferences in the field of dynamics, and most of the dynamicists in my professional network regularly attend DDA meetings. DDA meetings are very impactful in keeping researchers in the field up-to-date, starting or continuing research collaborations, and networking. - Tatsuya Akiba

SPIE astronomical telescopes is the most relevant conference for astronomical instrumentation in the world. It is only held every other year and is attended by some of the most important people involved in the Habitable Worlds Observatory, as well as the broader astronomical instrumentation community. - Brian Fleming

The Annual Conference of the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE) is one of the prominent and specialized gathering of professionals from across the world. These professionals are experts in preservation, documentation, archeological work, and restoration. Attending and presenting their work in this event will be a remarkable contribution to their professional growth and learning. - Azza Kamal

Engagement supports capacity building as a developing researcher and fosters confidence in engaging with the broader scientific community. Participation promotes the exchange of new ideas and methodological advances. Such opportunities are critical for integrating education with research and for preparing students to contribute to future advances in atmospheric sciences. - Luis Navarro

The Pacific Sociological Association brings together academics in various areas of expertise. It is considered the most important regional meeting for academics in the Rocky Mountain and Western regions in sociology. It is also very supportive of undergraduates. - Glenda Walden

The IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (CDC) is the leading conference for the advancement of systems and control theory and practice. Acceptance is quite competitive, with a rate around 55% after rigorous peer review. - Emily Jensen

NCUR plays an important role in training emerging researchers to articulate technically complex ideas to diverse audiences—an essential skill in security and cryptography, where real-world impact depends on clear understanding beyond expert communities. - Divya Vernerey

The Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA) is a major psychological conference in the field of psychology. It is one of a few conferences that invites speakers and presenters across all fields of psychology and openly encourages graduate and undergraduate students to present their research. There are also tons of resources available for undergraduate students as well, especially those who are pursuing graduate school. - Lynneatte Quenin

This is the flagship conference for American archaeology, and is a major networking and professional development avenue for our subfield. In addition to sharing her research, Sarah will attend multiple information sessions, covering both archaeological and career-related topics. The SAAs provide multiple networking events focused on undergraduates. - Annabelle Lewis

The Annual TESOL International Convention is the premier professional meeting of our field. It will have a huge impact on Lila's sense of belonging in this community of practice and very likely open doors for her as she pursues a career path in teaching English as an additional language in the US or abroad. - Rai Farrelly

SPIE Photonics West is widely regarded as the premier international forum for ultrafast optics and laser engineering, bringing together fundamental science, enabling technologies, and real-world applications. It fosters strong interactions between academia, national labs, and industry, accelerating the translation of ultrafast-optics innovations into next-generation laser systems, instrumentation, and commercial technologies. - Shu-Wei Huang

GSA is an organization with extensive reach. This event is highly interdisciplinary and supports students with professional opportunities. It's an ideal setting for students to gain exposure to professional research. - Barbra Sobhani

Note: Mentor comments on the significance of events were excerpted from funding proposals and edited for length.

Locations

Cities

States/Provinces

Countries

Students	City	State/Province	Country
23	Richmond	Virginia	US
22	New York City	New York	US
13	Long Beach	California	US
9	Denver	Colorado	US
8	Alamosa	Colorado	US
8	Boston	Massachusetts	US
6	Chicago	Illinois	US
6	Indianapolis	Indiana	US
6	Baltimore	Maryland	US
6	The Woodlands	Texas	US
5	San Antonio	Texas	US
3	San Diego	California	US
3	New Orleans	Louisiana	US
2	San Francisco	California	US
1	Monterey	California	US
1	Stanford	California	US
1	Boulder	Colorado	US
1	Westminster	Colorado	US
1	New Haven	Connecticut	US
1	Washington D.C.	District of Columbia	US
1	Orlando	Florida	US
1	Atlanta	Georgia	US
1	Ames	Iowa	US
1	Cambridge	Massachusetts	US
1	Santa Ana Pueblo	New Mexico	US
1	Salt Lake City	Utah	US
1	Madison	Wisconsin	US
1	Rio de Janeiro	Rio de Janeiro	Brazil
1	Copenhagen	Hovedstaden	Denmark

Events

Students	Event
23	National Conference on Undergraduate Research
22	Senior Showcase
8	Colorado Robotics Challenge
8	American Institute of Chemical Engineers Student Conference
7	Psychonomic Society Meeting
6	Pacific Sociological Association Conference
6	Percussive Arts Society International Convention
6	Association of Writing Programs
6	Lunar and Planetary Science Conference
5	Midwest Political Science Association Conference
5	Geological Society of America Connects
4	American College Dance Association, Baja Conference
3	Augmented World Expo
3	American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting
2	National Collegiate Honors Council Conference
2	American Psychological Association Conference
1	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers: Decision and Control
1	The Wildlife Society Western Section Meeting
1	Biomedical Engineering Society Meeting
1	Society of American Archaeology Meeting
1	Society of Photographic Instrumentation Engineers Photonics West
1	Stanford Research Conference
1	Strings of Motion: An Exhibition on Puppetry’s Lineage in Dance
1	American Research Center in Egypt Meeting
1	Yale Undergraduate Research Conference
1	Space Telescopes and Instrumentation: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray
1	American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Sci-Tech Forum
1	Society for Biomaterials Annual Meeting & Exposition
1	Am. Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics Student Conference
1	Annual Meeting of the Division for Dynamical Astronomy
1	National Collegiate Research Conference
1	Am. Society of Mechanical Engineers Bioengineering Conference
1	Teachers of English to Speaker of Other Languages Convention
1	Astrobiology Science Conference
1	Am. Association of Physics Teachers Summer Meeting

Funding Details

These conference travel grants are supported by two endowments that provide approximately $10,000 in distributions annually: 1) Boettcher Foundation Fund and 2) University of Colorado Matching Fund. Additional funding is provided from the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) general fund, which is housed in the Office of Undergraduate Education (OUE). Demand for funding continues to increase and now significantly outpaces endowment distributions. This year, UROP contributed almost $45,000 to close the gap and provide enabling support for these transformative experiences. We encourage you to consider giving to enable transformative learning.

History

The Boettcher Foundation provided seed funding to establish programming, originally referred to as the Professional and Academic Conference Endowment (PACE), with many alumni and friends contributing to the matching fund over the years. The program has been managed by UROP since inception and recently rebranded to align with other grant offerings and avoid confusion with the establishment of ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ��'s Office of Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship (PACES).

Eligibility

All current degree-seeking undergraduates at ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� in good academic standing are eligible for funding to share original work at academic/professional conferences and exhibitions. Tenured/tenure-track research and teaching faculty, professional researchers and practitioners, and postdoctoral scholars at the ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� and Anschutz Medical Campus are eligible to apply for Faculty Grants. Student and Faculty Conference Travel Grants are accepted and awarded on a rolling basis.

Thanks

This program would not be possible without our campus partners in the Office of Undergraduate Education (OUE), Human Resource Service Center (HRSC), and International Education. We deeply appreciate OUE's Lory-Ann Varela (Assistant Vice Provost Academic Support and Enrichment) and Anna Zurek (Senior Finance & Accounting Professional), HRSC's Judith Bean, Senior Coordinator, as well as International Education's travel registration team: Dianne Fraser, Kelsey Mark, Hannah Farrar and Michal Greenberg. We're also grateful for the mentors who guided and supported student presenters through these meaningful experiences. Many others provided encouragement and operational support throughout the university.

Historical Data

Year	Amount Awarded	Students Supported
FY2026	$54,700	135
FY2025	$46,750	133
FY2024	$41,050	85
FY2023	$25,250	36
FY2022	$1,342	11
FY2021	$6,080	35
FY2020	$22,100	48
FY2019	$29,470	69
FY2018	$19,000	38
FY2017	$15,000	15
FY2016	$12,250	29
FY2015	$15,700	21
FY2014	$11,550	19
FY2013	$9,300	21
FY2012	$5,820	13
FY2011	$2,000	3

Total Amount Awarded

$317,362

Total Students Supported

711

Related Resources

Individual Conference Travel Grants

Group Conference
Travel Grants

Presentation
Opportunities

How to Design & Present a Research Poster

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Undergraduate Conference Presentations Funded by UROP in FY2025

Timothy O'Neil — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 17:35:05 +0000

Undergraduate Conference Presentations Funded by UROP in FY2025 Timothy O'Neil Wed, 11/05/2025 - 10:35

UROP celebrates undergraduate engagement in academic and professional conferences, providing $48,650 to support 134 student presentations around the globe in fiscal year 2025. Funding is provided, in part, by the Boettcher Foundation.

As students present and exhibit their work in locations around the world, students not only connect with leaders from the public and private sectors, they move conversations forward—and in new directions. With strong evidence of meaningful learning outcomes in disciplinary knowledge and transferrable skills, UROP supports high-impact practices that enable transformative growth while advancing humankind in all its scientific and creative endeavors.

��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� undergraduates can apply for Individual Travel Grants, and faculty can apply for Group Travel Grants. Applications are awarded on a rolling basis year-round.

Students Supported

134

Funding Provided

$48,650

Individual Student Grants

Individual Grant Funding

$20,950

Group Grants

Group Grant Funding

$27,700

Individual Grants

Student: Danya Al Nazal
Mentor: Abby Hickcox
Presentation: ANDing: faculty, staff and student experiences of making connections across difference
Event: National Collegiate Honors Council Conference
Location: Kansas City, MO, USA

Student: Carson Alishio
Mentor: Riley Loria
Presentation: Email Outreach Successfully Attracts Attention but Advocacy Techniques Do Not Further Improve Policymaker Engagement with Climate Science
Event: Society of Personality and Social Psychology Convention
Location: Denver, CO, USA

Student: Joe Allen
Mentor: Jay Ellis
Presentation: Hindsight Creative Nonfiction Bookfair
Event: Association of Writers and Writing Programs Annual Conference
Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA

Student: Brett Barton
Mentor: Tomoko Matsuo
Presentation: Senior Design Presentation for Suborbital Research Platform - A Novel Approach to Suborbital Atmospheric Research in the Thermosphere
Event: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Region V Student Conference
Location: Minneapolis, MN, USA

Student: Zaidee Bennett
Mentor: Glenda Walden
Presentation: ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Community Opinions Towards Gender Neutral Restrooms
Event: Pacific Sociological Association Conference
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA

Student: Caleb Bettcher
Mentor: Julia Claxton
Presentation: Classification of High-Energy Particle Precipitation Events Using Computer Vision
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Student: Mackenzie Campbell
Mentor: Pieter Johnson
Presentation: Using Otolith Aging Techniques to Compare Acanthurus tractus Age and Length with Infection Load of Scaphanocephalus spp.
Event: Western Regional Honors Conference
Location: Denver, CO, USA

Student: Judy Chen
Mentor: Alexis Phillips
Presentation: Cholesteric Liquid Crystalline Elastomers: Tunable Light Filters for Infrared Applications
Event: American Institute of Chemical Engineers Conference
Location: San Diego, CA, USA

Student: Jess Connell
Mentor: Alan Weimer
Presentation: Iron aluminate reticulated porous ceramic fabrication for use in solar thermochemistry
Event: American Institute of Chemical Engineers Conference
Location: San Diego, CA, USA

Student: Anneliese Crayton
Mentor: Cristina Torres-Machi
Presentation: Does Recycling Compromise Long-Term Performance and Life-Cycle Costs? A Comparative Analysis of Full-Depth Reclamation and Overlay Pavements
Event: Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting
Location: Washington, D.C., USA

Student: Megan Davis
Mentor: Thomas Chaney
Presentation: Impact of Solvent Choice on PM6 Solution Conformation for Organic Photovoltaics Devices
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Student: Ella Erich
Mentor: William Frantz
Presentation: The Effects of Frequency and Peak Negative Pressure (PNP) on Acoustic Droplet Vaporization of HC/FC Endoskeletal Drops
Event: Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting
Location: Baltimore, MD, USA

Student: Tori Field
Mentor: James Monaco
Presentation: Automating Calibration of Colorado’s Zephyr Meteor Radar Network with ADS-B Data
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Student: Clara Gauthier
Mentor: Jay Ellis
Presentation: Hindsight Creative Nonfiction Bookfair
Event: Association of Writers and Writing Programs Annual Conference
Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA

Student: Anvie Gowrishankar
Mentor: Tomoko Matsuo
Presentation: Advancing Atmospheric Density Measurements in Suborbital Space Environments
Event: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Region V Student Conference
Location: Minneapolis, MN, USA

Student: Rudolf Hansen
Mentor: Sean Peters
Presentation: Evaluating the Use of Ambient Anthropogenic Radio Signals of Opportunity for Passive Radar Sounding of Glaciers
Event: American Geophysical Union Conference
Location: Washington, D.C., USA

Student: Rudolf Hansen
Mentor: Sean Peters
Presentation: Constraints on Glacial Passive Radar Sounding using Anthropogenic Sources
Event: International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium
Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Student: Lindsey Harriman
Mentor: Garrett Bredeson
Presentation: Mental Illness and Sartre’s Existentialism: An Evaluation of the Implications of Mental Illness for Practical Freedom and Ontological Freedom
Event: Annual Meeting of the North American Sartre Society
Location: Rockville Centre, NY, USA

Student: Calvin Hawks
Mentor: Angela Thieman Dino
Presentation: Learning ‘Street Smarts’ from Engineering Leadership Alumni
Event: American Society for Engineering Education Conference
Location: Montreal, Québec, Canada

Student: Riley Holcomb
Mentor: Erika Randall
Presentation: Tap Into the Network Apprentice Program
Event: Tap Into the Network
Location: Multiple Sites, USA

Student: Ren Hotzfeld
Mentor: Jay Ellis
Presentation: Hindsight Creative Nonfiction Bookfair
Event: Association of Writers and Writing Programs Annual Conference
Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA

Student: Julia Hyden
Mentor: Diane McKnight
Presentation: Exploring Turbulent Flow Dynamics through Didymosphenia geminata Populations in Boulder Creek
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Student: Dharma Johnson
Mentor: Kathryn Ramirez-Aguilar
Presentation: Learn How ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Tackles Hard to Recycle Lab Materials
Event: International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories Conference
Location: St. Louis, MO, USA

Student: Jason Katz
Mentor: Taylor Lonner
Presentation: IMPACT OF SICKNESS INDUCED BY CENTRIFUGATION ON MOTION SICKNESS IN A WATER LANDING ANALOG
Event: NASA Human Research Project Investigators Workshop
Location: Galveston, TX, USA

Student: Hermann Klein-Hessling Barrientos
Mentor: Jessica Holman
Presentation: Magnetic Field Effect on the Electrocatalytic Activity of Cobalt-Phosphate Oxyhydroxide Oxygen Evolving Thin Films
Event: Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers National Convention
Location: Anaheim, CA, USA

Student: Angelina Kondrat
Mentor: Jay Ellis
Presentation: Hindsight Creative Nonfiction Bookfair
Event: Association of Writers and Writing Programs Annual Conference
Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA

Student: Himaghna Kuntumalla
Mentor: Kathryn Ramirez-Aguilar
Presentation: Want an opportunity for green chemistry education at your institution? ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� offers student fellowships to the UW Online Certificate Program.
Event: International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories Conference
Location: St. Louis, MO, USA

Student: Duncan Laird
Mentor: Nicole Labbe
Presentation: Reducing Jet Engine Reignition Delay Time through Computational Molecular Analysis of Jet Fuel Ignition
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Pittsburg, PA, USA

Student: Marcus Linton
Mentor: Tomoko Matsuo
Presentation: Advancing Atmospheric Density Measurements in Suborbital Space Environments
Event: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Region V Student Conference
Location: Minneapolis, MN, USA

Student: Nathan Malyszek
Mentor: Veronica Corral
Presentation: The Great Lunar Expedition for Everyone: Investigating Lunar
Seismic Events with ChipSat Technology
Event: Geological Society of America Connects
Location: Anaheim, CA, USA

Student: Sebastian Melancon
Mentor: Jay Ellis
Presentation: Hindsight Creative Nonfiction Bookfair
Event: Association of Writers and Writing Programs Annual Conference
Location: Las Angeles, CA, USA

Student: Addison Page
Mentor: Abby Hickcox
Presentation: ANDing: faculty, staff and student experiences of making connections across difference
Event: National Collegiate Honors Council Conference
Location: Kansas City, MO, USA

Student: Tanvi Patil
Mentor: Laurel Hind
Presentation: Effects of Extracellular Matrix Composition on the Neutrophil Response
Event: American Institute of Chemical Engineers Conference
Location: San Diego, CA, USA

Student: Ian Rutherford
Mentor: Christopher Lowry
Presentation: Time course analysis of the effects of M. vaccae on gene expression in naïve or lipopolysaccharide-challenged BV2 microglial cells
Event: Society for Neuroscience Conference
Location: Chicago, IL, USA

Student: Owen Sabolcik
Mentor: Konane Bay
Presentation: Increasing the Biodegradability of Thermally Reprocessable Vanillin-Based Thermosets
Event: American Institute of Chemical Engineers Conference
Location: San Diego, CA, USA

Student: Michael Schaezlein
Mentor: Michael Hannigan
Presentation: Effect of House Characteristics on Particulate Matter Infiltration from Rx Burning
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Student: Noah Schakel
Mentor: Taylor Barton
Presentation: An On-Die Diode-Based Temperature Sensor in GaN without Device Characterization
Event: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Radio and Wireless Week
Location: San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA

Student: Jessica Shoemaker
Mentor: Allison Hayman
Presentation: Effect of Calibration Conditions on Measurement Error in Force Sensitive Resistors for Mechanical Counter Pressure Spacesuits
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Student: Grace Shore
Mentor: Margaret Landis
Presentation: Variability of Ice Lenses in North Polar Layered Deposits Craters on Mars
Event: International Conference on Mars Polar Science and Exploration
Location: Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

Student: Summit Shrestha
Mentor: Timothy White
Presentation: Ascertaining the Influence of Molecular Weight on Phase Transition Temperature: Applications in Liquid Crystal Elastomer Synthesis 
Event: American Institute of Chemical Engineers Conference
Location: San Diego, CA, USA

Student: Nathan Smith
Mentor: Katarina Odak
Presentation: Additive Manufacturing Plant-Derived Char Meshes for Point-Source CO2 Capture
Event: American Institute of Chemical Engineers Conference
Location: San Diego, CA, USA

Student: Paloma Suarez Davila
Mentor: Ankur Gupta
Presentation: Flow Visualization: Relating Flow to Surfer Motion.
Presenting at 2024 Undergraduate Student Poster Competition, 2024 AIChE Annual Student Conference
Event: American Institute of Chemical Engineers Conference
Location: San Diego, CA, USA

Student: Alena Tucker
Mentor: Debanjan Mukherjee
Presentation: In Vitro Model of the Human Circle of Willis to Investigate Drug Delivery in the Brain
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Student: Lauren Utz
Mentor: Sean Peters
Presentation: Availability Assessment of Jupiter’s Radio Emissions as a Source for Passive Radar Echo Detection: Burst Probability, Duration, and Bandwidth
Event: American Geophysical Union Conference
Location: Washington, D.C., USA

Student: Lucy Vaughan
Mentor: Riley Loria
Presentation: Email Outreach Successfully Attracts Attention but Advocacy Techniques Do Not Further Improve Policymaker Engagement with Climate Science
Event: Society of Personality and Social Psychology Convention
Location: Denver, CO, USA

Student: Ruijian Wang
Mentor: Thomas Schibli
Presentation: Development of an Off-center Rotating Ablation Ion Source for Collinear Laser Spectroscopy Experiments
Event: Fall Meeting of the American Physical Society Division of Nuclear Physics
Location: Boston, MA, USA

Student: Luke Warrington
Mentor: Barbra Sobhani
Presentation: The Great Lunar Expedition for Everyone: Investigating Lunar
Seismic Events with ChipSat Technology
Event: Geological Society of America Connects
Location: Anaheim, CA, USA

Student: Mackenzie Weber
Mentor: David Temple
Presentation: INVESTIGATING AFTER-EFFECTS OF NOISY GALVANIC VESTIBULAR STIMULATION.
Event: NASA Human Research Project Investigators Workshop
Location: Galveston, TX, USA

Student: Eli Yoder
Mentor: Sherri Cook
Presentation: Building resilience to climate change in the dialysis population: Using life cycle and systems thinking to identify the least vulnerable dialysis option.
Event: National Conference on Undergraduate Research
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Group Grants

Event: First Nations Launch High-Power Rocket Competition
Location: Kenosha, WI, USA
Recipient: Veronica Corral Flores
Number of Students: 10

Event: HASP Team Testing at NASA Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility
Location: Palestine, TX
Recipient: Verónica Corral Flores
Number of Students: 5

Event: Senior Showcase Experience
Location: New York City, NY, USA
Recipient: Tamara Meneghini
Number of Students: 21

Event: Linguistics Society of America Annual Meeting
Location: Philadelphia, PA, USA
Recipient: Rebecca Scarborough
Number of Students: 3

Event: Lunar and Planetary Science Conference
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Recipient: Barbra Sobhani
Number of Students: 6

Event: South Eastern Theatre Conference
Location: Baltimore, MD, USA
Recipient: Theodore Stark
Number of Students: 11

Event: Colorado Space Grant Undergraduate Research Symposium
Location: Colorado Springs, CO, USA
Recipient: Annie Strange
Number of Students: 16

Event: Society for Personality and Social Psychology’s Annual Convention
Location: Denver, CO, USA
Recipient: Leaf Van Boven
Number of Students: 6

Event: American College Dance Association High-Desert Region Conference
Location: Laramie, WY, USA
Recipient: Helanius Wilkins
Number of Students: 6

Student Reflections

I walked away learning so much more than I originally thought and was able to connect with several people. I learned how to present myself and my research in a professional setting. I am so glad I had this opportunity. I got so much out of it that will help in my future endeavors! - Mackenzie Campbell

The connections I made with my peers was the most valuable part of the conference. I was able to learn many new things and learn from so many different people. - Jessica Shoemaker

When I presented at the conference, I was nervous at first because there were a lot of people who are higher up in research production than myself, but as time went on at the conference, I learned that everyone was there for the same thing, sharing research. - Lucy Vaughn

Before this conference I was unsure of exactly what areas I wanted to go into but now I have a better idea of what schools have which programs as well as what schools and programs put on emphasis on research and attending conferences like this one. - Carson Alishio

Participating in this conference really engaged my unexplored, yet sure passion for Aerospace. It opened up a whole new side of the industry including all the biology, human factors, botany, and much more needed in order to prepare humans for future spaceflight that I didn't really know about. - Jason Katz

Determining the research areas I am most interested in has narrowed down what I want to focus on in grad school. Additionally, I spent time networking and paying attention to what people are working in my areas of interest that I may want to network with in the future for both grad school and my career. - Mackenzie Weber

This conference assisted me in creating what felt like a stronger bond between my graduate mentor and I. This was exciting to hear a bit more about him! - Ella Erich

The conference preparation and attendance improved my science communication skills and ability to understand research that is not my own. - Tanvil Patil

It has opened a lot of doors for me, especially from the recruitment fair. I now confirm my interest in the energy and material science industry post grad and am prepared to continue looking for jobs in those areas. - Judy Chen

Preparing for and participating in this conference improved my presentation skills and networking skills. I am more confident in presenting in front of an audience and am more comfortable answering questions that I am not prepared for. I also got more experience networking with other professionals and have kept conversations going on LinkedIn. - Himaghna Kuntumalla

I got to learn a lot about sustainability within the laboratories. It has inspired me to further my education in environmental science and labs by trying to pursue undergraduate research and tie in the different things I learned. I also got to learn how to network with other professionals. - Dharma Johnson

Participating in this conference was an extremely exciting way to introduce me to academic presentations and conferences. I was introduced to many types of geology that I was not familiar with. Presenting was also a great learning experience, which improved my skills in speaking to people with different academic backgrounds. - Nathan Malyszek

The connections I made during the conference were the most valuable aspect of attending. Not only did I meet potential future advisors for pursuing a graduate degree, but getting to speak with current graduate students yielded the most helpful information for my future career. Getting to hear about their varying experiences with the different institutions, different sub-fields of planetary science, and different advisors informed me on what to look for when searching for graduate programs. - Grace Shore

UROP celebrates undergraduate engagement in academic and professional conferences, providing $48,650 to support 134 student presentations around the globe in fiscal year 2025.

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Report

Undergraduate Conference Presentations Funded by UROP in FY2026

Fiscal Year Totals

Individual Conference Travel Grants

Group Conference Travel Grants

Photo Gallery

Student Reflections

Significance of Events

Locations

Events

Funding Details

History

Eligibility

Thanks

Historical Data

Related Resources

Individual Conference Travel Grants

Group ConferenceTravel Grants

PresentationOpportunities

How to Design & Present a Research Poster

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Undergraduate Conference Presentations Funded by UROP in FY2025

Individual Grants

Group Grants

Student Reflections

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Group Conference
Travel Grants

Presentation
Opportunities