Hybrid research symposium planned for Undergraduate Research Week
LAWRENCE — The Center for Undergraduate Research at the University of Kansas is hosting online and in-person research presentations to celebrate Undergraduate Research Week. The 28th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium provides students a venue to share the results of their research and creative projects and the KU community the opportunity to learn from their discoveries.
This year’s event will feature in-person and online presentations, with virtual presentations available on the symposium website through April 25.
Eighteen students from a variety of disciplines will present oral presentations or artist talks April 24 in the Kansas Union on the fifth and sixth floors, while two poster presentation sessions featuring 75 students each will take place from 2-3 p.m. and 3:15-4:15 p.m. April 25 in Gray-Little Hall.
The event will end with three Accessible, Creative, and Engaging (ACE) Talk presentations from 4:30-5:30 p.m. April 25 in 1146 Gray-Little Hall.
"KU undergraduate students are engaged in amazing research that expands beyond the classroom. The in-person KU Undergraduate Research Symposium will provide an opportunity for the entire community to see the good work that students and mentors have completed this year," said Kim Warren, vice provost for undergraduate education.
The Undergraduate Research Symposium began in 1998 with the vision of Professor Emeritus K. Barbara Schowen, who wanted to provide an opportunity for students to share the results of their research and creative projects and hone their communication skills. Over the past 25 years, the campus has seen an increase in the number of students, faculty and staff participating in and supporting this annual event.
ACE Talks
The ACE Talks are the keynote presentations for the online symposium. Students applied to give an ACE Talk by submitting an abstract of their work and a short video of themselves talking about their project. Selected ACE Talk presenters each receive $500 and have a video of their presentation posted on the homepage of the 2025 Symposium website. The 2025 ACE Talk winners:
Allison Monteleon, a student in social work from St. Marys, “Investigating Language Comprehension With a Coloring Book: A Study on Quantifier Meaning Comprehension Utilizing a Novel Method,” mentored by Utako Minai, associate professor of linguistics.
Larissa da Silva, a student in microbiology from Cali, Colombia, “Commensals and Host-Derived Compounds in Fecal Extract alters Vibrio cholerae Behavior,” mentored by Caetano Antunes, assistant professor of molecular biosciences, and Heidi Pauer, associate researcher of molecular biosciences.
Jimin Yoo, a student in psychology from Overland Park, “Guardian Adolescent Conversation Dynamics as a Mediator of Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms in Adolescents,” mentored by Jeffrey Girard, assistant professor of psychology, and Dasha Yermol, graduate student in psychology.