undergraduate research week uiuc

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Globally recognized for its research, UIUC is among the nation's best in fueling new ideas. Life-changing work is being done across all disciplines on campus—and our students play a large part in it!

40% of undergrads participate in research

Show us your best stuff..

Anyone can research, no matter the major. We devote a whole week to celebrating our students and the work they’re doing. The biggest highlight? Our annual Undergraduate Research Week !

Work with renowned faculty in state-of-the-art labs.

One of the best research institutions out there, UIUC has over 175 centers and institutes devoted to its cause. These modern facilities are the standard for doing high-level research with professors who are experts in their fields.

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Opportunities for entrepreneurship exist across all majors at UIUC. For example, our iVenture Accelerator supports student entrepreneurs with knowledge, funding, and access to world-class resources and alumni, while our yearly Cozad New Venture Competition invites teams to create a venture around a topic of their choice for a chance to win funding and prizes valued over $250,000.

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Mona wanted to create a space where clothes can be recirculated instead of wasted. After being accepted into iVenture Accelerator, a program that supports top student startups at UIUC, Mona has turned her upcycling idea into a reality.

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Illinois Office of Undergraduate Research

How to Get Started

• What is Research?
• Get Started
• On-Campus Research Opportunities
• Summer Research Opportunities
• Certificate
• Present & Publish
• Student Spotlight

The University of Illinois is one of the world's leading research-intensive universities with a long and rich history of scholarship, discovery, and innovation. Research at Illinois is diverse and ranges from the humanities and arts to biology and engineering. Undergraduate research opportunities can come in the form of:

• structured research methods or project-based research courses;
• programs sponsored by colleges, school, or departments;
• guided assistantship or independent study under mentorship of faculty, graduate students, or research staff.

Now is the right time to start your undergraduate research journey! We encourage students to start as soon as they are ready. Some students start their research careers as Freshman or Sophomores, while others wait until their Junior or Senior year. Think through why you want to do research, how much time you have available each semester to commit, and how you are going to make the most of this experience.

The Office of Undergraduate Research is here to support you throughout your research journey! For help starting your research journey, be sure to attend one of our Getting Started in Undergraduate Research Workshops , consider scheduling a meeting with an ambassador or member of our staff , and follow our 10-steps to getting started below:

To begin a research project:

Research as Students at Illinois, a registered student organization, is dedicated to providing resources for the undergraduate research community at Illinois. RSI hosts “How to Get Involved in Research” sessions during the fall and spring semesters, as well as guest speakers and social events. Considering joining this group as a way to connect with other researchers on campus.

Follow RSI on Facebook for the latest events.

Think about what interests you. What would you like to learn more about? Find work online and in publications by other people who share your interests. Choose courses that connect to your interests. Go to office hours and seek insight from your professors about the topic you’re considering.

Identify a potential faculty advisor for your work. Consider faculty you know from your courses, research other faculty on campus who are working in your area of interest, or talk to your academic advisor. Read the helpful guidelines for approaching a faculty advisor about a research project.

Explore the research opportunities on this site, or contact the undergraduate student office in your college or department. You don’t have to limit yourself to campus - depending on your field of study, you may find an opportunity that fits your interest at another university or abroad.

After you’ve completed your research project, think about presenting at a conference (including the University of Illinois Undergraduate Research Symposium) or publishing in a journal to bring your findings to a larger audience.

Reflect on how a research experience will benefit you and your academic journey at Illinois and beyond. Use research to explore your interests, deepen your knowledge, develop transferable skills, network with research colleagues, and contribute to a field (to name a few).

Be proactive and develop a plan. When will you begin? How much time will you devote – a few semesters or more? How will you make room for research in your schedule? Remember, research takes time. Work with your academic advisor on developing a balanced course load.  

Broadly speaking, what interests you? Post-colonial South Asian literature? Climate change in the Arctic? Arts-based community development? The rise of Big Data? Learning behaviors in infants? Some combination of these? Students often have many interests, including topics that lie outside their major, and that’s okay! Make a list and rank your interests in order of preference.

Illinois is a public research university with a history of creativity and innovation. Research is everywhere! Now that you’ve identified your interests, find out what programs, internships, or research projects align with those interests. Look through college and departmental webpages, talk to your undergraduate advisor, ask a professor or graduate student, or talk to a friend doing research to identify programs and units.

Undergraduate research is an apprenticeship and requires an effective and supportive mentor. Mentors can be faculty, post-doctoral researchers, research staff, or graduate students. Do your research and find a mentor whose research interests you. To find a mentor: look for research descriptions on departmental webpages; do a keyword search on Illinois Experts to find names of mentors; and leverage your network and enlist friends, professors, and TAs, to aid you in your search.

How does this prospective mentor's research align with your values, interests, and goals? Be sure to reference answers to #1, #2, and #3, above during your reflection. What appeals to you and excites you about their research? What skills and experiences might you gain? Write down these answers - you will use this information when initiating contact.  

Invest time into crafting a personalized email. Include your interests, goals, and ambitions. Reference the information you gathered in #6. Include your major, relevant courses, year in school, any training or skills you might have. Be clear about what you’re looking for: internship? Assistantship? Independent project? Finally, be concise: no more than 300 words or so. PRO TIP: Read and reference their recent scholarship (articles, books, news releases).

Haven’t heard back? Relax; faculty, etc., are busy! Be courteous, polite, professional, and persistent to demonstrate your interest in their research and respect for their time. Usually, you should wait at least 7 days before sending a followup. PRO TIP: Persistence doesn’t mean every day; following up too early or frequently can be a bother.  

Have an interview? Be prepared! Revisit your notes. Prepare a (short) list of questions. Be a few minutes early and bring your resume. Be ready to share why you’d like to work with them. Bring your schedule and be prepared to discuss your weekly availability.

Within 12 hours, send a brief “thank you” email. This will further demonstrate your interest and will also show that you respect and are thankful for their time.  

Illinois Office of Undergraduate Research

Illinois undergraduate research ambassadors apply -->, about iura:.

Illinois Undergraduate Research Ambassadors (IURAs) are a collaborative cohort of accomplished and experienced students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

IURAs help to promote undergraduate research at the U of I and help the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) develop and maintain student-focused programs that represent the U of I’s diverse array of disciplines. As representatives of OUR, IURAs will be responsible for promoting undergraduate research to peers by holding informational workshops on undergraduate research, serving as a liaison between OUR and academic departments, and being knowledgeable about the resources that the U of I offers its undergraduate students interested in research and creative inquiry.

How to schedule:

Ambassadors will be on hiatus during the summer and will resume accepting meetings in September 2024. To have your questions answered during the summer, please contact the staff at the Office of Undergraduate Research.

On the Ambassadors Meeting Portal, choose a discussion topic to be paired with a knowledgeable ambassador. Alternatively, you can select a specific ambassador using the "Select Staff" option.

Schedule a meeting

Curtis Althaus

Major: Chemistry and Astrophysics

Experimental Battery Research through Electroanalytical Chemistry

Advice: Open your field of vision when it comes to looking for opportunities! I didn’t start out my search knowing I wanted to do work with batteries and I had no idea what electrochemistry was when I joined my lab. Embrace the unexpected, be open to new ideas, and go with the flow!

Curtis will hold meetings in August

Schedule a meeting with Curtis

Emilee Bates

Major: Interdisciplinary Health Sciences

Relationships between self-tracking health behaviors, literacy, and well-being in college students with disabilities

Advice: Don’t be afraid to be seen trying! We are all trying our best in our different journeys. There is nothing shameful about struggle or failure, as these experiences are part of the process that makes you great.

Sharanya Bhardwaj

Major: Information Sciences

Affordable and Personalized Machine Learning Through Distillation

Advice: At the beginning, research might seem intimidating but do not hesitate to explore any opportunities that come your way irrespective of the experience you have. Studying different topics and working on new ideas will always help widen your academic horizons!

Sharanya will hold meetings in August

Schedule a meeting with Sharanya

Kira Martin

Major: Materials Science & Engineering

Thin films for electronics

Advice: Research helped me explore my interests while developing useful skills. Reach out to me to talk about your research journey. I’d love to help you get started, connect you to resources, or answer questions you have!

Kira will hold meetings in August

Schedule a meeting with Kira

Anwesha Mishra

Major: Computer Science + Economics

Using NLP, AI, and Data Parsing to Create an Interactive bot for Patients

Advice: Research was one way that I was able to explore my interests that went beyond the classroom setting. Navigating through the endless opportunities on campus may seem daunting but definitely don’t be scared to try out different things and it’s okay if you end up not liking it!

Anwesha will hold meetings in August

Schedule a meeting with Anwesha

Holly Panfil

Major: Speech & Hearing Sciences / Minor: Spanish

Aging and cognition of individuals with mild cognitive impairment

Advice: While the research world may seem daunting, it is truly such a valuable experience. I have learned all sorts of skills that just can’t be taught inside a classroom. Additionally, I have gained some incredible mentors. Don’t be afraid to get involved!

Holly will hold meetings in August

Schedule a meeting with Holly

Emma Prybylski

Major: Animal Sciences

Impact of Cecal Starch Infusion on Rumen in vitro Digestibility

Advice: If you want to get involved in research and need help figuring out where to start or need advice on balancing school with research, please feel free to schedule a meeting with me!

Emma will hold meetings in August

Schedule a meeting with Emma

Roqaya Sahib

Major: Chemistry

Animal behavior, and interpersonal vulnerabilities stemming from trauma

Advice: Do not be afraid to get involved in research! It never hurts to try! You can discover something new you enjoy. There is research available in all areas and majors.

Vani Sharma

Major: Molecular & Cellular Biology / Minor: Public Health

Women’s health, metabolism, and lung cancer

Advice: Engaging in research can be a fruitful yet daunting opportunity whether you have a lot or no experience. Take advantage of the research opportunities to find an area that you are passionate. OUR is here to help you find those connections.

Vani will hold meetings in August

Schedule a meeting with Vani

Ananya Subramanian

Major: Mathematics

Statistical brain modeling during neurological disorders

Advice: Research has helped me gain experience that I never would have gotten in a classroom. It may seem a little scary at first, but it something that you will enjoy. If you need any help on getting started, I would love to help you.

Jingyi Xiang

Major: Electrical Engineering

Perceiving and Tracking Deformable Linear Objects from RGB-D Camera Streams

Advice: Don’t be afraid to try new things! Sometimes it can be hard to find a lab or project that matches your interest exactly, but don’t let that stop you from entering research. Research is all about trying new things.

Jingyi will hold meetings in August

Schedule a meeting with Jingyi

Undergraduate Research Symposium Winners

May 16, 2024

2024 Social Work Award Winners

The signature event of Undergraduate Research Week, the Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS) has been held on the University of Illinois (U of I) campus since 2008. Over the course of the day, students present their work in concurrent oral and poster presentations (including creative performances), the breadth and scope of which reflect not only the wide range of academic disciplines at the University of Illinois, but also speak to the caliber of our undergraduates. Their projects demonstrate the ongoing institutional commitment to supporting and expanding research opportunities at the U of I and beyond.

Outstanding Performance:

An Examination of a Local Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA): Creating Accessible Resources for Schools (Outstanding) Fynn Levery, Junior, Social Work, SSW Noah Rawls, Sophomore, Social Work, SSW (Research Mentor(s): Rachel Garthe, Social Work)

Poster Presentations:

Impacts of Climate Change on Access to Healthcare among Vulnerable Populations: A Scoping Review of Health Disparities and Access Issues (Outstanding) Victoria Ferrara, Junior, Social Work, SSW Ainslee Wong, Senior, Psychology, LAS (Research Mentor(s): Tuyet-Mai Ha Hoang, Social Work)

Understanding the Narratives surrounding Guaranteed Income (Outstanding) Illakkia Ranjani, Junior, Econometrics & Quantitative Economics, LAS (Research Mentor(s): Christopher Larrison, Social Work & Chelsea Birchmier, Psychology)

Honorable Mentions:

Exploring Diverse Experiences with Anger among Incarcerated Women (Honorable Mention) Christine Kwon, Senior, Social Work, SSW (Research Mentor(s): Rachel Garthe, Social Work)

How Many School Social Workers Are in America? (Honorable Mention) Arielle Britten, Junior, Social Work, SSW Ethan Kye, Junior, Social Work, SSW Tracy Mason, Junior, Social Work, SSW Brandon Seidensticker, Junior, Social Work, SSW (Research Mentor(s): Brenda Lindsey, Social Work)

See the full list of Social Work presentations

Research Experience for Undergraduates

The Department of Physics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign hosts a 10-week National Science Foundation (NSF)–sponsored summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU). Offered since 1993, the REU provides undergraduates the opportunity to conduct research under the supervision of our world-class researchers.

Students participating in this program will spend the summer,   May 27th, 2024 – August 2nd, 2024 (10 weeks) , on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus working directly with senior physics faculty on challenging, meaningful projects. The summer experience is aimed at developing students' research literacy skills and exposing them to the wide diversity of physics subfields using experimental, computational, and theoretical approaches:

• Astrophysics, Relativity, and Cosmology
• Atomic, Molecular, and Optical (AMO) Physics
• Biological Physics
• Condensed Matter Physics
• High Energy Physics
• Nuclear Physics
• Physics Education Research
• Quantum Information Science

The NSF-funded REU program can only support citizens or permanent residents (including Green Card holders) of the United States, but the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Department of Physics is excited to host at least one international student each summer. 

All students must be enrolled at institutions other than the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Applications will open in December 2023. Please check the schedule below for any questions about application timeline. If you have any questions, please email us. 

UIUC students interested in attending an REU program are encouraged to explore options at the  national site . UIUC students can also contact Irene Lira-Andsager for more information. 

Announcements

We are currently in the process of updating this page and preparing the application site for the 2024 REU Physics program.

If you would like to subscribe to our email list to get updates when the application is live, please fill out this form:  UIUC Physics REU 2024 Email List

What is it like to be an REU student?

Learn more about our program

REU student housing is provided at an on-campus residence hall (about a 10 minute walk from Loomis Lab ) and is fully covered by the program. Housing is suite style, with three to four bedrooms surrounding a common living room and kitchen. Occasional meals are provided at the dining hall. 

Appropriate accommodations will be made for any students with disabilities. 

Compensation

Student stipend is $6,000 for the 10-week summer program. 

Travel to and from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus is also covered. 

Social Activities

Social activities are an important part of an REU program. Forming connections with your fellow Physics REU students helps build a strong community. To support these connections the following are some of the examples of social activities you will be participating in: 

• Introductory Picnic
• Summer Programs Ice Cream Social
• Coffee chats with University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduate students and REU alumni
• Volunteering / Outreach Events
• Field Trip to Argonne and Fermi National Labs

Research Topics

Check out all our 2024 research topics in the Projects tab . 

Application Information

To receive full consideration for the program, apply online by January 19th 2024, however applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until January 26th, 2024 or until all projects are filled. A completed application consists of the following:

• an online application, which requires at least two (2) letters of references ( advice on getting strong reference letters ),
• a 300 to 500–word Statement of Interest describing your personal goals and how you believe this REU experience could help you achieve those goals,
• and an official or unofficial transcript uploaded to the application.

This website (Pathways to Science)  has resources with helpful information on preparing applications to summer research programs.

Eligibility

• Students must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate program at a two-year or four-year institution (recently graduated seniors are not eligible for the program).
• Note: The NSF-funded REU program can only support citizens or  permanent residents (including Green Card holders) of the United States, but the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Department of Physics is excited to host at least one international student each summer. 
• Note: This requirement does not apply to community college students. Interested community college students who have completed one year of studies are very much encouraged to apply to our program.
• Some research topics recommend more prior preparation than others. To review the research topics, check out the Projects tab, or click here . 
• Students must be majoring in physics or a related field.
• Applications are not accepted from currently enrolled students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
• December 6, 2023 — Applications open!
• January 19, 2024 — Priority application deadline, rolling until final deadline*
• January 26, 2024 (11:59PM) — All application deadline*
• No response is required until after March 1, 2024
• March 8, 2024 — Deadline for REU participant acceptance
• May 25, 2024 — REU participants arrive on UIUC campus
• May 28–May 31, 2024 — REU Research Bootcamp
• August 1–August 2, 2024 — REU final project presentations

*Offers will be made on a rolling basis after the application deadline, until all positions are filled. Awardees will be notified by email of their acceptance into the program and will be given a specific time window to accept or decline the offer.

Research Experience for Undergraduates Contacts

The REU summer site program of the  Department of Physics  at the  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign  is supported by the  National Science Foundation   grant PHY-2244433 . Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed on this website are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Additional funding has been provided by the Department of Physics and by our generous alumni donors.

2024 Research Experience for Undergraduates Brochure Download

Use these links to download the 2024 Research Experiences for Undergraduates flyer. Use to print a copy or send by email.

Download here:  

Front Side of Flyer

Back Side of Flyer

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Undergraduate Research Projects

The Eliot Indian Bible Project

This project is the work of the students in History 370 (Colonial American History) in Spring 2023. Supported by librarians, digital humanities experts, and each other, the students embarked on collaborative research on a single object, a Bible published in colonial Massachusetts in 1663. This amazing object resides today in the collections of the  Rare Book and Manuscript Library at UIUC . Over the course of a semester-long “object research lab” on the Bible, the students explored different themes and contexts that help appreciate its significance. They looked  at  the Bible, and they looked  through  the Bible. They showed remarkable creativity and insight, and here below is an exhibit that represents the result of their labor.

Visit their website to learn more

Latina/os in the City

Taught by Dr. Yuridia Ramirez during the Spring 2019 semester, Latina/os and the City centered the experiences of Latinx peoples in US sites as the driving narrative of modern US history. Though the political climate of the early 21st century led to increased media attention on the presence of Latinxs and the mass migration of peoples from Latin America, students traced how Latinxs actually have been critical actors in the transformation of US spaces even before “the border crossed us.” The analytics of race, place, and power drove this course as the voices of Latinxs were placed front and center each week.

Students conducted small research projects based on the course theme throughout the semester, culminating in a final research paper which is highlighted in each student's Digication page. In this way, we contributed to re-telling US history and Latina/o Studies through unexamined or little understood historical narratives of everyday Latina/os in the Midwest.

Chicanx History Textbook: A digital textbook by undergraduates at the University of Illinois

Though we know that Mexican American and Chicano history is US history, most K-12 US history textbooks – and even some college textbooks – only include a few pages or paragraphs on Mexican American history. This final class assignment provided students the opportunity to create a publicly accessible, digital textbook, throughout the course of the semester. Our dear, brilliant students were the authors of this important and necessary work. Each student chose one research subject – a person, political organization or group, social movement, place, event, etc. – and created an infographic on that subject. Please enjoy, and spread the world about our project!

Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program – UIUC Students Only

What is urop.

NASA’s Illinois Space Grant Consortium (ILSGC) is happy to announce its 21st Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) will take place in the summer of 2024. UROP is a program designed to cultivate and support research partnerships between University of Illinois undergraduates and faculty members. All projects focus on NASA-related science and/or engineering research.  We want to invite highly motivated undergraduates to apply to participate in UROP.

We envision this program to involve about 20 University of Illinois undergraduate students who will:

• Contribute actively to an intensive research project for 10 weeks (40 hours per week) over the 2024 summer;
• Participate in the weekly seminar series (presentations on research ethics, technical writing, and preparing presentations) organized by the Summer REU committee throughout this summer;
• Write an abstract summary, create a poster, and participate in a one-day symposium to share your research with your peers and any other interested people.

We believe this program provides a unique opportunity for students to become involved in NASA-related STEM research activities.

The selected students  will participate in research activities for 10 weeks  between May 13 and August 2, 2024, under the supervision of a faculty member and their graduate student(s). Your faculty mentor sets the start and end dates, but we expect you to commit to 10 weeks of intensive research. The program is supported by the NASA Space Grant and faculty contributions. Students will each receive a total maximum of $7,000 in support.  Students are expected to participate in the program for approximately 40 hours per week.

Funding will be released incumbent upon authorization of funds by NASA. Placements will not be made until NASA has authorized the funding.

HOW DO I FIND RESEARCH PROJECTS SUPPORTED UNDER UROP?

The research project descriptions submitted by the faculty are listed below.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• Current student at University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign
• Highly-motivated undergraduate student
• Provide current transcript
• Provide a current resume or CV
• Complete the online application

WHEN DO I APPLY? WHAT IS THE TIMELINE?

• November 6, 2023 – Student Application Opens
• January 21, 2024– Student Application Closes
• January 22, 2024 – Applicant information/recommendation sent to faculty/mentor
• February 16, 2024 – Faculty/Mentor selections sent to Heidi
• February 23, 2024 – Offer letters sent to students (earlier if possible)
• Students have two weeks from their dated offer letter to accept or decline the offer
• April 14, 2024 – Student stipends and appointments established
• May 13 or 20, 2024 – UROP starts (flexible upon Faculty/Mentor approval)
• July 19 or 26, 2024 – UROP ends (flexible upon Faculty/Mentor approval)
• July 26 – Present your research at the STEM Symposium

HOW DO I APPLY?

The application opens on november 6, 2023, the application closes on january 21, 2024.

• Complete and submit the  application form . 
• All application materials are submitted through the online site; this includes your resume and transcript/academic history. Transcripts/Academic Histories should be PDF documents.  You do not have to submit an official transcript, but the document does need to   include your GPA .

Completed application form WITH transcripts/academic histories are due by January 21, 2024.

Sometimes, an interview may be arranged between the student and faculty mentor before the final selection is announced.

Program Requirements:

Attend at least 5 of the summer seminar series talks.

Complete the pre- and post-program surveys.

Complete NASA STEM Gateway Registration

Participate and present at the UROP symposium at the end of the summer. Submit a title and create a 10-12 minute presentation or poster on your summer research activities.

As part of NASA’s requirements for awards, UROP students must register on NASA STEM Gateway and participate in Illinois Space Grant’s longitudinal tracking program. Student participants will be contacted for information regarding any publications or proposals resulting from the student’s research experience. This tracking also determines the long-term benefits of the NASA Space Grant Program.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact:

Heidi Bjerke Senior Coordinator, Illinois Space Grant Consortium 217-300-0151 [email protected]

2024 Projects

Adaptive transportation management of air and ground logistics for distributed energy supply.

Dr. Eleftheria Kontou and Hyunhwa Kim

Civil and Environmental Engineering 

Project Description: The proposed research aims to solve the complex energy supply problem with deployed air and ground vehicles in both safe and disrupted environments. The undergraduate research assistants will assist with developing a novel decision-support framework for planning and managing adaptive transportation systems for such multimodal energy logistics. The project sets out to develop optimization models for a bi-directional energy supply logistics network, where electric ground and aerial vehicles can supply backup power to various customers, a practice extremely useful in humanitarian and hazard recovery conditions.

Student Information: The students should have a basic familiarity with optimization models (particularly deterministic ones), facility planning, systems engineering, and scientific computing (having fundamental experience coding in Python).

Number of positions available: 2

Kontou Research Group

Design of haptic interactions in VR for medical training

Caroline Cao and Avinash Gupta

Prairie Research Institute

Project Description: Over the past decade, Virtual Reality technologies have undergone rapid development, leading to the creation of VR-based simulation environments across various domains. Although there are several VR based simulators designed for medical training, few provide realistic haptic interactions. Haptic devices and gloves have been shown to be effective in specialized surgical training such as laparoscopy and arthroscopy. However, such devices cannot be used for general medical and surgical training without extensive modification or improvement. The Jump Simulation Center Urbana – Carle Illinois College of Medicine is taking the lead in creating VR based counterparts to the existing high fidelity physical simulators and mannequins currently used for medical training. The design of effective and human centric haptic interactions will play a key role in the development of such VR simulators. A participatory approach will be utilized for the design of the haptic interactions in which engineers, computer scientists, surgeons, simulation experts and curriculum designers will be involved. The developed interactions will be first validated by experts and further tested by medical students. Based on the feedback of the experts and medical students, the interactions will be enhanced. This project addresses a critical gap in current medical training technologies, ensuring that VR-based simulations not only represent real-world scenarios but also provide an immersive haptic experience.

Students will work with a team of engineers, computer scientists, surgeons, and simulation designers. Students will use their programming skills to design touch feedback through haptic devices and virtual reality environments on head-mounted displays. Experience with game development engines such as Unity or Unreal is desirable.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7109804735938838528/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios

Recruitment Poster

Design of Tunable Polymers for Multi-Material 3D Printing

Dr. Nancy Sottos, Dr. Connor Armstrong, and Pranav Krishnan

Materials Science & Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Project Description: Frontal polymerization (FP) allows for rapid and energy-efficient fabrication of geometrically complex structures via additive manufacturing (AM, known as 3D printing). This work aims to enable FP AM of complex structures with regions of distinct material characteristics through a combined materials science and mechanical engineering approach. Previously, the Sottos group has demonstrated FP of multi-monomer resins, allowing us to tune material properties through varying ratios of different monomers. This has enabled the creation of simple structures with spatially varied material characteristics including stiffness or elasticity. However, this concept has yet to be applied to 3D printing due to mismatches in “printability” between resins. Printability of a resin is determined by the ability to form a gel and the ability to maintain a polymerization front. We will design new materials for 3D printing by analyzing printability of multi-material resins. The printability trends extracted from this work will inform the control algorithm of the 3D printer.

The manufacturing approach involves the design and operation of a multi-material 3D printing apparatus which will dynamically control monomer ratios for AM. Specifically, dynamic alteration of deposition nozzle speed during fabrication..

Gaze-based Immersive Interactions

Dr. Elahe Soltanaghai

Computer Science

Project Description: This project explores a new gaze interaction technique for virtual and augmented reality applications that integrates focal depth into gaze input dimensions, facilitating users to actively shift their focus along the depth dimension for interaction. Familiarity with Unity and some mixed reality programming experience is required for this project. If you’re interested in this project, please take a look at  this paper .

Number of positions available: 1

Harnessing Instabilities during Frontal Polymerization for Manufacturing of Architected Materials

Dr. Nancy Sottos and Anna Cramblitt

Project Description: Sitting at the intersection of materials science and chemistry, this project will focus on the creation and analysis of architected polymer materials manufactured via a technique called Frontal Polymerization (FP). FP allows rapid, energy-efficient manufacturing of a variety of polymers. Changes in reaction conditions during FP can create instabilities in the system. Depending on the system and reactor geometry used, these instabilities may result in “architected materials” with surface patterning or patterning in the mechanical and optical properties of the resulting polymers. This project aims to deepen our understanding of the patterns formed via instabilities in FP, explore and characterize new formulations for patterning, and enhance our ability to control pattern formation. Techniques such as IR imaging, DSC, optical and/or confocal microscopy, NMR, and Raman Spectroscopy can be used to observe and analyze pattern formation and understand the effects on material properties. X-ray scattering and mechanical characterization through nanoindentation or DMA may also be used. Day-to-day activities will include preparing samples for DSC, performing limited organic synthesis, mixing new monomer formulations, preparing patterned samples while recording the polymerization reaction with an IR camera, and analyzing data.

Student information: Interested students should have a background in Materials Science & Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or similar, with a basic understanding of organic chemistry/polymer chemistry. Familiarity with the concepts behind common polymer characterization methods such as DSC, DMA, NMR, TGA, and/or mechanical property testing is preferred.

How do bats respond to forest management?

Dr. Joy O’Keefe, Reed Crawford and Katie Fitzgerald

Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences

Project Description: Most bats in the Midwest rely upon forests for roosting and foraging habitat. The remaining large tracts of forest are often on state or federally owned land and are managed for a variety of uses, including for timber products and for wildlife habitat. Harvesting forests for timber or to provide optimal wildlife habitat could have unintended negative effects on bats that require forested habitat but harvesting could also be beneficial. The goal of our research is to study bat responses to timber harvest, which allows us to make management recommendations to natural resource managers with state and federal agencies. Students hired onto this project will gain experience with capturing bats, using radio telemetry to locate bat roosts and foraging sites, and using other technology such as automated recording units or datalogging receivers, to study bat ecology. Students will live and work in a remote location in either Indiana or Missouri and will work collaboratively with a team of researchers during the period of mid-May to mid-August 2024.

Student Information: Students should have a background and strong interest in natural resources. Experience working outdoors, hiking, and being active at night are essential. Students should be team players, good communicators, organized, and pay attention to details. A valid driver’s license is very helpful.

Multifunctional Composite Structures with Damage Sensing Capabilities

Dr. Jeff Baur and Ivan Wu

Aerospace Engineering

Project Description: The work involves manufacturing composite tubes/beams with embedded heaters using the newly acquired Continuous Fiber 3D printing machine acquired from Continuous Composites Inc. The goal is to develop composite structures such that if the composite is damaged in space due to debris impact or radiation, the embedded heaters can re-activate dormant monomers to self-heal the composite. Additionally, with the use of thermography, we hope to develop an algorithm that can inform us the structure damages of the composite with IR images of the composite. From this information, the heaters can locally heat the structures for self-healing purposes.

Student Information: The student will work on rapid prototype of components to help with the manufacturing process. As such, the student should have an understanding of CAD and FDM printing. The student should also have a surface knowledge of electronics and circuits as we will be working with resistive heaters and other automation software to help with the manufacturing of composites.

Student will also explore the possibility of using the thermal signature generated externally (through passive uniform heating) or internally (through active Joule heating of embedded conductive wires) at the surface of the composite structure to infer the location, size and shape of internal damage.

As such, any previous experience with composite manufacturing and mechanical testing is preferred.

Multi-scale Morphology Control of 3D-Printed Structures using Frontal Polymerization

Dr. Sottos and Pranav Krishnan

Materials Science and Engineering

Project Description: My research focuses on developing materials for 3D-printing sustainable and strong engineering polymers for applications in the energy and aerospace industries. Our lab works with a novel energy-efficient manufacturing process called Frontal Polymerization, that allows us to fabricate tough thermoset polymers and composites with a very small energy input.

My goal is to derive inspiration from nature to design 3D-printed materials and structures that are morphogenic (have hierarchical microstructures and patterns that enhance their structural and functional properties). We will work to create this material morphogenesis by harnessing intrinsic instabilities in the frontal polymerization process. These lead to phenomena like crystallization or phase separation that give controlled gradients in material properties on the scale of micrometers.

Zooming out, we aim to also have controllable material property gradients on the scale of millimeters using multi-material printing. Via a custom-built printhead that incorporates active mixing of multiple monomer materials, we will be able to tune the composition of our inks for printing on-the-fly. An example of this is to have different mixtures of stiff thermoset and soft elastomer inks, to have regions of varying stiffness 3D printed within the same structure. Incorporating these multi-scale gradients in 3D printed structures using Direct-Ink Writing can open up a wide range of high-performance structural and functional applications.

Student Information: An undergrad would be involved in the material synthesis, characterization and data analysis, as well as 3D printing or mechanical testing if they are interested. Materials chemistry will compose a large part of the project, exploring new chemistries and their ability to develop morphogenic properties during 3D printing. Materials characterization tools such as Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Shear Rheometry, and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) would be in use – students will be trained on these techniques. A background in Chemistry, Materials Science or similar is preferred, or prior research experience in a chemistry lab environment.

Students who are looking to apply to graduate school in the future and are interested in longer-term research projects that will continue past the summer will be given preference.

More Project Information

Radar-based Environmental Sensing

Project Description: This project explores the use of radar for sensing the under-canopy layers of the forest such as soil or biomass moisture. The research activities include the use of signal processing and machine learning for estimating water content from wireless reflections. Required expertise: Python programming, signal processing, and deep learning. If you are interested in this project, review this paper ( https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/3300061.3345440 ).

Recyclable Thermoset Composites for Aerospace Applications

Dr. Jeff Baur and Saurabh Bagare

Project Description: Frontal Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization (FROMP) enables energy efficient manufacturing of thermoset polymers and composites. However, the end-of-life strategies of these engineering materials is still a question that remains to be answered. Imagine 30 years down the line where we have composite aircraft and spacecraft structures that are at the end of their service lives. They would just exist on the surface of the Earth and increase the carbon footprint. We have demonstrated, that by using something called cleavable crosslinkers in the resin matrix, we can chemically deconstruct a thermoset composite and retain the fibers back, which can then be used for the next generation lifecycle. The challenge being, is the composite still worthy of aerospace applications?

This project involves manufacturing, analysis, and characterization of deconstructable thermoset polymers and composites using cleavable covalent crosslinkers. We aim to perform thermomechanical tests to see how the composite, or the polymer compares to the currently used thermosets, and find ways to either equate, or exceed the state of the art. We will also study how the material behaves, or changes, when exposed to real-life conditions like heat, oxidation, UV exposure, and mechanical wear and tear. The quality of the results will be assessed and then considered for high impact Journal Papers and Conferences, thereby sharing it with the greater scientific audience.

Student Information: As an undergraduate student, you will be involved in manufacturing, testing, characterizing, and analyzing the thermomechanical properties of various deconstructable thermoset polymers and composites, that are manufactured through frontal polymerization. You will be able to independently form the test matrix and observe how the objective variables like the resin chemistry, initiation temperature, mechanical load affects the various parameters of the material like fiber volume fraction, ultimate tensile strength, and deconstruction.

Because the project is highly experimental in nature, the student is expected to learn and adhere to all the lab safety instructions and protocols of a chemistry/materials lab. The student must physically be present in the lab and conduct experiments. There is no scope for remote work here. This also means that the student will get access to some of the most extensive materials research facilities, which happen to be on the college campus! The student can expect to work on synthesis and characterization. Studying the properties of different combinations of materials, manufacturing them, then discussing with the greater audience through collaboration is something that we will be doing almost every day.

F ull Project Description

Seismic and Electrical Geophysics to Find Boundaries of Glaciofluvial Aquifer in East Central Illinois

Jason Thomason, Riley Balikian, and Kisa Mwakanyamale

Project Description : Student(s) will acquire geophysical data in the field and carry out basic processing of geospatial and geophysical data. This includes a significant amount of time outside in the summer heat doing fairly labor-intensive work. It will also include time doing processing of geospatial data using geographic information systems (GIS) software and may include processing of seismic data and some electrical data, depending on background and training of student. The exact research project(s) will depend on the interest of the student(s) but have in the past included synthesis of multiple datasets to delineate aquifer boundaries in 3D, comparison of ambient seismic (HVSR) datasets to existing data, and spatial analysis of existing well and 1D data to determine subsurface (hydro)geologic properties at specific sites. Student(s) will be trained on software, skills, and geologic background, and geophysical techniques. Student(s) will be part of a team of 1-4 other students.

Student Information: Much of the time will be spent acquiring data in the field, so student(s) will need to have the ability to carry equipment in field conditions. Travel to/from sites is taken care of by ISGS/PRI. When not in the field, student(s) will analyze data in a geographic information system (GIS) software and software specific to the geophysical method. Basic knowledge of geospatial data and earth sciences is preferred. Background in python will help with data processing but is not required. Subject matter includes seismic geophysics (acoustic waves) and electrical geophysics.

Number of positions available: 2-4

Study of Spatial Visualization Training Effectiveness for Engineers

Dr. Brian Woodard

Project Description: Decades of research involving many thousands of participants has consistently shown that spatial skills are one of the strongest predictors of future success in STEM coursework and STEM careers independent of math and verbal ability. Fortunately, research also shows that visuospatial skills are malleable, and individuals may need different methods to practice and improve their skills. For example, a series of studies showed that gender differences in STEM education could be reduced by enhancing visuospatial skills through computerized training that involves different forms of practice in solving visuospatial problems. Based on this background information, The Grainger College of Engineering has been offering an elective spatial visualization training course for first-year students since 2019. Data have been collected regarding these students’ spatial visualization abilities before and immediately after the course. Additionally, a large dataset is available showing the long-term impact of the training course on these students’ success in their subsequent STEM courses. Data organization, analysis, and visualizations are needed to investigate and publicize these efforts, illustrating the impact of this particular course and the importance of spatial visualization skills more generally in STEM.

Student Information: A successful student for this project will have an interest in Engineering Education research. Skills with programming for organizing datasets and creating visualizations are required. Experience with CAD (preferably NX), a rendering program like Blender, and other visualization programs (like Photoshop, Inkscape, etc.) are also beneficial.

Tailored Interfaces in Frontally Cured Fiber-Reinforced Thermoset Composites

Dr. Nancy Sottos and Tyler Price

Material Science & Engineering

Project Description: Frontal curing is a rapid, energy-efficient manufacturing process for producing high volume fraction thermoset composites. In frontal curing, the heat generated from an exothermic reaction is sufficient to overcome losses to the environment and reinforcement, allowing a self-sustaining linear front to propagate through the material and rapidly convert liquid monomer into solid thermoset polymer matrix. In this work, we utilize continuous carbon fiber reinforcement and frontally cure a matrix of dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) with Grubb’s second-generation catalyst and a phosphite inhibitor. We evaluate the strength of the interface formed in frontally cured carbon/pDCPD composites using the single fiber fragmentation test (SFFT). In SFFT, a tensile specimen with a continuous, stiff reinforcing fiber parallel to the loading axis is incrementally loaded to repeatedly fracture the fiber. We use birefringence to observe the fiber’s fragmentation until the number of fragments saturates. The number and length of fragments at saturation is related to the interfacial shear strength through a shear lag analysis. Ongoing work seeks to improve the interfacial adhesion in frontally cured carbon/pDCPD composites to match the performance of traditional high- performance carbon/epoxy composites.

As an undergraduate research assistant, you will participate in the design, manufacturing, testing, and analysis of frontally cured composites. You will observe how engineering (e.g. pre-tension, pre/post-cure cycles) and chemical (e.g. comonomers, fiber treatment) approaches impact their manufacturability and interfacial strength. In addition, you will characterize properties of the composite that are influenced by interfacial adhesion such as short beam interlaminar shear strength.

Student Information: We are seeking a student who is interested in learning about composite interfaces, mechanical characterization and polymer composite manufacturing. Experience with LabVIEW and a background in polymer science are preferred, but not required. The student should be comfortable handling chemicals and operating mechanical testing equipment and optical microscopes

Turbulence and metamaterials: fluid-structure interaction for flow control

Dr. Theresa Saxton-Fox, Elizabeth Torres De Jesus and Nissrine Aziz

Project Description: Students will help design and execute experiments to study the fluid-structure interaction of turbulent flows passing over solid surfaces that are designed to respond in unusual ways to the fluid. We will understand how the fluid and solid motions can be coupled and how we can use that coupling to reduce flow disturbances.

Student Information: Knowledge of CAD may be useful, as students may need to help design new testing configurations. Some background in solid and fluid mechanics is helpful but not a requirement. Willingness to work independently and a strong ability to problem solve are very helpful.

Visualizing Invisible Wireless Signals

We are developing a mixed-reality app that can visualize wireless signals between WiFi devices in homes and buildings and their interaction with objects and people in the environment—desired expertise: blender, unity, familiarity with LiDar and Mesh reconstruction algorithms. If you’re interested in this project, please take a look at this paper ( https://meghanclark.com/uploads/papers/clark21xrshark.pdf ).

Estimating Hybrid-Electric Aircraft Emissions over Lifecycle

Dr. Elle Wroblewski

• Understanding aircraft emissions
• Understanding commercial air travel
• Mathematics Competancy SIMULATED EXPERIMENT ON A COMPUTER INVOLVES:
• Work on extending the capabilities of a collaborator’s program which calculates aircraft emissions over missions
• Use simulated hybrid-electric aircraft performance predictions to evaluate viability of aircraft with sustainable retrofit drivetrains
• Validate predictions with literature and data
• Debugging code
• Validating changes to code
• Student-suggested topics of investigation RESEARCH TOPIC AREAS – LEARNING AREAS
• Programming
• Aircraft emissions in atmosphere and during taxi
• Aircraft routing and airport infrastructure
• Electrical power draw and powerplants
• Regional air infrastructure
• Climate impact investigation
• Aircraft emissions estimation, electric grid emissions estimation
• Technical writing
• Time management

Illinois Office of Undergraduate Research

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Undergraduate research symposium 2024 - now accepting student presenter applications.

The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) is now accepting submissions for the 2024 Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS), set for Thursday, April 25, 2024. The URS is the signature event  of Undergraduate Research Week (April 21-27, 2024) and brings together students, faculty, and staff from all disciplines at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It's also open to friends, families, and the public who are interested in learning about undergraduate research and its impact.

Throughout the day, hundreds of students will present their work in concurrent oral and poster presentations (including creative performances, exhibits, and demonstrations), the breadth and scope of which reflect not only the wide range of academic disciplines at the University of Illinois, but also speak to the caliber of our undergraduates. 

 All undergraduate students currently involved with research are eligible to present. For more information on the URS, including answers to frequently asked questions, please visit: http://undergradresearch.illinois.edu/symposium.html

  The URS application deadline is March 8, 2024, at 11:59 pm.

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Graduates receive Convocation awards for outstanding achievement

Each year during the Department of Chemistry's May Convocation ceremony, several awards are presented to graduating undergraduate and graduate students. All of the awards were established by a gift to the department, and some are in memory of an individual. All of the awards include a $1,000 monetary gift to the recipients and recognize specific student achievements, including scholarship, research, teaching and more. This year, six undergraduate students and two graduate students were honored during the May 12, 2024, Convocation ceremony.  

Undergraduate awards  

John C. Bailar Award for excellence in undergraduate research

Zachary Burke was a double major in chemistry and astrophysics, whose undergraduate research in chemistry Prof. Mikael Backlund's lab was on a quantum-inspired approach to super-resolution microscopy based on image inversion interferometry. Burke will be a coauthor of a forthcoming manuscript, and he was accepted at all of the graduate schools to which he applied. In the fall, he will attend MIT for his PhD studies in chemistry.

Carl S. Marvel Award for excellence in undergraduate research

Zipeng Shen worked on two projects as an undergraduate researcher in the lab of Prof. Walter Klemperer. His first project was on the isolation of salts of carbocations and Keggen anions, which he then characterized by X-ray crystallography. His second project was computational and experimental analysis of phase transitions in hydrated crystalline Keggin polyoxometalate salts. In the fall, Zipeng will attend MIT to earn a PhD degree in chemistry.

Dr. Eugene Kent Borchart Memorial Award in Chemistry for an outstanding graduating senior in chemistry

Ananya Singh was nominated by Prof. Jordan Axelson for being an outstanding student with a GPA above 3.9. She was an attentive, upbeat, and selfless student instructor in CHEM 232 Elementary Organic Chemistry, according to Dr. Axelson, and she served as a teaching assistant for freshman chemistry majors in CHEM 150 First Semester Success in Chemistry. She will be attending medical school in the fall.

Worth H. Rodebush Award for academic merit

Joel Ryan was nominated by Prof. Jordan Axelson. Ryan is a double major in Chemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology with a GPA of 3.98. He served as a student instructor in CHEM 232 Elementary Organic Chemistry with Dr. Axelson as well as a teaching assistant in both CHEM 101 Introductory Chemistry and CHEM 104 General Chemistry II Laboratory. He submitted a senior thesis for his research in MCB, and he will be attending medical school in the fall.

John David Barnwell Memorial Award

This award is presented to a student who exemplifies academic achievement along with a high personal standard of ethics and scholarship, a passion for teaching, and fluency in the arts. Ethan Ramirez was nominated by Dr. Elise McCarren and Prof. Jeff Moore. With a GPA over 3.9, Ramirez was integral to teaching in three different chemistry courses, and played the viola in the University of Illinois Symphony Orchestra. In his teaching contribution to CHEM 332 Elementary Organic Chemistry II with Prof. Moore, Ramirez was integral to implementing a nontraditional approach that used project-based assignments, encouraging peer collaboration and application of organic chemistry to real-world problems, rather than exams. Dr. McCarren said that with his thoughtful advice and suggestions, Ramirez was an asset to the entire Merit TA team for CHEM 332 and also for the two other courses he taught as a Merit TA, CHEM 101 and CHEM 104. In the fall, Ramirez will continue his education at the University of Illinois as he worked toward his Masters of Science in the Teaching of Chemistry degree.  

Reynold C. Fuson Award for excellence in undergraduate research

Zikang Xu  did his undergraduate research in the lab of Prof. Greg Girolami on the synthesis of new polymer-transition metal hybrids as catalysts for hydrosilylation reactions. Prof. Girolami praises Xu for, among other things, coming up with new ideas when the initial plan for his project did not succeed. Xu is continuing his research in the Girolami lab as he plans to continue his education in a graduate school program.

Graduate Student Awards  

American Chemical Society Presidential P3 Medal for Graduate Research Excellence

In her PhD studies in Prof. Lisa Olshansky's lab, Dr. Saman Fatima  developed conformationally switchable artificial metalloenzymes and characterized them using a wide range of techniques. She collaborated with staff in the Materials Research Laboratory, with members of Satish Nair’s laboratory in Biochemistry, and with members of the Bridwell-Rabb lab at University of Michigan. She has also collaborated with the Thielges lab at Indiana University and with the Sutton lab at Beckman Institute on the Illinois campus. In her postdoctoral research, Dr. Fatima will continue to pursue her interest in protein design, now incorporating computational approaches into her methodology toolbox.

In his PhD research, Dr. Zane Thornburg led efforts in Prof. Zan Luthey-Schulten's lab to develop a 4D, space plus time, whole-cell model of a minimal bacterial cell. His wide-ranging collaborations included scientists at the J. Craig Venter Institute for Synthetic Biology in California, Harvard Medical School, UC San Diego, University of Groningen in the Netherlands, the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, and NVIDIA Corporation. Dr. Thornburg is currently a Cancer Center at Illinois–Beckman Institute Postdoctoral Fellow, where he is working to image and model cancer cells.

More Department News

• Spotlight: Class of 2024 Chemistry at Illinois graduates Graduate spotlights   Zach Burke Dual degree: Bachelor of Science in chemistry and Bachelor of Science in Astrophysics Undergraduate research: I was in the group of Mikael Backlund where I worked on super resolution via image inversion interferometry. Through this research,... Read full story
• Two receive Klemperer Award for outstanding materials PhD thesis Two PhD graduates, Qi Hua and Falon Kalutantirige, were awarded the 2024 Klemperer Award for Outstanding Materials Chemistry Ph.D. Thesis in the Department of Chemistry. Read full story
• Two receive TS Piper Award for outstanding PhD thesis Two PhD graduates in the Department of Chemistry — Chi-Herng "Daniel" Hu and Joe Lastowski — were awarded the 2024 Theron Standish Piper Award for outstanding thesis work in inorganic chemistry. Read full story

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Titans Stood as Sole Undergrad Presenters at National Science Symposium

By julia perez | may 17, 2024.

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — A group of Illinois Wesleyan University students traveled to the University of California-Riverside in April for the National Science to Policy Symposium , where two of the Titans were the only undergraduate students selected to present research.

Victoria Ballesteros-Gonzales '25, Joelle McMillan '25 and Valeria Suarez '26 attended the conference hosted by the National Science Policy Network (NSPN), which was themed “Local to Global Innovation: Science and Technology Policy for a Prosperous Future.” Founded and led by early-career scientists, NSPN serves as an association of civically engaged individuals and local chapters committed to strengthening the role of science in society.

Projects submitted by McMillan and Suarez were accepted by the organization and they each presented personal research.

“Being the only undergraduate students presenting at the National Science Policy Symposium says a lot about IWU; how tight-knit our network is and also how prepared we are at such an early stage of our college careers,” said Suarez. 

“We were there with PhD students from prestigious universities like Johns Hopkins, Emory and even Columbia University. It didn’t take long to realize that as part of the IWU community, we belong in the same space as those students.” 

Suarez, who is studying political science and international studies, presented on environmental damages caused by unregulated and illegal mining in her home country of Venezuela, and how more sustainable mining alternatives could be used. 

“These practices have been aggravated by the country's political and humanitarian crises, leading to the massive exploitation of natural resources,” she said. “My goal was to create awareness on how negligence from local authorities toward open-pit mining has caused destruction and has attracted violent criminal groups, further jeopardizing the safety and wellbeing of indigenous communities.”

Suarez, one of the youngest students in attendance, received the “best flash talk” award for her presentation. 

McMillan, a physics major, presented her work from a research internship during the summer of 2023 at the Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies in Tokyo, Japan. Her study compared utility-scale agrivoltaic systems (or using land for solar energy production and agriculture) and offshore wind farms in Japan, focusing on their environmental impact and energy production.

She said research has found offshore wind farms are less environmentally detrimental than solar collection fields, and that wind farms could meet at least 80% of Japan’s current energy demand.  

“My research supports Japan’s current shift toward offshore wind farms as a primary renewable energy source, allowing the nation to preserve scarce land resources while advancing its clean energy goals,” said McMillan. 

McMillan said she enjoyed attending educational panels regarding clean energy, where she learned about policies informed by science that are driving California’s push for more electric vehicles and other clean energy technology. The networking she experienced will come in handy as she works as an offshore development intern at one of the nation’s leading renewable energy developers this summer. 

Ballesteros-Gonzalez, who is studying political science and environmental studies, said it was inspiring to see her peers presenting along with other students with higher levels of education. 

“The conference gave me a deeper understanding of how our academic work can influence real-world issues, reinforcing my commitment to making a positive impact through science and policy ,” she said.

The three attendees spoke highly of the keynote address given by Frances Colón, Deputy Science and Technology Adviser to the U.S. Secretary of State, who encouraged young women in attendance to make the most of their achievements and set examples for future generations . The students appreciated the opportunity to network with like-minded scholars from across the nation.

“The fact that we were in a very selective group of people interested in advocacy and the power of education to change our society personally made me feel empowered by how fruitful my time has been at IWU and I look forward to seeing what’s next,” said Suarez.

Beyond presentations, the Illinois Wesleyan students were able to interact with experts in environmental science, public health and economics, with all attendees working toward common goals in policy making.

“These interactions underscored the interconnectedness of various scientific disciplines and how collaborative efforts can lead to comprehensive solutions to complex problems. This insight has been particularly inspiring and is something we are eager to share and foster within our campus community,” said Ballesteros-Gonzalez. 

The Titans have established a registered student organization at IWU called the Science to Policy Network, which is affiliated with the national group. The RSO leaders hope to raise awareness across campus about the importance of science in policy-making.

“Our club empowers and educates members by offering resources from the National Science to Policy Network, facilitating professional development opportunities for students. Founded by students who identified a national disparity in the translation of science into policy, our primary goal is to address this gap at the local level,” said McMillan.

Next semester, the group plans to partner with similar RSOs to host events and bring speakers to campus. Any student is welcome to join, and can contact Joelle, Victoria or Valeria to learn more.

Undergraduate Research Symposium - Poster and Performance Showcase

by Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Academic Academics OVPTL-Outreach Research

Fri, May 17, 2024

10 AM – 4:45 PM PDT (GMT-7)

Bren Event Center

Student Excellence Center 559 Science Library , Irvine, CA 92697, United States

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Spring Clean! Ways to Organize Busy Schedules and Days

Undergraduate researchers are often seen running around, moving quickly from one thing to the next. I know that I find myself in the same position with classes and homework, part-time jobs, extracurriculars, personal health, and last but most definitely not least, research. As a junior biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology major, I am involved in undergraduate research under Dr. Sarah Walker. In her lab, I am working on developing drug-resistant triple-negative breast cancer cells and I hope to determine their mechanisms of resistance to two drugs that inhibit common cellular signaling pathways.

If you are about to begin summer research, or planning to do research next year, you may find yourself asking “how can I juggle all of my different activities and excel?” In this blog post, I have compiled a list of tried-and-tested techniques that can help you organize your thoughts and your busy days as an undergraduate researcher.

Plan your week in advance!

Things happen, and it is inevitable that unexpected events, assignments, or research plans come up. However, it is much easier to adjust than it is to re-work a schedule from scratch! I have found it helpful to write out a weekly schedule with everything that I must do and when I plan to complete my tasks. As a student researcher, I often say that if it isn't written down, it isn't going to get done. Whether it is homework, a series of experiments, club sports meetings, or even writing for a blog post – write down when you’d like it done and stick to it as best as you can. Even dedicating fifteen or thirty minutes at a time to a task can add up. Everyone uses a unique style of organizing their week, with common tools being Outlook/Google Calendar or a good-ole-paper planner. The key here is planning out times to do your work and spending the time optimizing your schedule to fit your priorities.

For example, at the beginning of the week I block out the amount of time I can spend in the lab amid my other commitments. I then can use those blocks of time as a parameter to help me plan when I am going to culture my cells or run experiments. It makes it easier to see when I have small chunks of time to work on other tasks once I have my larger periods of time blocked out, which improves my overall productivity.

Use a “second brain.”

A “second brain” is a newer concept that has been developed to help you organize and access information in one place, so you don’t have to haphazardly jot down notes or try to remember everything. There is so much information out there, and no one can remember everything. Use your resources! There are multiple ways you can develop a “second brain.” The simplest way is to use a Google document or Word document and build a library of thoughts or snippets of information, such as potential experiments you might do in the future, or facts pertaining to your research and their sources as you come across them. If you keep it organized with an index or system so you can maneuver around, you will be in business! [BC2]  

If that isn’t quite your style, you could use an app to lay things out visually. I recommend Notion, which helps you build a personalized webpage that you can design to cater to whatever you need—an assignment tracker, multiple to-do lists, habit trackers, calendar, and much more. Personally, I have a Notion page for my research, and some things I include are a to-do list, a multi-week calendar view where I can plan my experiments and project my plans, and a growing list of analytical tools and instructions on how to use them. 

Plan for personal time.

This is the most important thing you can do to clear mental fatigue, and it is often neglected or overlooked by busy undergraduate researchers. It happens to me as well—too many deadlines can fall on the same week or the same day, and I find myself choosing unhealthy, time-saving meals, skipping out on exercise, and not sleeping long enough for my brain and body to rest. By the end of the week, I cannot string together more than two words, my body feels heavy and in pain, and my head feels like a ball of fuzz. Does this sound familiar?

However, when I take time at the beginning of the week to schedule non-negotiable times for exercise, sleep, and mealtimes, I am much more interested in my research, assignments, and extracurricular activities because I can focus on the content in all I do. To make sure that I meet these three needs while still dedicating time to research, I plan my “personal time” and my research first, then my extracurriculars. The point is, even if you don’t have three hours to watch a TV show and do a ten-step skincare routine (although, those can also count as personal time activities), exercise, proper meals, and sleep should be non-negotiable staples in your schedule. Not only will your body thank you, but so will your extracurriculars, classes, and your student research.

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• 2024 ECE Day: Seminar and Student Research Competition

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at Illinois Institute of Technology recently held its annual ECE Day event on April 5, 2024. This day-long event showcased the department’s commitment to innovation, collaboration, and academic excellence among its students, faculty, and External Advisory Board.

Eighty students across all degree levels showcased their research, and 45 were named as finalists in first, second, or third place.

ECE Day is the culmination of various activities, including a strategic meeting with the ECE External Advisory Board, research panels, a seminar, and student research competitions.

The seminar was given by Kenneth Zdunek (Ph.D. EE ’91), senior vice president and chief technology officer at Roberson and Associates and adjunct faculty at Illinois Tech. His seminar was titled “Adventures in Wireless System Design.”

“We would like to thank Ken Zdunek for his inspiring seminar presentation,” says Walter and Harriet Filmer Endowed Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering Jafar Saniie . “Ken is an inventor and leader in the analysis, research, and design of wireless networks and systems. He holds 17 patents and was recognized as an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers fellow in 2008 for his leadership in integrated voice and data systems. In his seminar, Ken shared valuable lessons and insights from his many years of experience in the field of wireless communications.”

The event culminated in an award ceremony and reception, where the winners of the student research competition were announced. Congratulations to the following winners:

Undergraduate Best Team Design Projects—Spring 2024

First Place — Samuel Karson (CPE, M.S. CPE 4th Year),  Nathan Cook (CPE, M.A.S. ECE 5th Year), and  Oumou Toure (EE 5th Year)—“Risk Watch Fall Detection” Adviser:  Walter and Harriet Filmer Endowed Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering Jafar Saniie

Second Place — Inika Singh (CPE 4th Year),  Elthon Alvarez (EE 4th Year),  Jennifer Duarte (CPE 4th Year), and  Huy Cao (CPE, M.S. CPE 4th Year)—“SmartSlice Station” Adviser:  Walter and Harriet Filmer Endowed Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering Jafar Saniie

Third Place — Joanna Findura (CPE, M.S. CPE 5th Year),  Sariuna Iumozhapova (CYSE 5th Year), and  Yuhao Zhou (EE, M.S. EE 4th Year)—“AquaTrack Fish Tank Monitor” Adviser:  Walter and Harriet Filmer Endowed Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering Jafar Saniie

Undergraduate Best Team Design Projects—Fall 2023

First Place — Gabriel Roskowski (CPE 4th Year),  Robert John Soler (CYSE, M.A.S. CYF 4th Year), and  Alae Moudni (CPE 4th Year)—“Automated Security Patrolling Robot” Adviser:  Walter and Harriet Filmer Endowed Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering Jafar Saniie

Second Place — Lukas Klicker (EE, M.S. CPE 5th Year),  Joanna Findura (CPE, M.S. CPE 5th Year), and  Alex Maliwat (CPE, M.Eng. Artificial Intelligence for Computer Vision and Control 5th Year)—“Infant Monitoring System” Adviser:  Walter and Harriet Filmer Endowed Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering Jafar Saniie

Third Place — James Benson (EE, M.S. CPE 5th Year),  Guillaume Hansen (M.A.S. ECE),  Muhammad Rafay Danish (CPE, M.A.S. AI 5th Year), and  Khoa Truong (CPE 4th Year)—“Smart Robot Air Quality Monitor” Adviser:  Walter and Harriet Filmer Endowed Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering Jafar Saniie

Master’s Best Individual Research Projects

First Place — Pin-Chien Chen (M.S. EE 2nd Year)—“Enhanced Fake News Detection Through Dataset Integration” Adviser:  Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Yu Cheng

Second Place — Gundrapally Achyuth (M.S. EE 1st Year)—“Ultra Low Power Techniques for Object Detection on the RT-Level” Adviser:  Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Ken Choi

Third Place — Yuan Ma (M.S. EE 2nd Year)—“Detection Transformer with Efficient Multiscale Decoder” Adviser:  Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Joohee Kim

Master’s Best Team Research Projects

First Place — Spandana Korabandi (M.S. EE 1st Year),  Anirudh Pusuluri (M.A.S. Computer Engineering in Internet of Things 1st Year), and  Akshaykumar Swarnakumar (M.A.S. ECE 2nd Year)—“IoT Enabled EcoSentry Bin” Adviser:  Walter and Harriet Filmer Endowed Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering Jafar Saniie

Second Place — Iker Alcorta (M.A.S. Computer Engineering in Internet of Things 1st Year) and  Igor Bogaz (M.A.S. Computer Engineering in Internet of Things 1st Year)—“Smart Soccer Boots” Adviser:  Walter and Harriet Filmer Endowed Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering Jafar Saniie

Third Place — Timothy Seibert  (CPE, M.S. CPE 4th Year) and  Guillaume Seigle (M.A.S. BMI 2nd Year)—“Smart Sleep Tracker” Adviser:  Walter and Harriet Filmer Endowed Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering Jafar Saniie

Ph.D. Category: Networks and Communications

First Place — Ziru Chen (M.S. EE ’17, Ph.D. EE Candidate)—“Practical Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface” Adviser:  Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Lin Cai

Second Place (Tie) — Eli Hwang (Ph.D. EE Candidate)—“Uplink NOMA via Special Incidence Matrix” Adviser:  Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Guillermo Atkin

Second Place (Tie) — Oluwaseun Ajayi (Ph.D. EE Candidate)—“Self-Renewal Machine Learning Approach for Fast Wireless Network Optimization” Adviser:  Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Yu Cheng

Third Place — Yu Xiao (M.S. EE ’18, Ph.D. EE Candidate)—“Time Asynchronous NOMA for Increasing BER performance” Adviser:  Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Guillermo Atkin

Ph.D. Category: Signal and Image Processing

First Place — Jane Downer (AI/M.A.S. AI ’23, Ph.D. CS Candidate)—“Identifying Backdoored Graphs in Graph Neural Network Training: An Explanation-based Approach with Novel Metrics” Adviser:  Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Ren Wang

Second Place — Yipeng Qu (Ph.D. EE Candidate)—“Enhancing Query Formulation for Universal Image Segmentation” Adviser:  Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Joohee Kim

Third Place (Tie) — Xirang Zhang (M.S. EE ’21, Ph.D. EE Candidate)—“A Feasibility Study on Deep Learning for Standard-Dose Cardiac-Gated Spect Images” Adviser:  Harris Perlstein Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Yongyi Yang

Third Place (Tie) — Mehdi Toumi (Ph.D. EE Candidate)—“Edge Preserving Deep Learning De-Noising for Cardiac Spect” Adviser:  Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Jovan Brankov

Ph.D. Category: Power Electronics

First Place — Triston Cooper (Ph.D. EE Candidate)—“Superconducting Momentary Circuit Interrupter” Adviser:  Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Ian Brown

Second Place — Nicholas Krause (EE ’14, M.S. EE ’16, Ph.D. EE Candidate)—“Electric Machine Thermal System Identification” Adviser:  Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Ian Brown

Third Place — Mohammad Qasem (Ph.D. EE Candidate)—“Data-Integrated in Li-ion Battery Modeling for eVTOL Energy Systems” Adviser:  Carl and Paul Bodine Endowed Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor Mahesh Krishnamurthy

Ph.D. Category: Digital Systems and Cybersecurity

First Place — David Arnold (EE/M.S. CPE ’19, Ph.D. CPE Candidate)—“An Enhanced Data Historian For Cyberattack Detection in Industrial Control Systems” Adviser:  Walter and Harriet Filmer Endowed Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering Jafar Saniie

Second Place (Tie) — Guanting Chen (M.S. EE ’19, Ph.D. EE Candidate)—“SAT Solver with Machine Learning and Weighted Literal Incidence Graph Representation” Adviser:  Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Jia Wang

Second Place (Tie) — Hans Johnson (M.S. EE ’21, Ph.D. EE Candidate)—“Improving Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) for Quantum Computing Readout Signals Using Adaptive Filters for FPGAs” Adviser:  Walter and Harriet Filmer Endowed Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering Jafar Saniie

Third Place — Nader Alnatsheh (EE/M.S. EE ’22, Ph.D. EE Candidate)—“Low Power Techniques for DNN Accelerator Design from Model-Level to RT-Level” Adviser:  Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Ken Choi

Image: Group photo of ECE Day attendees.

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Project Info

Synthesis and characterization of polyplexes formed from cationic copolymers and nucleic acids., project goals and description:, more information:, primary contacts:, student preparation, qualifications, time commitment (hrs/wk), skills/techniques gained, mentoring plan, preferred student status.