Thirteen KU students receive Undergraduate Research Awards for fall

LAWRENCE — This fall, 13 University of Kansas students will receive an Undergraduate Research Award (UGRA). UGRA recipients are awarded a $1,000 scholarship as they work on mentored research and creative projects.

Students apply for UGRAs by writing a four-page research proposal under the guidance of a mentor. Faculty reviewers evaluate the applications based on the merit of the applicant's proposal and a recommendation from the mentor.

“These student projects explore innovative ideas in different disciplines across campus,” said Alison Olcott, director of the Center for Undergraduate Research and associate professor of geology. “With their mentors’ support, these students are learning to use the tools of their disciplines to make important contributions to their fields of study.”

The Center for Undergraduate Research is currently taking applications for the Spring 2022 UGRA competition. The deadline for student proposals will be Oct. 28. Online guidance and individual advising appointments are available to help students prepare strong applications.  More information can be found here: http://ugresearch.ku.edu/student/fund/ugra

Students receiving awards for fall 2021 are listed below in alphabetical order along with year in school, hometown, project title, mentor and mentor’s department:

Casey Carlile, a senior from Lawrence: “Merger Signatures of Cold Quasars in the Distant Universe,” mentored by Allison Kirkpatrick, assistant professor of physics & astronomy.

Anika Goel, a junior from Guwahati, Assam, India: “Measuring Eddington Ratio in Unobscured Quasars,” mentored by Allison Kirkpatrick, assistant professor of physics & astronomy.

Matt Gratton, a junior from Kansas City, Missouri: “The Validity of Nightmare Prediction within a Large-Scale Sleep Study,” mentored by Nancy Hamilton, associate professor of clinical psychology.

Amanda Hertel, a senior from Shawnee: “Tau Protein and Lipid Dysregulation: Potential Role in Alzheimer’s Disease Progression,” mentored by Prajna Dhar, professor of chemical & petroleum engineering.

Christopher Kywe, a senior from Leawood: “The Effect of mab-5 on Innate Immune Response Systems Within C. elegans,” mentored by Brian Ackley, associate professor of molecular biosciences.

Alex Manley, a junior from Allen, Texas: “Crossing the Gap of Gem5: The Future of Memory Processing,” mentored by Mohammad Alian, assistant professor of electrical engineering & computer science.

Jackson Martin, a senior from Olathe: “A Case Study of Foreign Invested Enterprises in the U.S.-China Trade War,” mentored by Jack Zhang, assistant professor of political science.

Reece Mathews, a senior from Lawrence: “Open Polar Server Upgrades for Efficiency and FAIR Data Principles,” mentored by John Paden, associate scientist with the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets.

Aisha Mohammed, a senior from Lagos, Nigeria: “Patriarchy from Marriage and Empowerment Through Western Education for Senegalese Women in Mariama Bâ’s Une Si Longue Lettre,” mentored by Gillian Weatherley, lecturer in French, Francophone & Italian studies.

Greta Olsen, a senior from Bartlesville, Oklahoma: “Physical Property Characterization of Ionic Liquids Using a High-Pressure View Cell,” mentored by Mark Shiflett, Foundation Distinguished Professor of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering.

Kaitlyn Rauh, a junior from Springfield, Missouri: “Jewelry as Advocacy: Depression and Suicide Awareness,” mentored by Sunyoung Cheong, visiting assistant professor of metalsmithing & jewelry.

Carlos Schwindt, a junior from La Crosse: “Examining Mask Mycobiome Composition and Potential Dispersal,” mentored by Benjamin Sikes, associate professor of ecology & evolutionary biology and associate scientist with the Kansas Biological Survey.

Matthew Stout, a junior from San Antonio, Texas: “Analysis of Pathological Lower Third Molar of Mammuthus columbi from Clark County, Kansas, with Potential Insights on How Climate Change Affected the Extinction of Pleistocene Megafauna,” mentored by Christopher Beard, Foundation Distinguished Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology.