Spring Symposium Highlights Student Research

Last Updated on May 04, 2017 at 5:00 PM

Originally published May 04, 2017

By Lauren Macias-Cervantes

UTEP Communications

The Campus Office of Undergraduate Research Initiatives (COURI) annual 2017 Spring Symposium highlighted the work of 124 undergraduate presenters performing research, scholarly or creative activities at UTEP.

COURI Spring Symposium on April 29, 2017
Community members, family, students, faculty and staff get a firsthand look at undergraduate student research and scholarly projects as part of the COURI Spring Symposium on April 29, 2017. Photo: Ivan Pierre Aguirre/UTEP Communications

These students represented 25 departments from the colleges of Education, Engineering, Health Sciences, Liberal Arts and Science, as well as the schools of Pharmacy and Nursing. Each student presented research, scholarly or creative work they conducted under the mentorship of faculty. Student presenters were judged on presentation elements, enthusiasm and professionalism.

The Spring Symposium encompassed two events. The Department of Music 2017 Honors Recital took place April 28, 2017 and featured four undergraduate and three graduate performers and composers, and the poster and oral presentations took place April 29 and featured 120 undergraduates presenting their projects in a variety of disciplines, including the arts and humanities and life, social and applied sciences.

“The high quality of the projects and enthusiasm of the students, together with the participation of faculty, staff and graduate students who volunteered as judges, made the symposium a success,” said Laura A. Diaz-Martinez, Ph.D. associate director of COURI.

 

COURI Spring Symposium Winners

Applied Sciences
Best presentation: Rebeca A. Perez
Mentor: Gabriel Ibarra-Mejia, M.D., Ph.D.
Honorable mention: Cristian Orozco
Mentor: Chintalapalle Ramana, Ph.D.

Arts & Humanities
Best presentation: Mayra Rodarte
Mentor: Carolyn Cubitt-Tsutsui, Ph.D.
Honorable mention: Esai Cantu
Mentor: Dominic Dousa, Ph.D.

Life Sciences
Best presentation: Caroline Hernandez-Casner
Mentor: Katherine Serafine, Ph.D.
Honorable mention: Suleney Medina del Valle
Mentor: German Rosas-Acosta, Ph.D.

Physical Sciences
Best presentation: Guadalupe Alvarez Rodriguez
Mentor: Hugo A. Gutierrez, Ph.D.
Honorable mention: Paola I. Soto-Montero
Mentor: Lixin Jin, Ph.D.

Social Sciences
Best presentation: Gabrielle Mendoza
Mentor: Jessica Shenberger-Trujillo, Ph.D.
Honorable mention: Paola M. Gama
Mentor: Pei-Ling Hsu, Ph.D.

The Mentor Award was given to Stephen Stafford, Ph.D., from the Department of Metallurgical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering.