UCR Graduate Research Symposium
The UCR Graduate Student Research Symposium, taking place during Graduate Student Appreciation Week, provides graduate students on campus with a venue to present their research to the UCR community in a welcoming and supportive environment. Presentation formats include poster sessions and oral presentations. Best Presentation Awards will be presented in both categories, which includes a certificate and a monetary prize.
The 2026 Symposium is taking place Wednesday, April 8, 2026 at the HUB.
RSVP to attend (recommended but not required)
Grad Research Symposium Information
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Symposium Schedule
Graduate Research Symposium Schedule
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AM Poster Session Details
MORNING POSTER SESSION 10:15-11:30 am Poster Number Last Name First Name Graduate Program Major Professor/PI/GPC Name Presentation Title 1 Martinez Jenni Ethnic Studies Dr. Jennifer Najera & Dr. Adrian Felix Amordidas Acompañadas: Cooking, Re-generation, and the Afterlives of Deportation 2 Hirmiz Ree Higher Education Administration and Policy Dr. Rican Vue The Teaching-Research Nexus in Higher Education 3 Ortega Etienne Political Science Kritika, Gupta Longitudinal Trends in College Student Mental Health and Loneliness Using Self-Reported Data Collected from NCHA (2021 – 2025) 4 Suter Kai SEATRiP David Biggs Thin-Section Petrography on Ceramics from Oc Eo - Ba The, An Giang, Vietnam 5 Teng Chin-Sheng Applied Statistics Xu, Shizhong An Expectation and Maximization Algorithm for Multivariate Genome-wide Association Studies (EMmvGWAS) 6 7 Ng Tyler Bioengineering (BS+MS) Dr. Ke Du Nano-Sieve–Enabled On-Chip Concentration and Multiplexed Detection of Raman-Reporter–Labeled Nanocubes 8 Jack Xu Biomedical Science Xuecai Ge CFAP protein links ciliary and mitochondrial function 9 Monroy Natalie Biomedical, MS Sean O'leary m6A Regulation of eIF4A1/eIF4F-Dependent Translation: Biochemical Implications for Acute Myeloid Leukemia 10 Li Samantha Chemical and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Min, Younjin Dual-Functional Antifouling Silk Surfaces via Covalent Grafting of a Calcium-Chelating Agent 11 Olivier Phillip Chemical and Environmental Engineering BS plus MS Dr. Younjin Min Water and Calcite Interfacial Interactions: Zeta Potential Responses to pH and Ionic Species 12 Huang Rundong Chemical and Environmental Engineering Younjin Min Pressure Solution and Dissolution Kinetics of Single-Crystal Calcite: Study on the Effect of Electrolyte and Interface Asymmetry 13 schroeder sarah CMDB Martinez, Ernest Post-Translational Modifications of MYC Regulate Metabolic Reprogramming in Breast Cancer 14 Morse Avery CMDB Yamanaka, Naoki CRISPR Screening Method for the Identification of Steroid Hormone Membrane Transporters 15 Ahn Dawon Computer Science Evangelos E. Papalexakis Transforming Behavioral Neuroscience Discovery with In-Context Learning and AI-Enhanced Tensor Methods 16 Ayazi Mehrnaz Computer Science Craig Schroeder, Tamar Shinar Phase Separation for Material Point Method Using Cahn-Hilliard Equation 17 Chansong Lim Computer Science Evangelos E. Papalexakis A Real-Time System to Populate FRA Form 57 from News 18 Mamun Md Abdullah Al Computer Science Prof. Nael Abu-Ghazaleh Neural Channel Attacks: Embedding private data covertly in ML Models 19 Shiyuan Li Computer Science Bingyao Li Group Tokens: Boosting Confidence for Parallel Decoding in Masked Diffusion Language Models 20 21 Acharya Bhawana Environmental Science Elia Scudiero Assessing Passive L-Band, IR Radiometry, Active Fluorescence and VIS-NIR Reflectance Portable Sensors to Monitor Water Status in Citrus 22 Xu Lynne Environmental Sciences Porter, William Analyzing the Meteorology Driven Spatial-temporal Variability in Transportation Air Quality Impacts on neighboring communities 23 Guerra Juliana Environmental Sciences Hopkins, Francesca Identifying Methane Sources through Ground-level Surveys in the City of Riverside 24 Troxel William Environmental Toxicology Chang, Chia-en Revealing imatinib-kinase specificity via analyzing changes in protein dynamics and computing molecular binding affinity 25 Sander Allison Materials Science and Engineering Liu, Huinan Optimization of Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing for Regenerative Medicine Tissue Scaffolds 26 IQBAL MD SHAIHAN BIN Materials Science and Engineering CHRIS BARDEEN Photochemical Control of Burn Rates in Nitrocellulose Polymer Films 27 28 Rao Payton Neuroscience Riccomagno, Martin Crk adaptor proteins regulate cortical lamination 29 vasquez sebastian Physics Arratia, Miguel Study of Superfast Quarks 30 Riahi Ayat Plant Biology Dr Thomas Eulgem Arabidopsis Root Defense Strategies Against the Destructive Fungal Pathogen Macrophomina phaseolina 31 Chopra Yuvraj Plant Biology Kenchanmane-Raju, Sunil Transcriptome and chromatin dynamics during water-limitation and recovery in switchgrass 32 Moradian Arineh Psychology Rosenbaum, David Preview and Performance: Memory or Anticipatory “PEEKing”? -
AM Oral Presentation Details
AM Oral Presentations 11:30am-12:30 pm
Last Name First Name Graduate Program Major Professor/PI/GPC Name Room Presentation Title Pertab Rai Bioengineering Kevin J. Freedman HUB 355 Growth dynamics of Escherichia coli cells encapsulated in microdroplets Singh Prakriti Chemistry Dr. James Davies HUB 355 Probing the Hygroscopicity and Phase Behavior of Methylglyoxine–Glycine Aerosols Across Aging and RH Cycles Watts Sakshi Entomology Baer Boris HUB 355 AirBeeNBee: Insect Condos or Ecological Crime Scenes? Sharma Komal Chemistry Hooley, Richard HUB 367 Supramolecular Catalysis with Functionalized Self-Assembled Cage Hosts Shayegani Erfan Computer Science Nael Abu-Ghazaleh and Yue Dong HUB 367 Computer-Use Agents Exhibit Blind Goal-Directedness: A Safety and Security study of AI Agents (Research Collaboration with Microsoft Research) Sharei Niloofar Physics and Astronomy Siana, Brian HUB 367 Do Star-forming Clumps Survive the Journey Inward? -
PM Oral Presentation Details
AFTERNOON ORAL PRESENTATION SESSION 1:30-2:30PM
Last Name First Name Graduate Program Major Professor/PI/GPC Name Room Presentation Title Paladino Serafina English Dr. Fuson Wang HUB 355 Navigating The Wired: Autistic-coded Neurodiversity in Serial Experiments Lain Omokhomion Paula Master of Public Policy Jolene Sedita HUB 355 The Regional Effect of Health Insurance on the Association between Serious Psychological Distress and Chronic Physical Health in the United States (2024) Sagastumé Arlene Higher Education Administration and Policy José Del Real Viramontes HUB 355 From Representation to Power: Latinx Graduate Student Counterspaces, Identity Formation, and the Reimagining of Institutional Support Vo Khoi Mathematics Dr. Mark Alber HUB 367 Simulating Fungal-Bacterial Interactions: How Anastomosis Optimizes Nutrient Translocation and Network Growth in Sparse Environment Rocha Alejandra Entomology Dr. Bodil N. Cass HUB 367 Tracking down the enemy: Distribution and parasitoid associations of an emerging avocado pest in California
Post Sam Psychology Goel, Anubhuti HUB 367 Spatiotemporal stimulus information is systematically encoded in V1 and is regulated by Parvalbumin and Somatostatin interneurons -
PM Poster Session Details
AFTERNOON POSTER SESSION 2:30-4:00 pm
Poster Number Last Name First Name Graduate Program Major Professor/PI/GPC Name Presentation Title 1 Chagas Stella Anthropology Anthony Jerry Trans Black persons: The experiences of Incarceration 2 Richards Dee Creative Writing Reza Aslan Shifting Perspective in Domestic Violence Narrative 3 Apaydin Fadime Department for the Study of Religion Ali, Muhamad Patterns of Anti-Jewish, Anti-Muslim, and Anti-Sikh Hate Crime in the United States 4 Glass Kristina Ethnic Studies Department Vaughn, Kēhaulani Indigenous Rising: Healing, Education, and Cultural Reclamation for Native Women and Queer Relatives through Roller Derby 5 Malmir Maryam Experimental Choreography taisha paggett Bodies Inside Rules: Mathematical Systems as Speculative Political Choreography 6 Lee Hyunjoo Music Dana Kaufman Archery (弓): A Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra 7 Yung-Sian Fang Professional MBA Brigitte Hernandez Quantum Assisted Candidate Selection for High Energy Lithium Battery Materials Using the Materials Project Database 8 Sanchez Brian Sociology Stets, Jan The Price of Success: Family Achievement Guilt 9 Mishra Pratyasha BCMB Thomas Kuhlman OSCILLATION-DRIVEN SELECTIVITY IN p38α MAPK SIGNALING PATHWAYS 10 Shao Zengyu BCMB Song, Jikui Structural insight into the substrate binding of the AMT complex via an inhibitor-trapped state 11 Athavudeen Shameerudeen BCMB ADAM NORRIS Importance of being non-triplet in alternative splicing 12 Joardar Sushmita Bioengineering Freedman, Kevin Globular Glycoprotein Linearization via Formamide-Heat Treatment for Enhanced Nanopore Sensing 13 Garcia Joseph Biomedical Sciences Pegan, Scott DeISGylation Activity Discovered within vOTUs from Newly Identified Tamdy Nairoviruses of Human Health Concern 14 Pagliero Hannah Biomedical Sciences Dr. Erica Heinrich Calcium Handling is Modified During Acclimatization to High Altitude 15 Huang Alexandria Biomedical Sciences Tiwari-Woodruff, Seema Screening of Therapeutic Small Molecules that Simultaneously Target Inflammation, Demyelination, and Axon Degeneration for Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis. 16 Kachour Nala BMSC Wilson, Emma IFNγ resistant bradyzoite replication. 17 Zheng Chujing Chemical and Environmental Engineering Men, Yujie How Environmental Variation Shapes Competition Among Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria 18 Priyadarshini Saswati Chemical and Environmental Engineering Dr. Ruoxue Yan Advancing Sodium-Metal Battery Interfacial Analysis through Operando Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy 19 Garcia Quiceno Jenni D. Entomology Bodil Cass Identifying Our Allies: Mapping Green Lacewing Species for Better Biocontrol in California 20 Fisher Azure Environmental Sciences Porter, William C. Fine Scale Statistical Modeling of Ambient Pollution Attributed to Land Use Change and Warehouse Intensification in the Inland Empire 21 Win Emerald Mathematics Chen, Weitao A Framework integrating mechanistic model with Bayesian Optimization to reveal critical regulations of mechanogen during tissue morphogenesis 22 Vo Khoi Mathematics Dr. Mark Alber Simulating Fungal-Bacterial Interactions: How Anastomosis Optimizes Nutrient Translocation and Network Growth in Sparse Environment 23 Zhang Ke Mathematics Maziar Raissi Understanding Tool-Augmented Agents for Lean Formalization: A Factorial Analysis 24 Delgado Jeffrey Neuroscience Zlebnik, Natalie Distinct Cue and Reward Encoding by D1- and D2-Expressing Medium Spiny Neurons in the Nucleus Accumbens 25 Eimagh Naeini Arya Physics Kuhlman/ Thomas OSCILLATORY DYNAMICS OF P38 MAPK: ENCODING SELECTIVE GENE EXPRESSION IN HUMAN STRESS RESPONSE 26 Kim Inik Psychology Dr Weiwei Zhang Strength and Precision in Visual Working Memory 27 Mosley Jennifer Psychology Hughes, Brent Memory Maps: Mapping Autobiographical Memories to Understand Self-Concept Coherence 28 Steinhauser Jordan Psychology Korzus, Edward Tensor component analysis reveals internal state changes 29 Varastegan Sahereh Psychology Zhang/Weiwei The Roles of Alpha Oscillations in Attentional Blink 30 Graham Derek Psychology Brewer, Gene Motivation: A third variable in Working Memory Capacity and Fluid Intelligence 31 Williams Cole Psychology Brewer, Gene Top-Down and Bottom-Up Modulation of Prediction Error Effects on Memory 32 Celaya Xavier Psychology Brewer, Gene Fighters & Fungi: A pilot study assessing the impact of psilocybin mushrooms on ex-combat sport athletes with repeated head injury -
Presentation Abstracts
2026 Abstracts
Access the presentation abstracts HERE (alphabetical order by presenter last name)
2025 Abstracts
Access the presentation abstracts HERE (alphabetical order by presenter last name)
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Best Presentation Awards 2026
The following awards were announced at the Symposium:
Oral Presentations Name Award amount Rocha, Alejandra 1st Place 500 Rai, Pertab 2nd Place 200 Sagastumé, Arlene 2nd Place 200 Sharei, Niloofar 2nd Place 200 Sharma, Komal 2nd Place 200 Shayegani, Erfan 2nd Place 200 Singh, Prakriti 2nd Place 200 Watts, Sakshi 2nd Place 200 Paladino, Serafina 3rd Place 150 Post, Sam 3rd Place 150 Omokhomion, Paula Honorable Mention 25 Vo, Khoi Honorable Mention 25 Poster Presentations Name Award amount Athavudeen, Shameerudeen 1st Place 111.11 Ayazi, Mehrnaz 1st Place 111.11 Chopra, Yuvraj 1st Place 111.11 Delgado, Jeffrey 1st Place 111.11 Fisher, Azure 1st Place 111.11 Garcia Quiceno, Jenni D. 1st Place 111.11 Garcia, Joseph 1st Place 111.11 Kachour, Nala 1st Place 111.11 Mishra, Pratyasha 1st Place 111.11 Mosley, Jennifer 1st Place 111.11 Sander, Allison 1st Place 111.11 Shao, Zengyu 1st Place 111.11 Suter, Kai 1st Place 111.11 Williams, Cole 1st Place 111.11 Win, Emerald 1st Place 111.11 Yung-Sian, Fang 1st Place 111.11 Zhang, Ke 1st Place 111.11 Zheng, Chujing 1st Place 111.11 Poster Presentations
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Best Presentation Awards - April 8, 2025
We are pleased to announce the Best Presentation Awards!
Name Grad Program Award Amount Placement Presentation Type Briseno Jimenez, Samuel MFA Experimental Choreography $700 1st Creative Activity Vargas Casillas, Angeliz Mathematics Oral Presentation Ly, Katrya Higher Education Administration Oral Presentation Isveski, Jovana English Oral Presentation Jat, Rajveer Economics Oral Presentation Davidson, Eric Higher Education Administration Oral Presentation Downey, Kelly Computer Science & Engineering Oral Presentation Montemayor-Dominguez, Madison Psychology Oral Presentation Nezhad, Negin Astronomy Oral Presentation Quan, Phung Chemical & Environmental Engineering Oral Presentation Stine, Andrea Mathematics Oral Presentation Youngblood, Marina Plant Biology Oral Presentation George, Wesley Plant Biology Poster Presentation Sharma, Komal Chemistry Poster Presentation Riahi, Ayat Plant Biology Poster Presentation Rai, Pertab Bioengineering Poster Presentation Brady, Shannon Psychology Poster Presentation Guerra, Juliana Environmental Sciences $100 Honorable Mention Poster Presentation Martinez, Jenni Ethnic Studies Poster Presentation Nowaski, Ethan Mathematics Poster Presentation Sherwani, Navaira Biophysics Poster Presentation Troxel, William Environmental Toxicology Poster Presentation Tull, Leilani Public Health Poster Presentation