Athens, Ga. – A diverse group of University of Georgia students who participate in undergraduate research were selected from more than 3,500 submissions to present at the 2012 National Conference on Undergraduate Research at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, March 29-31.
More than a thousand students from across the country were invited to present their research in the form of posters, presentations, performances and works of art at the annual conference.
All abstracts underwent a rigorous review by a panel of faculty reviewers who cited the UGA projects as unique research contributions to their respective fields of study. The topics of the projects ranged from examining the preservation of Georgia’s waterways to studying cancer stem cells.
“I am very proud of these students,” said David S. Williams, associate provost and director of UGA’s Honors Program. “On an individual basis, their work is impressive and important. As a group, they underscore that UGA students are national leaders in regard to undergraduate research.”
The UGA student presenters, their hometowns and areas of focus are:
· Anita Bhagavathula, a senior from Alpharetta, genetics
· Sarah-Bianca Dolisca, a senior from Lawrenceville, biochemistry and molecular biology
· Sam Hempel, a sophomore from Atlanta, biochemistry and molecular biology
· Lindsey Megow, a junior from Valdosta, veterinary medicine
· Nisarg Patel, a sophomore from Suwanee, infectious diseases
· Daniel Smith, a junior from Atlanta, art
· Pranay K. Udutha, a sophomore from Acworth, ecology
While at UGA, the students have been involved with the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities, which promotes and supports undergraduate research through a variety of activities, including introductory research seminars and forums, faculty-guided inquiry projects, conference presentations and published scholarly works.
For more information about CURO, see http://curo.uga.edu.