Undergraduate Research at Illinois

We are pleased to announce that our very own OUR Research Ambassador, Cliff Sun, has been named a member of the 2026 class of Astronaut Scholars by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation! To learn more about Cliff and this incredible achievement, please visit physics.illinois.edu/news/cliff-sun-astronaut-scholar. 🚀🥳

Do you want some advice on getting into or furthering your research at Illinois? Starting August 24 you can book an appointment with Cliff or one of our other highly qualified Undergraduate Research Ambassadors at go.illinois.edu/meet_IURA.

🌟 Undergraduate Research Ambassador Spotlight! 🌟

The celebration continues! Please join us in giving a massive round of applause to another one of our phenomenal OUR Ambassadors, Rhea Dcosta, for achieving the ultimate undergraduate academic honor!

Rhea has been awarded Bronze Tablet University Honors—the highest distinction granted to undergraduates for academic excellence at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign! 🏆✨

The Bronze Tablet is a deeply rooted UIUC tradition dating back to 1925. To receive this honor, a student must rank within the top 3% of their entire graduating class. As a permanent tribute to her hard work, dedication, and research mindset, Rhea's name will be inscribed on a bronze tablet to be hung on the historic walls of the University Library.

Rhea, the entire Office of Undergraduate Research family is incredibly proud of your brilliance, your leadership, and this monumental achievement. We know this is just the beginning of a remarkable journey ahead! 🧡💙

🌟 Undergraduate Research Ambassador Spotlight! 🌟

Let’s hear it for another phenomenal OUR Ambassador! We are incredibly proud to celebrate the remarkable achievements of recent graduate Arshiya Shah! 🎓✨

Arshiya’s undergraduate journey has been defined by impactful leadership, dedicated service, and deep, critical research. Check out her amazing honors:

🏆 Senior 100 Honorary
Arshiya was selected for the prestigious Senior 100, which recognizes 100 outstanding graduating seniors across the entire University of Illinois campus for their exceptional leadership, service, and campus involvement.

🔬 Jeremiah D. Sullivan Award for Undergraduate Research
Through the Program in Arms Control, Disarmament and International Security (ACDIS), Arshiya received this competitive fellowship funding to support her individual research.

The Focus: Her impactful research examined postcolonial border governance and transnational militancy—specifically exploring how colonial border artificiality, postcolonial governance failure, and regional dynamics shape patterns of terrorism across Africa, the Middle East, and South/Southeast Asia. 🌍🛡️

🥇 Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher
To wrap up an amazing journey, Arshiya also received the Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher certificate right here from the Office of Undergraduate Research!

Arshiya, your brilliant mind, global perspective, and dedication to campus leadership inspire us all. Thank you for being such a stellar representative of the undergraduate research community. We can't wait to see the global impact you continue to make! 💙🧡

🌟 Undergraduate Research Ambassador Spotlight! 🌟
Huge congratulations to one of our incredible OUR Ambassadors, Chloe Guo, on her recent graduation and phenomenal achievements! 🎓✨

Chloe has truly exemplified academic excellence during her time with us, graduating with Summa Cum Laude distinction and earning a spot on the prestigious Bronze Tablet! 🏆📜

What’s Next for Chloe? 🌏🥼
Chloe is taking her passion for mental health and research global! Here is what she has planned for her next chapter:
A Meaningful Gap Year: Moving to China to gain invaluable international experience.
Clinical Internship: Interning in the Clinical Psychology Department at Hangzhou First People's Hospital.
Future Goals: Applying to Master’s programs in mental health counseling and social work to continue making a difference in people's lives.

We are so incredibly proud of you, Chloe! Thank you for being such an inspiring leader, researcher, and mentor to your peers. We wish you the absolute best of luck in China and beyond! 💙🧡

🌟 Double Ambassador Spotlight & Graduation Celebration! 🌟
We have some incredible news to celebrate! Two of our amazing OUR Ambassadors from the Department of Psychology have officially graduated—and they took home some prestigious departmental awards for their outstanding research achievements on their way out! 🎓🧠🔬

Please join us in celebrating Anya Altangerel and Charlie Cervenka!

🏆 Anya Altangerel | Janet Tritsch Memorial Award
Anya graduated and received the Janet Tritsch Memorial Award, an honor that recognizes outstanding research achievement across all areas of Psychology. Your dedication to advancing the field is truly inspiring, Anya!

🏆 Charlie Cervenka | James Spoor Award
Charlie graduated and received the James Spoor Award, which recognizes outstanding research achievements specifically within Social, Personality, and Organizational Psychology. Incredible work, Charlie!

Both Anya and Charlie have proven that undergraduate research isn't just about asking questions—it's about uncovering impactful answers. Thank you both for your hard work, your passion, and for being such phenomenal mentors to your peers.

Congratulations on graduating, and we can't wait to see where your research minds take you next! 💙🧡

The Data Mining Group (DMG) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is seeking motivated undergraduate students for a summer research opportunity in machine learning, large language models (LLMs), information retrieval, and AI agents. Students will work closely with PhD researchers on ongoing projects related to retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), search agents, reinforcement learning for LLMs, and trustworthy AI systems. Responsibilities may include literature review, implementing and running experiments, analyzing results, and contributing to research prototypes and papers.

We welcome students from Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Statistics, Mathematics, Electrical Engineering, or related fields, though students from other majors with strong technical backgrounds are also encouraged to apply. Prior experience with Python, machine learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch), or NLP/LLM research is preferred but not strictly required. Strong programming skills, curiosity, and willingness to learn are highly valued.

This is a paid research opportunity for Summer 2026. Expected time commitment is approximately 10–20 hours per week, with flexibility depending on availability and project needs.

To apply, please email your resume/CV, transcript (unofficial is fine), and a brief statement of interest describing your background and research interests. Questions can also be directed via email to: [email protected], or [email protected].

The Undergraduate Research Symposium has officially begun! Join us at the Illini Union from 9-5 today! 🥳

Tomorrow the Illini Union will be filled with over 1000 Undergraduate Researchers, sharing their hard work at the Undergraduate Research Symposium!!

Presenters, it is your time to shine! We can't wait to hear about your research!
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Thursday, April 30, 9:00 - 5:00
Illini Union: Rooms A,B,C, South Lounge, and Second Floor
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For event descriptions, presenter information, and project titles please view at the program: go.illinois.edu/URWProgram.

In just 2 days the Illini Union will be transformed to host the Undergraduate Research Symposium!! You aren't going to want to miss this showcase of excellent undergraduate research!

Thursday, April 30, 9:00 - 5:00
Illini Union: Rooms A,B,C, South Lounge, and Second Floor

For event descriptions, presenter information, and project titles please view at the program: go.illinois.edu/URWProgram.

🔵🟠Only 3 days to go until the Illinois Undergraduate Research Symposium! 🟠🔵 Join us to celebrate our amazing undergraduate student researchers and discover the incredible work they've been doing! Presenters, we're so excited to see you shine and share your passion! Want to learn more? Check out go.illinois.edu/URWProgram.

For more information, please visit go.illinois.edu/URWProgram.