UT Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry

Congratulations to Aysel Khalil, the OURI undergraduate research student of the year! Aysel has presented her work at 9 different conferences, has been an OURI ambassador for 2 years, and along with her mentor, Dr. Dobrinski, is literally working to cure cancer.

Last week, 17 UTampa students traveled to Richmond, VA to present their research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. They spoke about their research projects with students and faculty from across the country, sharing disciplinary knowledge and making connections that will serve them for the rest of their lives.

Congratulatios to Dr. Willie Leung, this year's OURI undergraduate research mentor of the year. His student, Bridget Klaus, wrote that Dr. Leung "invests in his mentees wholeheartedly, fostering both their academic and their personal growth." Thanks for all you do, Dr. Leung!

Congratulations to Marine Science major and UTampa Slug Lab researcher Elizabeth Wilson, who presented her work at last week's Florida Academy of Sciences meeting. The University of Tampa was proud to host the meeting and feature our students' research!

On March 6-7, 38 UTampa students traveled to Jacksonville to attend the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC). Students presented on research topics ranging from the ethical use of AI to invasive species in Tampa Bay. Well done, Spartans!

Congratulations to Holly Rushing, who presented her Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) project at the Western States Communication Association Annual Convention in San Diego last week. Holly and her mentor, Dr. Colter Ray, were selected as a top conference paper for "When are low person-centered messages effective and appropriate? A qualitative validation and revision of the LPC Message Effectiveness Model."



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Interested in pursuing law school or a career in the legal field? Dr. Amanda Osuna of the UTampa Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice is hosting an panel on March 3 to help students learn about legal careers. Refreshments will be served!

On Tuesday, January 27, three University of Tampa students traveled to the Florida State Capitol to present their research at an event organized by the Florida Undergraduate Research Association. Andrea Cifelli, Caroline Evans, and Liza Walker shared their work with citizens and legislators and learned about the importance of speaking to nonexperts about their disciplinary work.

Congratulations to all of the students who participated in Friday's Fall Forum. It was a great opportunity for students to talk to faculty, staff, and each other about their research experiences and plans for the future.

Reminder: Proposals for the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC) and National Conferences on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) are both due this Friday, December 5! Students accepted to these conferences can apply to OURI for travel funding once acceptances are issued by the conference organizers.