Written by Juan Vazquez-Leddon for the BCTR.

Undergraduate students from across Cornell shared their research and the effects on the communities they’ve worked in during the BCTR’s Undergraduate Research Symposium on May 5.

Each of the 30 presentations provided insight into different aspects of well-being, including education, mental and physical health, aging, nutrition, environment, and youth development. The symposium focused on translational research, and student presenters emphasized not just their research designs but the meaning of their research for communities.

“The goal was to provide a platform for undergraduates who are doing work that benefits communities they care about,” said Esther Kim, symposium organizer. “It was a success for the students, and we’re so grateful to all of those who came to show their support.”

A panel of judges from the BCTR selected award winners for best poster (most compelling visual representation), best presentation (most effective oral presentation to the judges), and highest impact project (project with the most promise for community impact).

PRYDE Scholar winners were:

Best Poster: Aliza Saunders ’23 (CHE PRYDE Scholar), Tiesa Green ’24 (CALS), Jiayi Guo ’26 (CHE) – Children & Climate Change

Best Presentation: Maggie Shideler ’24 (CHE PRYDE Scholar) – Evaluating UGrad: Designing an Evaluation for a Case Management Approach to Supporting Foster-Care-Involved Youth