Shaping California's Future: UC Undergraduate Research

At UC Day, the University of California Office of Research acknowledges the work of outstanding undergraduate researchers on all of UC's eight undergraduate campuses. These students are chosen through an annual undergraduate research contest, in which the campuses' faculty deans pick their top undergraduate researchers across a diverse range of disciplines in the arts, humanities and sciences.

During the UC Day activities in Sacramento, contest winners are honored alongside their faculty advisors, and posters highlighting their research are displayed outside of the Governor's Office in the Capitol.

Their participation in UC Day underscores the many ways that UC's undergraduate research helps the state: It prepares students for careers in science and technology, the cornerstones of California's new economy, and provides opportunities for students to study firsthand the complex social issues facing California. Undergraduate research inspires a new generation of qualified students to engage in the kind of high level graduate work that ensures continued innovation in California's leading industries. These experiences also help prepare better-informed and prepared teachers who are committed to solving real-life problems in California's classrooms.

As part of the third annual undergraduate research contest, the following students have been selected and will be showing their posters at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento on Tuesday, March 19th.

Berkeley
Sarah Tom, Economics
Self-Reported Prevalence of Disability Among Asian Americans

Marcus Zachariah, Molecular Cell Biology
Mycophenolic Acid Potently Inhibits Dengue Virus Infection by Preventing Viral Protein Synthesis

Davis
Emily Beighley, Classical Civilization
Educating the Humane Child

David Cao, Environmental Science
Computational Chemistry to Assess the Bioavailability of Traditional Medicines

Irvine
Lorrel Brown, Biological Science
Effect of Mercury on Apoptosis of Neuronal Cells

Jiri Herrmann, Civil Engineering
Dynamic and Stochastic Fleet Management: Modeling, Algorithm Development and Simulation Based Analysis

Los Angeles
George Fujii, History/English
Assessing the Marshall Plan in the United Kingdom

Grace deGuzman, Biology
Localized Protein Synthesis of Beta-Actin in Regenerating Adult Sensory Neurons

Riverside
Carree Nahama, English
Legislating Hip Hop: 2 Live Crew, The Courts, and the Construction of Commercial Hip Hop

Brynn Nodarse, Psychology
Is Eyewitness Identification Special?

Santa Cruz
Haivan Ngo, Biology
Is the Invasive Success of Ammophila arenaria Explained by Pathogenic Fungi?

Santa Barbara
Krista Ehrenclou, Chemistry
The Encapsulation of Taxol in Phospholipid Bilayers for Use in Intravenous Drug Delivery

Tara Goddard, Mechanical Engineering
National Super-Lightweight Composite Bridge Competition Design

San Diego
Timothy Barder, Chemistry
Synthesis and Fluorescence Studies of Aryl-Substituted Bipyridines and Terpyridines

Etienne Pelaprat, Cognitive Science
User Activity Histories and Multiscale Visualizations

Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics
Patrice Friedmann, Earth Science
Evidence for Hydrothermal Circulation and Alteration on 20-25 Ma Crust about to be Subducted in the Middle American Trench

White Mountain Research Station
Gerard Miller, Physics
Mapping CMB Temperature and Polarization Anisotropy at the White Mountain Research Station

Check out photographs of last year's posters and the Undergraduate Research brochure highlighting the biographies and research areas of last year's researchers.