The University of New Mexico recently held its annual Undergraduate Research Opportunity Conference (UROC), where undergraduate students showcased their innovative research projects to a wide audience. The event, which saw a total of 152 abstracts submitted and 184 students participating, provided a platform for students to present their work and engage with the academic community.
One of the highlights of UROC is the UROC 180 Competition, where students have 180 seconds to present their research to a general audience. Benjamin Marwedel took first place with his project on immune-mediated cancer clearance, stating, "Flipping the switch back on: fake bacteria activate immune-mediated cancer clearance."
Cheyenne Levy, who secured second place, focused on defining feeding and swallowing skills in healthy infants, emphasizing the importance of understanding pediatric populations. Denilson Cisneros Vallejo, the third-place winner, explored the creation of new mariachi curricula to enhance the musical development of Mexican American students.
In addition to the UROC 180 Competition, other students were recognized for their outstanding research stories. Desirée Basail-Nicolaisen and Lilian Walker used websites to present their research on stable isotopes and public health, respectively. Trinity Griffus received an honorable mention for her work on mycorrhizal fungi and plant growth in challenging environments.
The conference also featured poster presentations, where students like Julián Ángel, Trinity Griffus, and Adriana Gutierrez visually represented their research projects. Furthermore, oral presentations allowed students to delve deeper into their research interests across various fields, including STEM, Humanities, and Medicine/Health Sciences.
The UROC mission is to provide visibility to undergraduate students from all disciplines and to promote the importance of research across diverse majors. The event was made possible through sponsorship from various departments within UNM, demonstrating the university's commitment to supporting student research endeavors.
Overall, UROC 2024 was a resounding success, highlighting the talent and dedication of undergraduate researchers at The University of New Mexico.