July 22, 2024 at the Illinois Conference Center

The Illinois Summer Research Symposium is the culminating program that features the cutting-edge research, achievement, and creativity by our summer scholars. Nearly 140 scholars will present research that has been developed through the mentorship and training of faculty members from across a variety of disciplines.

Schedule of Events

8:30 – 9:00 Check-in & Continental Breakfast – Heritage Hall 2

9:00 – 9:15 Opening Remarks – Heritage Hall 2

9:30 – 10:30 Session 1: Poster Presentations – various

10:45 – 11:45 Session 2: Research Talks – various

12:00 – 1:15 Lunch for Registered Attendees – Heritage Hall 2

1:30 – 2:30 Session 3: Poster Presentations – various

2:45 – 3:45 Session 4: Research Talks – various

4:00 – 5:00 Session 5: Poster Presentations – various

5:00 – 6:00 Decompress Social Hour – Heritage Hall 3

6:00 – 6:45 Dinner for Registered Attendees

6:45 – 7:30 Awards Ceremony – Heritage Hall 2

2024 Participating Programs

McNair - TRiO Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program

MSI Alliance - Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) Alliance

NSF START - National Science Foundation, Skill Training in Advanced Research & Technology

POETS - Power Optimization of Electro-Thermal Systems

PRI - Prairie Research Institute Internship

REACH Program - Research & Education for the Advancement of Compassionate Healthcare

SEB Scholars - St. Elmo Brady Summer Research Scholars Program

SPI - Summer Predoctoral Institute

SROP at Illinois - Summer Research Opportunities Program for Undergraduates at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

SROP at UIC - Summer Research Opportunities Program for Undergraduates at the University of Illinois Chicago

SURE Tox - Summer Undergraduate Research Experience in Toxicology at the University of Illinois

 

2023 ISRS Award Winners:

GRADUATE ORAL PRESENTATION

1st Place

• AJ Espinoza (SPI) -  Contentious Conversations in the Classroom: The Role of Teachers and Parents in Student Critical Consciousness Development

2nd Place

• Yasmine Adams (SPI) -  From Shadow to Substance: Black Futurity in the Face of Adversity

3rd Place

• Keyana Imani Diaz (SPI) -  Are the Kids Alright? Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Black Children and Adolescents

 

UNDERGRADUATE ORAL PRESENTATION

1st Place

• Winter Stubblefield (SROP-Illinois, SURE Tox) -  The Effects of Imidacloprid on Steroidogenic Enzyme Gene Expression in the Female Mouse Ovary

 

UNDERGRADUATE POSTER PRESENTATION

1st Place

• Venus Fu (SROP-Illinois, POETS) -  Using Dynamic Phase Change Materials with Extended Surfaces to Enhance Electronics Cooling

2nd Place

• Isabela Castilla (McNair) -  Code-Switching: The Dynamic Language of a Mixed-Heritage Social Identity

3rd Place (tie)

• Coleen Aketch (SROP-Illinois, POETS) -  Evaluating the performance of solid-state batteries at sub-1MPa stack pressure
• Jarel Patrick Calara (SROP-Illinois) -  Activation of Bacterial Gene Expression Via Optogenetics