We're still applauding!
On Tuesday, April 7, nine finalists presented their amazing research in three mins or less at the 2026 Research Live! showcase.
Research Live! is a fun, fast-paced competition that celebrates graduate student research at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and demonstrates how Illinois graduate students are pushing the boundaries of what we know and what we imagine possible.
Congratulations to the winners!
Grand Prize
Asif Ahmed (Mechanical Engineering) - "Cooling the Future by Bending Metal"
Special Recognition
Bayezid Baten (Civil Engineering) - "The Secret to Stronger Concrete was Hiding in Plain Sight"
Special Recognition
Nick Pierle (Music) - "(Y)our Voice, (Y)our Choice"
People's Choice
Nate Wahl (Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership) - "Teaching is Not Neutral"
We extend a special thank-you to all the participants and our judges!
- Melissa Edwards, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation
- Jennifer Neef, Executive Director, Career Center
- Claudia Lutz, Assistant Director of Outreach, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology
- Sowmya Anand, Director, Office of Proposal Development
Recordings of each finalist will be posted here when they are available.
Research Live! is an annual event hosted by the Graduate College and part of Graduate Student Appreciation Week. Visit our website for more information about Research Live! and Graduate Student Appreciation Week.