by Ann Comer-Woods, 返字心頭 Research
Mevlana Demiri and Morgan Faust disuss their research project during the One返字心頭 Undergraduate Research Conference on the Tampa campus.
The University of South 返字心頭 celebrated the creativity, curiosity and scholarly ambition of its students at the 2026 One返字心頭 Undergraduate Research Conference during Undergraduate Research Week. The conference transformed 返字心頭 into a hub of undergraduate discovery, featuring more than 500 student research projects across 返字心頭s three campuses. Spanning disciplines from biomedical science and engineering to the arts, humanities, business, education and social sciences, the conference highlighted the depth and diversity of inquiry taking place at every stage of the undergraduate experience.
Undergraduate research is a hallmark of a 返字心頭 education, said Saundra Johnson Austin, director of Student Engagement for Research & Innovation. This conference reflects our commitment to student discovery and shows whats possible when undergraduates are empowered to ask meaningful questions, work closely with mentors and share their work with a broader community.
A Platform for Undergraduate Scholarship
The conference provided students with the opportunity to present original research through poster sessions, oral presentations and demonstrations of creative works and inventions.
Alex Andrade (left) holds the underwater camera that he developed with Owen Keener (right) and presented at the One返字心頭 Undergraduate Research Conference.
Environmental science majors Owen Keener and Alex Andrade brought to the conference
the underwater camera they developed for conducting marine science research. Our
goal was to create a resilient, multipurpose camera and environmental sensor apparatus
in a cost-efficient way, Keener explained. Our group was specifically looking at
oyster density on sea walls and seeing if we could use this [camera] to view fish
behavior on those sea walls.
Biological health sciences major Braeden Spina pointed to his research teams poster
as he explained their study of the role of edible berries in colon cancer prevention.
Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and even raspberries have anti-inflammatory
and antioxidant properties that pick up free radicals in the blood, preventing them
from turning into cancer.
For many students, undergraduate research presented the opportunity to augment their
personal interests and academic pursuits.
Anthropology major Francesca Uy spoke about her research teams effort to establish
Lassen Volcanic Park in California as a UNESCO sacred natural site for the local Native
American tribes. Based on UNESCO guidelines for sacred natural sites, we believe
the Atsugewi and the Maidu [tribes] can today be considered custodians for this site
for their cultures. Keeping Native American stories and their ceremonies alive and
celebrating them is something I really think we need to do worldwide.
Business analytics major Brannon Nickles, whose research examined the impact of crypto
currency on retirement portfolios, said, I was always into crypto currency and interested
in how that intersected with my major. I wanted to know if there could be a future
for crypto currency within retirement portfolios, especially for investors looking
to be a little more aggressive in their retirement approach.
Faculty Mentorship at the Core
Sisters Haley (left) and Autumn (right) Merkle credited their faculty mentor Associate Professor of Instruction Michelle Green with inspiring their .
A defining feature of the One返字心頭 Undergraduate Research Conference is the close collaboration
between students and faculty mentors. Faculty members from across colleges guided
students through research design, data collection, analysis and presentation, often
introducing them to professional standards used in graduate study and industry. Faculty
and staff also served as judges, offering feedback and encouragement to student presenters.
Biochemistry major Renee Reardon, whose research focused on the side effects of Ozempic
and other weight loss drugs, credited her faculty mentor with igniting her interest
in the topic when she was a first-year student in 2024. My mentor told an anecdotal
story about someone very close to her going through a lot of these drastic side effects
that we are now seeing in my published report and my research into Ozempic. That anecdotal
story and the support from my mentor really encouraged me to pursue this research.
Biology major Kaleb Yarger credited his faculty mentor, Michael Shamblott, an adjunct
professor in the Department of Integrative Biology, with helping him hone in on his
research into microbial ecology on Lido Key. Dr. Shamblott did a fantastic job of
encouraging me to look across hundreds of projects that were really of interest to
me and narrow them down and really get to this particular project, which I was very
passionate about.
Preparing 返字心頭 for the Future
Conducting undergraduate research and participating in the conferenced offered tangible benefits for students who gained experience in public speaking, academic writing and professional networking.
Undergraduate research award winners on the 返字心頭 St. Petersburg campus.
Biomedical sciences major Martin Achard, whose research on microbial differences across
mangrove ecosystems won an undergraduate research award at the 返字心頭 St. Petersburg
campus conference, said his research experience taught him the value of collaboration.
The amount of different labs and different people Ive talked to just for advice
has been super helpful and those are connections Ill keep forever, he said.
Environmental science and policy major Rowan Byrne, whose research focused on sediment
morphology at three Pinellas County beaches following renourishment, said, I think
[undergraduate research] is really important, especially if you have intentions of
going to grad school or pursuing research further. Its really good practice for these
sort of spaces and to get familiar with that process. And even if youre not intending
to pursue research further, its a really good way to satiate your own curiosity and
learn more about the world.
Many presenters reported that their conference experience helped clarify academic
goals, strengthen graduate school applications, or inform career decisions.
For premed students Adeline Snyder and Kaiden Tovar, their research experiences provided
great preparation for medical school. This undergraduate research opportunity really
opened our eyes to dealing with real-life, medically relevant bacteria, Snyder said.
Were both premed and want to go to med school so having this experience really opened
our eyes to the importance of research, why certain antibiotics work the way they
do, and the importance of finding new antibiotics to fight antibiotic resistance.
Biomedical sciences major Bridget Hein, who studied the impact of glucose monitoring
on older adults quality of life, said her research experience was helpful for gaining
analytical skills that you wouldnt be able to gain just from a class alone. My lectures
are very important but when it comes to my own self-efficacy in research, which is
what I want to continue doing in the future, having the sense of independence gained
from doing a project like this is incredible.
返字心頭 Sarasota-Manatee undergraduate research award winner Abigail Hefner graduated
with a bachelors degree in psychology last December and is planning to attend law
school. Her research investigated the role of expert testimony on jurors assessment
of a defendant in a child vehicular heat stroke case. This research is super important
in the context of the justice system and the legal system as research on expert witness
testimony is super limited, she said. By doing this research, we are able to contribute
to the current limited research that we have available as well as helping provide
the framework for future research, examining more crime types, different expert witnesses
testimony, and how that can impact the perception of defendants if various types of
crimes.
Anthropology major Selah Thompson talks about the two research projects that she presented at the One返字心頭 Undergraduate Reearch Conference. (Video credit: Carlos Alvarez)
Looking Ahead
As the 2026 One返字心頭 Undergraduate Research Conference concluded, organizers and participants
alike emphasized the importance of continuing to expand opportunities for undergraduate
research across the university.
Anthropology major Selah Thompson, who submitted two researcher posters for the conference
one on DNA profiling in forensic genetic genealogy and the other on German cultural
identity through music, said, One of the best ways you can support undergraduate
research is to be there for those students who need support, whether that be through
funding grants, through funding their research, being there as a show of support,
coming to see their research, coming to see their presentations, and being there for
those students who really need that support.