Undergraduate researchers present at NCRC
Feb. 7, 2023

The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) recruited and invited a total of five undergraduate researchers who presented at OUR’s Fall 2022 Undergraduate Research Symposium in December 2022 to submit their abstract to also present at the annual National Collegiate Research Conference (NCRC) organized by Harvard College Undergraduate Research Association. The conference took place from January 20 to 22, 2023. OUR worked closely with each of these researchers on their application and funded their registration, lodging, and travel fees through generous funds from Southwest Airlines through the Southwest Airlines Undergraduate Research Travel Support Funding and the following campus leaders: Executive Vice President and Provost Heavey, College of Sciences Dean Chronister, Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering Dean Vankat, and Interim Vice President of Research Hatchett.

NCRC is a large-scale, multidisciplinary forum held annually at Harvard University, where the most accomplished undergraduate students from across the United States and internationally convene each year to share their research in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. 

The UNLV undergraduate researchers who (co)presented four outstanding research posters at this very prestigious national event include: 

  • Isabella Romero Yusti  
    • College of Sciences
    • Department: Life Sciences
    • Presentation Title: GABA-B Receptor Levels in Microglia and Astrocyte Cells in Understanding Alzheimer's Disease
    • Mentor: Jefferson Kinney, Ph.D.
  • Nikki Tibayan & Kers Ung-Watson
    • Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering
    • Department: Mechanical Engineering & Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction
    • Presentation Title: Groundwater Remediation Using Modified Biochar
    • Mentor: Erica Marti, Ph.D.
  • Cierra Paaaina-Daquioag
    • School of Nursing / College of Sciences
    • Department: Nursing / School of Life Sciences
    • Presentation Title: Antibiotic Production by Facultative Anaerobic Soil Bacteria
    • Mentor: Kurt Regner, Ph.D.
  • Kashmira Rodrigues
    • College of Liberal Arts
    • Department: Psychology
    • Presentation Title: Psilocybin Treatment Increases Dendritic Spine Count in the Prefrontal Cortex
    • Mentor: Dustin Hines, Ph.D.

The core vision behind NCRC is to provide student researchers with the opportunity to hear from the world’s leading authorities in academia, policy, and industry, as well as to foster important exchanges and dialogue between students. Last year, after being selected through a competitive application process, more than 300 participants from nearly 100 universities across America and abroad attended the conference. 

Supporting research opportunities, such as the NCRC 2023, aligns with OUR’s vision and mission to elevate the status of undergraduate research; to promote and incentivize participation in undergraduate research through student-faculty collaborations; to provide students with opportunities to engage in experiential, active, or discovery learning activities in or out of the classroom setting; and to enhance students’ overall educational experiences at UNLV. 

To get undergraduate students research ready, OUR offers rich, diverse, and inclusive programs and services such as individualized research advising, research funding, professional skill development and career training, research symposia, research publication in Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal, research-oriented instructional support for faculty through classroom presentations, and research news reporting to highlight the latest UNLV research accomplishments and opportunities for undergraduate researchers.