Undergraduate Research Conference

The Georgetown University Undergraduate Research Conference, founded within the Department of Human Science at the School of Nursing & Health Studies, is an opportunity for undergraduate students to present their research efforts.

2022 Conference: Visit the Undergraduate Research Conference Facebook page to learn more about the 2022 conference. The event is April 21, 2022.

The first conference was held in 2003, and about 960 student posters were presented from the first year through the 2021 conference.

The conference focuses on medical and health-related research, inviting applicants from all health- and science-related disciplines. Participation is open to any undergraduate student. All undergraduate participants present posters during a poster viewing session. From the pool of submitted posters, the Student Planning Committee selects some students, in advance, to also deliver oral presentations. These individuals are notified prior to the conference.

Student Planning Committee

The conference is organized by the Student Planning Committee, a small group of dedicated undergraduates who are committed to enhancing undergraduate participation in research.

• Faculty Advisor: Jan LaRocque, PhD
• Faculty Advisor: Alex Theos, PhD

Past Conference Awardees

The Student Planning Committee of the Undergraduate Research Conference has named awards in honor of faculty members who have been instrumental in the conference’s success.

In 2009, the committee named several awards given at the Undergraduate Research Conference after Charles H. Evans, Jr., MD, PhD.

Evans, who founded the conference in 2003, served as its faculty advisor until 2009, when he retired from his position as chair of the Department of Human Science at NHS.

The following year, the committee named a special award after Allan Angerio, PhD, associate professor of human science emeritus who retired in 2010 after 38 years on Georgetown University’s faculty.  Angerio taught and mentored thousands of undergraduate students during his career.

2021

Student awardees include: Best Poster Presentation: Ian Yannuzzi (C’21) and Best Oral Presentation: Anna Gorsky (C’21). 

Excellence in Poster Presentation: Sophia Dahmani (NHS’21), Talya Inbar (C’21), Catherine Dunn (C’21), Ethan Missigman (C’21), Andrew Tiu (NHS’21), Anna Schildmeyer (NHS’21)

Excellence in Oral Presentation: Sam Wakelin (C’21), Georgia Payne (C’21) and Rising Researcher Award: Christi Anne Ng (C’21)

Additionally, Dr. Blythe Shepard, the Dekkers Endowed Chair in Human Science and assistant professor, received an award recognizing excellence in faculty mentorship.

The best poster and oral presentation awards are named for conference founder Dr. Charles H. Evans Jr. and the faculty mentorship award for longtime professor Dr. Allan Angerio. 

2020

A conference was not held in 2020.

2019 

The 2019 conference and winners are covered in this news story.

2018

• Faculty Mentorship: Ted Nelson, PhD
• Best Oral Presentation: Danielle Zamalin (NHS’18)
• Best Poster Presentation: Larissa Wietlisbach (NHS’18)
• Rising Researcher: Alexander Lekan (C’20)
• Excellence in Poster Presentation:
  • Jasmina Abdalla (GWU’19)
  • Lindsay Caprio (NHS’19)
  • Taylor Franklin (NHS’18)
  • Noori Srivastava (NHS’18)
  • Margaret Steiner (GWU’20)
  • Eibhlin Goggins (C’18)
  • Nicole Mansour (NHS’18)
  • Liam Spurr (GWU’18)
  • Danielle Zamalin (NHS’18)

2017

• Faculty Mentorship: Joan Burggraf Riley, MS, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, FAAN
• Best Oral Presentation: Kevin Martin (C’17)
• Best Poster Presentation: Aamir Javaid (C’17)
• Rising Researcher: Lindsay Caprio (NHS’19)
• Excellence in Poster Presentation
  • Kayla Schmittau (NHS’17)
  • Vinodh Balendran (C’17)
  • Sarah Berg (NHS’17)
  • Jacqueline Kimmell (C’17)
  • Emma Spikol (C’17)
  • Noori Srivastava (NHS’18)
  • Marissa Stepler (C’17)

2016

• Faculty Mentorship: Jan LaRocque, PhD
• Best Oral Presentation: Seamus Caragher (C’16)
• Best Poster Presentation: Bassel Zein (C’16)
• Rising Researcher: Larissa Wietlisbach (NHS’18)
• Excellence in Oral Presentation:
  • Cindy Chen (JHU’16)
  • Alisha Dua (C’16)
• Excellence in Poster Presentation
  • Saumya Bollam (C’16)
  • Jefferson Haake (NHS’16)
  • Nancy Mack (JMU’17)
  • Andreas Seas (UMD’17)
  • John Treado (C’16)
  • Breanna Walsh (C’17)

2015

• Excellence in Faculty Mentorship: Ronit Yarden, PhD, assistant professor of human science
• Best Post Presentation: Yuhao (Tom) Shi (NHS’15), a human science major
• Best Oral Presentation: Victor Wang (NHS’15), a human science major
• First Runner-Up Poster: DongEun Heo (C’15), a biology major
• Second Runner-Up Poster: Emma Spikol (C’17), a biology major

2014

• Excellence in Faculty Mentorship: Jason Tilan, PhD, assistant professor of nursing and human science
• Best Poster Presentation: Jennifer Purks (C’14), a biology of global health major
• Best Oral Presentation: Christopher Griffey (C’14), a neurobiology major
• First Runner-Up Poster: Victor Wang (NHS’15), a human science major
• Second Runner-Up Poster: Meredith Horton (NHS’14), a human science major

2013

• Excellence in Faculty Mentorship: Heidi G. Elmendorf, PhD, associate professor of biology
• Best Poster Presentation: Samuel Dowling (C’13), a biology of global health major
• Best Oral Presentation: Wardah Athar (C’13), a neurobiology major
• First Runner-Up Poster: Leighton Daign (C’13), a biology major
• Second Runner-Up Poster: Marie-Sophie van der Goes (C’13), a neurobiology major