Undergraduate Research Forum

Student Registration & Abstract Submission Period: Monday, February 9, 2026 –Friday, March 27, 2026.

• If registering for a group: Groups are limited to a maximum of 4 undergraduate team members. One team member should submit a single registration for all students in the group. Only undergraduate students should be listed as part of the project.
• All student presenters are required to submit their abstract (300 words or less) as a Microsoft Word document, containing the Project Title at the time of registration. Abstracts should also be submitted by pasting the text into this form.

To register to present at URF, please follow this link: https://go.uic.edu/URF26Student

UIC Faculty, Staff, and Graduate Student Judge Sign-Up: Monday, February 9, 2026 –Friday, March 27, 2026.

To register to serve as a judge at URF, please follow this link: https://go.uic.edu/URF26Judge

• Arrive as close to 10:30am as you are able to in order to get set up in your presentation location.
• At check-in you will need to present:
  • Your I-Card
• At check-in you will receive:
  • Your presentation location & presentation ID number
  • Map of the space
  • Schedule for the day
  • Wi-Fi access card
  • A sign to post at your presentation location should you need to step away for a few minutes

12:00 pm | Student Presentations & Judging Begin

• During this time, over the course of two-and-a-half hours, you will have the opportunity to give your 7 minute presentation to various UIC faculty, staff, and alumni judges as well as other students, faculty, staff and guests as they make their way through the space.
  • Each presentation will be assigned several judges who will visit during the judging period to listen to your presentation, view your poster/visual, and ask some questions about your project.
  • Be prepared to speak to a wide audience and answer questions!

2:30 pm | Student Presentations & Judging Ends

• Student presentations will end, and judges will have some time to submit their final scores.
• Use this short break to grab a drink of water, use the restroom, or even stop by another student’s presentation (time allowing).

2:45 pm | Keynote Address & Awards Ceremony

• Come together with your peers and other attendees in the main hall for a keynote address and awards for top scoring presentations in the following categories:
  • Life Sciences
  • Arts, Design & Humanities
  • Social Sciences
  • Business, Computer Science, and Mathematics
  • Engineering and the Physical Sciences
  • Honors Capstone Innovation Award

4:00 pm | The event concludes

• Upon arrival, you will need to present:
  • Your I-Card
• At check-in, you will receive a judging folder that will include:
  • Paper scorecards for notetaking and instructions for digitally submitting your scores
  • A copy of the project abstracts for each presentation assigned to you for judging
  • A map of the space
  • Wi-Fi access card
  • Judging Tips and Sample Questions
  • Schedule for the Day
• After check-in, you will be invited to the Judges Rooms for a brief welcome and orientation before judging begins at 12pm. You will be able to use this same location at any point during the judging period to take a break and/or to submit your scores.

12:00 pm | Student Presentations & Judging Begins

• During this time, over the course of two-and-a-half hours, you will have the opportunity to review your assigned student presentations and possibly to view additional presentations at your own pace.
• Using the map provided and the presentation ID numbers assigned to each presentation, you will be able to locate your assigned presentations for judging.
• Each presentation should last approximately 7 minutes with time thereafter for a chance for you to ask questions of the student(s) to learn more about their work.
  • During these presentations you can use the provided paper scorecards to take notes and to reference when you submit your final scores later.
  • Presentations should be tailored for a general academic audience and therefore it is expected that you may be assigned one or more presentations in an area outside of your field.
• After you have reviewed all of your assigned presentations, feel free to view others and connect with other faculty, staff, alumni and students in attendance, but be sure to submit your final scores no later than 2:45pm. You can use the link provided on the paper scorecards to access the electronic scorecard.
  • We invite you to return to the Judges Room at this time so you can submit your scores in a quiet setting. There will be plenty of chairs and tables in the Judges Room.

2:30 pm | Student Presentations & Judging Ends

• Student presentations will end and judges will have several minutes to submit their final scores before the 2:45pm deadline if they have not already done so.
• Use this short break to grab a drink of water, use the restroom, and/or submit your final scores.

2:45 pm | Keynote & Awards Ceremony & Score Submission Cutoff

• Score Submission Cutoff
  • At this time, the digital scorecard will shut down and no additional scores will be received online.
• Keynote & Awards Ceremony
  • Join us in the main hall for a keynote address and awards for top scoring presentations in the following categories:
    • Life Sciences
    • Arts, Design & Humanities
    • Social Sciences
    • Business, Computer Science, and Mathematics
    • Engineering and the Physical Sciences
    • Honors Capstone Innovation Award

4:00 pm | The event concludes.

12:00 pm | Guest Admission & Student Presentations Begin

• Guest check-in
• After check-in, you will have two-and-a-half-hours to explore the forum and student presentations at your own pace.

2:30 pm | Student Presentations and Judging Ends

• Use this short break to grab a drink of water or use the restroom before the keynote address and awards ceremony begins at 2:45pm.
• Join us in the main hall for a keynote address  and awards for top scoring presentations in the following categories:
  • Life Sciences
  • Arts, Design & Humanities
  • Social Sciences
  • Business, Computer Science, and Mathematics
  • Engineering and the Physical Sciences
  • Honors Capstone Innovation Award

4:00 pm | The event concludes.

• Presentations will take place from 12:00 to 2:30 p.m. in the UIC Dorin Forum on the day of the event (April 21, 2026).
• Posters will be mounted on fencing inside the main hall of the Forum. Each student will be assigned a designated space for their poster and presentation.
• Your presentation should be approximately 7 minutes in length and you should allow for approximately 3 minutes of Q&A immediately following your presentation with a judge and/or visitor(s).
• Presenters are encouraged to consult with their mentors about what to include in their research poster or other applicable visual aid.
• Presenters should be prepared to explain their poster and project to a non-specialist audience of students, faculty, and staff.

Learn more about crafting a stellar presentation with the Poster Design & Presentation Video Workshop presented by the UIC Honors College.

All students who register to present at the 2026 UIC Undergraduate Research Forum are required to submit a project abstract of 300 words or less as a Word document, no later than 11:59pm on Friday March 27, 2026. Updates will be listed on submission guidelines.

Abstract content will vary depending on the nature of the project, but the abstract should summarize the project in language that is understandable to a broad academic audience. The abstract submission must include the following:

• Project Title
• Abstract Author Name(s)- Only include undergraduate students
• Abstract Text (maximum of 300 words)
  • An abstract typically includes a sentence or two that introduces the project/research; a statement related to the significance of the research; and a summary of the project’s methodology, results, and conclusion(s).

Learn more about abstracts with the Abstract Writing Video Workshop presented by the UIC Honors College.

UIC Honors College Capstone Project Information & Best Practices Video Presentation

A Closer Look at the Capstone Project presented by the UIC Honors College

Signed up for or interested in the Undergraduate Research Forum (URF) but feel you need some help organizing yourself and your presentation materials? Join the staff from the UIC Library, the Honors College, and L@S GANAS for various workshops that will help you prepare for this year’s research forum. Each workshop is geared to help ensure your preparedness, organization, and most importantly, your confidence on URF day. More information and registration here: https://go.uic.edu/urfprep

Presenter: Ricky Chen

Project Title: Characterizing the Biochemical and Synaptic Proteome of TMEM97 in Alzheimer’s Disease

Supervisor: Dr. Alison Ondrus

Presenter: Yasmina Eshac

Project Title: Extrinsic Electrical Modulation impacts glioblastoma tumor growth by disrupting its intercellular communication

Supervisor: Dr. Timothy Sita

Presenter: Christian Kim

Project Title: Should Autologous Serum Tear Eye Drops Be Used in Sjögren’s Syndrome Patients With Dry Eye Disease?

Supervisor: Dr. Sandeep Jain

Presenter: Rishi Patel

Project Title: The Role of Endothelial ACKR1 in Breast Cancer Metastasis

Supervisor: Dr. Naiche Adler

Presenter: Isabella Agostinelli

Project Title: Childhood, Angels and Le Petit Prince

Supervisor: Dr. John Ireland

Presenter: Elijah Girik

Project Title: From Crisis To Closeness: Rethinking Crisis Mental Healthcare as an Avenue for Disability Justice

Supervisor: Kim O’Neil

Presenter: Christian Rodriguez-Hernandez

Project Title: Street Archivism through Murals: Surveying Latino In/Visibility in Chicago-area Archives

Supervisor: Dr. Lilia Fernandez

Presenter: Sanjay Ganesh

Project Title: Uveal Melanoma Detection, Classification, and Segmentation: A Comparative Analysis of Machine Learning Tasks

Supervisor: Dr. Michael Heiferman

Presenter: Sophia Rasche

Project Title: Framing the Wind: How Social Movement Influences State Support for Renewable Energy

Supervisor: Dr. Jocelyn Leitzinger

Presenter: Noah Zabelka

Project Title: On Gilbreath’s Conjecture and the Distances between Consecutive Elements of Sequences of Integers

Supervisor: Evangelos Kobotis

Presenter: Giuliana Adrianzen

Project Title: Tracking Glacier Loss in the Cordillera Real

Supervisor: Dr. Andrew Malone

Presenters: Fatima Jassim & Purv Patel

Project Title: AI-integrated Tool for Audio Analysis in DDK Rate Automation

Supervisor: Dr. Hananeh Esmailbeigi

Presenter: Paul Peretz

Project Title: Analysis and Simulation of a 5-Bar Mechanism for Complex Motion Generation

Supervisor: Dr. Pranav Bhounsule

Presenter: Daniel Lappin

Project Title: A Third Way: A Proposal for a New Housing Culture in Chicago

Supervisor: Dr. Sarah Dunn

Presenter: Sumedha Sethi

Project Title: Deciding to Deliver a Victim Impact Statement in Sexual Abuse Cases: Factors Contributing to the Timeline of Statements Given by the Victims of Larry Nassar

Supervisor: Dr. Edna Erez