The Georgetown University Undergraduate Research Conference offers an opportunity for undergraduate students to present their research efforts.
Founded within the Department of Human Science, the first conference was held in 2003. Since then, a cumulative total of about 960 student posters have been presented.
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.
2025 Undergraduate Research Conference
The 2025 Georgetown Undergraduate Research Conference for science and health-related research took place on Tuesday, April 15, from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., at the Healey Family Student Center in the Herman & Social Rooms.
Keynote Address
Featured Speaker: Paule V. Joseph, PhD, MBA, MS Lasker Clinical Investigator, National Institutes of Health Presentation: “The Science of Taste and Smell: How Sensory Perception Impacts Health Outcomes and Well-being” Location: Herman Room and via Zoom.
Award Winners
Excellence in Oral Presentation
Pravallika Palwai, “Bioinformatic Characterization of PDAC Tumor Heterogeneity”
Omar Sbaih, “Complementary Effects of Perioperative Transfusion and Frailty on 30 Day Outcomes Among Neurotrauma Patients Undergoing Emergent Craniotomy/Craniectomy”
Vidhi Sharma, ”Enhancing Radiotherapy Efficiency by Targeting Tumor-Associated Macrophages with HDAC6 Inhibition”
Excellence in Poster Presentation
Lili Rodgers, “The Epigenetic Legacy: Accelerated Aging and Increased Disease in Mice With Paternal DDT Exposure”
Abigail Rutkowski, “NAC: A Potential Therapeutic to Target Inflammatory Cell Death Pathways Implicated in Steatotic IRI”
Miray Samuel, “Investigating Allosteric Mechanisms of cAMP Receptor Protein from Mycobacterium tuberculosis”
Victoria Segal, “Elucidating Phase Separated Enzymatic Flux within In Vitro Poly-Histidine Coacervates and Polyelectrolyte Complexes “
Audrey Twyford, “Impact of Polymicrobial Interactions on Pseudomonas aeruginosa Lifestyle and Biofilm Formation”
Best Poster Presentation
Jessica Lin, “Probing Neuronal Membrane Proteasome Activity in the Optic Tectum of Xenopus laevis Tadpoles”
Allan Angerio Award in Mentorship
Tingting Wang, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, School of Medicine.
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.
2025 Undergraduate Research Conference Student Co-chairs (AY 2024-25): Nick Cohen, Chair, and Tala Assaf, Co-Chair
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 Human Science Department.
The following year, the committee named a special mentorship award for faculty 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.
The 2023 Georgetown Undergraduate Research Conference for science and health-related research took place on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, at the Healey Family Student Center.
Of the 92 poster presentations, the recipients for Excellence in Poster Presentation were: Madeline Grbic (CAS’23), Antonia Sames (CAS’23), Nesreen Shahrour (SOH’23) and Ola Swiatek (SOH’23).
The recipient for Best Poster Presentation was Grace Knoer (CAS’23).
The recipients of the Rising Researcher award for excellence in poster presentation by a first year or sophomore this year were: Connor Landers (SOH’26) and Alexandria Sorenson (CAS’25)
The recipients for Excellence in Oral Presentation were Caroline Crone (CAS’23) and Nicole Keller (CAS’23).
The Best Oral Presentation was awarded to Naomi Greenberg (CAS’24).
The recipient of the Allan Angerio Award for Excellence in Mentorship was associate professor Jane Fall-Dickson, PhD, MSN, RN, from the School of Nursing.
The keynote address was presented by Eve De Rosa, PhD, associate professor of psychology and dean of faculty at Cornell University. Her talk addressed “Connections to the Heart and Mind in Healthy Aging.”
Of the 60 posters presented, five students were awarded Excellence in Poster Presentation: Elena Evans (NHS’22), Annalisa Ginocchi (NHS’22), Elizabeth “Lizzie” Graham (H’23), Finn Thompson (C’22), and Candice Powers (C’22). Aleksandra Swiatek (H’23) was awarded Best Overall Poster Presentation. Roma Dhingra (C’24) was given the Rising Researcher Award, which is provided to the best poster presentation by a first year or sophomore.
Excellence in Oral Presentation: Aleksandra Swiatek (H’23) and Katherine Monogue-Rines (NHS’22); and Best Overall Oral Presentation: Chloe Kekedjian (C’22).
Additionally, Dr. Debbie Barrington, assistant professor of human science, received an award recognizing excellence in faculty mentorship.
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.
