The signature event of Undergraduate Research Week has been held on the University of Illinois (U of I) campus since 2008. The number of undergraduate students participating has grown from a few hundred in its inaugural year to well over 800 students. Over the course of the day, students present their work in concurrent oral and poster presentations (including creative performances), the breadth and scope of which reflect not only the wide range of academic disciplines at the University of Illinois, but also speak to the caliber of our undergraduates. Our students are innovative and engaged, eager to learn from their advisors and mentors. Their projects also demonstrate the ongoing institutional commitment to supporting and expanding research opportunities at the U of I and beyond.
Thursday, April 24, 2025
9 AM – 5 PM
Location: Illini Union (1401 W Green St, Urbana)
Posters: Rooms A,C, & South Lounge
Oral / Performance Presentations: 2nd Floor
Exhibits & Demonstrations: Room B
Social Work Presentations:
ORAL PRESENTATIONS:
Social Issues & Policy II 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM, Room 215
“Challenges and Perceptions of Nepal’s Childcare Institutions: Care Practices and the Implementation of Government Policies” Srijana Sapkota, Senior, Global Studies, LAS (Research Mentor(s): Valeria Bonatti, Global Studies & Judith Havlicek, Social Work)
“Poor Decision-Making or Cognitive Overload? Exploring Cognitive Load as a Mediating Factor Between Poverty and Child Maltreatment” Maddie Brown, Senior, Social Work, SSW Ethan Kye, Senior, Social Work, SSW
(Research Mentor(s): Alexis Krones, Social Work & William Schneider, Social Work)
Society, Culture, & the Human Experience 3:45 – 5:00 PM, Room 215
“Determining Possible Racial and Ethnic Barriers to Local GSAs – First-Hand Accounts From GSA Participants” Fynn Levery, Senior, Social Work, SSW (Research Mentor(s): Rachel Garthe, Social Work & Chris Fleming, Social Work)
POSTER PRESENTATIONS:
PE Session – Social Science & Human Behavior 9:00 – 10:15 AM, Illini Rooms ABC & South Lounge
“Discrimination, Minority Stressors, and Perceived Social Support: An Exploratory Study Among Black Queer College Students” Cache Merriweather, Senior, Psychology, LAS (Research Mentor(s): Kevin Tan, Social Work)
PJ-1 Session – Social Science & Human Behavior 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM, Illini Rooms ABC & South Lounge
“Association Between Traditional Gender Roles and Individuals’ Likelihood to Engage in Bystander Behavior” Jacqueline Kent, Freshman, Sociology, LAS (Research Mentor(s): Rachel Garthe, Social Work & Apoorva Nag, Social Work)
PH Session – Nature, Life & Environment 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM, Illini Rooms ABC & South Lounge
“Cultivating Healing: The Role of Green Spaces in Childhood Trauma Recovery” Victoria Benavides, Senior, Social Work, SSW (Research Mentor(s): Andrea Faber Taylor, Crop Sciences)
PU Session – Social Issues & Policy 2:00 – 3:15 PM, Illini Rooms ABC & South Lounge
“’Is it Cause I’m Black?!’: Racial Disparities and School Disciplinary Practices” Amari Anderson, Senior, Social Work, SSW (Research Mentor(s): Rachel Garthe, Social Work & Carol Wilson Smith, Social Work)
“Cascading Effects of Anti-Abortion Legislation on the Availability of Abortion Clinics, Birthing Centers, and Training Opportunities” Violet Park, Senior, Integrative Biology, LAS Aaron Santoyo, Junior, Molecular & Cellular Biology, LAS (Research Mentor(s): Tuyet-Mai Hoang, Social Work & Radia DeLuna, Educational Psychology)
PX Session – Health & Wellness 3:45 – 5:00 PM, Illini Rooms ABC & South Lounge
“A Review of Mental Health Services Offered in Home-Visiting Programs Located in Indiana and Iowa” Lizbeth Pintor, Junior, Social Work, SSW Karishma Mehta, Junior, Computer Science + Economics, LAS Dhriti Patel, Sophomore, Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, AHS Sofia Soriano, Senior, Social Work, SSW (Research Mentor(s): Karen Tabb Dina, School of Social Work)
Awardee:
Research Support Grant: Case Evaluation of UIPD’s REACH Team Alina Loewenstein, Senior, Psychology, LAS (Research Mentor(s): Rachel Garthe, Social Work)