Award-winning undergraduate research
UWM is one of only two national recipients of the 2018 Campus-Wide Award for Undergraduate Research Accomplishments. Given by the Council for Undergraduate Research, the award recognizes the quality and depth of research opportunities provided to undergraduate students. More than 1,000 UWM undergrads are involved in research projects each year, and many receive funding through grants and awards. Here are some examples of their work.
Jennifer Wendlick, Senior
Jennifer Wendlick, who is studying biological sciences, researches the process of cell development in the brains of embryonic zebrafish. She works in the lab of Jennifer Gutzman, a professor of biological sciences. Altering zebrafish DNA makeup during early growth stages lets Wendlick relate her findings to how human birth defects develop, particularly those in the brain and spinal cord. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
Miri Yoon, Senior
Miri Yoon, a nursing major, is examining the influence of e-cigarette marketing on young adults. Yoon participated in the administration of paper-and-pencil surveys in UWM classrooms. She also helped aggregate the data using a statistical program for the research of Seok Hyun (Joshua) Gwon, an assistant professor of nursing. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
Noah Wolfe, Junior
Noah Wolfe is involved with the School of Education’s Cognitive Research Group. Working alongside Chris Lawson, a developmental psychologist and educational psychology associate professor, Wolfe administers a fun flash card-based test to kids ages 3 to 8. The tests are designed to be brief, pleasant and insightful, providing a window into how children learn information in one context and then apply that knowledge to new questions in a different context. (UWM Photo/Alexis Amenson)
Nancy Duque, Senior
A geosciences major, Nancy Duque is analyzing how fluids affect rocks being squeezed deep within the Earth at clashing tectonic plates. The rocks are samples that Dyanna Czeck, associate professor of geosciences, brought back from a research trip to southern Spain. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
Hugo Ljungbäck, Senior
Hugo Ljungbäck is preserving and reviving the film studies program’s extensive 16 mm collection. His work under the guidance of Tami Williams, associate professor of film studies and English, involves manually inspecting and assessing the projection quality of more than 250 films and doing the necessary splicing or repairs. Two of the collection’s films, by Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, were showcased at the inaugural Save the Archives Film Festival. His work also contributed to the October 2018 dedication of the UWM Patricia Mellencamp Founding Collection. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
Kari Berna, Sophomore
As a high school student, Kari Berna interned at UWM’s foundry to learn about metal casting processes. Now studying materials science and engineering, she’s working with research associate Benjamin Schultz to invent a new material that could be used to make 3D-print molds for bone scaffolds, which help patients regrow damaged bones. The material would allow doctors to easily customize scaffolds to suit individual patients’ needs. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
Azia Barner, Junior
For some, rocket ships and gamma rays are the stuff of science fiction. For Azia Barner, who is studying physics, they’re fodder for a research project. She worked with other students to build a payload for a NASA rocket that carried DNA molecules, called plasmids, into orbit. Back on Earth, she’s working in Professor Carol Hirschmugl’s lab to study how cosmic radiation affects plasmids – knowledge that could help astronauts bound for Mars. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)