Diana Rivera, an occupational studies major, partnered with mentor Mustafa Hussein, assistant professor in the Zilber School of Public Health, to research health systems around the world, working with a data set that included 200,000 people in 40 countries. This year, she has pursued research on health literacy as a McNair Scholar and through the undergraduate research program. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
Michael Esson is a senior working with Krista Lisdahl, associate professor of psychology, on “Aerobic Fitness and Cognitive Functioning in Adolescents and Young Adults,” part of an NIH/NIDA-funded five-year adolescent brain and cognitive development study. Esson is also part of the ABCD Study (Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development), in which he assesses cognitive function in children through interviews and MRIs. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
A sophomore in materials science and engineering, Kari Berna is working with research associate Benjamin Schultz to invent a new material that could be used to 3D-print molds for bone scaffolds, which help patients regrow damaged bones. The new material would allow doctors to customize scaffolds to suit individual patient's needs. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
Nancy Duque, a geosciences major, is analyzing how fluids affect rocks through extreme heat given off from the close proximity to the Earth’s crust and clashing tectonic plates. The rocks are part of the sample that Dyanna Czeck, associate professor of geosciences, brought back from her research trip to southern Spain. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
UWM senior Hugo Ljungbäck, an international student from Sweden, has been spearheading a project to preserve and restore a long-forgotten 16-millimeter film archive that provides a rare opportunity for student research. The collection includes gems from the early days of cinema, including Georges Méliès 1902 classic “A Trip to the Moon” and some Charlie Chaplin and Alfred Hitchcock films. He inspects each film for damage or splices, then watches the film all the way through to check for spots or discoloration. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
Kristen Leer is interested in researching the transitional periods in child development, specifically on how and why children are exposed to and adapt to traumas in their lives. She is working with Krista Lisdahl (left), an associate professor of psychology, studying connections between youth and their exposure to substance use. She also works with Tina Freiburger, a professor of social work, investigating the impact of the opioid epidemic in Milwaukee and its impact on youth. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
Jennifer Wendlick, a junior in biological sciences, researches the process of cell development in the brains of embryonic zebrafish. Altering zebrafish DNA makeup during early growth stages allows Wendlick to relate her findings to the development of human brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, to her studies. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
Sarah Philippi, a psychology and cellular and molecular biology major, has been working with Karyn Frick, professor of psychology, since the second semester of her first year at UWM, focusing on the neurobiology of learning and memory. The results of this project will provide sorely needed information regarding Alzheimer's, a disease that disproportionately affects women. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
UWM is now nationally recognized for its undergraduate research. In November, the Council on Undergraduate Research awarded the 2018 Campus-Wide Award for Undergraduate Research Accomplishments to the university in recognition of the quality and depth of the research opportunities it provides to its undergrad students. UWM was one of two institutions nationally to receive the award, which was presented in January.
More than 1,000 undergrads are involved in research each year, and half of graduating seniors have research experience.
