Congratulations to GURC 2025 presenters

Congratulations to GURC 2025 presenters

Congratulations to all the students and faculty mentors who represented Georgia College & State University at the 14th annual Georgia Undergraduate Research Conference Nov. 8 at Oxford College of Emory. Mark your calendar: On Nov. 6-7, 2026, GCSU will host the conference in Milledgeville!

More than 30 undergraduate researchers from six different disciplines presented 24 unique undergraduate research projects to experts, faculty and peers from across the state of Georgia at GURC 2025. All students were mentored in executing and presenting their projects by dedicated faculty mentors at GCSU. Ten mentors attended the conference to support all students, offering encouragement, guidance and feedback throughout the event. In total, 14 faculty members mentored 33 students from GCSU, each working with anywhere from 1 to 8 students for this conference. Odeya Atar, a senior biology major, commented that mentorship provides guidance, promotes independence and "pushes me to think harder and truly apply critical thinking skills to any problems that may arise."

The names of the students and their mentors are listed below:

• Caitlyn Aleck, Mentored by: Dr. Tsu-Ming Chiang
• Lucy Artime, Mentored by: Dr. Wathsala Medawala
• Odeya Atar, Mentored by: Dr. Kasey Karen
• Caitlyn Balcom, Mentored by: Dr. Tsu-Ming Chiang
• Becky Barringer, Mentored by: Dr. Christine Mutiti
• Sarah Breen, Mentored by: Dr. Scott Butler
• Sarah Carter, Mentored by: Dr. Arnab Sengupta
• Nathan Choi, Mentored by: Dr. Arnab Sengupta
• Sarah Conner, Mentored by: Dr. Arnab Sengupta
• Lily Cox, Mentored by: Dr. Kasey Karen
• Dale Fulcher, Mentored by: Dr. Kasey Karen
• Alex Gerlach, Mentored by: Dr. Stephanie Jett & Dr. Laurie Peebles
• Mason Grant, Mentored by: Dr. Ronald Okoth
• Kylie Gregg, Mentored by: Dr. Tsu-Ming Chiang, Dr. Stephanie Jett, & Dr. Laurie Peebles
• Laura Harvey, Mentored by: Dr. Allison VandeVoort
• Celeste Herrera-Cruz, Mentored by: Dr. Stephanie Jett & Dr. Laurie Peebles
• Christine Johary, Mentored by: Dr. Stephanie Jett & Dr. Laurie Peebles
• Jae Kinsey, Mentored by: Dr. Tsu-Ming Chiang
• Matthew Kirchner, Mentored by: Dr. Arnab Sengupta
• Evelyn Lessl, Mentored by: Dr. Tsu-Ming Chiang
• Lizeth Luquin, Mentored by: Dr. Kasey Karen
• Meghan Mainor, Mentored by: Dr. Allison VandeVoort
• Ziv Moench, Mentored by: Dr. Dominic DeSantis
• Kristen Mueller, Mentored by: Dr. Allison VandeVoort
• Julia O'Toole, Mentored by: Dr. Tsu-Ming Chiang
• Shea Pagett, Mentored by: Dr. Whitney Heppner
• Kindle Reeves, Mentored by: Dr. Kasey Karen
• Henry Schneider, Mentored by: Dr. Matthew Milnes
• Cole Smith, Mentored by: Dr. Tsu-Ming Chiang
• Madison Stoudenmire, Mentored by: Dr. Tsu-Ming Chiang
• Sophia Williams, Mentored by: Dr. Stephanie Jett
• Brian Wirth, Mentored by: Dr. Arnab Sengupta
• Bella Young, Mentored by: Dr. Mary Magoulick

GCSU's Mentored Undergraduate Research & Creative Endeavors (MURACE) office supported registration costs for all GCSU participants as a strong commitment to undergraduate research. A key part of MURACE's mission is to support students in gaining undergraduate research experiences, from formulating ideas to presentation. After her GURC presentation, Bella Young, English student researcher and Co-Chair of GCSU's Student Undergraduate Research Circle, commented on her undergraduate research experience: "Most people do not conduct research until graduate school, [but] at GCSU, I was able to research, present and dive deeper into many topics as an undergraduate."

For over a decade, GURC has provided undergraduate researchers in Georgia an accessible avenue to share their research and creative projects and make connections across the state. GCSU students have participated in the conference since its inception, gaining the invaluable experience of presenting their original work. Junior psychology student Celeste Herrera-Cruz, felt that "presenting before an audience has allowed me to become more comfortable with public speaking, especially when presenting on a topic I am passionate about." Herrera-Cruz also emphasized the impact of her research experience overall at GCSU, stating that she has been able to "build on skills taught in classrooms and apply those skills to real-world scenarios."

Looking ahead, MURACE is proud to announce that GCSU will host GURC in 2026 and 2027. These upcoming conferences will bring in student researchers and faculty mentors from public and private institutions across the state, showcasing GCSU's role as the Georgia's Public Liberal Arts University. Hosting this event provides an opportunity for visitors to familiarize themselves with GCSU's mission, award-winning GC Journeys program and vibrant campus community.

Again, congratulations to all the students and faculty mentors who represented Georgia College & State University at GURC 2025! The university looks forward to welcoming the Georgia Undergraduate Research Collective to Milledgeville next fall.