URAD announces spring research scholarships

The Undergraduate Research, Arts and Design Network at The University of New Mexico has announced the recipients of the research scholarship for the spring of 2026. The award is designed to help students who otherwise would have no avenue to be paid for research in their area of interest.

Recipients of the award submit monthly progress reports to URAD and will present their research at the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Conference, which will take place in the Student Union Building in April. Winners receive a $500 departmental award.

For the spring, Dang Loi Vo and Noelle Morales are the two students to receive the award.

Dang Loi Vo, 2nd year Electrical Engineering major working under the guidance of faculty mentor Professor Ali Bidram.

Loi Vo's work aims to develop a communication framework between a Raspberry Pi-emulating an EV load-and the OPAL-RT real-time simulator to enable controlled hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing of EV charging strategies.

"Research has helped me experience concepts that are not yet taught in class and has given me many transferable skills that I can apply in the future," Loi Vo said.

Noelle Morales, 4th year Religious Studies & Psychology double major Working under the guidance of faculty mentor Professor Luke Gorton.

Morales' research focuses on ecumenical activity between Christians in the United States in the 21st century and how this activity has been affected by secularism. Essentially, this looks at what activity Christians have done to unite the entire Christian community together in the last 25 years, and if this has been affected by secularism. Overall, it turns out to be a complicated, sometimes circular, and co-dependent relationship.

"Ultimately, the opportunity to engage in undergraduate research at UNM has prepared me for a future of independent research, and thus, prepared me for graduate school," Morales said. "By graduate school I will have experience doing research and a thesis for my applications. Undergraduate research at UNM has been particularly accommodating as I have been able to slowly dip my toes into independent research; I always have many resources to go back to. It has also been a great way for me to get involved in my academic life in ways beyond student clubs or organizations. I am very grateful I received these opportunities and went for them."