The Illinois Scholars Undergraduate Research Expo was a success with 81 undergraduates in the ISUR program participating in presenting their research posters. 11 of the 81 undergraduates also went on to present in the campus-wide Undergraduate Research Symposium. For this year’s ISUR Research Expo, guests were given a ballot at the entrance to vote for their favorite presenters in winning fun awards. These fun awards consisted of the Most Engaging Presenter Award, Most Likely to be Published Award, Most Creative Poster Award, and the Best Dressed Award. The winners of the awards are as follows:

Most Engaging Presenter Award – Given to the presenter who voters found to be the most captivating.

Maya Chattoraj and Sahaj Patel

Most Likely to be Published Award – Given to the presenter who voters found their research project to be most likely to be published.

Maya Chattoraj

Most Creative Poster Award – Award given to the presenter who voters found to have the most attractive and visually appealing poster.

Claire Zimmerman

Best Dressed Award – Award given to the presenter who voters found to be best dressed.

Sahaj Patel

In addition, we had a Best Mentor Award that was given to an ISUR mentor nominated by their mentee. Mentees nominated their mentor by writing a short essay on why their mentor was truly the best. The winner was hand-picked by representatives at Grainger Undergraduate Research and is Muhammad Fayyaz nominated by their mentee Ege Gungor Onal. Ege shared a heartwarming story about how his mentor Muhammad went above and beyond what was expected of a mentor by taking the time to always listen to him, making sure his ideas were always welcome, and even offering him homemade Biryani while performing experiments late at night. 

Congratulations to everyone that presented in the ISUR Research Expo and an even bigger congratulations to those that received an award!