Emily Huerta is a star undergrad, thanks to UNLV programs that are cultivating the next generation of academic scientists. On Friday, Dec. 9, she’ll be one of 212 undergraduates showing just how bright their research work shines at the Fall 2022 Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Student Union Ballrooms. All are welcome to attend!

Three times a year, the office of undergraduate research (OUR) provides students like Huerta with an opportunity to present and showcase their accomplishments at the  event.

Huerta, a UNLV senior studying physics and astronomy, will have six minutes to present her innovative work on fast radio bursts (FRBs). This will be her second time presenting in the forum; however, this year she’ll be able to present her poster in person.

“It’s a little nerve-wracking,” says Huerta. “Last time, the symposium was virtual, and I had to send in a recorded video, but I’m ready for this format. I’ve completed my poster, and I’m in the process of completing my manuscript. It’s down to the final touches.”

In addition to poster presentations, the symposium features lightning talk and podium presentations, performances, and exhibitions.

To participate, undergraduate researchers submit a 250-word abstract and provide details about their work under the guidance of an NSHE faculty research mentor. Through the program, students present course-based or individual, faculty-mentored research projects; interact with peers; and hone communication skills.
 
The friendly judging element of the event offers a proxy for the types of experiences students will have as they progress in academia. Faculty judges are encouraged to ask questions and provide constructive feedback to prepare each presenter for future conference presentations. 

OUR Executive Director Levent Atici says undergraduate research encourages and expands faculty-student collaborations. It shows students how researchers formulate questions and hypotheses, design studies to investigate phenomena, collect and analyze data, publish results, adopt best practices, and conduct ethical research.

“We place the emphasis on the research process and aim to help our students understand and navigate this process,” said Atici. “Demystifying the research process, by providing our undergraduate researchers with substantive and constructive feedback on their projects from our dedicated and passionate colleagues who volunteer their time and expertise to judge at our symposia, is an essential part of students’ personal and professional development.”

Upon completing their projects, students can archive their work in OUR’s Digital Undergraduate Research Repository or submit it to be published in Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal. This gives them 

Financial Support for Student Research

To prepare, Huerta says she will present her poster to her research group ahead of time to get practice and feedback. She is in her sixth year at UNLV and is considering going to graduate school to earn a master’s degree in higher education administration.

Huerta credits various UNLV programs, fellowships, and awards for propelling her this far in her research career. Soon after enrolling at UNLV, she realized she would need to do research to reach her goal of becoming a space scientist.

“OUR showed me how important research is. I also learned that all students from all majors can do research. I love learning and sharing, and research allows you to do both.”

She discovered the many additional resources available to her through UNLV’s Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach (CAEO). It’s many programs start early in local schools and carry through post-secondary education. The programs support students from disadvantaged backgrounds — including low-income and first-generation college students, those with disabilities, and underrepresented minority students — in their pursuit of a college degree.

To reduce some barriers to education, CAEO programs provide funding so students can conduct research as well as tutoring and mentoring. Huerta found assistance and connection to a graduate mentor through the grant-funded Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP). She was encouraged to reach out to professors in the physics department and inquire if they had any open spots for her in their research groups.

“It was really scary reaching out to faculty members, but I’m passionate about doing research, and I viewed this as the first step in my research journey. It was a good thing for me to do,” says Huerta. “I ended up connecting with [astrophysics professor] Bing Zhang, and I’ve been working with him for the past two years."

The program also keeps her connected to fellow students. "In our research group, everyone is working on a different project, so it’s exciting to learn from each other," she says. "We set up peer mentoring sessions, and they reassure me I’m on the right track. I’ve gained a lot of insight working with other researchers who are my same age, doing similar research, and have the same experiences.”

In addition to working with Zhang, she is a member of UNLV Scientista, a student organization that empowers women majoring in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) by providing a strong campus community, online resources, and visible role models.

Huerta has used her research experience to inspire and mentor her peers. As one of four participants in the OUR Research Education Fellowship (REF) Program for undergraduate researchers, she mentors a group of 10 engineering-focused high school students through semester-long research projects. In addition, as an office assistant at OUR, Huerta has gained valuable experience working in UNLV’s administrative undergraduate research infrastructure.

In 2021, she received funding through the OUR Undergraduate Research Stimulus Track 1: Undergraduate Research Mentor-Mentee program (MMP).  awarded a 2022 OUR Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow, which provides up to $1,500 toward student summer research projects.

Over the summer, the LSAMP program also provided Huerta $4,500 in funding to participate in CAEO’s Summer Research Institute and work on an independent research project under the guidance of Zhang. Huerta was one of more than 40 UNLV undergraduates who participated in the 2022 institute, which is a joint effort of several CAEO grant-funded projects, including LSAMP, Title III AANAPISI, and TRiO Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program.

Without such support, Huerta doubts she’d have been able to jumpstart her career through research experiences.

“I’m paying my own way through UNLV, so getting this funding has made going to college possible. On my own I wouldn’t be able to pay for tuition while also doing homework and conducting research. This support is critical to me.”

About The Symposium

In the past seven years, 1,996 undergraduate students have presented in OUR’s triannual symposia. This semester’s event will feature 212 undergraduate researchers who will present 147 co-/authored research projects in different formats, reflecting different research stages.

OUR will also host high school student co-authors who will present alongside their UNLV undergraduate research mentors. These students are participating in the newly-launched OUR Research Education Program (REP) for high school students, which targets high school juniors and seniors interested in research and aims to engage them in scholarly discussions in collaboration with undergraduate mentors.

OUR, in partnership with the University Libraries, provides UNLV undergraduate researchers with an additional open access outlet, Digital Undergraduate Research Repository (DUREP), a service dedicated to capturing, curating, reporting, and disseminating high-quality and mentored undergraduate research. Since its inception in fall 2021, 174 presentations have been published with over 5,400 global downloads.