Fellows receive grants (up to a cumulative total of $1,750) to conduct research and to attend academic conferences. As Honors students, Fellows may begin researching in their field of interest from their first semester at UGA. The nationally recognized Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO) provides guidance in selecting research mentors and creating independent research courses for academic credit. Conference grants encourage undergraduate researchers and artists to acquaint themselves with national and international leaders in their field and to contribute to scholarly discourse.

Research & Conference Grants | CURO Symposium Presenters
National and International Presentations and Publications

Jasmaine Williams, FF Alumna ’10, PhD Candidate in Cancer Biology, Stanford University
“Before attending the University of Georgia in the fall of 2006, I had very little idea of what research meant or how it could be translated into advances in human health. After attending the CURO Symposium during my senior year of high school, I was captivated by the possibilities of scientific research and met with a professor who allowed me to begin research on my first day of college.

“In the lab of Dr. Lance Wells during my freshman and sophomore years, I studied alpha-dystroglycan and its implications for cancer metastasis and Type II diabetes. I presented this project at the 2007 CURO Symposium. Following this experience, I worked as a Helios Scholar at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) in Phoenix, Arizona researching endometrial cancer under the direction of Dr. Pamela Pollock. I also traveled to the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students in Orlando, Florida to present my research from TGen.

“Back on campus, I continued doing genetics research with Dr. Michael Tiemeyer in the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center for a year, learning more about O-GlcNAc in the nervous systems of Drosophila (fruit flies). Finally, I worked at the Merck Research Laboratories in Boston, working in the oncology department during the summer of 2009. I researched the combination benefit between PARP and Wee1 inhibitors in breast cancer. I will return to Merck in summer 2010 as a UGA graduate to continue my work there before heading west in the fall to pursue a PhD in cancer biology and a master’s degree in medicine at Stanford University.

“The technical and analytical abilities I acquired as a young scientist at UGA have allowed me to work throughout the nation and have impressed top-level researchers at renowned institutions. As evidenced through my own experience and those of many other undergraduates, the culture of research that is largely driven by CURO at The University of Georgia has the power to transform lives. Particularly, I have learned how to incorporate an interest in medicine into a passion for science through disease-oriented research. I am certain that the opportunity to enroll in one of the highest-ranked programs in my field would not have been possible for me without the exposure and excitement that CURO provides through its unique research opportunities at the undergraduate level and the funding provided by the Foundation Fellowship for summer research and conference travel.” 

Sheena Zhang ’11
“My research experiences have solidified qualities essential for success in a post-undergraduate world, not only as a graduate student but as an independent adult. I’ve made deep connections with my research mentors – Dr. Laurie Fowler, Dr. Travis Glenn, and Dr. Tim Carter – that have enriched my knowledge in their fields of specialty as well as my life. They are great people who have compassion for their students. These experiences have opened my eyes to the green building industry in the context of current sustainability trends, especially in China, where I plan to practice as a green architect in the future.”›

Laura McDonald '10

"Before attending the University of Georgia in the fall of 2006, I knew very little about what research in the humanities meant or how it could relate to contemporary issues. The excellent faculty guidance at UGA has helped me pursue literary and historical inquiries into late 18th century England, to present this research in a variety of mediums, and ultimately to find a career in legal history that translates my historical research into contemporary lessons.

"Through a close relationship with my mentor Dr. Roxanne Eberle, I pursued a joint bachelor’s/master’s degree in English focusing on the relationship between the French Revolution and contemporary British literature. In May of 2009, I journeyed to Oxford University to complete independent research on primary documents from the Bodleian Library. This allowed me to work intimately with primary source texts and some of the best scholarship available as I began to craft my master’s English thesis, Sociability as Political Activism: Writing for Change in the 1790s.

"Because my literary and historical interests are so intricately tied, I also pursued a bachelor’s degree in history. Under the guidance of Dr. Kirk Willis, I spent a semester working with the trial transcripts and scholarship from libraries across Georgia as well as UGA’s Law library to craft an original thesis on the changing definition of treason in British history at this time, entitled “A New Definition of Treason: The 1794 Treason Trials.”  This research not only tied to my work in English on censorship and political writing, but also introduced me to the field of legal history."

Cleveland Piggott ’10
“I’ve done research for four years in the cellular biology lab of Dr. Marcus Fechheimer and Dr. Ruth Furukawa on the role of the cytoskeleton in the formation and degradation of Hirano bodies. Hirano bodies are protein structures associated with neurodegenerative disease. I’ve presented my research at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students in Orlando and three CURO symposia, including the CURO International Symposium in Costa Rica. I wrote an Honors thesis on my work, and my research will be contributing toward a future peer-reviewed journal article. Besides making me a stand out in my medical school applications, research experience has made me a better thinker, problem solver, and presenter. ›

Kelsey Jones ’10
“Throughout the past year, I have been helping Dr. Yilin Hou in the Department of Public Administration on a paper that evaluates the use and effectiveness of performance-based budgeting in various U.S. states. I conducted interviews with executive and legislative agents in Washington, California, Oregon, and New York; evaluated existing literature on performance-based budgeting measures; and analyzed state budgets. This research gave me access to high-level administrators and shed light on the discrepancies between what many states report as ‘performance’ in their budget and the actual process the state undergoes in allocating funds. This project opened up a number of academic opportunities for me. In April, I presented my findings in San Jose, California at the 2010 American Society of Public Administration Conference. Our paper, which I co-authored, will hopefully be published in the Public Administration Review this fall.”

Jenny Taylor ’10
“I’ve been studying Acinetobacter baylyi, a versatile soil bacterium that takes up DNA from its environment and can incorporate homologous segments into its genome, making it an excellent model system for genetic research. This project is an investigation of a genetic amplification process that does not require homologous recombination. This research is significant for adaptation and evolution, pathogenic virulence, drug resistance, mammalian cancer, and other important topics. Since I intend to pursue a PhD in a similar field, this project has provided me with valuable experience.”

John Marshall ’11
“I have been entrusted with quite a project by my research mentor. Dr. Lance Wells has lifespan data on several C. elegans mutants that cannot be explained by himself or his colleagues. My job for the past year has been to develop a protocol to prepare worms for microarray analysis, which will measure gene expression. We hope the results will pinpoint genes influencing different aspects of lifespan. I have presented my research at the CURO Symposium, and we hope to be published. While I have concluded I do not want to pursue a PhD in biochemistry, I see that the next step in any science education must be to apply knowledge in hands-on situations. Even in the field of medicine, where my heart lies, the foundation of practicing is simply following a protocol.”

Amy Davis ’10
“As a ceramics major, I have been researching under Dr. Ari Levine, in the history department, studying late Ming dynasty and early Qing dynasty ceramics within the socio-economic contexts of southeast China. I presented my research at the CURO Symposium in April.”

Research and Conference Grants 2010-2011

Elizabeth Allan ’12 - Human Development Conference, Notre Dame, IN

Sara Black ’14 - Southeast Youth Food Activism Summit, Athens, GA; Southeastern Student Renewable Energy Conference, Athens, GA

Stephanie Chapman ’11 - American Economic Association Annual Meeting, Denver, CO

Patrick Fitzmaurice ’12 - MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, Boston, MA

Ryan Friday ’11 - Georgia Veterinary Medical Association Fall Conference, Atlanta, GA; University Private Equity Conference, Salt Lake City, UT

Lucy Fu ’11 - Human Genomics: The Next Ten Years, La Jolla, CA; Engineering Sustainability 2011: Innovation and the Triple Bottom Line, Pittsburgh, PA

Geales Goodwin ’11 - Teach For America 20th Year Anniversary Summit, Washington, DC

Anisha Hegde ’14 - Global Health/Innovate Conference, New Haven, CT; After the Spill: A Dialogue Between Students and Policymakers, Athens, GA; Roosevelt Institute at UGA – Interviews with stakeholders impacted by the Deepwater Horizon spill, Dauphin Island, AL

Dana Higgins ’12 - Georgia Political Science Association Annual Conference, Savannah, GA

Mir Inaamullah ’11 - Australia and New Zealand Law and History Society Annual Conference, Melbourne, Australia

Logan Krusac ’12 - International Symposium on Water Resource and Environmental
Protection, Xi’an, China

Matt Levenson ’11 - Mass Atrocity Response Operations Workshop, Gettysburg, PA

Morgann Lyles ’12 - Teach For America 20th Year Anniversary Summit, Washington, DC

John Marshall ’11 - Vascular Care 2011: Best Practices in Vascular Therapy, Davis, CA; American Association for Cancer Research 102nd Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL

Aaron Marshburn ’11 - Transitions Online Foreign Correspondent Course, Prague, Czech Republic

Calley Mersmann ’11 - Principles and Practices of New Urbanism (online course through the University of Miami);
Brownfields 2011: Sustainable Communities Start Here, Philadelphia, PA

Phillip Mote ’11 - Vascular Care 2011: Best Practices in Vascular Therapy, Davis, CA

Rohan Mukhopadhyay ’12 - Human Genomics: The Next Ten Years, La Jolla, CA;
Roosevelt Institute Defense and Diplomacy Conference, Washington, DC 

Todd Pierson ’13 - Southeast Partners for Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, Louisville, MS

Sabrina Ragaller ’11 - American Economic Association Annual Meeting, Denver, CO

Jacob Rooney ’12 - Joint Mathematics Meetings, New Orleans, LA

Bobby Rosenbleeth ’11 - American Economic Association Annual Meeting, Denver, CO; University Private Equity Summit, Salt Lake City, UT; Roosevelt Institute Defense and Diplomacy Conference, Washington, DC 

Anuj Shukla ’12 - MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, Boston, MA

Trey Sinyard ’11 - Vascular Care 2011: Best Practices in Vascular Therapy, Davis, CA

Will Stephenson ’12 - Italian Film Studies, University of Udine, Gorizia, Italy; Il Cinema Ritrovato conference and film festival, Bologna, Italy

Kishore Vedala ’14 - MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, Boston, MA;
AIESEC Winter National Conference, Atlanta, GA

Tracy Yang ’11 - Owning the Past: Whose Past? Whose Present?, Melbourne, Australia

David Zweig ’12 - American Water Summit, Washington, DC

Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO) 2011 Symposium Presenters

Smitha Ganeshan ’14 - Ready for Disaster

Anisha Hegde ’14 - The Boom That Saved the Day;
Medical Therapies and Clinical Characteristics Among Patients with Duchenne and Becker Muscular Dystrophy

Dana Higgins ’12 - Risk-Taking in Midterm Elections

Tatum Mortimer ’12 - Epidemiology of Equine Staphylococcus aureus in Georgia and Kentucky from 1995-2003

Rohan Mukhopadhyay ’12 - Battling With Bytes: A Cybersecurity Doctrine for the United States

Bryn Murphy ’12 - “Cuando uno toma el agua del Tambopata…”: Migration and the Urban Environment in Madre de Diós, Peru

Muktha Natrajan ’11 - The Effects of Manganese on Human Neural Stem Cell Cultures

Hank Schwartz ’12 - Reducing Water Usage by Repowering Plants in Georgia

Matt Sellers ’12 - Every Man a King: Robert Penn Warren, Populism, and Contemporary American Politics

Anuj Shukla ’12 - Human Embryonic Stem Cell Derived Neurons as Biosensors for Neurotoxins

Sheena Zhang ’11 - An Analysis of Green Buildings: Comparing Tsinghua University’s Sino-Italian Ecological and Energy-Efficient Building and UGA’s Odum School of Ecology Building

other Conference Presentations and Publications - 2010-2011, 2009-2010

Elizabeth Allan ’12
Notre Dame Human Development Conference, Notre Dame, IN
Presenter: “Trends in Female Employment in Developing Countries”
Midwest Political Science Conference, Chicago, IL
Presenter: “Trends in Female Employment in Developing Countries”

Dana Higgins ’12
Georgia Political Science Association, Savannah, GA
Panelist and Oral Presenter: “Risk-Taking in Midterm Elections”
Roosevelt National Institute, Washington, DC
Panel Moderator and Oral Presenter: “A New Marshall Plan for a New Generation”

Logan Krusac ’12
International Symposium on Water Resource and Environmental Protection, Xi’an, China
“Individual Environmental Awareness and Urban Water Conservation in Kunming, China”

Rohan Mukhopadhyay ’12
Roosevelt Institute Defense and Diplomacy Conference, Washington, DC
Oral Presenter: “Battling with Bytes: A Cyber Security Doctrine with the United States in Room”
R. Mukhopadhyay. “Energy Efficiency Funding in Athens-Clarke County.” Journal for Undergraduate Research Opportunities: Best of CURO 2010. The University of Georgia. http://www.uga.edu/juro/2010/boc2010/mukhopadhyay_2010.pdf

Todd Pierson ’13
Odum School of Ecology Graduate Student Symposium, Athens, GA
Undergraduate Poster Presenter: “Detection Rate and Fine-Scale Occupancy of the Patch-Nosed Salamander (Urspelerpes brucei)”

Amanda Brouillette
A. Brouillette, N. L. Evans, W. M. Potter, S. Ulrich. “Time-resolved Photoelectron Spectroscopy and the Photoprotective Properties of Adenine,” The Online Journal of Undergraduate Research in Physics. 2009, 232, http://www.jurp.org/2009/ms100_030409.pdf.

Christina Faust
Conference on the Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases: Infectious Disease Dynamics in Multi-Host Multi-Pathogen Communities, Athens, GA
Oral Presenter: “Filter-Feeding Bivalves Can Remove Avian Influenza Virus from Water and Reduce Infectivity”

Clare Hatfield
Council on Undergraduate Research Posters on the Hill Conference, Washington, DC
Oran Presenter: “Drawing Boundaries on Bodies: Sexual Violence as a Tactic of War during India’s Partition”

Matt Levenson
Pioneer America Society and Eastern Historical Geography Association Joint Meeting, Baton Rouge, LA
Oral Presenter: “Forgotten Pilgrims: The Impact of the Wends Upon the Cultural Landscape of Texas”

Morgann Lyles
Bostick, K., Davis, C., Hicks, M. B., Lyles. M., and Barbara McCaskill. “The Multicultural Vision of Andrew Young.” The Civil Rights Digital Library Initiative: Freedom on Film. 2009. The University of Georgia.
http://www.civilrights.uga.edu/cities/atlanta/mayor_andy2.htm.

Phillip Mote
D. M. Vera, J. M. Montgomery, P. Mote, et. al. “Outbreak of 2009 Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) on a Peruvian Navy Ship – June-July 2009.” CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Vol. 59, No. 6: 163-167. (February 2010)

Muktha Natrajan
The Leadership Alliance Symposium, Chantilly, VA. Oral Presenter: “Induction of Toll-like Receptor 9 Through CpG Addition for Treating Prion Diseases and Alzheimer’s Disease”

Muktha Natrajan
Irwin Berman Symposium: Sackler Institute’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program, New York, NY. Poster Presenter: “Induction of Toll-like Receptor 9 Through CpG Addition for Treating Prion Diseases and Alzheimer’s Disease”

Muktha Natrajan
F. D. West, M. I. Roche-Rios, S. Abraham, R. R. Rao, M. S. Natrajan, and S. L. Stice. “Kit Ligand and Bone Morphogenetic Protein Signaling Enhances Human Embryonic Stem Cell to Germ-Like Cell Differentiation.” Human Reproduction, Vol. 10: 1093 (2009).

Cleveland Piggott
Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students, Orlando, FL
Oral Presenter: “The Role of Microtubules in the Degradation of Hirano Bodies”

Lucas Puente
Puente, Lucas. “The Importance of American Developmental Aid in Nicaragua.” Journal for Undergraduate Research Opportunities. http://uga.edu/juro/2008/2008papers/Puente2008.pdf.

Bobby Rosenbleeth
Rosenbleeth, Bobby.  “A Credit-Crunch Reader: Free-market blog and think-tank responses to the crash of 2008.” 29th IEA Current
Controversies Paper, Institute of Economic Affairs, 22 April 2009.

Joseph Stunzi
Speaker, National Association of Broadcasting Conference, Las Vegas, NV

Tracy Yang
T. Yang. “Simplifying Eligibility for Kids.” Roosevelt Solutions for the South, Vol. 1, No. 1. Roosevelt Institute Campus Network. (November 2009). 

Additional Foundation Fellows Undergraduate Research Projects

Tori Akin ’12 - Creating Computer Models of Within-Host Dynamics of the Flu Virus;
Creating a Computer Program to Find Simultaneous Solutions to Curves in a Plane

Geales Goodwin ’11 - The Desegregation of Georgia Tech

Dana Higgins ’12 - External Validity Test of the Perceptions of Power Model

Logan Krusac ’12 - How Soon Will the Boat Sink the Water? The Imminent Water Crisis Resulting from the Growing Burden of China’s Urban Centers

Matt Levenson ’11 - Deterring Genocide: A Theoretical Analysis of Strategies for Mass Atrocity Prevention

Calley Mersmann ’11 - Policy Alternatives for Increasing Recycling Participation in Athens-Clarke County

Tatum Mortimer ’12 - Epidemiology of Equine Staphylococcus aureus in Georgia and Kentucky from 1995-2003

Phillip Mote ’11 - A Patient-Centered and Economically Feasible Healthcare Model

Claire Underwood ’11 - Travel Writing in Greece and Italy

Sheena Zhang ’11 - An Analysis of University Green Buildings in China and the United States

David Zweig ’12 - A Novel Nematacide Drug with Potential Applications in Livestock and Humans; Development of Transgenic Rice and Switchgrass Species with Improved Potential for Biofuel Production