From Posters to Prototypes, Students Present Research at URECA Symposium and VIP Showcase

Stony Brook University President Andrea Goldsmith met with student researchers at the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URECA) Symposium and the Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) Program Showcase on May 5. Photos by John Griffin.

A student pressed a button, and a motorized baseball bat swung forward. Another student explained why children with food allergies may be more likely to experience anxiety. In the room next door, a student discussed patterns in artificial intelligence use.

On May 5, Ballrooms A and B in Stony Brook University's Student Activities Center were filled as more than 400 students presented 310 projects as part of the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URECA) Symposium and Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) Program Showcase.

It was the largest presentation of the event to date, and possibly the most varied.

In Ballroom A, 260 projects filled the URECA poster session, ranging from science to business to humanities. In Ballroom B, 50 exhibits from the VIP program focused on team-based work.

Mei Lin (Ete) Chan, assistant professor of practice in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, said the VIP Showcase has expanded significantly since its debut in 2023. What began primarily within the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS) now includes students and faculty from departments and schools across campus, including the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), School of Health Professions (SHP), School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS), College of Business (COB) and School of Nursing.

"VIP is truly an amazing credit-bearing experiential learning opportunity for students of different majors and academic standings to work together under the guidance of a faculty advisor while fulfilling their graduation requirements," Chan said. She also credited URECA for its support "to make the VIP Showcase possible along with the annual URECA celebration." The VIP program is now organized by Leanne DeMay-Pouliot, program manager for VIP in the Career Center.

Karen Kernan, director of programs for research and creative activity, said that range is still what stands out. "I love the URECA Celebration," she said. "The curiosity and enthusiasm, the interactions between students, faculty and staff, and the whole range of projects from Anesthesiology to Women's Studies make the day." Every project, she added, reflects "a student who has found the joy of discovery and wants to tell you about it."

That was evident in the way students talked about their work, discussing their research and why they chose to study the topic with faculty, staff and fellow students who stopped to hear about their work.

Rida Prodham, a freshman studying biology and women's studies, said her interest in her VIP team's research on food allergies grew out of her experience working in a pediatric office. "I got to see a lot of the real life implications of the impact food allergies have on kids," she said.

The group focused on the connection between food allergies and mental health outcomes, including anxiety and depression. Her teammate, junior health sciences major Mubaraka Ezzi, described the social side of that experience. Students with allergies, she said, are often "so secluded, maybe sitting alone at a peanut-free table," something that can follow them over time. Their analysis found those students were significantly more likely to report poor overall health.

A group of biomedical engineering students stood beside an adaptive baseball device designed by a VIP team for children with severe orthopedic disabilities at the Henry Viscardi School. When a button is pressed, the bat swings on its own, allowing a child to participate in the game rather than watch from the sidelines. "We really want to change that and to allow them to participate," said freshman Brandon Nariani.

The prototype is still evolving. Teammates talked through plans to replace 3D-printed parts with machined components and to redesign the controls so they are easier to use, including a larger button. They have been in contact with a school that serves children with disabilities and hope to test the device there. "From that feedback, we could modify the design in the next semester," Nariani said.

At another poster in the URECA ballroom, a group of business students described working with an artificial intelligence startup focused on chemical research. "We needed to develop a marketing strategy, a competitive analysis, and a list of prospects that they should look into," said Rikard Spivak, a senior marketing major.

For Salvatore Ippolito, a junior specializing in finance, the biggest challenge was learning about the science behind the industry. "We had to learn about the chemistry industry to actually complete this project," he said. By the end of the semester, the group had presented its recommendations to company executives, work he described as "extremely valuable."

In the humanities section of the URECA ballroom, Kevin Eng described how he selected his topic. "Honestly, I picked this short story because I don't like it," said Eng, a senior English major, explaining how his honors thesis grew out of that reaction.

His research was a closer look at narrative voice and authority, and how a reader's understanding shifts depending on who is telling the story. Over time, his perspective changed. "You kind of grow to appreciate it for the reasons why you don't dislike it," he said.

Charlotte Cain, a junior studying computer science and applied mathematics, was focused on a question that is still unfolding for her URECA project. Her research examines how students are using generative AI tools and what that means for learning. "We want to see what's actually happening," she said, describing how she is analyzing real student interactions with chatbots alongside their coursework.

She already sees a shift in what's expected in her field of CS due to the prevalence of AI since she began at Stony Brook. "It's no longer 'can you code,' since AI can do that," Cain said. "The question is now 'can you be creative and can you think critically?'" Her project, she explained, helps demonstrate both of those traits.

- Beth Squire