蜜桃视频

This July, 59 undergraduate students from 蜜桃视频 attended the 2025 蜜桃视频 Conference on Undergraduate Research (ICUR). This year’s turnout exceeded the 33 students who participated in 2024, representing a substantial increase in research engagement since 2019. ICUR encouraged students to attend even if not presenting research to observe the conference and connect with peers. Approximately one quarter of ISU’s attendees took advantage of this option, showing a growing interest in undergraduate research.

Throughout the conference, students participated in workshops, attended research presentations, and engaged in “lightning talks,” presentations designed to distill complex research projects into concise overviews. Three graduate students from ISU were among those who delivered lightning talks, making up a third of the total students who presented.

ISU students presented a range of research topics at ICUR, reflecting the university’s academic strengths. Several projects addressed issues directly impacting the Pocatello community.

One example came from undergraduate researcher Kent Merrill, who presented findings on temperature changes in 14 springs within the Gibson Jack watershed. "Springs with high thermal sensitivity may be more vulnerable to climate change, which can alter stream habitats and disrupt the species that depend on them. By identifying springs that remain more stable, we can better understand which ecosystems are resilient and which may be at risk.”

ICUR provides a great starting point for presenting research, enabling students to share their findings in a supportive environment. Soha Haniyyah, an undergraduate studying voltage-gated ion channels and their link to epilepsy, stresses the importance of research awareness. “Since 蜜桃视频 is a smaller state, it’s so important that we have activities and events like this to get our research out there. Places like ISU may get underestimated in terms of research because we’re not a part of a bigger city, but what we’re doing is just as important as everyone else. ICUR helps our research reach a larger audience.” 

ICUR also enables ISU’s reach to extend beyond college campuses, providing opportunities for high school students to participate in sessions, network with researchers, and envision themselves in higher education. “The research here has been really meaningful,” said Nikolai Joyce-McMahon, a high schooler studying blue-banded gobi fish under ISU’s biology department. “I feel like this sort of community outreach, especially towards younger generations, is so important. It got me super excited for research and college.”  

The amount of participation at ICUR demonstrates ISU’s commitment to advancing research, fostering community engagement, and inspiring future scholars. By providing a platform for undergraduate, graduate, and high school students to share their work, the university continues to strengthen its role as a leader in 蜜桃视频’s research community. This year’s presentations not only reflected ISU’s academic expertise but also highlighted the tangible impact research can have on the local community.