Join faculty, staff and students at the 3rd annual Undergraduate Research Fair! This unique tabling event provides undergraduate students the opportunity to meet faculty and learn about research taking place on campus. UC Davis faculty and staff will showcase their research and share opportunities for undergraduates to engage in research experiences. Research program staff will also provide information about research programs and resources.
Tips for Student Attendees
3-5 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 14
UC Davis ARC Ballroom and Courtyard
Table Topics:
African American and African Studies - Race, Health and medicine
Anatomy, Physiology, and Cell Biology - The McSorley lab studies the adaptive immune response to bacterial infection, namely CD4 T cells during Salmonella or Chlamydia infection. My project is focused on novel Salmonella antigen discovery by investigating T cell receptors that were clonally expanded during infection. The undergraduate work would be to help me with cell culture (passaging) and in vitro assays to look at T cell activation/function. Could also help with coding.
Agriculture & Resource Economics - Introduction of programs and current positions or ways to get involved.
Civil & Environmental Engineering – Learn about three main projects/ideas in the works:
1. Nonlinear Finite Element Methods in Solid and Structural Mechanics – developing a user-friendly MATLAB-based software with GUI and open code so students can both use and learn from it.
2. An Integrated Framework for Simulating Large Deformations in Solids and Fluids – based on the Material Point Method, also implemented in MATLAB to remain accessible to students.
3. An Educational Reduced Order Model for 3D Base-Isolated Buildings with Soil–Structure Interaction and Tuned-Mass Dampers – focusing on formulation and validation for teaching purposes.
Center for Regional Change – Learn about the CRC hosts two Student Awards - the Ted Bradshaw Student Engaged Scholars Program and the Isao Fujimoto Research Award. The goal of these awards is to create opportunities for students to deepen their leadership, applied research, and community engagement skills through hands-on experiential learning.
California National Primate Research Center - Assist in the analysis of biological samples that are collected as part of our research program investigating the relationship between social networks and health. Specifically, students will participate in the cataloging of biological samples, preparation, extraction, and assay of hormones from hair samples, and assist with general lab cleaning and maintenance.
Also, we offer an undergraduate research class (which we are in the final selection process but will promote for next year) and various undergraduate opportunities to work at the Primate Center which we post on handshake.
Economics – We offer reading groups and research fellow opportunities. A call goes out with the details of each position a week before each quarter begins:
Directed Reading Group Program (Advisors are Graduate Students or Faculty)
No Prerequisites. Reading Group Themes and a Call for applications will go out a week before the quarter begins via email to Economics Majors
- Students receive acceptances at the end of Week 1
- Reading Groups Meet Weekly weeks 2-10 and discuss papers/books
- No Credit, No pay
Undergraduate Research Fellows Program (Advisors are graduate students or faculty)
Prerequisites: Can be flexible but may include ECN 102/140.Research Group Themes/Times/Pay or Units and a Call for applications will go out a week before the quarter begins via email to Economics Majors
- Students receive acceptances at the end of Week 1
- Research Groups Work on Advisor’s Chosen Project/ Possible Professional Development Opportunities for Students during weeks 2-10
- Credit ECN 199 or Hourly Pay (will be clear in the advertising) - students will receive ECN 199 enrollment in week 6 of the quarter if they have been a committed member of the team.
Economics - Global Migration Center - We are looking for a motivated student to join the Global Migration Center undergraduate team, which is primarily responsible for communication activities, including writing newsletters, updating the website, managing social media accounts, and creating posters. The time commitment is flexible.
Genome Center - Students have the ability to join independent research teams and develop basic laboratory skills through our BIG-RT program.
Institute of the Environment: Center for Health and Environment - We are looking for undergraduate student researchers for a histopathology research lab that does research on air pollution and how it impacts the lung. We are especially looking for students who are rising sophomores or juniors. This position will work under the supervision of the PI Dr. Van Winkle via the Lab Manager or with specific graduate students to assist with research in environmental toxicology and will manage datasets, records, and research documentation, ensure laboratory supplies are well stocked, and laboratory work areas are kept clean and will perform pathology techniques (tissue fixation/embedding, cryosectioning, and staining/immunostaining) on tissue samples.
Internal Medicine - Our research aims to reveal the molecular & cellular mechanisms and physiological and pathological roles of ion channels and transporters in excitable cells and organs with focus on the heart. The current research projects focus on the mechanisms of cardiac pH regulation in health and disease, as well as the mechanistic roles of psychosocial stress in brain-heart interactions and cardiovascular diseases. We need undergraduate researchers to participate in the research by conducting experiments and data analysis.
Land Air and Water Resources - Remote sensing for environmental applications.
Linguistics - Natural Language Processing, Language Development, Human Language Processing.
Material Science and Engineering: Materials Science Research. Silica and graphite powder processing to make SiC
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering - Cobian-Iñiguez Fire Lab - Excited about wildfire research or science communication? Join the Cobian-Iñiguez Fire Lab! We’re looking for enthusiastic undergraduate volunteers to contribute to cutting-edge projects in the following areas:
· Experiments & Data Analysis
Conduct fire behavior experiments and assist with data analysis. Opportunities to contribute to journal publications, conference presentations, and projects using machine learning or AI on experimental data.
· Multilingual Science Communications
Translate public-facing wildfire materials from English to Spanish to educate and inform the public for better wildfire preparedness. Opportunities to contribute to publications and data analysis. Fully bilingual students (speaking and writing) in other languages are encouraged to apply to help expand our translation program.
· Communications, Web Development & Social Media
Manage lab social media campaigns and website. Propose strategies to increase engagement and develop professional skills in science communication, social media, and web development. Students are encouraged to contribute ideas to expand their professional portfolio.
Microbiology and Molecular Genetics - The Namekawa Lab is seeking highly motivated undergraduate researchers to join our team beginning in November 2025. Our research directions converge to address how epigenetic mechanisms govern spermatogenesis and oogenesis, culminating in the generation of functional sperm and eggs. We are committed to training the next generation of basic scientists and providing early-stage undergraduate students with serious research experience as preparation for future Ph.D. studies.
Molecular and Cellular Biology - Create TEM holey carbon grid to support biology research using cryoEM.
Neurology – The new Animal Behavioral Core in Aggie Square in Sacramento is doing research on neuroscience!
Plant Sciences – There are multiple projects in this department including:
1) How do our ecosystems withstand climate change stresses (e.g. drought, wildfire)? How do we repair our ecosystems once they've been degraded by human activity? How can we manage our ecosystems to enhance ecosystem services- the critical functions natural ecosystems provide to enhance human well-being (e.g. clean water supply, flood control, erosion control, natural disaster control, disease control, soil health)?
Student research assistants will participate in research focused on restoration ecology and ecosystem resilience in California's grasslands and riparian ecosystems. Most work will occur in the lab, processing and measuring plant and soil samples, and helping with general lab maintenance (cleaning, organizing, data entry, etc.). Greenhouse work will include counting and identifying seedlings. Occasional field work tasks will include: collecting plant and soil samples, applying experimental treatments, and maintaining plots.
Work will be repetitive and require high attention to detail and strict adherence to safety regulations. We are interested in students who can work 10-15 hours per week (with flexibility of fewer hours during mid-term and finals). Initial position is for fall quarter, but we have positions throughout the school year and summer, so position can be extended, based on reliable and high quality work performance.
2) Plant, Environmental and Agroecology Sciences (PEAS) Fellowship (4-5 fellows, might be 10 if funding comes through)
School of Education - Student researchers will gather and analyze data from high school students on their post-high school plans.
School of Nursing - We will be representing multiple research faculty from the SON who have a diverse set
of health research projects. Topics include: perinatal origins of health disparities; caregiver support of older adults with cardiovascular disease, cancer survivors, or dementia; smart home health monitoring for remote management of chronic conditions;
and health and justice equity for people who have experienced violence; we will also have some general information about other research faculty; potential opportunities for student research assistants vary from data collection to recruitment, data analysis, writing, and more! These are all UNPAID positions.
Science and Technology Studies - I teach lab within and alongside STS102: AI in Society. I will be teaching it in Winter and Spring quarters. Students work on simulation-based games regarding AI in society, law, ethics, and policy formation that are both research-based and forms of public outreach and engagement. My students have also made videos explaining AI that currently exist on the UC Davis Library resources page on Generative AI.
UC Davis EcoCAR -
Communications (Outreach, Social Media Initiatives, and Public Relations) -
The communications team is in charge of community outreach and social media activity that promotes our goals to improve transportation inequity and be an effective grassroots workforce development program.
Equity in Mobility (Stakeholder and Transportation research to inform features and development plans)
The EiM team will conduct research and partner with various community organizations/stakeholders to introduce programs to improve the landscape of DEI within the community. The EiM team's output will directly translate to outreach events, policy recommendations, and even technical modifications to our vehicle!
Project Management (Organization, Process Engineering, Leadership) -
If you're interested in pursuing management related careers, this is the team to be a part of! The team manages various aspects of the project and ensures that things are running smoothly and on schedule.
Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (Autonomous Stack - Software/Firmware) -
This is the software team that will largely be focused on implementing the autonomous stack in the vehicle to allow the car to drive itself. The team will run drive scenario simulations, sensor integrations, and perform tasks to develop a cohesive algorithm and platform that is at the core of the car's tech stack.
Systems Design and Integration (Hardware/Schematic/CAD/Calibration) -
The SDI team makes dreams a reality and deals with physical implementation (mechanical,
electrical, and thermal) of simulated systems! A majority of the team will comprise of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers who will aim to design and integrate the systems we create onto the vehicle.
Propulsion Controls and Modeling (System Dynamics and Controls) -
The PCM team is responsible for the design, development, integration and testing of the controls algorithms on the vehicle via MATLAB/Simulink. This includes the primary features of the vehicle (like the start up/shutdown sequence and shifting between ranges) and modeling tests in a virtual environment and when connected to hardware.
UC Davis Natural Reserve System - Natural reserves stewardship and policy. We are protected wildlands and waters dedicated to research, teaching, and community engagement. We provide transformational outdoor experiences for students, and we enable science that monitors California's plants, animals, and ecosystems. We are UC Davis' outdoor classrooms and living laboratories.
UC Davis Environmental Health Sciences Center - We'll be recruiting study participants into our wildfire study (WHAT-now California), in addition to doing other media-related projects.
Viticulture & Enology - We will have paid and credit positions assisting with chemical analysis of both wild and cultivated grapevine species, soil and plant tissue analysis of samples for a study assessing impacts of climate extremes on soils and grapevine performance.
Research Resource Tables:
Global Learning Hub - Learn about global research and internship opportunities.
Shields Library (Student Services) – Learn about important Library resources for researchers.
Undergraduate Research Center – Learn about the URC’s programs, awards and services.
Bring your questions!
Faculty and staff
Faculty and staff are invited to showcase their research and share opportunities for undergraduate students. The time commitment is two-and-a-half hours. Tables and chairs provided by the Undergraduate Research Center.
Undergraduate research opportunities are critical for students pursuing graduate school. After a large turnout last year, we've expanded our space for this year's event. Faculty and staff participation are essential to connect students with valuable research experiences and further our vibrant research community at UC Davis.
Faculty and staff offering research opportunities must RSVP and complete the Google form by Oct. 9. Respondents will be contacted with further details regarding the event. For questions, please contact the urc@ucdavis.edu.