The Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry hosted its inaugural Undergraduate Summer Research Poster Session, giving undergraduate researchers the opportunity to showcase the work they completed over the summer and share their research with faculty, staff, and fellow students.
Held in Boyer Hall 159 on August 12, 2026, the session featured 30 research posters from students participating in the department’s summer research programs, including the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) and the UC-Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) Summer Scholars Program.
A photo gallery from the event can be viewed here, and select photos can be viewed below. Pictured above: Melodie Hernandez Pacheco (Gutierrez group) discusses her poster.
Four students were selected as winners: Luna Liang (Tinoco Valencia group), Skylar Whitley (Caram group), Miguel Villegas Sanchez (Gutierrez group), and Virginie Maurandy (Nava group). Each winner received a departmental swag bag, a certificate, and a $100 gift card in recognition of their outstanding presentations. Sophie Andrews (Torres group) received an honorable mention.
The posters were evaluated by six faculty judges: Professors Antonio Tinoco Valencia, Jazmin Aguilar-Romero, Tori Barber, Matthew Nava, Danielle Schmitt, and Cindy Wang; and the following graduate student judges: Alexia Andrikopoulos (Athavale group); Gutierrez group members Deborshee Das, Mac Guerrero, Tapas Maity, and Adhya Suresh; Lawson group members Izaiah Cole, Aubrey Emmi, and Morgan Grimes; Reena Dosanjh (Tinoco Valencia group); Wesley Jeng (Petrovic group); and Collin Yentes (Petrovic and Loo groups).
Following the success of the inaugural session, the department plans to make the Undergraduate Summer Research Poster Session an annual event, continuing to provide students with a forum to present their research and develop their scientific communication skills.
Photos by Penny Jennings, penjen@g.ucla.edu; photos edited by Isabella Luo, UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry.
