A&S students selected as 5-Minute Fast Track Research Competition finalists

By Jesi Jones-Bowman

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 24, 2022)The University of Kentucky Office of Undergraduate Research has announced the fourth 5-Minute Fast Track Research Competition finalists. These undergraduates competed in the competition’s preliminary round and were selected as Top 10 finalists to present their research during the final round from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26, in The Cornerstone’s eSports Theater.

Finalists will present their research in five minutes in front of a panel of judges and a live audience using only a single static slide. The goal of this competition is to improve undergraduate students’ abilities to communicate their research to a nonspecialist audience while creating a compelling story about their scholarly work.

Students compete for cash prizes: $750 for first place, $500 for second place and $250 for third place.

2022 Top 10 Finalists

  • Artin Asadipooya — junior neuroscience major. Mentor: Pavel Ortinski, Neuroscience, College of Medicine.
  • Patrick Bidros — senior biology major. Mentor: Yasir Al Siraj, Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, College of Medicine.
  • Kayli Bolton — junior biology major.  Mentor: Matthew Gentry, Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, College of Medicine.
  • Isha Chauhan — junior biology major. Mentor: Gregory Graf,Physiology, College of Medicine.
  • McKenna Clinch — junior chemical engineering major. Mentor: Bryan Beckingham,Chemical Engineering, Samuel Gin College of Engineering (Auburn University).
  • Tanner Durst — senior biology major. Mentor: Sarah D’Orazio, Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, College of Medicine.
  • Chase Eastham — junior agricultural and medical biotechnology major. Mentor: Peter Nagy, Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.
  • Emily Keaton — senior sociology, neuroscience, philosophy, and English major. Mentor: Jerrod Penn, Agricultural Economics, College of Agriculture (Louisiana State University).
  • Lexi Nolletti — senior neuroscience major. Mentor: David Rodgers, Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, College of Medicine.
  • Caroline Youdes — junior biology major. Mentor: Zhenheng Guo,Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, College of Medicine.

The 2022 5-Minute Fast Track Research Competition is sponsored by the UK Office of Undergraduate Research. The event is open to the public.

For more information on the competition, visit https://our.uky.edu/5-minute-fast-track.

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