The University of Kentucky Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) is proud to announce the fifth annual 5-Minute Fast Track student 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 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, in the Healthy Kentucky Research Building atrium.

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. This challenges students to develop their academic, presentation and research communication skills while also allowing them to showcase their research in a captivating way.

The goal of this competition is to improve undergraduate students’ abilities to communicate their research effectively to a general non-specialist audience while creating a compelling story about their scholarly work.

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

2023 Top 10 Finalists

• Artin Asadipooya, senior, Lewis Honors College member and neuroscience major; Mentor: Pavel Ortinski, Ph.D., College of Medicine

• Brianna Bryant, senior, biology and political science major; Mentor: Robbie Burger, Ph.D., College of Arts and Sciences

• Sydney Chapman, senior, computer science major; Mentor: Brent Seales, Ph.D., Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering

• Jordan Colella, senior, human nutrition and nursing major; Mentor: Courtney Lueking, Ph.D., Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

• Shria Holla, senior, Lewis Honors College member and mathematical economics major; Mentor: James Ziliak, Ph.D., Gatton College of Business and Economics

• Abigail Knoy, senior, Lewis Honors College member and neuroscience major; Mentor: Myunghee Kim, Ph.D., Pigman College of Engineering

• Ashbey Manning, senior, chemical engineering major; Mentor: Brittany Givens, Ph.D., Pigman College of Engineering,

• Connor Stuart, junior, Lewis Honors College member and neuroscience major; Mentor: Ann Stowe, Ph.D., College of Medicine

• Ellen Williams, junior, Lewis Honors College member and agricultural and medical biotechnology major; Mentor: Jennifer White, Ph.D., Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

• Caroline Youdes, junior, Lewis Honors College member and biology major; Mentor: Zhenheng Guo, Ph.D., College of Medicine

The 2023 5-Minute Fast Track Oral 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.