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During UCLA's Undergraduate Research Week (May 22-26), the Library Prize for Undergraduate Research recognizes and honors excellence in undergraduate research at UCLA. This year, eleven outstanding scholars are being recognized for their use of Library resources for a research paper or course project. Their submitted research will be hosted on eScholarship, the University of California's open access publishing platform.

Winners of these ten prizes, spanning five categories, are being revealed throughout the week on the Library’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts throughout the week. Their accomplishments will be recognized during the Undergraduate Research Week Awards Ceremony(opens in a new tab) on Thursday, May 25, starting at 2:30 p.m. PT at the Charles E. Young Research Library, as well as via a Zoom live-stream.

Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences First Prize ($700)

Researcher: Cynthia Gong ‘23
Major: Statistics
Project
: Location, Location, Location: An Exploration of Geographic Disparities in Bank and Alternative Financial Service Access in Los Angeles County
Advisor: Wendy Kurtz, Ph.D., Digital Humanities Program

Cynthia Gong
Cynthia Gong ’23


Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Second Prize ($400)

Researcher: Mischa Gureghian Hall ‘25
Major
: Global Studies
Project
: Hostis Humani Generis: International Crimes in Ukraine and Prospects for Prosecution Under the Principle of Universal Jurisdiction Before the Courts of England
Advisor: Anne Gilliland, Ph.D., Professor of Information Studies and Director of the Center for Information as Evidence

Mischa Gureghian Hall
Mischa Gureghian Hall '25


Science, Engineering and Math First Prize ($700)

Researcher: Shreesh Karjagi ‘23
Major
: Bioengineering
Project
: Bioelectronics for Wearable and Implantable Electrical Stimulation Therapeutics
Advisor: Jun Chen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Department of Bioengineering

Shreesh Karjagi
Shreesh Karjagi '23

Science, Engineering and Math Second Prize ($400)

Researchers: Amber Lee '23, Antonio Uyemura '23, Priya Hegde '23, Haocheng Qi '23
Majors: Microbiology Immunology and Molecular Genetics (MIMG)
Project: Identification of a Putative Immunity System in Cluster AZ Phages
Advisors: Tejas Boukla, Ph.D., Microbiology, Immunology, & Molecular Genetics (MIMG) Lecturer and Michelle Zorawik

Amber Lee, Antonio Uyemura, Priya Hegde, Haocheng Qi
Amber Lee '23, Antonio Uyemura '23, Priya Hegde '23, Haocheng Qi '23

Library Special Collections First Prize ($700)

Researcher: Natalie Brown ‘23
Major
: BA in History and a Bachelor of Science focusing in Environmental Policy designed through the Honors Program
Project: “There It Is, Take It!”: Water Extraction and Imperial Los Angeles
Advisor: Minayo Nasiali, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of History

Natalie Brown
Natalie Brown '23

Library Special Collections Second Prize ($400)

Researcher: Isabella Durgin ‘24
Major
: English
Project
: The Spaces Ulysses Occupies: Navigating the Novel with 'Wandering Rocks' and Matisse
Advisor
: Colleen Jaurretche, Ph.D., Continuing Lecturer in the Department of English

Isabella Durgin
Isabella Durgin ’24

Hugo and Christine Davise Fund for Contemporary Music, Music After 1900 First Prize ($700)

Researcher: Skylar Tsai ‘25
Major
: Psychobiology
Project
: In and Out of Flow: Lo-Fi Study Beats and Their “Impactive” Qualities
Advisor
: Thomas Hodgson, Assistant Professor in the Department of Musicology and Music Industry

Skylar Tsai
Skylar Tsai '25

William Andrews Clark Memorial Library ($700)

Researcher: Jessica Li ‘23
Major
: Computation and Systems Biology
Project
: How Paul Landacre’s Wood Engravings of the Coachella Valley Region Reflect the Erasure of Indigenous Populations in an Emerging Capitalist Framework
Advisor: Johanna Drucker, Ph.D., Breslauer Professor of Bibliographical Studies in the Department of Information Studies at UCLA

Jessica Li
Jessica Li '23