Photo Feature: 13th Annual Mountain Lion Research Day

More than 80 student and faculty researchers participated in the 13th annual Mountain Lion Research Day.

More than 80 faculty and student researchers brought their findings – and their research posters — to the Gallogly Event Center on Dec. 4 for the 13th annual Mountain Lion Research Day at UCCS.

Mountain Lion Research Day is an opportunity for the UCCS campus to experience high-caliber research conducted by members of the UCCS community. It is also a celebration of innovation, mentorship and new knowledge.

“Mountain Lion Research Day brings the campus together to learn from each other and showcase the outstanding scholarship happening on our campus,” said Jessi Smith, Associate Vice Chancellor of Research.

“UCCS is a high research activity university – and because we highly value student-faculty engagement, students at UCCS get to develop personal and meaningful relationships with their faculty mentors that result in cutting edge discoveries and innovative scholarship,” Smith continued. “It is a fantastic way to come together in celebration of our thriving research community at UCCS.”

In addition to research presentations, the Office of Research celebrated the winners of the Faculty Research Council’s Top Scholar Award, the Outstanding Research Mentorship Award, and the eight new inductees to the $1 Million Club for sponsored research.

See the winners of each award below.

Faculty Research Council’s Top Scholar Award

Undergraduate Top Scholar: Ally Vair
Project Title: “Whimsical Tales of Darkness: Julie Buffalohead’s Visual Storybook of Animals and Trauma”
Undergraduate Top Scholar Mentor: Kristen Galvin

Graduate Top Scholar: Andrew Gibson
Project Title: “Application of Koopman theory to the control of nonlinear bubble dynamics”
Graduate Top Scholar Mentors: Michael Calvisi and Cindy Yee

The Top Scholar Award recognizes student poster presentations characterized by excellence in scholarship, clarity in visual and oral presentation and demonstrated knowledge in a discussion with the judges.

Outstanding Research Mentorship Award

2021 Outstanding Research Mentor: Genia Olesnicky, Associate Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Biology

The Outstanding Research Mentorship Award recognizes extraordinary efforts by faculty and staff members to facilitate a mentee’s research success, contributing to a positive culture of research at UCCS. Read more about Olesnicky on Communique.

$1 Million Club Inductees

Pat McGuire, Department of Teaching & Learning
Heather Song, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Russell Elsberry, Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience
Sylvia Mendez, Leadership, Research, and Foundations
Magdalene Lim, UCCS Aging Center
Gary Klein, Information Systems
Jessi L. Smith, Associate Vice Chancellor of Research; Department of Psychology
Elizabeth Daniels, Department of Psychology

See photos from the event below. Lindsay Coppa and Anna Squires contributed to event photography.

Faculty and student researchers shared posters and new scholarly findings with participants.

Clyde the Mountain Lion considers new research findings on STEM education.

Ally Vair, named the Undergraduate Top Scholar of the 2021 Mountain Lion Research Day, discusses her research.

Andrew Gibson, named the Graduate Top Scholar of the 2021 Mountain Lion Research Day, discusses his research.

A scholar discusses their research findings.

Staff and family members worked to clear the grassy regions around the stream of debris.

Clyde the Mountain Lion high-fives a researcher.

Chancellor Venkat Reddy peruses the lineup of research posters.

Jessi Smith, Associate Vice Chancellor of Research, introduces the awards portion of the event.

Andrew Gibson was named the Graduate Top Scholar of the 2021 Mountain Lion Research Day.

Ally Vair was named the Undergraduate Top Scholar of the 2021 Mountain Lion Research Day.

Audience members including Chancellor Reddy celebrated the announcement of this year’s research awards.

Genis Olesnicky, Associate Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Biology, accepted the Outstanding Research Mentorship Award alongside her student research team.

Olesnicky credits the opportunity to offer mentorship to students as the reason she pursued a career in higher education.

Olesnicky’s research group focuses on the development of the nervous system and on understanding the genetic and molecular basis of neurological disorders.

Russell Elsberry, a researcher with the Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience, accepts a certificate and induction into the $1 Million Club for sponsored research at UCCS.

Russel Elsberry, Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience, was inducted into the $1 Million Club for sponsored research at UCCS.

Magdalene Lim, UCCS Aging Center, was inducted into the $1 Million Club for sponsored research at UCCS.

Pat McGuire, Department of Teaching & Learning, was inducted into the $1 Million Club for sponsored research at UCCS.

Sylvia Mendez, Leadership, Research, and Foundations, was inducted into the $1 Million Club for sponsored research at UCCS.

Jessi L. Smith, Associate Vice Chancellor of Research; Department of Psychology, was inducted into the $1 Million Club for sponsored research at UCCS.

Heather Song, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, was inducted into the $1 Million Club for sponsored research at UCCS.

Learn more about research at UCCS through the Office of Research website. See a full list of participants on the Mountain Lion Research Day site. Find related coverage below.

Olesnicky named 2021 Outstanding Research Mentor

8 UCCS faculty join $1 Million Club for sponsored research