The University Libraries have selected five UNLV undergraduate students as the winners of the 2024 Lance and Elena Calvert Awards for Undergraduate Research. The awards, funded through an endowment established by Lance and Elena Calvert, encourage undergraduate UNLV students to master the art of research to become successful, self-sufficient, lifelong learners.
This year's winners include:
Emerging Scholar
Fabrizio Ciccone
Entry: "Variation in Las Vegas tree diversity based on socioeconomic status"
Faculty Sponsor: Adele Balmer, Ph.D., College of Sciences
Nathaniel Valentine
Entry: "The Behemoth of the Last Ice Age: The Evolutionary Saga of the Columbian Mammoth in North America"
Faculty Sponsor: Aubrey Bonde, Ph.D., Department of Geosciences, College of Sciences
Creative Works
Rosario Martinez
Entry: "The Sun Goes Down in Juárez"
Faculty Sponsor: Cian T. McMahon, Ph.D., Department of History, College of Liberal Arts and Honors College
Advanced Undergraduate
Isabella Aceituno
Entry: "Musical Chills: The Impact of Age and Musical Ability"
Faculty Sponsor: Erin E. Hannon, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts
Extended Advanced Undergraduate
Jade Turner
Entry: "A Phenomenological Exploration of Intracommunity Attitudinal and Experiential Barriers to the Utilization of Psychotherapeutic Services in BIPOC Populations"
Faculty Sponsor: Kate Martin, MD, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV
Applicants submit a reflective essay on their research and a letter of support from a faculty member as part of the application process. Winners receive a cash prize and have their work published in Digital Scholarship@UNLV, the institutional repository for university research.
Watch the ceremony
The Lance & Elena Calvert Award for Undergraduate Research ceremony is Thursday, May 9 at 5 p.m. in the Goldfield Room at Lied Library. Register to attend.
