UC San Diego Honors 2025 Undergraduate Library Research Prize Winners

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Seven UC San Diego students have been selected to receive the 2025 Undergraduate Library Research Prize (ULRP) awards and honorable mentions. An annual tradition that enriches the undergraduate student experience at UC San Diego, the ULRP recognizes students who demonstrate exceptional research skills and the effective use of Library resources, services and expertise.

Awards were presented at a special recognition ceremony at Geisel Library on May 29. All honorees had a book of their choosing plated in their name and had their work published in eScholarship, the University of California’s open access platform. Winners in each category also received a $1,000 cash prize.

To be considered for the award, students must be nominated by a faculty member and present their work at research events such as the Undergraduate Research Conference or the Summer Research Conference. Projects completed for course credit are also eligible.

“The Library is proud to celebrate these remarkable students and their scholarly achievements,” said Dani Brecher Cook, Associate University Librarian for Learning and User Experience at UC San Diego Library. “These projects reflect the deep engagement and academic rigor that our undergraduates bring to their research, and it’s our privilege to support and showcase their work.”

The 2025 Undergraduate Library Research Prize winners and honorable mentions are:

Data & GIS Category

• Winner: Elizabeth Kim, Revelle College, Business Psychology, Class of 2027 

  • Project: Evaluating Genomic and Clinical Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s Disease

  • Nominated by Associate Adjunct Professor Weg Ongkeko, Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery

Life & Health Sciences Category

• Winner: Joshua Pillai, Sixth College, Human Biology, Class of 2027

  • Project: Biochemical Trends of TREM2 Variants Implicated in Neurodegenerative Disease

  • Nominated by Associate Adjunct Professor Chengbiao Wu, Department of Neurosciences

• Honorable Mention: Ruomin Xin, Sixth College, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Class of 2026

  • Project: Evaluation of Alcohol, Tobacco, and HPV’s Synergistic Regulation of HNSCC’s Potential Treatment Response to PD-L1 Checkpoint Inhibitor Treatment

  • Nominated by Associate Adjunct Professor Weg Ongkeko, Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery

Social Sciences, Arts & Humanities Category

• Winner: Lauren Taylor, Revelle College, Literatures in English, Class of 2025

  • Project: Permeating Racial Boundaries: The Multiracial’s Deconstruction of Colonial Racialization

  • Nominated by Assistant Professor Andrea Mendoza, Department of Literature

• Honorable Mention: Amy Nguyen, Seventh College, Business Psychology, Class of 2025

  • Project: When Walls Can Talk: People Make Social Inferences from Town’s Protective Features

  • Nominated by Professor Adena Schachner, Department of Psychology

Special Collections & Archives Category

• Winner: Yana Alvarez, Muir College, Urban Studies and Planning; Speculative Design, Class of 2025

  • Project: Laying the Groundwork: A Historical Study of Place Attachment and Community Resilience of Groundwork Books

  • Nominated by Professor Isaac Martin, Department of Urban Studies and Planning

• Honorable Mention: Tate McFadden, Muir College, Literary Arts, Class of 2025

  • Project: Theft – An Artists’ Book

  • Nominated by Associate Professor Anna Joy Springer, Department of Literature

“Being selected for the Undergraduate Library Research Prize has been an incredibly rewarding experience,” said Lauren Taylor, a literatures in English major and recipient of the 2025 ULRP in the Social Sciences, Arts & Humanities category. “The Library’s resources and expert guidance were essential in developing my research interests and expanding the breadth of my knowledge.”

The ULRP award program is co-sponsored by UC San Diego Library, UC San Diego Alumni and the Undergraduate Research Hub. For more information, visit lib.ucsd.edu/ulrp.

About UC San Diego Library

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