hirty student researchers and 20 faculty mentors advanced hands-on projects spanning health, agriculture, artificial intelligence, and more.

FRANKFORT, Ky. — From influenza and maternal mortality to animal health and artificial intelligence in clinical settings, undergraduate researchers at Kentucky State University spent Fall 2025 tackling real-world questions alongside faculty mentors—building skills, confidence, and career clarity through applied, interdisciplinary work.

The Undergraduate STEM Research Program concluded the semester with 30 Undergraduate Research Assistants, known as URAs, and 20 faculty mentors. Students ranged from first-year to senior levels and represented majors across STEM, agriculture, business, and the social sciences, reflecting the program’s campus wide reach.

The program pairs undergraduates with faculty mentors working in related fields and provides meaningful research exposure across laboratory, field, community-based, and social science settings. In addition to mentorship, participants receive a stipend for research hours and fully funded travel for conferences and educational experiences.

The semester began with an August 18 orientation session, followed by seven biweekly cohort meetings where students shared research updates, identified challenges, and tracked progress. Sessions also included guest speakers and activities focused on strengthening core competencies, including research communication, preparing for graduate school, effective poster design, and mixed research methods.

Computer science major Pranjalee Dahal said the biweekly meetings boosted her confidence in both research and public speaking.

For biology pre-medicine major Erionna Porter, influenza research sharpened her analytical skills and strengthened her understanding of population health. Nursing major John Frost said he was able to connect his information technology background with healthcare by exploring how artificial intelligence can support clinical practice.

Other projects brought students into the field and into community-centered inquiry. Agricultural business major Kayla Tingle said she gained field and lab techniques for identifying parasite concerns in animals. Psychology pre-med student Narimane Kayed Mahamoud said contributing to maternal mortality research in Kentucky strengthened her commitment to improving women’s health locally and globally.