[Orgvpdue] March/April 2025 DUE Spotlight

Fri Apr 25 15:58:06 PDT 2025

*Undergraduate Education Monthly Spotlights*
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The* DUE Monthly Spotlight Series* aims to highlight important advances
across the Division of Undergraduate Education. The goal is to ensure that
our fellow DUE members stay in the know as we collectively work toward
DUE’s strategic goals, including boosting graduation rates and reducing
equity gaps, among others.

25th Annual Building Bridges Research Conference

The *Honors Transfer Council of California*, in collaboration with *University
Honors*, successfully hosted the *25th Annual Building Bridges Research
Conference on April, 5 2025*. The event showcased research from students
representing over 30 community colleges across California giving them the
opportunity to present their academic work in a professional setting. In
total, * 92 students presented Poster Boards and 238 completed oral
presentations* throughout spaces in the Highlander Union Building and the
Student Success Center.

Also present at the conference were 202 Faculty Mentors and 118
non-presenters. Vice Provost and Dean of the Division of Undergraduate
Education, Dr. Louie Rodriguez and Howard H Hays, Jr. Chair and Faculty
Director of University Honors, Dr. Begoña Echeverria both spoke at the
Welcome as well as University Honors Transfer student Donna Arteaga Alvarez
who delivered a speech.

DUE students join Board of Trustees Chair at UCR Gala

*UCR Foundation Board of Trustees Chair and DUE supporter Wally Bakare* was
joined at the *UCR Honors: A Gala Celebration held on April 6, *by two
undergraduate students who participated in the programs that Mr.
Bakare established within the DUE: Excel+ and Tilga Internships. *Elliot
Randolph completed four badges *through the Excel+ program before
graduating from UCR in 2024*, and Spandana Janapati has completed five
Excel+ badges, *expecting to graduate this spring.

Highlanders on the radio!

If you listen to our local *NPR station, KVCR 91.9*, you may have heard
radio features by a UCR undergraduate. These students developed their
stories as part of the *R’Course POSC 190: Local Public Radio Storytelling
with 91.9 KVCR News*. Allison Wang designed and facilitated the course
under the supervision of her faculty mentor, Dr. John Medearis. Students in
the class learned how:

   - coordinate and conduct an interview
   - edit interview audio, and
   - create a cohesive narrative storyline.

Topics include punk music in the IE, the UCR ARTS Museum, and the
California Citrus State Historic Park. A new student radio feature will air
every Tuesday for the next few months. As the stories air, they will be
added to the KVCR website: https://www.kvcrnews.org/student-stories
<https://click.mailchimp.com/track/click/30010842/www.kvcrnews.org?p=eyJzIjoidUZ0cGZqRXN6dlJkMW5DUHRsaU0yQmZ1N2c0IiwidiI6MiwicCI6IntcInVcIjozMDAxMDg0MixcInZcIjoyLFwidXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL3d3dy5rdmNybmV3cy5vcmdcXFwvc3R1ZGVudC1zdG9yaWVzXCIsXCJpZFwiOlwiMjIzYzEzZmU0YmQ3NDE2OTg4OTNlNTg4NDMyYzkzNzVcIixcInVybF9pZHNcIjpbXCJhMmM3NmFkM2U4NGU4MmI3MzUwZmFmNzNjZmY4ODE4ODRmNTQzMGFhXCJdLFwibXNnX3RzXCI6MTc0NTYxODMzMX0ifQ>
.

Allison is offering the R’Course again in Spring quarter, so there will
soon be even more Highlanders on the radio!

ADT Hosted Dr. Sasha Sidorkin at UCR

The Academy of Distinguished Teaching (ADT) hosted *Dr. Sasha Sidorkin
(Chief AI Officer at CSU Sacramento)* from March 17-18 for a presentation
and hands-on workshop related to incorporating AI into the classroom and
into instructors' workflow more generally. In the workshop, he showed
attendees how to use advanced AI models (e.g. Gemini Advanced) to create
bots that can streamline grading, support student learning as personalized
tutors, and more.

The workshop was a collaboration with XCITE, who provided space and
assisted with advertising the event.

R'Course student featured in UCOP Newsroom

Student Allison Wang was recently featured in the University of California
Office of the President (UCOP)'s newsroom. She shares her unique story of
student success at UC Riverside and how she earned a two-quarter political
science research fellowship.

What makes a UC education stand apart?
<https://click.mailchimp.com/track/click/30010842/www.universityofcalifornia.edu?p=eyJzIjoibGFhNTVCeUYtVEVoRndid1NHNXl4eVN6Zk5jIiwidiI6MiwicCI6IntcInVcIjozMDAxMDg0MixcInZcIjoyLFwidXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL3d3dy51bml2ZXJzaXR5b2ZjYWxpZm9ybmlhLmVkdVxcXC9uZXdzXFxcL3doYXQtbWFrZXMtdWMtZWR1Y2F0aW9uLXN0YW5kLWFwYXJ0LW9wcG9ydHVuaXRpZXMtaGFuZHMtbGVhcm5pbmctYW5kLXVuZGVyZ3JhZHVhdGUtcmVzZWFyY2hcIixcImlkXCI6XCIyMjNjMTNmZTRiZDc0MTY5ODg5M2U1ODg0MzJjOTM3NVwiLFwidXJsX2lkc1wiOltcIjI4MzY2ZGE3NTRlZTUwNjg5ZjFhNWYzMDVmZDJhZGYzNGYzN2NjYWZcIl0sXCJtc2dfdHNcIjoxNzQ1NjE4MzMxfSJ9>

PPAC participated in 2025 Highlander Day

Advisors and Ambassadors of the *Pre-Professional Advising Center (PPAC)*
participated in Highlander Day for first-year students on* Saturday, April
12th*. According to UCR Undergraduate Admissions, 13,000+ prospective
students and parents attended this event to learn more about UCR and campus
opportunities.

PPAC hosted two information sessions - Advising and Support Services for
Students Pursuing Careers in Health and Law pPofessions - with over 200
attendees.

*Session description:*
The Pre-Professional Advising Center provides information, advising, and
support for students who aspire to graduate/professional programs in the
health professions and law and wish to enhance their academic and
extracurricular preparation. Professional staff and peer mentors guide
students as they plan their pre-health and pre-law coursework,
curricular-related experiences, service work, and research in preparation
for applying to programs.

PPAC advisors and ambassadors are looking forward to the next Highlander
Day for * transfer students coming up on Saturday, May 3rd.*

University Honors raises more than $6K for Give Day 2025

University Honors participated in UCR Give Day to raise funds to support
enhancing student success by fostering engagement through scholarships,
seminars, and transformative educational experiences. These initiatives are
pivotal in shaping the academic journey of students and preparing them for
future leadership roles. In total, University Honors *raised $6,935*
through a combination of meeting challenges that netted extra funds.
Additionally, through the generous donations of individual donors
surpassing their goal to raise a total of $3,000 during the campaign.

Honors was able to *secure $3,000 by winning three of the five Power Hour
Challenges*. They also *secured an additional $500 from being the newbie
project page with the highest number of unique donors*. A generous donor
allocated $500 to the fund by meeting the Early Bird Challenge and two
dedicated staff members allocated $200 each by meeting the Hidden Scotty’s
Challenge. Lastly, *University Honors was the Leading Project Page with a
total of 72 donors*. The money raised will help University Honors continue
to empower the next generation of leaders.

PPAC & Career Center hosted Health Professions Information Day

The Pre-Professional Advising Center (PPAC) and the Career Center partnered
to host *Health Professions Information Day on Wednesday, April 16th *from 11
a.m.-2 p.m. on Rivera walkway.
This year, *60+ health professions programs* –
medical/dental/nursing/pharmacy/veterinary and other schools came to campus
to share with students about their programs and how to explore, prepare,
and be a competitive applicant. Also, in attendance were healthcare-focused
employers and volunteer organizations for students to learn about part-time
and/or summer opportunities. Advisors and ambassadors from PPAC were in
attendance to help provide brief advising support and to answer questions
about the event. The Health Professions Schools Info. Day is more than a
decade-long partnership between the Career Center and formerly the Health
Professions Advising Center, now the Pre-Professional Advising Center.

R'Courses' Continued Success for 2025

The R’Courses Program has continued to see exciting growth! In Winter 2025,
CUREL offered 24 courses in 11 different departments across campus. Over
340 students took an R’Course during Winter Quarter!

Spring Quarter promises to be even more exciting, *with 31 R’Courses in 17
different departments*! Highlights include our first R’Course in Mechanical
Engineering since 2017, a Computer Science course that will introduce
students to Linux, a class on the history of Black Metal and another on
Taylor Swift. We’ll also have several returning favorites including
R’Courses on 3D printing, understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Greek
Mythology.

The full list of all of our spring offerings is on our website:
https://engage.ucr.edu/take-course
<https://click.mailchimp.com/track/click/30010842/engage.ucr.edu?p=eyJzIjoiQkszYldUX25FNl9qWnF4SnhlOWZYcjN1eC1JIiwidiI6MiwicCI6IntcInVcIjozMDAxMDg0MixcInZcIjoyLFwidXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL2VuZ2FnZS51Y3IuZWR1XFxcL3Rha2UtY291cnNlXCIsXCJpZFwiOlwiMjIzYzEzZmU0YmQ3NDE2OTg4OTNlNTg4NDMyYzkzNzVcIixcInVybF9pZHNcIjpbXCI5MzhhNTk1MWRiOTU5Njg3NDg3MWIyMjFjYTYwMzY3OTI4NDJhMzhkXCJdLFwibXNnX3RzXCI6MTc0NTYxODMzMX0ifQ>

The Relaunch of Excel+ Career Readiness

The Center for Undergraduate Research and Engaged Learning (CUREL) is
pleased to announce the relaunch of the *EXCEL+
<https://click.mailchimp.com/track/click/30010842/excel.ucr.edu?p=eyJzIjoia2hOcmxNSUI2dVA1anRvb0x3UHNxcWVydUp3IiwidiI6MiwicCI6IntcInVcIjozMDAxMDg0MixcInZcIjoyLFwidXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL2V4Y2VsLnVjci5lZHVcIixcImlkXCI6XCIyMjNjMTNmZTRiZDc0MTY5ODg5M2U1ODg0MzJjOTM3NVwiLFwidXJsX2lkc1wiOltcIjBjYTRlMDEwODNmZWQ3N2ViZWYwZmU4YjcwMGUxNzk1ZThjM2Y4ZjZcIl0sXCJtc2dfdHNcIjoxNzQ1NjE4MzMxfSJ9>Career
Readiness plus Leadership program*. This program is designed to assist UCR
students in effectively articulating skills obtained through participation
in high-impact programs and extracurricular activities. In this version,
students can self-enroll and upload their accomplishments through Canvas.
This program provides a great opportunity for students to connect their
extracurricular experiences to key skill competencies, earning UCR-endorsed
badges that can be displayed on their LinkedIn profiles, social media, and
resumes. Led by Larry Rodriguez, this initiative is designed to empower
students in their career readiness journey. Larry is eager to speak to
student groups to share more about this valuable opportunity.

He can be reached at larry.rodriguez at ucr.edu.

CRF student awarded the 2025 Goldwater Scholarship

The CUREL Prestigious Scholarship Program
<https://click.mailchimp.com/track/click/30010842/engage.ucr.edu?p=eyJzIjoiUzIwaXlUV1A0UUdTODFmQl9iQkFWMmhMWTFFIiwidiI6MiwicCI6IntcInVcIjozMDAxMDg0MixcInZcIjoyLFwidXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL2VuZ2FnZS51Y3IuZWR1XFxcL2F3YXJkc1xcXC9vdmVydmlld1wiLFwiaWRcIjpcIjIyM2MxM2ZlNGJkNzQxNjk4ODkzZTU4ODQzMmM5Mzc1XCIsXCJ1cmxfaWRzXCI6W1wiYTA4MDQzY2NkNjE2ODNmMWQ5OGYwZDYyMDdhZmRkMWZmZWFmYzA1MFwiXSxcIm1zZ190c1wiOjE3NDU2MTgzMzF9In0>
is pleased to announce that *Sreenidhi Surineni was awarded the 2025
Goldwater Scholarship*. Sreenidhi is majoring in Neuroscience with a minor
in Philosophy. His research focuses on changes in RNA Codes and Neuronal
attributes in Alzheimer’s to identify molecular mechanisms driving disease
progression under guidance of Dr. Sika Zheng in the Division of Biomedical
Sciences.

*The Goldwater Scholarship is a prestigious national award that recognizes
and supports rising undergraduate researchers in STEM fields*. Recipients
of this highly competitive award must work closely with CUREL for
mentorship and writing support. Eight finalists are interviewed by the
Prestigious Awards Faculty Selection Committee in order to earn campus
endorsement. Each year, universities are permitted to endorse up to four
students, making the process a challenging and rigorous task for the
committee.

In addition to *receiving a $7,500 scholarship*, Goldwater Scholars gain
invaluable national recognition for their research potential. Sreenidhi was
selected from a highly competitive pool of 1,350 natural science,
engineering, and mathematics students nominated by 445 academic
institutions. Goldwater Scholars, both nationally and at UCR, have gone on
to win prestigious post-graduate fellowships, including the NSF Graduate
Research Fellowship, the Gates-Cambridge Scholarship, Fulbright Awards, and
have been Semi-Finalists for the Marshall Scholarship.

Beyond his research, Sreenidhi is also a Chancellor’s Research Fellow (CRF)
and will continue his role as a Senior CRF in the 2025-2026 academic year,
helping to lead the CRF Mentorship Committee. Sreenidhi’s passion for
mentorship began in high school, when he founded Enlight Education
<https://click.mailchimp.com/track/click/30010842/enlighteducation.net?p=eyJzIjoiTmVJQXVLT2h3SGdZMkl1Zjk3T3RpUGpCLUVVIiwidiI6MiwicCI6IntcInVcIjozMDAxMDg0MixcInZcIjoyLFwidXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL2VubGlnaHRlZHVjYXRpb24ubmV0XFxcL1wiLFwiaWRcIjpcIjIyM2MxM2ZlNGJkNzQxNjk4ODkzZTU4ODQzMmM5Mzc1XCIsXCJ1cmxfaWRzXCI6W1wiNTUzZjhlN2MyMDBkZWVmNzI4NDNjMTYzMzZhMGEyNWVlMDk0NDU5NVwiXSxcIm1zZ190c1wiOjE3NDU2MTgzMzF9In0>,
a tutoring program aimed at cultivating a passion for STEM and promoting
academic excellence in underserved communities. Under his leadership, the
program has expanded beyond San Diego, with chapters at four universities
(UCR, UCLA, UC Davis, and Brown University), and has established
collaborations with schools in India, Mexico, and China. Sreenidhi’ s
leadership and passion for making impactful change make him an ideal
Goldwater Scholar.

*Sreenidhi is the 19th UCR student to receive this distinguished award
since 2013*, and CUREL is incredibly proud of his achievements and
dedication.

Former HPAC Students Get Married

Alumni *Yuna Kwon ‘16 and Austin Chang ‘17* met during peer mentor training
at the *Pre-Professional Advising Center*, formerly the Health Professions
Advising Center, in 2015. They were both pre-med peer mentors, helping
other students while also tackling their own med school applications and
the dreaded MCAT. [image: 🩺]As they worked together, they became close
friends, always there to support each other through the ups and downs of
the pre-med grind. In 2018, that friendship turned into something more, and
they started dating. [image: 🥰]After six years together — including a time
long-distance — they finally said “I do” in 2024!

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