Students present research at Inaugural Undergraduate Research Showcase in Richmond

In February, George Mason University students attended the first Undergraduate Research Showcase held by the Network for Undergraduate Research in Virginia (NURVa) in Richmond. The event was an opportunity for students to present their research as well as share their work with state legislators. 

Undergraduates Luciano Byrd, Angela Rojas, and Fatima Majid, all researchers working with faculty through George Mason’s Office of Student Creative Activities and Research (OSCAR), were selected for the event. 

“The showcase was monumental for me as a student. It was exhilarating to engage in real intellectual sparring with professionals in my field,” said Majid, a senior cyber security engineering major. 

Majid worked on her project in a George Mason Summer Impact research group, “Addressing the International Artificial Intelligence Cyber Question with the United States Cyber Command,” led by Professors Brian Ngac and Nirup Menon of Costello College of Business. This was her first time presenting research.  

Working with fellow students Brian Lemus, Bella Nguyen, and MinhQuan Vo, Majid studies how countries are using artificial intelligence (AI) for national cybersecurity. “The incorporation of AI into cybersecurity is not only revolutionizing the way these countries defend against cyber threats but also serves as a catalyst for strengthening their strategic alliances with the United States,” she said.  

Sophomore government and international politics major Luciano Byrd’s research focuses on presidents’ use of executive power and executive orders. His project, “The Evolution of U.S. Presidential Executive Orders from 1936 to 2024: Historical Trends and New, Modern Changes,” could have important implications for the political science field. 

He credits his mentor, psychology professor Adam Winsler, for encouraging him to pursue his research. “Without him, I would not have gotten as far as I have. [This] project started off as a simple literature review for my Honors 110 [Principles of Research and Inquiry] class and has turned into a multi-year research project.”  

Angela Victoria Rojas Rivera, a junior majoring in medical laboratory science, has been working on her research since she was a freshman. Her research, “Primary Breast Cancer Communication with the Sentinel Lymph Node via Extracellular Vesicles Regulates Distant Metastasis,” addresses triple-negative breast cancer. Her work with Lance Liotta, Marissa Howard, and PhD student Purva Gade in the Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine could lead to new approaches to combat the disease. 

For Rivera, the most meaningful part of the showcase was the confirmation that her research could help people in the future. After graduation, she plans to pursue a PhD in proteomics or cancer biology. 

During the 2023-24 academic year, 428 undergraduates were funded by several OSCAR programs, including the OSCAR Federal Work Study Research Assistant Program, the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program, and the Summer Team Impact Projects. 

“The importance of events like the Inaugural Showcase at the Capitol is twofold: first, for students, sharing the results of research or creative projects is part of the whole experience. Second, this particular event allowed students to show what amazing work they have done to members of the General Assembly and their staff, who might not have any other opportunity to see what undergraduates can accomplish,” said Karen T. Lee, associate director of OSCAR.