Students Recognized for Undergraduate Research
Five standout students have been recognized for their exemplary efforts in undergraduate research with awards from the Burnett Honors College and the Student Undergraduate Research Council. Advised by UCF College of Engineering and Computer Science faculty, the undergraduates’ innovative projects were selected from a highly competitive body of work submitted by juniors and seniors from across the university.
The oldest and most prestigious undergraduate research program at UCF, the Honors Undergraduate Thesis (HUT) Program, awarded scholarships to four students.
Shreyans Gajjar, Disha Iyengar, Tariqullah Wardak and Nicole Weeden earned HUT scholarships. The competitive $1,000 awards are offered in the fall and spring semesters, presented to students for their work in the most advanced research program for undergraduates. Each student worked with a faculty mentor on their research, defended their thesis in front of a committee and published their work.
Shreya Pawar was awarded the Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Award (DURA) for January 2025 from the Student Undergraduate Research Council. She received a $250 award and will be recognized at UCF’s Research Week award ceremony in April.
Shreyans Gajjar
Major: Civil Engineering
Project: Comparison of DIC Strain Results Across Bonding Interfaces for UHPC-NSC Specimens with Varied Speckle Pattern Size
“I chose this research area because I am highly passionate about structural mechanics and the prospect of investigating it with technologies in other fields like photogrammetry in order to find better ways to monitor the health of our structures in the real world.
Disha Iyengar
Major: Biomedical Sciences (supervised by MSE faculty)
Project: Herb-Modified Biocompatible Hydrogels for Wound Healing Applications
“I chose to work on designing hydrogels for skin lacerations because it allows me to explore clinical research while gaining experience in materials science and engineering, combining my interest in interdisciplinary research with the opportunity to contribute to patient care.”
Tariqullah Wardak
Major: Aerospace Engineering
Project: Structural Batteries for Aerospace Applications
“I chose this topic because I’m passionate about creating solutions for a greener future in aviation. Today, airplanes rely on heavy batteries that make it harder to fly long distances efficiently. My research focuses on developing “structural batteries,” or innovative materials that can store energy while also being part of the plane’s structure, like its wings or body. This could make planes lighter, more efficient, and better for the environment.”
Nicole Weeden
Major: Aerospace Engineering
Project: Exploring the Dynamics of Cislunar Space: A Detailed Study of Periodic Orbits and Their Applications in the Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem
“The theoretical nature of astrodynamics fascinates me, combining elegance and complexity. Inspired by my orbital mechanics course with my thesis chair, I chose this research area to explore this fascinating puzzle. This choice only deepens my passion for understanding astrodynamics.”
Shreya Pawar
Major: Biomedical Sciences (supervised by MSE faculty)
Project: Stimulating Tissue Regeneration with Polymer-Cerium Oxide Nanocomposites for Applications in Osteoporosis
“After learning of the prevalence of osteoporosis globally, I wanted to explore novel therapeutics for osteoporosis. Under the valuable mentorship and guidance from Dr. Sudipta Seal, Dr. Elayaraja Kolanthai, and Dr. Craig Neal, I began researching how nanotechnology can be utilized to improve outcomes for patients experiencing slowed or improper healing of bone fractures.”