MACON — Mercer University freshman Ridhi Koner was awarded the best conference presentation at the recent Georgia Undergraduate Research Conference (GURC) held at Oxford College of Emory.
Twenty-six Mercer undergraduate students participated in the conference, presenting nine posters and giving seven oral presentations. Koner’s presentation was titled “Understanding Progression Between Neoplasia and Malignancy of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Through Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Data.”
Koner, from Marietta, is an economics major on a pre-dental track. She is starting a TEDx program at Mercer, and she is involved in MU Miracles and the Mercer Pre-Dental Club. It was her first time both presenting as a plenary speaker and attending a research conference.
“I connected with and learned from so many motivated individuals and was able to see some phenomenal research projects,” she said. “What I love most about research is its ability to initiate tangible change. It’s moving to see how student researchers are working alongside professors and researchers and creating potential cures, devices and improvements all for a better society.”
Dr. Garland Crawford, assistant provost for research and professor of chemistry, said the conference provides a great opportunity for Mercer students to present their research to other undergraduates and faculty mentors from across the state.
“For many of our students, this was the first time they presented their work to a broader audience,” he said. “Mercer students also had the chance to see a wide range of projects from different disciplines. I am exceptionally proud of this group of students who were selected to present. They all did a wonderful job of representing Mercer University and highlighting the great work being done on our campuses.”
GURC is a regional, multidisciplinary conference open to Georgia undergraduate students. It is sponsored by the Georgia Undergraduate Research Collective, which includes universities and colleges throughout Georgia, including the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech and Emory.
About GURC
GURC strives to be the premier Southeastern regional undergraduate research and creative conference. The conference is hosted once a year to promote original student scholarship conducted with faculty and staff mentors. GURC also serves as a networking conference to assist undergraduates with career and graduate school opportunities.
