A student presenter smiles while speaking with a Showcase attendee admiring her research poster. A student presenter smiles while speaking with a Showcase attendee admiring her research poster.

UAlbany Showcase 2026

Thank you to all who attended and participated!

The University at Albany held its fourth annual Showcase Day, which celebrates academic excellence, on Thursday, April 30, 2026.

The day-long event featured poster fairs, performances, discussions, demonstrations and exhibitions that reflected new and original exploration of topics in STEM, arts and humanities, social sciences and the professions. 

More than 2,600 students, supported by more than 400 faculty advisors, took part in over 1,700 presentations — sharing their research, academic work, experiential learning and creative activities with their peers, instructors and other attendees.

UAlbany students, faculty and staff, as well as prospective students, donors, sponsors, legislators, community leaders, institutional partners, and more than 200 middle and high school students from nine schools all attended Showcase.

We hope to see you next year on Wednesday, April 28, 2027, for Showcase 2027. Save the date!
 

Student Awards
Student Spotlight
  • Four students stand at easels and sketch a live model who is seated at the front of the class in front of a red cloth backdrop.
  • Two student presenters smile as they speak with a Showcase attendee about game design.
  • A student presenter gestures toward his research poster while speaking with a Showcase attendee about tracking conflict in Ukraine.
  • A clarinet player smiles at the conductor while surrounded by fellow UAlbany Spirit Band members, who are all wearing matching purple and gold jerseys.
  • An engineering student crouches to work on a laptop placed on a table where wires connect to a CPU.
  • A student presenter gestures to her poster on YouTube and True Crime as she speaks to two Showcase attendees.
  • A student presenter smiles and speaks into handheld microphone during a Showcase panel presentation.
  • Three students playing a piano, cello and flute perform a song at Showcase.
  • Three student presenters stand behind a table and speak with Showcase attendees. Two students gesture towards a map, while the third gestures towards a slideshow playing on a laptop.
  • A student presenter stands in front of her poster and smiles as she speaks with a Showcase attendee about her research into AI's impact on accounting.

 

See more photos from Showcase 2026.

Showcase 2026 Student Awards & Honors

awards
Showcase Partner Awards
Showcase Partner Awards

All students presenting a research poster as an individual were eligible to win one of eight Showcase Partner Awards.

Student presenters were nominated by their school or college’s Showcase Liaison, and then each nominated presentation was judged by faculty from the student’s school or college.  

The winning students were each awarded $250. Thank you to our generous Showcase partners!
 

Regeneron Partner Award

Raneem Afifi 
Showcase Presentation: Film: Gender Studies is Burning  
Department of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, College of Arts & Sciences
 

Delta Dental Partner Award

Ky Krause 
Showcase Presentation: Learning Under Watch: AI Surveillance, Student Autonomy, and the Politics of Educational Contro 
Department of English, College of Arts & Sciences
 

Fastenal Partner Award

David Finch  
Showcase Presentation: On-field games for the Tri-City Valley Cats  
Department of Information Sciences and Technology, College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security & Cybersecurity
 

CDTA Partner Award

Gabriella Federighi  
Showcase Presentation: YouTube & True Crime: The Ethical Concerns in Independent Journalism 
School of Criminal Justice, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy
 

Fenimore Partner Award

Jaime Gahtah  
Showcase Presentation: The portrayal of female characters in children's stories can reinforce gender role stereotypes  
Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, School of Education  
 

Global Foundries Partner Award

Irien Akter  
Showcase Presentation: Forecasting “Neg Storms” Time – Aware Modeling of Toxic Situations in Social Media. 
Department of Computer Science, College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering
 

Albany Med Partner Award

Natalie Metz  
Showcase Presentation: Safer Smoking Initiatives and Hepatitis C Elimination: A System Dynamics Perspective for New York State.  
Massry School of Business
 

EY Partner Award

Leo Meurs  
Showcase Presentation: Capturing Team Meeting Dynamics with Microphone Arrays and Automated Speech-to-Text Systems 
Massry School of Business 

University Libraries Awards
University Libraries Awards

Undergraduate Research Award

This award honors students who have demonstrated excellence and innovation as part of an original course-related research project that utilizes library resources.

2026 Winners:

  • Kylieann Krause 
    Showcase Presentation: Poe to Peele: The Reflection of Cultural Anxieties within Horror’s Architecture    
  • Eliza Walker 
    Showcase Presentation: Nothing Dies that Memory Rocks to Sleep: The Redefinition of Southern Womanhood in Preserving the Lost Cause
  • Navid Khosrojerdi & Harshini Ponnam 
    Showcase Presentation: Inclusion & Belonging Amongst International Students
     

Student Service Excellence Award

This award honors student library employees who have contributed outstandingly to the University Libraries, while maintaining a solid academic record.

2026 Winners:

  • Otega Uwode 
    Showcase Presentation: It's Not Just a Song: A Critical Interrogation of Black Humiliation Racial Conditioning-Propaganda in the Coercive Formula of Black Songs
  • Ethan Zenteno 
    Showcase Presentation: Social Engineering via Predatory Ad Space Vending, and the Rise of AI Scam Agents
     

Pritchard Award

This award honors faculty/student collaborators who have completed a project that leads to an improvement in the services of the University Libraries and makes a positive contribution to the profession of librarianship.

2026 Winners:

  • David Finch 
    Showcase Presentation: On-field games for the Tri-City Valley Cats
  • Ryan Clow 
    Showcase Presentation: Researching and Designing Makerspaces
     

Alice Hastings Murphy Scholarship

This award honors student library employees and full-time library staff members who wish to become librarians.

2026 Winner:

  • Aaron Cohen 
College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security & Cybersecurity Awards
College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security & Cybersecurity Awards

Game Design & Development Award

Aidan Doherty & Giuseppe Nicastri 
Showcase Presentation: On-field games for the Tri-City Valley Cats     
Department of Information Sciences and Technology

College of Integrated Health Sciences Awards
College of Integrated Health Sciences Awards

Biomedical Science Excellence in Scholarship

Winner:

  • Pattani Konpetch 
    Showcase Presentation: Cyro-ET Reveals Intraflagellar Transport Trains Moving Along Multiple Microtubules in Mammalian Primary Cilia 
    Department of Biomedical Sciences

Honorable Mentions:

  • Kaas Sjostrom 
    Showcase Presentation: Contact-Dependent Regulation of ESX secretion systems by EspM in Mycobacterium smegmatis 
    Department of Biomedical Sciences
  • Sean Jones 
    Showcase Presentation: Characterization of the SigD regulon and its role in susceptibility to hydrophobic antibiotics in Mycobacterium abscessus 
    Department of Biomedical Sciences
     

Environmental Health Science Excellence in Scholarship

Winner:

  • Randy Tangang  
    Showcase Presentation: Individual, Joint and Interactive of Multiple Meteorological Factors during Cold Weather on Hospital Admissions for Autoimmune Diseases 
    Department of Environmental Health Sciences

Honorable Mentions:

  • Ryan Gainor 
    Showcase Presentation: A liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry method for quantifying oxidative stress, nitrative stress, metabolic, and inflammatory biomarkers in serum: comparisons to urine     
    Department of Environmental Health Sciences
  • Junrong Ma 
    Showcase Presentation: Joint and Interaction Effects of Multiple Meteorological Factors on Cardiovascular Risk in Older Adults 
    Department of Environmental Health Sciences
     

Epidemiology & Biostatistics Excellence in Scholarship

Winners:

  • Asmaa Ahmad 
    Showcase Presentation: A Structure-Preserving Assessment of VBPBB for Time Series Imputation Under Periodic Trends, Noise, and Missingness Mechanisms 
    Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
  • Suruchi Shahi 
    Showcase Presentation: Gestational Age and Breastfeeding Initiation Among US Mothers: Evidence from the 2022-2023 National Survey of Family Growth 
    Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Honorable Mentions:

  • Yineng Chen 
    Showcase Presentation: Detecting Multiple Periodic Patterns in Ischemic Heart Disease Using the Variable Multiple Bandpass Periodic Block Bootstrap 
    Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics  
  • Allison Klein 
    Showcase Presentation: Modernization of the NYS Perinatal ZIP Code Data Profiles Dashboard 
    Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics  
     

Health Policy Management Excellence in Scholarship

Winners:

  • Nagifa "Gigi" Tabassum 
    Showcase Presentation: Addressing Health Literacy Challenges and Barriers to Access Healthcare Through Outreach and Education at RISSE        
  • Keshanti Bruce 
    Showcase Presentation: Healthy Families New York Reflective Group Consultation Evaluation 
    Department of Health Policy, Management and Behavior

Honorable Mentions:

  • Esther Richter 
    Showcase Presentation: Supporting the Internal New York State Department of Health, Health Equity and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Committee's Efforts 
    Department of Health Policy, Management and Behavior
  • Harpreet Kaur 
    Showcase Presentation: Artificial Intelligence Literacy Among Nursing Workforce and Patient Safety     
    Department of Health Policy, Management and Behavior
     

Social Welfare Excellence in Scholarship

Winners:

  • Hana Kim 
    Showcase Presentation: From Coverage to Care: Structural Vulnerability across HCBS Access Pathways among Older Immigrants in New York 
    School of Social Welfare
  • Kamylle Blackwell-Clark 
    Showcase Presentation: Black Maternal Mortality and Community Birthwork 
    School of Social Welfare

Honorable Mentions:

  • Antonio Regulier 
    Showcase Presentation: The Forgotten Population of Dually Diagnosed Black Men: A Critical Race Theory Analysis of Title 42 The Public Health and Welfare Law 
    School of Social Welfare
  • Kaiya Leveroni 
    Showcase Presentation: Community, Cancer, Motherhood: Examining the Impact of Psychosocial Support 
    School of Social Welfare
     

Undergraduates Excellence in Scholarship

Winners:

  • Alina Khan & Zara Syed 
    Showcase Presentation: Translation in Health

Honorable Mention:

  • Sethri Asamoah-Nani 
    Showcase Presentation: Cloning of Placenta-Associated Transcripts LCMT1, LCTM1-AS2 and LCMTA-AS2-201 
A student presenter gestures toward his research poster while speaking with a Showcase attendee.

 

Save the Date

We hope to see you at future Showcase Days!

Showcase 2027: Wednesday, April 28, 2027

Showcase 2028: Tuesday, May 2, 2028

Showcase 2029: Wednesday, April 25, 2029

Showcase 2030: Thursday, May 2, 2030

future-dates

Student Spotlight

spotlight
A birds eye view of Showcase presentations inside the Broadview Center.
Celebrating Student Research and Creativity at Showcase 2026
Showcase 2026 included more than 1,700 presentations from over 2,600 students, supported by more than 400 faculty advisors.
UAlbany senior Meagan Leung is seen in the University Art Museum Collections Study Space.
Showcase 2026: Art Student Explores Hidden Microbial Life in Historic Paintings
This year, one Showcase project invites us to look closer at paintings, close enough to glimpse a hidden, living world beneath the surface.
UAlbany undergraduate researcher Katelyn Jacques smiles while wearing a lab coat inside UAlbany's Paleoclimate Lab.
Showcase 2026: Tracking Algal Blooms Through Lake Mud
Katelyn Jacques, a sophomore environmental studies major, is leading a project exploring the history of algal blooms at Long Pond in Grafton Lakes State Park. Her work will be on display at Showcase 2026.
A young man with dark hair wearing a gray blazer and gray khaki pants poses for a portrait in front of a magnificent hedge of purple azaleas in full bloom on a sunny day.
Showcase 2026: Exploring Effects of Social Media on Health Among LGBTQ+ Teens
Clinical Psychology PhD student Jason Choi studies the effects of social media on mental health as a research Fellow at UAlbany’s Center for the Elimination of Health Disparities.
A young man with dark hair wearing a green lab coat stands in a brightly lit lab. The background is artfully blurred.
Shine Bright Like a Nanoparticle: Chemistry Senior Talks Rapid Pathogen Detection
Emmett Hanson spent the past several years developing innovative biosensing technologies in the Yigit Lab at the RNA Institute. His work on rapid pathogen detection resulted in two peer-reviewed publications and a PhD position at Stanford.
A man in a gray suit jacket holds up a phone with an app on the screen
Showcase 2026: UAlbany Student Develops App to Help You Avoid Pollution Hot Spots
UAlbany PhD student Md. Reazul Islam developed an app that uses artificial intelligence and a network of smart devices to monitor, predict and map pollution levels, alerting users in real time to areas with hazardous air quality that could damage their health and suggesting alternate routes.
Anthropology major Anna Souls stands with her poster presentation at Showcase 2025.
Showcase 2026: The Devilish and Feminist Women of Cult Classic Sci-Fi Films
Senior anthropology major Anna Souls is bringing supernatural elements to Showcase Day 2026 with a poster examining how science fiction films portray gender and women's experiences.
A portrait of Erin Forkin in front of the Downtown Campus.
Showcase 2026: Type 1 Diabetes and Social Work
Erin Forkin, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in her senior year of high school, is conducting research on the impact school social workers can have on adolescents as they navigate a diabetes diagnosis.
Stephen Gravereaux meets with his mentor Sheikh Islam at the Cognitive-Security, Accountability, Fairness and Explainability (CAFE) Lab,
Showcase 2026: Cyber Student Explores Smartwatch Security Risks
Stephen Gravereaux, a senior cybersecurity major at the University at Albany, has spent the last year studying smartwatch security vulnerabilities and exploring innovative methods to reduce risk for users.
UUlbany graduate student Pallav Savaliya stands in front of the Empire State Plaza.
Showcase 2026: Grad Student Rethinks Connection Through Third Spaces
University at Albany graduate student Pallav Savaliya has identified a shortage of third spaces in urban life across the United States, particularly for young people.
A student sits at a keyboard while musicians play drums and guitar with a cymbal in the foreground.
Showcase 2026: Nanotech Student Finds Rhythm in Research
UAlbany junior Harry Weinstein is already presenting his research on a global stage, sharing work on next-generation chip-making materials at a leading international conference. He will present that work again at Showcase on April 30.
A crucible pours hot molten bronze into several casts during a crucible pour in UAlbany's Boor sculpture studio.
Showcase 2026: Olzak Blends Ancient Craft and Modern Art
UAlbany student Joel Olzak's work, along with that of other graduating MFA students, will be on display during Showcase 2026, the University at Albany’s annual celebration of student research, scholarship and creative activity.

 

Support Showcase

Anyone can support UAlbany Showcase by making a monetary donation of any size. 

Your generosity will help fund the educational opportunities available to both undergraduate and graduate students.
 

Donate Now

Three students sit at a table and collaborate on a presentation using their laptops.

Thank you to our Showcase 2026 supporters!

partners
Fenimore Asset Management logo.
Fastenal logo.
Times Union logo.
Delta Dental logo.
CDTA logo.
Regeneron logo.
GlobalFoundries logo.
Albany Med Health System logo.
EY logo.
Pretty Rugged logo.
UAlbany logo.

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Alumni Association

AI Plus

AI & Society College 

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New York State Writers Institute