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This April, 63 91���� students presented their research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) in Richmond. NCUR is dedicated to promoting undergraduate research across disciplines. This year marked George Mason’s highest attendance to date, and many students were able to attend due to support from the (OSCAR).  

For Karen T. Lee, associate director of OSCAR, accompanying the students to NCUR each year is one of her favorite parts of the job. “Sharing results is the ultimate step in completing a research or creative project, and sharing them at a national conference like NCUR allows students to contribute to the body of knowledge in their field, and to meet students and faculty working on similar projects and learn to network as professionals,” she said. “Having this experience as an undergraduate, early in their career, is a real boost in their confidence.” 

Both Michael Kaleem, a junior majoring in community health with a concentration in clinical science, and Auj Atteeq, a senior majoring in computational and data science, were supported by OSCAR grants this year.   

For Kaleem, NCUR was the first time he has presented his research outside of George Mason. With his project, “Rest and Results: The Relationship Between Sleep, Stress, and Grade Point Average (GPA) in Undergraduates,” Kaleem found that while sleep didn’t necessarily affect students’ GPA, students’ stress levels influenced both their sleep quality and their academic performance.   

A member of the Honors College and OSCAR's Undergraduate Research Scholars program, Kaleem credits Lee and his mentor Ali A. Weinstein, a professor of global and community health, for helping him hone his research skills. He hopes to work in the health care field in the future and plans to continue his studies at George Mason and pursue an accelerated master's in public health with a concentration in health policy.  

In her project, “Thermal Stress Impact on Global Bleaching Events,” Atteeq found a positive correlation between sea surface temperature and coral reef bleaching across the globe. Essentially, rising temperatures disrupt the homeostasis of coral reef systems, causing them to turn white and become vulnerable to starvation and disease. Coral reefs support at least a quarter of all marine life, making ���ٳٱ���’s research incredibly important. 

Atteeq originally began her research as a final project for one of her computational and data sciences classes. OSCAR staff member Kim Seligman encouraged her to continue the work and apply to attend NCUR. She received a travel grant from OSCAR to attend the conference. In the future, Atteeq wants to continue her research on climate science and plans to pursue a career in academia.