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Celebrating 15 years of providing University of Florida students with access to superior undergraduate research and professional development opportunities, preparing them for their next steps.



Congratulations URSP Graduates: Selected Spotlights

Vicki FreedmanAfter graduating, I plan to begin dental school in August at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Dental Medicine in Philadelphia, PA, where I will spend the next four years. I am very excited for this next step in my journey to becoming a dentist! I am also hoping to continue doing research during dental school.My CUR class from the spring semester of my freshman year was such an important experience for me during college, and ultimately led to me finding my research mentor, Dr. Mathews, and working with her lab for the next three years. It was so transformative to learn about research and deepen my interest in nutritional sciences and community access to food/nutrition. Plus, the first project I worked on involved the oral microbiome, which helped fuel my interest in pursuing dentistry. I never knew how many factors could impact people’s food decisions nor how food could so immensely impact people’s lives.Julia LancasterAfter graduating, I plan to take a gap year dedicated to gaining hands-on experience in healthcare. I will be volunteering at a free medical clinic in north Georgia. During this time, I will also be preparing for and applying to medical school, with the goal of beginning my studies in 2026.My CURE class was my first exposure to the world of research, and changed the trajectory of my college career. The focus of my CURE class was nutrition, with particular emphasis on the ketogenic diet. This class opened my eyes to the world of nutrition, a field I had not previously considered, and ultimately resulted in a decision to change my major to nutritional sciences. I love this major and I cannot imagine myself in any other field. Although it is with a different lab, I also now conduct research into the effects of the ketogenic diet, something I never would have known I had such strong interest in were it not for my initial experience in my CURE class.Elizabeth RiottoAfter graduation, I hope to stay in Gainesville a little while longer to pursue a master’s in Research and Evaluation Methodology at UF. After graduation, I plan to work as a program evaluator to contribute data-driven solutions to organizations across the country. It’s my hope to work primarily with informal educational institutions like museums, aquariums, zoos, and science centers to help make informal learning experiences accessible, enriching, and meaningful for public audiences. As for long-term goals, I might go back to school for my PhD after gaining a few years of industry experience, after which I’d like to start my own evaluation firm that specializes in qualitative educational evaluation.The highlights of my URSP experience are the opportunities I was afforded because of URSP and the fact that I get to share those experiences with other students. Taking courses like Research and Creativity and my CURE course in my first year at UF gave me the confidence I needed to apply for my first research experience, which serendipitously culminated into an incredible array of other opportunities that contributed to my academic, professional, and personal growth over the last three years. Being able to share the ways URSP and research have completely changed the trajectory of my life with prospective and current URSP students, especially as a non-STEM researcher, is, without a doubt, my favorite part of URSP. There’s nothing I love more than connecting with new people and sharing how URSP truly has been the catalyst for so many of the amazing experiences I’ve had in college. It’s been a privilege to give back through outreach and leadership on the URSP Board, and I’m looking forward to seeing the ways the program will continue to evolve, grow, and serve students in the future.