CSU Student Research Competitions

The California State University Systemwide Student Research Competition is an annual event that brings together scholars from the 22 campuses of our California State University system. The competition showcases undergraduate and graduate research, scholarship, and creative works by recognizing outstanding student accomplishments. Undergraduate and graduate student participants from all disciplines are judged by experts for their oral presentations and written narratives. Students who compete in the CSU Student Research Competition can win monetary prizes for first place and second place recognition in their session. The 41st Annual Student Research Competition will be hosted by CSU San Marcos.

Things you need to know before applying

• The nomination process for CSUN students to participate in the 2027 CSU Statewide Research Competition is now open! 
• The competition is open to both graduate and undergraduate students
• Only completed works/projects will be considered; if your work/project will not be completed by mid-March 2027 (including analysis), please do not apply for the 2027 competition. 
• The competition will be held at CSU San Marcos. All participants are required to attend the two-day in-person event and CSUN will pay for your travels and lodging.

There are 10 categories in which students will be placed for the competition; they are:

The 10 disciplinary categories are: 

• Behavioral, Social Sciences and Public Administration 
• Biological and Agricultural Sciences 
• Business, Economics and Hospitality Management 
• Creative Arts and Design 
• Education 
• Engineering and Computer Science 
• Health, Nutrition and Clinical Sciences 
• Humanities and Letters 
• Interdisciplinary 
• Physical and Mathematical Sciences 

Each entry (oral presentation plus written summary) will be judged on the following: 

• Clarity of purpose 
• Appropriateness of methodology 
• Interpretation of results 
• Value of the research or creative activity 
• Ability of the presenter to articulate the research or creative activity 
• Organization of the material presented 
• Presenter’s ability to address questions from the jury and general audience

The competition components include:

• A 1-2 page, double spaced narrative plus up to 3 pages of ancillary material (due mid-March 2027)
• A 10-minute oral presentation during the competition followed by a Q&A from the session judges and audience members.

How to Apply to be considered for the CSUN team

• Submit your application form HERE by February 5, 2027.
• Upload your 3-minute video of you presenting your work. The link to upload the video is provided at the end of the application form.
• After February 5, 2027, the review committee will review all applications and select the team of students to represent CSUN in the competition.

Campus Coordinator Information
CSUN’s campus coordinator for the competition is Dr. Elizabeth Sussman-Dabach, professor of Nutrition and CSUNposium Director. Please feel free to contact Dr. Sussman-Dabach with any questions you may have.

Marine Barsegyan
Undergraduate Student, Department of Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Cheryl Van Buskirk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marinebarsegyan/ 
Lab Page
BIO

Benjamin Easton 
Graduate Student, Department of History 
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Erik Goldner 
Linkedin 
BIO

Júlia Guil Rodríguez 
Undergraduate Student, Department of Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Wilber Escorcia
BIO


Kristen Hairapatian 
Undergraduate Student, Department of Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Wilber Escorcia  
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-hairapatian-75577a32b
Lab Page
BIO


Cody Laurie
Graduate Student, Department of Computer Science 
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rashida Hasan
Links: Linkedin, CSUN GRAIL Lab,  CSUN ARCS Fellow,  Publication
Project Information

Yash Kishorbhai Pansheriya 
Graduate Student, Department of Computer Science
Faulty Mentor: Dr. Marjan Asadinia
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/yashpansheriya  
Publication 
Project Information

Marcus Perez
Graduate Student, Department of Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jill Razani
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-perez-450431153 
Lab Page
BIO

Kurt Trocino 
Undergraduate Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Peter L. Bishay
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurt-trocino
BIO

MJ Watz 
Graduate Student, Department of Cinema and Television Arts 
Faculty Mentor: Professor Christina Sibul 
Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjwatz/
BIO

Back row: Freddy Ramirez, Melissa Mailhot, Coby Jones, Ian Sherrill
Front row: Taguhi Yenokyan, Ricardo Gibert, Mikaela Rojas

Thank you to all the students who represented CSUN at this year’s event. We are proud of your hard work and your willingness to present the campus. CSUN is pleased to share that Melissa Mailhot won first place in her session at the competition! 

CSUN Participants List 

Ricardo Gibert
Graduate Student, Department of Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Robert Espinoza 


Coby Jones
Graduate Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jamie Booth

Melissa Mailhot 
Undergraduate Student, Department of Biology
Faculty Mentorr: Dr. Cheryl Van Buskirk


Freddy Ramirez 
Undergraduate Student, Department of Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Stefanie Drew 


Mikela Rojas 
Graduate Student, Department of Health Science 
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Myriam Forster

Ian Sherrill 
Graduate Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Peter Bishay 

Taguhi Yenokyan
Undergraduate Student, Department of Computer Science 
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rashida Hasan

The CSU Grad Slam: Three-Minute Thesis Competition is an event that showcases the research and creative work of graduate students from across the CSU system. Participants are challenged to communicate their work clearly and effectively to a general audience in three minutes or less. The competition will be held virtually at Cal State Fullerton on Friday, May 1, 2026.

Things you need to know before starting the application

• The nomination process for CSUN students to participate in the 2026 CSU Grad Slam: Three-Minute Thesis Competition is now open! 
• The competition is open to current CSUN graduate students ONLY.
• Only completed works/projects will be considered. 
• The competition will be held virtually on Friday, May 1, 2026.
• Two students from the CSUN campus will be selected to participate and represent CSUN at the competition. 

Presenter Information 
Only complete applications will be considered. A complete application consists of the following:

• Completion of the 2027 application.
• Receipt of your advisor's approval.
• Uploading a 3-minute video of you presenting your research/project/creative work. You may only use one, static (no animations) slide for your presentation.

Campus Coordinator Information
CSUN’s campus coordinator for the competition is Dr. Elizabeth Sussman-Dabach, professor of Nutrition and CSUNposium Director. Please feel free to contact Dr. Sussman-Dabach, if you have any questions.

Gerbert Funes Alfaro
Graduate Student
Department: Mechanical Engineering 
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Peter Bishay
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerbertfunes/
Paper 1, Paper 2, Paper 3
Website

Regarding the student: My name is Gerbert and i am a graduate student in Mechanical Engineering at California State University, Northridge, where my research focuses on developing alternative control methods for upper-limb prosthetic devices. My thesis explores the use of foot-based control to improve how users interact with a prosthetic arm, combining biomechanics, sensors, electronics, programming, and human-centered design. This work has become much more than a research project for me — it has shaped the way I think about engineering, accessibility, and the kind of impact I want my work to have.

Throughout my academic journey, I have been fortunate to contribute to multiple published research papers in prosthetics and engineering design. These experiences have helped me grow not only as a researcher, but also as someone who values persistence, collaboration, and learning through failure. My thesis journey has challenged me in many ways, but it has also become one of the most rewarding parts of my education. It has changed my interests, strengthened my goals, and helped me see a future where I can continue working on technology that improves people’s lives.

Ethan Castanon 
Graduate Student 
Department: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Stefanie Drew
Lab Manager | VISN Lab

Regarding the student: Ethan is a second-year graduate student working under the mentorship of Dr. Stefanie Drew in the Psychological Science program. His work has focused on the intersection of cutting-edge technology and human function. For his thesis, Ethan developed custom augmented reality (AR) software designed to help Parkinson’s Disease patients regulate their gait. By exploring the spatial navigation concepts underlying movement, Ethan aims to bridge the gap between lab research and real-world application. This fall, Ethan will transition to the University of Delaware to pursue a Ph.D. in Psychological and Brain Sciences. While he will continue to investigate the complexities of spatial navigation, he plans to shift his focus to systems neuroscience, utilizing two-photon (2P) microscopy to study neural mechanisms in animal models.