---
title: Discovering a ‘Passion for Research’
date: 2025-04-23T05:30:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/discovering-a-passion-for-research"
section: Articles
---
# Discovering a ‘Passion for Research’

*April 23, 2025* — by [Sala Levin ’10](/author/sala-levin-10), [Ruby Siefken ’26](/author/ruby-siefken-26)


> Event Spotlights, Celebrates Work of 500 Undergrads

*Undergraduate Research Hero 1920x1080 — Students presenting their scholarly and creative work at Undergraduate Research Day on Wednesday get the added benefit of developing their skills in communicating orally, visually and in writing.*

Rivers that flow through the air, the differences between human and computer cognition and how neighborhoods affect substance abuse are some of the topics that will be on display Wednesday as students demonstrate their growing ability to formulate—and answer—deep questions with science and scholarship.

Roughly 500 students from disciplines across campus will present their work to peers, faculty and staff, and families and friends in the Stamp Student Union at[ Undergraduate Research Day](https://our.umd.edu/urd). This showcase is a culmination of a valuable learning process that spans uncertainty, iteration, failure, problem-solving and unexpected outcomes, said Patrick Killion, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research.

“Undergraduate research has been shown to have really profound impacts on students personally and professionally,” said Killion, who also serves as director of the[ First-Year Innovation and Research Experience](https://www.fire.umd.edu/) (FIRE). “Students grow in their confidence, in their self-efficacy, in their time management and communication skills, and in their resilience.”

Read on to meet some of the students involved.


*Navya Bansal headshot*



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*Jonathan Booker headshot*



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*Atrey Desai headshot*



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*Miah Duncan headshot*



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*Leah Freisinger headshot*



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*Sofia Tellez-Fenner headshot*



**Sidebar note:**

Undergraduate Research Day will take place in the Grand Ballroom of the Adele H. Stamp Student Union from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday.

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All through April, Maryland Today will celebrate how the University of Maryland is reimagining learning and teaching. Find more stories at [today.umd.edu/topic/we-reimagine-learning](https://today.umd.edu/topic/we-reimagine-learning).





**Topics:** [Research](https://today.umd.edu/tags/research)


**Tags:** [Research](https://today.umd.edu/topic/research), [Student Experience](https://today.umd.edu/topic/student-experience)


**Units:** [Office of Undergraduate Research](https://today.umd.edu/topic/office-of-undergraduate-research)