2026 Student Academic Showcase celebrates learning, collaboration and achievement

Rafael Andaya and Charity Wangari presenting on Berlin and America: A Cultural Retrospective.

The 2026 Student Academic Showcase brought together students, faculty, staff, and community partners to celebrate learning, research, creativity, and collaboration across UW Bothell and its surrounding communities. As a campus-wide event, the Showcase highlights the many ways students engaged with academic inquiry, community partnerships, and innovative projects while providing opportunities to share their work with a broader audience.

Thank you so much to those who helped support this year’s program; we could not have pulled it off without you. This year we had:

  • 170 unique student presenters
  • 12 panels featuring 49 oral presentations over 3 days
  • 49 posters and 1 interactive art installation at 2 poster sessions

Student participation in the event more than doubled from last year and the evaluation process we introduced this year provided helpful structure for students and created more meaningful engagement during all sessions.

This made the school feel like a community, seeing everyone’s hard work and coming together was very gratifying both as a speaker and a listener.

UW Bothell Student Presenter, 2026

Awards

Thanks to a generous donation from former Chancellor Kenyon Chan and Dr. Shirley Hune, we are able to award 23 students cash prizes of $250 to $500 for their academic excellence and presentations and 6 mentors ranging from $350-$750.

Student Awardees

Outstanding Presentations

  • Amar Lang, Oral Presentation, Uncovering Cham American History
    Mentor: Yolanda Padilla
  • Tasha Le, Oral Presentation, Utilizing Lived Experience in Policy Change: Student Advocacy for Disability Justice in Washington State
    Mentor: Jody Early and Nora Kenworthy
  • Sophia Palmer, Poster, Urban Tree Canopy Program and Planning for Snohomish County Health Department
    Mentor: Brandon Park
student smiles next to her poster
Sophia Palmer presenting on Urban Tree Canopy Program and Planning for Snohomish County Health Department

Noteworthy Team Presentations

  • Jonathan Silva, Karen Lopez Garcia, Frida Sanchez, Les Vasquez, and Adrian Olivas, Poster, It’s your digital footprint: shaping identity, choices and future opportunities in middle school students
    Mentor: Sarah M Ramirez
  • Allison Doak, Mao Nishio, Miyuki Sandoval, and Sarah Rosen, Oral Presentation, CELR and Clubs – Bothell Consulting Association
    Mentor: Xiahua Anny Wei
  • Abhigna Nimmagadda, Sana Qasim, and Jasmeet Kainth, Oral Presentation, HealthMate: Health-Informatics App for Older Adults
    Mentor: Annuska Zolyomi
  • Faris Stitou and George Hinds, Oral Presentation, Autonomous Vehicle Docking Triangulation
    Mentor: Thomas Humphries

One highlight of attending the Student Academic Showcase was having the opportunity to present my work publicly and receive positive feedback from faculty, staff, and fellow students. It was also inspiring to network with others, learn about different projects, and gain confidence in sharing my research and experiences professionally.

UW Bothell Student Presenter, 2026

Noteworthy Individual Presentations

  • Aidan Carey, Poster, From Soundwaves to Brainwaves: Improving Cochlear Implant Sound Quality for Users Through Iterative A/B Comparison Testing
    Mentor: Kaibao Nie
  • Savannah Greenwalt, Poster, Habitat Restoration at Former Wayne Golf Course
    Mentor: Amy Lambert
  • Likitha Nanduri, Poster, Understanding Biological Neural Network Learning with Graphs
    Mentor: Michael Stiber
  • Andrea Castro, Oral Presentation, Empowerment through Learning, Culture & Community
    Mentor: Dana Washington
  • Karen Lopez Garcia, Oral Presentation, From Observation to Understanding
    Mentor: Dana Washington
  • Lucia Lari, Poster, Oral Health in Washington State
    Mentor: Maria Blancas

Faculty Awardees

Mentors were awarded points based on their direct involvement in the Showcase by encouraging students to present (with at least a student or team presenting), participating as an evaluator, and integrating their Spring Quarter classes into the Showcase. The following awardees were all involved in the Showcase in multiple ways and each supported several student presentations.

Exceptional Mentor Award

Amy Lambert, Ph.D., Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences, Associate Teaching Professor  

Mentor and student on the UW Truly House porch smiling.
Mentor Amy Lambert with student Cisco Jimenez who presented: Hooven Forest Invasive Plant Survey and Restoration Implications.

Distinguished Mentor

  • Caleb Trujillo, Ph.D., Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences, Assistant Professor
  • Xiahua Wei, Ph.D., Business, Associate Professor
  • Cinnamon Hillyard, Ph.D., Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences, Associate Professor and Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean for Student Success
  • Julie Shayne, Ph.D., Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences, Teaching Professor
  • Subramanian Ramachandran, Ph.D., STEM: Physical Sciences, Part-Time Lecturer

One highlight was that my advisor came to see my presentation and looked very proud. He was grinning ear to ear and shook my hand. He told my family member that I had a bright future.

UW Bothell Student Presenter, 2026

The Smile Gallery

Art installation where people can take a Mona Lisa-type photo with a frame in front and a blurry landscape canvas behind.

The Smile Gallery, an art installation by Emerald Tyson-Adams, Emily Stralberg, Anneka Allard, and Shreya Kodi.
Mentor: Anida Yoeu Ali

This Mona Lisa Photo Station was an interactive booth, where participants could pose behind a physical frame and backdrop to “become” The Mona Lisa.