Winners of the 2025 Randy Kobes Undergraduate Poster Symposium were celebrated on November 21 in front of a packed Leatherdale Hall.
The poster symposium, now in its 20th year, is part of Research Week, a four-day interactive event series organized by the Research Office. The event challenges undergraduates to develop their ability to visualize and communicate their research. This year’s poster symposium saw a record-setting 53 students present 52 posters.
“This year’s Research Week marked a new milestone with the highest-ever participation in the poster competition,” said Dr. Jitendra Paliwal, Vice-President, Research and Innovation. “It was inspiring to see so many students share their ideas and discoveries, demonstrating the growing strength of undergraduate research at our university.”
Being able to present my work to a general audience helps me develop my communication skills.
Nicole Valencia
Organizers happily added a sixth category to reflect the growing interest among students.
“The record number of posters led to us to open a new category, Ecological and Environmental Sciences, sponsored by the Research Office,” said Dr. Tabitha Wood, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Science, which also sponsored the event.
The poster symposium is named in memory of Dr. Randy Kobes, an Associate Dean of Science and Professor of Physics who passed away in 2010. Dr. Kobes co-founded the poster contest and was passionate about involving undergraduate students in research opportunities at UWinnipeg.
That tradition carries on to this day. Students at UWinnipeg get involved in research while undergraduates—an opportunity that, at other institutions, often doesn’t arrive until students reach the graduate level. Much of the research presented at the poster symposium is ultimately published in leading scientific journals, further setting students on a path to academic success and greater impact.
“The poster competition continues to serve as an important platform for students to build confidence, engage with the research community, and view themselves as emerging researchers,” Dr. Paliwal said.
During Research Week, a panel of judges evaluated each student on their poster’s clarity and insight. That afternoon, students presented their posters to the public at a reception sponsored by Bioscience Association Manitoba. Winners were announced two days later at the Flipped 3MT event.
“When the results were announced and most of the winners were women, it was more than a victory—it was a reminder that the future of science shines brightest when every voice is empowered to lead,” said Dr. Melanie Martin, Acting Associate Dean of Science.
Nicole Valencia took first place in the Experimental Physical Sciences category with a poster entitled, “Spaghetti, neurons, and diffusion MRI, oh my! A Monte Carlo simulator for increased accuracy in axon diameter measurements.”
“It’s always fun to see all the unique research happening in the University, especially from the other departments,” Nicole said. “Participating in the poster symposium is a great way to test how well you know your own project, so being able to present my work to a general audience helps me develop my communication skills. My favourite part of the symposium is getting to see the judges’ faces light up when they get excited about your project as much as you are.”
First place in the Social Sciences category went to Olivia Shyiak, whose poster was titled, “The development of beliefs about pretend possibilities.”
Brandon Wittmeier took first place in the Mathematical and Theoretical Physical Sciences category with his poster, “New Models of the Universe: A No Boundary Perspective.”
Hope Human’s “Molecular Wingmen: Characterizing Drosophila melanogaster seminal fluid proteins” claimed first place in the Biological Sciences category.
Elena Ashett and Salem Roby topped the Ecological and Environmental Sciences category with their entry, “Risky Business: Water Health and the Unknown Impact of Lithium Mining in Northern Manitoba.”
The Manitoba Medical Service Foundation sponsored the Health Sciences category. Meleena Grewal captured first place with “MEVs to the Rescue: Human milk has nanovesicles that can improve liver health in children.”
A full list of winners can be found below.
Social Sciences
- First Place: Olivia Shyiak
- Second Place: Lauren Waldman
- Third Place: Adi Keynan
- Fourth Place: Safia Soussi Gounni
Biological Sciences
- First Place: Hope Human
- Second Place: Kiara Eggerman
- Third Place: Ifeoluwaposimi Olowola
- Fourth Place: Leena Tetrault
Ecological and Environmental Sciences (sponsored by the Research Office)
- First Place: Elena Ashett and Salem Roby
- Second Place: Tia Plawicki
- Third Place: Allyza Tabirara
- Fourth Place: Claire Davis
Experimental Physical Sciences
- First Place: Nicole Valencia
- Second Place: Tyrone Reimer
- Third Place: Anna Harms
- Fourth Place: Simon Pankratz
Mathematical and Theoretical Physical Sciences
- First place: Brandon Wittmeier
- Second place: Smit Panchal
- Third place: Akshdeep Gill
Health Sciences (sponsored by the Manitoba Medical Service Foundation)
- First place: Meleena Grewal
- Second place: Kyra Hodges
- Third place: Dristi Rauniyar
- Fourth Place: Lucy MacDougall
