Trinity Students Excited to Return to National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR)

Pictured above: Trinity Students Madison Ling (L) and Lorena Arnett (R) at NCUR. Photo by Clayton Carlson.

The National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) will take place on April 13-15 in Richmond, VA, and once again a cohort of students will represent Trinity Christian College at the prestigious event. Dr. Clayton Carlson, Professor of Biology and Chair of Sciences, started taking Trinity students to NCUR in 2014. This year, nine students were accepted to the conference from a variety of academic disciplines.

For several Trinity students, this will not be their first time at NCUR, and they are looking forward to returning. Lorena Arnett values the combination of research and social elements at the conference, “A highlight from NCUR would be meeting new people from schools all across the country and learning how their research process works. I also enjoyed spending time with other students from Trinity.” Since NCUR is held in different locations annually, travel and visiting cities outside of Chicago are part of the experience. Laila Gibson is looking forward to seeing Richmond. She also enjoys how the conference brings people together, especially other young researchers who are working on her own area of study: breast cancer. She notes, “My highlight from NCUR was being able to talk with students from around the country, working on projects similar to mine.  Three different students were working with the same breast cancer cell line as me! It was interesting seeing what other ideas people are researching.” Madison Ling is thinking past graduation with her involvement at the conference, “NCUR has had a meaningful impact on my long-term plans. It strengthened my ability to clearly and effectively communicate research findings. As I plan to attend medical school, the experience also demonstrated my sustained involvement in research and further strengthened my resume.” The 2026 returning and first-time presenters at NCUR are poised for another amazing experience.

For his part, Dr. Carlson expects that this year’s participants will make him proud, as Trinity’s students usually do at NCUR. “It is a reminder that we do good work. Walking through the poster session, I can see what research looks like across the nation, and Trinity does well.”

As Trinity Christian College prepares for NCUR, the enthusiasm of our students shines through. This year’s conference will celebrate research and collaboration, highlighting the impressive work at Trinity and beyond.

Trinity Student Laila Gibson at NCUR. Photo by Clayton Carlson.