UConn Undergrads Dominate Big East Research Contest

UConn team wins top honors at Big East Undergraduate Research Symposium held at Madison Square Garden

Mar. 19, 2026 at 5:56am

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A team of UConn undergraduate researchers earned first place in the poster contest at the Big East Undergraduate Research Symposium, which was held concurrently with the Big East men's basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden. The UConn team, selected by the Office of Undergraduate Research and the Honors Program, represented a wide array of research topics and was honored during the Big East men's basketball final.

Why it matters

The Big East Undergraduate Research Symposium celebrates academic achievement among the conference's top students, providing an opportunity for undergraduates to showcase their research and be recognized for their hard work. UConn's victory highlights the university's strength in undergraduate research and its ability to cultivate talented young scholars.

The details

At the symposium, each Big East school was represented by five student posters. UConn's all-star team, which included seniors from a variety of majors, earned the top team award after impressing the judges with their presentations and camaraderie. Individual honors went to Hailey DeWalt '26, who won first place in the STEM category for her research on antimicrobial defense of Hawaiian bobtail squid eggs.

  • The Big East Undergraduate Research Symposium was held on March 14, 2026, concurrently with the Big East men's basketball tournament.
  • UConn's victory was celebrated during the Big East men's basketball final later that evening between the Huskies and the St. John's Red Storm.

The players

Micah Heumann

Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research at UConn.

Jennifer Lease Butts

Associate provost and director of the Honors Program at UConn.

Radenka Maric

President of the University of Connecticut.

Pamir Alpay

Interim provost at the University of Connecticut.

Hailey DeWalt

A molecular and cell biology major at UConn who won first place in the STEM category for her research on antimicrobial defense of Hawaiian bobtail squid eggs.

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What they’re saying

“Our students had such great camaraderie and support for one another. They were less interested in winning for themselves than they were about seeing their peers succeed.”

— Micah Heumann, Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research at UConn

“If you had told me as a freshman that I would be presenting my own independent research project at Madison Square Garden and representing UConn, I would have been shocked. Research is one of those fields where so much work happens behind the scenes, late nights in the lab, troubleshooting methods, and going over results with mentors, so opportunities where we can come together and celebrate that work are really special.”

— Hailey DeWalt, Molecular and cell biology major at UConn

“I am grateful for the faculty who mentored our students and the staff from OUR and the Honors Program who made this opportunity possible for them. It's thrilling to watch our Huskies become academic champions and earn the recognition they deserve.”

— Jennifer Lease Butts, Associate provost and director of the Honors Program at UConn

What’s next

The UConn team's victory will be celebrated at the university's upcoming commencement ceremony, where the students will be recognized for their academic achievements.

The takeaway

UConn's dominance at the Big East Undergraduate Research Symposium showcases the university's commitment to fostering a culture of academic excellence and providing its students with meaningful research opportunities. This victory reinforces UConn's reputation as a top-tier institution that nurtures the next generation of scholars and innovators.