Approximately 90 undergraduate students from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Leeward Community College and other universities across the nation showcased their research and creative projects at the 2025 Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Symposium on August 1.
Hosted annually by the UH Mānoa Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), the event featured oral and poster presentations at the Hawaiʻi Imin International Conference Center.
“The symposium reflects the breadth and depth of student scholarship across all disciplines at UH Mānoa, as well as the university’s profile as an institution of academic excellence,” said UROP Program Coordinator Noah Perales-Estoesta. “As a land-grant and R1 university, UH Mānoa has a three-part mission to advance student education, promote research and serve the broader public. UROP is very proud to administer programming like the SURE Symposium that supports every part of that mission.”
Students presented research and creative work on topics including the potential of generative AI for personalized language learning and persistent organic pollutants in the waters of Pearl Harbor. Their projects also included studies on sustainable agriculture and the impact of performing arts as an interdisciplinary experience.
Presenters included UROP funding recipients, participants in National Science Foundation-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates and participants in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience’s new Summer Research Institute.
UH President Wendy Hensel and UH Mānoa Interim Provost Vassilis Syrmos delivered opening remarks, highlighting the value of undergraduate research and creative work.
UROP funding support
Each year, UROP awards more than $500,000 in merit-based scholarships directly to students to support mentored undergraduate research and creative work projects and presentations. An additional $135,000 is awarded directly to mentors to support undergraduate research and creative work during the summer. The SURE Symposium is one of several regular on-campus presentation venues organized/co-organized by UROP. During the fall and spring semesters, UROP co-organizes the Undergraduate Showcase with the Honors Program.
