UK team selected for national research advocacy program

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 17, 2025) — A University of Kentucky team has been selected for the 2025-26 Scholars Transforming Through Research (STR) Program of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). The five-month program culminates in a two-day event March 2026 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Founded in 1978, CUR is a nonprofit association promoting high-quality and collaborative undergraduate research, scholarship and creative activity. It offers support for the professional growth of faculty and administrators through conferences and volunteer positions. CUR’s STR Program is a competitive application-based professional development opportunity for teams with a campus representative and one to three undergraduate students.

The UK team will join 38 other teams in developing communication and advocacy skills to engage with stakeholder groups. The team will learn how to advocate for the impact of research with media contacts, community members, funding agencies and governmental representatives.

UK’s STR Program participants are Jesi Jones-Bowman, administrative director in the Office of Undergraduate Research, and Grant Fischer, Julianne Sharpe and Austin Trotter, undergraduate students and Research Ambassadors.

“Translating the value of research can be a challenge, but it must be clearly and effectively communicated in order to build support,” Jones-Bowman said. “UK’s goal for the participating STR program students is that they will learn how to successfully become advocates, have the opportunity to share their dynamic and engaging undergraduate research and connect with national leaders and representatives to invoke change.”

The three participating students’ research will address advocacy efforts relating to energy, health care and social issues.

Grant Fischer, electrical engineering and Lewis Honors College senior, conducts research in the SPARK laboratory with Dan Ionel, Ph.D., in the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering. Fischer began research his sophomore year and has had the opportunity to collaborate with national laboratories, regional electric utilities and industry and academic professionals at international conferences. His current research focuses on energy storage systems to manage transient data center loads and PHIL testing for energy-intensive residential devices.

“Through these opportunities, I have learned how to communicate my research clearly and collaborate effectively with others to advance new ideas,” Fischer said. “In my research, I can apply coursework to pressing challenges facing the electrical power grid, such as improving grid resiliency.” 

Julianne Sharpe, biology and Lewis Honors College senior, conducts research with Gregory Jicha, M.D., Ph.D., in UK’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, housed in the UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging. Since starting research her freshman year, Sharpe has participated in the Duke Amgen Scholar program, served as a Research Ambassador, won the 2024 5-Minute Fast Track Research Competition and was awarded the 2025 College of Arts and Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

“Research has been transformative as an undergraduate because it has shown me how I can tangibly contribute to the fight against dementia, a disease that impacts millions of families, including my own,” Sharpe said. “Whether that be through conducting traditional experiments in a clinic or using my public speaking skills from years of (speech and debate) experience to raise awareness on dementia prevention, research has shown me how to make a difference through advocacy and scholarship.”

Austin Trotter, neuroscience and psychology senior, conducts substance use research alongside mentor Martha Tillson, Ph.D., in the Center on Drug and Alcohol Research (CDAR). CDAR conducts research into the biological, psychological, sociopolitical and clinical aspects of substance use disorder and related behavior. As an undergraduate, Trotter conducted research in the fields of neuroscience, psychology and sociology. He has served as a Research Ambassador for two years, presented his research at national and local conferences and received the 2025 Commonwealth Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) Fellowship supported by the Substance Use Priority Research Area.

“My research involves interviewing people with substance use disorders,” Trotter said. “By hearing their stories, I have developed a much deeper empathy for those with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. The excellent mentorship I have experienced as an undergraduate researcher encouraged me to think critically, present at national conferences and advocate to prevent and reduce the burdens of substance use disorders on individuals, communities and society.”

For more about the program and the full list of participants, visit CUR’s STR Program page and the official 2025 participant announcement.