Students launch UK’s 3rd edition of undergrad research journal

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 22, 2026) — Undergraduate students at the University of Kentucky who participate in research under the guidance of faculty mentors have the opportunity to publish and broadly share the outcomes of their work and collaborative experiences. The third edition of Aperture Journal of Undergraduate Research (AJUR) is now available and highlights the projects of 15 student-professor partnerships.

Published by the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR), the annual, open-access, peer- and expert-reviewed journal showcases the rich scholarship conducted by UK undergraduates by publishing reports of their unique experiential endeavors.

“Aperture is unique because it is interdisciplinary,” said Gracie Burrows, a 2026 physics graduate and co-editor-in-chief. “The journal represents the truly exciting range of research driven by undergraduate students at UK, from nuclear physics to charcoal illustrations. In an increasingly specialized world, Aperture’s message is terrifically important.”

Founded in June 2023, AJUR is an entirely student-led publication dedicated to undergraduate scholarship. Aperture only accepts submissions of original work conducted and written by current or recent undergraduate students.

“Aperture represents the passion and academic curiosity of undergraduate students across the University of Kentucky,” said Janat Khan, a 2026 marketing graduate and co-editor-in-chief. “Being part of a student-led publication makes the experience especially meaningful because it is driven by students’ perspectives while contributing to a collaborative academic community that values creativity and interdisciplinary work.”

AJUR’s third edition includes:

• Victoria Bravo, 2026 international studies and Spanish graduate; mentor: Haralambos Symeonidis, College of Arts and Sciences. “Guarani-Spanish Bilingualism in Buenos Aires: Identity Negotiation, Cultural Confrontation, and Linguistic Practices.”

• Bella Butler, 2026 political science graduate; mentor: Austin Lillywhite, College of Arts and Sciences. “Polarized Fields: The Politicization of Migrant Farmworkers in the Trump Era.”

• Apirada Chetawatee, 2026 product design and Lewis Honors College graduate; mentor: Kristi Bartlett, College of Design. “Closing the Loop: A Second Life for Ricebag Packaging.”

• Natalie Fogt, 2025 nursing graduate; mentor: Martha Tillson, College of Medicine. “Examining the stigma surrounding prescribed medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder: A qualitative analysis.”

• Rea Franks, 2026 psychology and gender and women’s studies graduate; mentor: Rachel Farr, College of Arts and Sciences; “Encore: A Monologue.”

• Benjamin Gorton, physics junior; mentor: Christopher Crawford, College of Arts and Sciences. “In Search of Mirror Neutrons: Prototyping a Tri-Helical Coil with a Longitudinally Tunable Uniform Omnidirectional Field.”

• Eli Hamm, human health sciences and Lewis Honors College junior; mentor: Lucy Hollingsworth Williamson, College of Health Sciences. “Green Spaces in Lexington, Kentucky: A Case Study in Community Health.”

• Charles McClelland, finance and community leadership and development junior; mentor: Christopher Kirkwood, Ph.D. candidate, College of Arts and Sciences. “A State Left Behind: How Political Corruption and Corporate Capture Shaped West Virginia’s Decline.”

• Rebekah McIntosh, 2026 neuroscience graduate; mentor: Robin Cooper, College of Arts and Sciences. “The Effect of Bacterial Toxin Lipopolysaccharide on Neuronal Circuit Function.”

• Ethan Todd Mueller, physics and mathematics sophomore; mentor: Ronald Wilhelm, College of Arts and Sciences. “Photometric Analysis of Recurrent Nova T Coronae Borealis.”

• Katie Neglia, Human Health Sciences and Lewis Honors College; mentor: Robin Cooper, College of Arts and Sciences. “Chlorpromazine and the Birth of Pharmacology.”

• Genesis Peña-Lozada, 2025 media arts and studies, Spanish and history graduate; mentor: Tracy Campbell, College of Arts and Sciences. “To Defy the Order of Injustice: How Civil Rights Legislation Failed, and the Limits of Vice Presidential Power, 1949.”

• Aayusha Regmi, neuroscience junior; mentor: Brandy Scalise, College of Arts and Sciences. “Managing Workload and Burnout Among Physician Assistants.”

• Mani Shahzad, kinesiology and Lewis Honors College junior; mentor: Ernie Rimer, Director of Sport Science for University of Louisville Athletics. “Subjective Effort Modulation of Ground Reaction Forces in Athletic Movements.”

• Austin Trotter, 2026 neuroscience and psychology graduate; mentor: Martha Tillson, College of Medicine. “An Analysis of Substance-Use-Related Stigma: Understanding How Experiences of Stigma Influence Treatment Utilization.”

Read the digital issue of AJUR’s third issue online.

Learn more about Aperture at the OUR website.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and healthcare. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $1.02 billion research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.