NC State CVM debuts undergraduate research symposium: full analysis

NC State’s College of Veterinary Medicine is putting more structure around its undergraduate research pipeline, holding its first dedicated undergraduate research symposium for students working in Centennial Biomedical Campus labs. Nineteen students presented flash talks and posters on projects spanning cancer cell biomechanics, wildlife genetics, and mechanisms tied to neurologic disease, with three winners and three honorable mentions selected in a judged format focused not just on data, but on how well students communicated the significance of their work. The event took place April 21, 2026. (cvm.ncsu.edu)

The move builds on a longer-running effort at NC State to bring undergraduates into a veterinary research environment that is otherwise centered on graduate and professional education. According to the college, undergraduates had previously been able to participate in the CVM’s Annual Research Forum, but this was the first symposium designed specifically around undergraduate researchers. The college also says participation in its undergraduate research program has been growing under Dean Kathryn Meurs, who launched the program to give students earlier exposure to high-level biomedical research. (cvm.ncsu.edu)

That broader infrastructure is already in place. NC State’s College of Veterinary Medicine describes its Undergraduate Research Program as training for highly motivated students interested in biomedical research, with mentorship from faculty, senior graduate students, postdoctoral associates, and research technicians. The program is open to sophomores and above with at least a 3.35 GPA, and students may be eligible for elective credit, though the experience itself is unpaid. The college also positions undergraduate engagement alongside pre-veterinary advising and other early-professional exposure programs, suggesting a deliberate strategy to connect research training with future veterinary career development. (cvm.ncsu.edu)

In the symposium announcement, Shannon Brooks, a research training specialist, said the event was distinct because it focused specifically on research conducted by the college’s undergraduate students. Organizers said judges came from multiple research disciplines and evaluated students on how clearly they explained their thinking, data, conclusions, and practical applications. The event also included a keynote from Fred Gould, distinguished professor emeritus of entomology, on how people form opinions about new genetic engineering technologies. Winners were Noah Guertin, Sabrina Yeh, and Niva Rajpara, all from the Amit Sharma lab in the Department of Population Health and Pathobiology. (cvm.ncsu.edu)

The college’s own commentary emphasized communication as much as bench work. Hannah Lee, a Ph.D. student and one of the organizers, said presentation and discussion opportunities are crucial to undergraduate researcher development, while associate professor Laurianne Van Landeghem coordinated the symposium as a venue for students to practice those skills and celebrate their work. That emphasis aligns with a broader reality in veterinary medicine: research training is increasingly valuable not only for academic careers, but also for clinicians expected to interpret emerging evidence, communicate uncertainty, and translate science for colleagues and pet parents. (cvm.ncsu.edu)

Why it matters: On its face, this is a campus event. But for veterinary professionals, it reflects a bigger workforce and training issue: how the field identifies future clinician-scientists and gives them meaningful exposure early enough to shape career decisions. Dedicated undergraduate research experiences can strengthen the pipeline into DVM-Ph.D. tracks, internships, residencies, and research-heavy clinical careers. They may also help colleges recruit students who are comfortable with evidence generation, not just evidence consumption. In an environment where veterinary medicine continues to intersect with translational science, public health, genetics, oncology, and wildlife disease, those skills matter well beyond academia. This is an inference based on the college’s stated goals and program design. (cvm.ncsu.edu)

There are also practical signals here for veterinary schools and teaching hospitals. NC State’s model combines lab placement, multi-level mentorship, symposium participation, and connections to pre-veterinary advising. That kind of structure may be more replicable than creating entirely new degree programs, especially for institutions trying to widen the funnel into research without major curricular overhaul. The fact that the symposium centered on communication of real-world application, rather than only technical rigor, is especially relevant for a profession that increasingly needs people who can move between the lab, the clinic, and public-facing conversations. (cvm.ncsu.edu)

What to watch: The next question is whether NC State formalizes this symposium as a recurring annual event and whether it leads to measurable outcomes, such as more undergraduate placements, stronger progression into veterinary or graduate training, or broader adoption of similar models at other colleges of veterinary medicine. (cvm.ncsu.edu)