Hundreds of the nation’s top undergraduate scholars converged at Rice University this October for the 2025 Gulf Coast Undergraduate Research Symposium (GCURS), a showcase of discovery that brought together more than 300 presenters representing 38 states and several countries.
Hosted annually by Rice’s Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, the symposium is designed to help emerging scientists sharpen one of the most vital skills in research: communication. Instead of poster sessions, GCURS invites undergraduates to step to the podium, explain their work and field questions from faculty and graduate-student mentors.
“Every fall, Rice University opens its doors to hundreds of the best undergraduate researchers from across the country,” said Seiichi Matsuda, dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies. “We built GCURS on one idea, that clearly communicating your research is an essential skill for graduate school and a life in discovery.”
Matsuda said what makes the event distinctive is its focus on mentorship. “After every talk, our faculty and graduate-student mentors confer with participants, coaching them, giving feedback and helping them grow in a positive, supportive environment,” he said. “It’s about building confidence as much as it is about building knowledge.”
A Platform for Emerging Scholars
The event drew over 120 Goldwater Scholars, seven Fulbright recipients and other top academic awardees. John Mateja, president of the Goldwater Scholarship Foundation, called GCURS one of the nation’s premier opportunities for undergraduate researchers.
“Effective communication of research is vital in science,” Mateja said. “The work these students are doing is simply amazing. GCURS offers them the chance to present their results, answer questions from the audience and gain the kind of experience that shapes future careers in research.”
For many students, that experience marks a turning point. “I love that this isn’t a traditional symposium or poster session,” said Clara Oxford, a senior marine science major at Eckerd College. “You get to interact and explain your work to so many other scholars who all have the same objective; we want to learn from each other.”
From Houston to the World
Undergraduates from across the country and around the globe described GCURS as both rigorous and inspiring. “It’s very student-oriented; a great first place to present, get that practice and build confidence,” said Martin Kojouharov of the University of Texas at Austin. “Cool crowd, great atmosphere, good university.”
“Research is at the foundation of being able to help people out,” added Sanjeev Medam, also from UT Austin. “All the treatments and cures you see start from the lab and grow upward. Being part of that is a huge accomplishment.”
For Giovanna Romero, a mechatronics engineering major from Mexico, GCURS offered something more: encouragement to continue.
“It’s not like the average presentation where someone’s trying to demotivate you,” she said. “Here, they encourage you to keep going. All the people who come here have something in common: passion. You take that passion back to your country, to your university, and keep it going forward.”
Building Pathways to Graduate Study
Beyond the presentations, participants attended panels with Rice graduate students and faculty, gaining insight into academic careers and the graduate application process. Many said the experience strengthened their resolve to pursue advanced study.
“There are many problems in the world and research gives you the opportunity to explore, understand the gaps, and put everything you know into action for the benefit of others,” Romero said.
About GCURS
Founded in 2008, Rice University hosts the Gulf Coast Undergraduate Research Symposium each fall and is supported by departments across campus. The 2025 symposium featured oral presentations in more than 25 disciplines, from chemistry and engineering to astrophysics and the social sciences. To view photos from the event, please visit here.