We are excited to announce the recipients of the 2024 Rick Riolo Memorial Undergraduate Research Prize!
In first place is Yifan Li (Cheops) and Denisa Vlasceanu with their project, "Immune Cancer Interaction with N Dimensional Continuous Adversarial Mutation". Advised by Professor Ruby Kim, Cheops and Denisa investigated cancer immune interaction with agent based modelling. The model specifically focuses on how neutral genetic mutation allows cancer to repeatedly rebound from population collapses. Cheops is an honors mathematics student with a minor in complex systems and Denisa is a mathematics major.
Tied for second place is Christopher Harding and Zhane Yamin. Christopher’s project titled “Data-Driven Modeling of U.S. Ideological Dynamics” impressed the committee. Alongside David Sabin-Miller, the project involved the development of a dynamical model to simulate ideological dynamics within the U.S. political spectrum. The model has the potential to predict catastrophic outcomes and to inform effective intervention strategies. Christopher is an honors physics major with a minor in computer science and continues to collaborate with David Sabin-Miller on this project.
Working with Complex Systems Professor Jeff Dunworth, Zhane Yamin’s project titled, “A Network Analysis of Pro-Palestine Activism at the University of Michigan” explored the network of a student organization at the University of Michigan during recent organized protests. The paper seeks to provide some sort of modeling basis for activist networks and to better understand how these organizations are formed in the first place. Zhane is a physics major with a minor in complex systems.
Congratulations to all award recipients and a special thank you to the faculty who supported these students in their projects!
To support the Rick Riolo Memorial Fund, visit https://giving.umich.edu/um/w/rick-riolo-memorial-fund-700788.
