Each spring, master’s and doctoral students across UC Merced’s 18 graduate groups are invited to contend in the campus’s Grad Slam Finals. They are given three minutes and one visual slide to present their research to a panel of non-specialist judges.
This year’s competition will take place during Research Week on Wednesday, March 12, in the Dr. Vikram and Priya Lakireddy Grand Ballroom in the Conference Center.
From the 22 video submissions received, the judges narrowed it down to nine finalists, listed in alphabetical order:
-
Adekunle Adewole, Chemistry and Chemical Biology
-
Michael Difrieri, Mechanical Engineering
-
Alex Hartzler, Mechanical Engineering
-
Helia Hosseinpour, Cognitive and Information Sciences
-
Dong Yoon Lee, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
-
Laura Lopez, Quantitative and Systems Biology
-
Zachary Malone, Environmental Systems
-
Shubham Rohal, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
-
Demtrius Zulevic, Chemistry and Chemical Biology
“Congratulations to our finalists. And to all participants who successfully completed the 2025 Grad Slam Qualifying Rounds — your hard work and dedication are truly commendable,” Vice Provost and Graduate Dean Hrant Hratchian said. “We encourage all participants to return next year, as Grad Slam offers an excellent opportunity for professional development.”
He added a special thank you to faculty judges professors Ashlie Martini and Andrea Merg, and staff judges for their time and expertise.
All are encouraged to attend Grad Slam and cheer on the finalists. Doors open at 3 p.m., and the competition begins at 3:30 p.m.
The campus champion will receive a $6,000 prize and will represent UC Merced in the systemwide competition on April 29 in Sacramento.
Public Information Officer
