When asked about being the grand prize winner, Jason Davis ’25 shared his deep gratitude to UGAR, his advisor Viola Stoermer, and previous Dartmouth researchers who have gone on to do great things, such as Erica, who’s now at Yale in Dr. Turk-Browne’s lab.

I am extremely devoted to a career in science. I haven’t always felt like the most creative person, but I wanted to challenge myself to talk about a topic that I really care about.

Science nowadays can be quite technical and esoteric, which is understandable once you reach a certain level of expertise. But at the same time, communicating your ideas clearly is a skill that should be applied appropriately, including the trailblazers of a discipline. At the end of the day, we are all learning new ideas and new constructs, and it is important to have scientists who can formulate their ideas precisely and coherently. Thus, I wanted to take on this challenge to see if I could do that as a researcher.

I’ve played soccer for 16 years. Even though I didn’t achieve all of my goals during my career, I believe that the wisdom from such an experience is crucial for me to draw upon. It is incredible that not only is my experience as a player so applicable to my research, but people are beginning to align themselves with my investigation. 

I sincerely appreciate UGAR for selecting me and my story for this year’s competition. It is truly such a privilege, considering the number of promising researchers with innovative stories to tell at Dartmouth. It is inspiring to know that I am in a group of such distinguished and talented researchers who have gone on to continue research after Dartmouth.

Thank you to those who have supported me in my research career, especially my mother, my father, and Viola Stoermer, who inspired me to submit a video. It is exciting that I am making science exciting!

Serag Elagamy ’24, one of this year’s winners, used equipment offered by JMC to help produce his short film. 

"It’s an honor to be selected as a winner…Just goes to show how giving Dartmouth can be to any eager person who wants to learn something and show it to the world."

As a first-year student, Katherine Jia, ’27, also feels honored that she and her fellow researchers have had all their skills, “amazingness,” and hard work recognized.

She feels fortunate to work with people who have opened her eyes to the world of research. She continues, “I’m even more grateful to learn from them, gain knowledge, and ask questions I hadn’t even thought about before.”