Faculty Showcase Connects Students With 34 Research Labs

Undergraduates met faculty from biological sciences to fine arts at a campus research showcase, while On Track to Wellness received a grant of almost $4 million.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Nutrition

Photograph of a plain wooden lab bench with a microscope and clear beakers in warm window light, with fresh vegetables at the edge of the frame. — Faculty from 34 research labs met undergraduates at a campus showcase on Tuesday, while On Track to Wellness received a grant of almost $4 million for Alabama family nutrition programs. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should universities expand undergraduate research opportunities for students?

The Office for Undergraduate Research hosted the Faculty Research Showcase in the Student Center Ballroom on Tuesday, featuring 34 faculty labs and organizations seeking undergraduate researchers. Separately, On Track to Wellness received a grant of almost $4 million to support its Building Healthy Families and Double Up Food Bucks Alabama programs.

Why it matters

The showcase gives undergraduates direct access to faculty research across disciplines, while the grant expands nutrition and family-health programming that serves Alabama residents.

Thirty-four faculty labs and organizations exhibited at the showcase seeking undergraduate researchers, and On Track to Wellness was awarded almost $4 million. The source does not report student attendance figures or a breakdown of how the grant will be allocated between programs.

The players

Office for Undergraduate Research

The university office that organizes undergraduate research opportunities and offers research ambassadors students can book online for appointments.

On Track to Wellness

A nonprofit organization focused on family health and nutrition that runs the Building Healthy Families and Double Up Food Bucks Alabama programs.

The details

Undergraduates visited tables staffed by faculty and received business cards, pamphlets and new contacts, with fields ranging from biological and life sciences to fine arts and humanities represented. Faculty participants included Nilesh Kumar of the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering and Janet Brown of the Capstone College of Nursing.

Tuesday: Faculty Research Showcase held in the Student Center Ballroom

Program Expansion

The grant extends the Double Up Food Bucks model, which matches SNAP dollars spent on produce, into Alabama through a dedicated nonprofit partner. It positions On Track to Wellness to scale that nutrition-access work alongside its family health programming.

Families enrolled in SNAP in Alabama may find additional matching benefits for fruits and vegetables through the expanded program. Undergraduates interested in health research can book appointments with research ambassadors through the Office for Undergraduate Research.

The takeaway

Community nutrition programs depend on sustained funding and university-community partnerships, and the On Track to Wellness grant shows how those pieces can connect. Readers interested in food access can follow how Double Up Food Bucks programs are funded and delivered in their own state.