Real-World Impact: Undergraduate Students Showcase Research and Creative Activities at Annual Symposium
Learners participating in this year’s Research and Creative Activities Symposium share about their work—and why it’s important.
From cutting-edge 3D printing techniques, to the impacts of microenvironments on lung cancer, to forming a singer-songwriter band, the Research and Creative Activities Symposium (RaCAS) showcases the breadth and importance of undergraduate research and creative opportunities at CU Denver.
More than 280 students will participate in the annual event—which celebrates 29 years on Friday, April 24, at the Lola & Rob Salazar Student Wellness Center gymnasium. CU Denver employees and community members volunteer their time to review the students’ written and verbal presentations and provide feedback. The event is one of the many ways CU Denver supports community-engaged research and creative work and helps learners prepare for their future careers.
Below, meet two of this year’s RaCAS presenters.
Meet JazMia Victorian
Studying: Information systems with an emphasis in management
Expected Graduation: Fall 2026
Mentor: Summer Zixia Cao, associate professor of marketing
About: Raised south of Denver in Castle Rock, Victorian transferred to CU Denver in the fall of 2025 in large part for the First-Generation and Multicultural (FaM) Business Program. The program helped Victorian—a first-generation student herself—get connected to many resources, including the EURēCA! Grant Program, which supports student-initiated research under the mentorship of a faculty member. “I always felt like I had people I could go to,” Victorian said. “CU Denver is a place where people want to see you grow.”
Research Highlights: Victorian is working with the Business School’s Marketing Department to utilize technology that automates market research, with a focus on large companies and consumer fraud. Her research uses coding to streamline data collection, which could help analyze a company’s behavior and support future research and decision-making related to economic, social, and governance impact. “This research helps marketing departments work more efficiently and reduces the amount of manpower,” Victorian said.
Favorite Part of the Process: “I didn’t even know that I could do research as an undergraduate, so that’s been amazing,” said Victorian. “I cannot impact my communities without seeing more of them. This project helps me do exactly that.”
Meet Daniel Skhisov
Studying: Biology
Expected Graduation: Spring 2027
Mentor: Lynn Heasley, professor of craniofacial biology
About: Born and raised in Denver, Skhisov always had his sights set on becoming a doctor. He chose CU Denver for its health care program, as well as its proximity to CU Anschutz and local hospitals. During his first year on campus, his friend invited him to an interest meeting hosted by the CU Denver Dental Association, and his career goals shifted. “I liked the fact that I could quickly solve people’s problems,” said Skhisov, who is now the treasurer of the CU Denver Dental Association and aspires to become a dentist specializing in oral surgery.
Research Highlights: In Heasley’s lab, Skhisov is using non-human models (the study does not involve clinical tests) to study how cancerous tumors and the immune system respond to specific cancer drugs. “What I’m studying is how the immune environment changes,” Skhisov said. “You can get a better understanding of the effect the drugs are having on a tumor, whether the drug is working with the immune system to reduce the tumor or if the drug is reducing the tumor on its own.”
Favorite Part of the Process: “It’s been great being able to work with really knowledgeable people who understand so much more about the research process,” Skhisov said.