From innovative research to original startup ideas, CSU students demonstrated both their creativity and real-world problem-solving skills at the CSU competitions closing out this academic year. Read about the winners of the 2026 CSU Student Research Competition, CSU Grad Slam and Sunstone CSU Startup Launch.
CSU Student Research Competition
Winners at the 2026 CSU Student Research Competition. (Photo courtesy SJSU/Robert Bain)
San José State hosted the 40th annual
CSU Student Research Competition April 23-25, drawing undergraduate and graduate student competitors from all the CSU's universities. The event showcased student research, scholarship and creative work across 10 categories, three of which were separated by graduate and undergraduate divisions:
- Behavioral, Social Sciences and Public Administration
- Biological and Agricultural Sciences
- Business, Economics and Hospitality Management
- Creative Arts and Design
- Education
- Engineering and Computer Science
- Health, Nutrition and Clinical Sciences
- Humanities and Letters
- Interdisciplinary
- Physical and Mathematical Sciences
Among this year's winners was Cal Poly Pomona graduate student
Jocelyne Argueta, who earned first place in the Health, Nutrition and Clinical Sciences category for her research on stabilizing naturally derived food dyes. CSUN senior
Kurt Trocino took first in the undergraduate division of the Engineering and Computer Science category for his work with Professor Peter Bishay's Smart Prosthetics research-based senior design project, which is designing a prosthetic arm.
The 2026 competition also marked the debut of the AI-Enabled Research Award, introduced through a partnership between the CSU Information Technology Services and the CSU AI Workforce Acceleration Board. The new award recognizes a student in each category, where applicable, who employed artificial intelligence in innovative, ethical and effective ways within their research.
“As AI transforms every academic discipline, it’s critical that we empower students to use these tools thoughtfully and responsibly," said Peter Mosinskis, chief strategy and governance officer of Information Technology Services at the CSU Chancellor's Office. "This award celebrates research that pairs technical creativity with a strong commitment to student-centered innovation.” Mosinskis presented the awards at the competition.
Ultimately, the new recognition was awarded to students in nine categories. Cal State Fullerton undergrad
Kshitij Pingle took home the award in the Interdisciplinary category for his work developing a low-cost, AI-driven system to monitor honeybees' pollen collection to track ecosystem health. In the Behavioral, Social Sciences and Public Administration category, Chico State undergrad
Marley Wood-Pilkinton earned the award for her research on student use of AI. Cal State LA biochemistry major
Nathan Venegas was recognized in the Physical and Mathematical Sciences category for his analysis of microplastics and related contaminants in Southern California beaches using AI.
Significantly,
San Francisco State students received five awards, the highest total among all CSU campuses, including one first-place award, three second-place awards and one AI-Enabled Research Award.
See this year's winners.
CSU Grad Slam
From left: 2026 CSU Grad Slam winners Aa'ishah Riaz, Amber Peek and Gurmeet Kaur.
On May 1, 40 graduate students across 20 CSU campuses competed virtually in the
2026 CSU Grad Slam hosted by Cal State Fullerton. The competition involves presenting thesis research in an engaging three-minute pitch for a general audience. Following the six preliminary sessions, the top two competitors from each group advanced to the final round to determine the winners.
First place was awarded to
Aa'ishah Riaz, master's student in chemistry at Cal State East Bay. Her presentation, “Why Browning Matters: The Secret Behind Food Waste," explored the science behind browning in mushrooms due to polyphenol oxidase and how that enzymatic process drives food waste by impacting the produce's appearance, quality and consumer acceptance. Riaz is also a recipient of the
CSU Agricultural Research Institute's NEXTGEN Student Fellowship, which provides students with paid research and internship opportunities and workshops in communicating their research work.
Cal State Long Beach Master's Student in Biochemistry
Amber Peek took second place at the competition. Peek's research, “Fruit fly – A Model to Study Aspirin as a Drug to Prevent Colon Cancer" looks at how studying tumor development in fruit flies can help determine the impact of Aspirin in preventing colon cancer and reducing the need for chemotherapy. Notably, they also took first place in the graduate division of the Biological and Agricultural Sciences category at the CSU Student Research Competition.
Finally, the Audience Choice Award was presented to
Gurmeet Kaur, master's student in biological sciences at Cal State San Bernardino. Her project, “CRAd-S-pk7: Weaponizing a Virus Against Ovarian Cancer," focused on an innovative cancer treatment approach that targets cancer cells without impacting the health, strength and quality of life of the patient.
“This recognition means so much to me, especially because it came from the audience,"
Kaur wrote on LinkedIn. “Thank you to everyone who listened, engaged and connected with my work. My presentation, 'CRAd-S-pk7: Weaponizing a Virus Against Ovarian Cancer,' represents a journey driven by curiosity, resilience and a deep commitment to advancing cancer therapeutics."
See this year's winners.
Sunstone CSU Startup Launch
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo graduates Addie Bounds and Kiara Robichaud secured the grand prize at the 2026 Sunstone CSU Startup Launch with their startup, ELORA. Pictured from left: Master of Ceremonies and Founder of Smart Hustle Media and ZoneofGenius.com Ramon Ray, Sunstone Management Economic Development Manager Jayro Sandoval, Addie Bounds, Kiara Robichaud and CSUN Center for Social and Technology Entrepreneurship Executive Director Joanne Scillitoe. (Photo courtesy CSUN/David Hawkins)
The 2026
Sunstone CSU Startup Launch brought together student entrepreneurs from 15 CSUs May 7-8 for a two-day showcase and competition hosted by CSUN's Center for Social and Technology Entrepreneurship. Sponsored by the Sunstone Community Fund—the philanthropic arm of Sunstone Management—the event supports early-stage ventures from teams of students and recent graduates who compete for $200,000 in seed funding.
“Hosting the Sunstone CSU Startup Launch Competition highlights Nazarian College's growing leadership in entrepreneurship and our commitment to providing students with real-world, hands-on experiences,"
said Chandra Subramaniam, dean of CSUN's David Nazarian College of Business and Economics. “It also shows how we are helping students take their ideas from the classroom and turn them into something real with support from faculty, industry leaders and the broader CSU community."
The event featured two phases of competition. All teams first participated in a “trade show"-style expo where 30 judges evaluated the startups and selected the top three winners in each of five tracks: AI and Digital Technology, Hardware and Consumer Products, Health and Wellness, Service-Based Businesses and Social Impact. The first-, second- and third-place winners received $20,000, $10,000 and $5,000, respectively. The first-place winners of each track then delivered an on-stage pitch followed by a Q&A session with judges to compete for the grand prize of an additional $20,000—for a total of $40,000. A prize of $5,000 was also awarded to an Audience Choice winner.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo startup team,
ELORA, earned the competition's grand prize this year after capturing first place in the Hardware and Consumer Products track. Founded by Cal Poly graduates Addie Bounds and Kiara Robichaud, ELORA is developing jewelry equipped with drug-detection technology designed to help prevent drink spiking. If harmful substances are detected, the device can discreetly alert the wearer and trusted contacts. The team was part of the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship's
2025 Summer Accelerator program, an intensive 12-week program that helps students and recent graduates turn their startup ideas into a scalable company.
See this year's winners.