Bradley Hinzte was the sole Utah participant in this year's Posters on the Hill in Washington D.C.

Sixty research students from across the country traveled to Washington D.C. on May 5to participate in the Conference on Undergraduate Research’s Posters on the Hill event. USU’s Bradley Hintze was among those in attendance this year and has the only student researcher representing the state of Utah.

Posters on the Hill is an annual conference that highlights some of the best undergraduate researchers and their faculty advisors. The researchers meet with their elected representatives to discuss their specific projects and the contribution of undergraduate research to university education.

“I enjoyed the fact that we were able to meet with Senators Bennett and Hatch and Representative Matheson to discuss the importance of research in an undergraduate’s academic career,” said Hintze. “I hope that when a bill comes before the legislature about research funding, they will remember what we discussed.”

After meeting with Utah’s representatives, Hintze presented his research on structural biology at a poster session. Structural biology deals with deciphering the structure of proteins at atomic resolution. His focus was the creation of a suite of computer programs that assist in determining the structure of low-resolution proteins.

“We’re getting information that’s never been known,” said Hintze. “That fascinates me.”

“As a new administration and congress talk more than ever about the importance of research and its ability to drive innovation and economy, this event and these visits are timely and crucial to the mission of CUR: to support and promote high-quality undergraduate student-faculty collaborative research and scholarship,” said Robin Potochnik, senior director of communications at CUR.

Hintze was accompanied to the conference by his faculty mentor, Sean Johnson, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry.

“Brad’s dedication to science is clear,” said Johnson. “He is one of the most inquisitive students I have ever met, and his influence is felt throughout our department. One of the top performing students in our departmental courses, Brad is constantly sought out by other students who are struggling to understand the coursework.”

Overall, Hintze was glad for the experiences he had at Posters on the Hill.

“I learned the importance of contacting your legislators about issues you care about,” said Hintze.  “Most basic research funding comes from federal agencies whose budgets are determined by congress.  To undergraduates, I would implore you to pursue undergraduate research or internships. These opportunities provide learning experiences that cannot be duplicated in the classroom or even teaching labs. Be excited about research!"

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