Undergraduate college researchers in all disciplines are invited to participate in the upcoming 13th Annual Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research scheduled for Nov. 19 at the University of California, Riverside.

Students wishing to participate must have a faculty mentor and must fill out a presentation and abstract submission form by Oct. 17. Forms are available by going to the SCCUR Web site., by contacting Chris Foster, Director of Undergraduate Research at the Bourns College of Engineering at (951) 827-2708, or sending an email message to sccur@ucr.edu.

The annual conference is expected to draw about 1,000 students and their faculty mentors from more than 90 colleges and universities from throughout the southwestern United States and nationwide, Foster said. Students from the performing arts, to science and engineering fields are invited to participate.

"For many students, this conference is their first opportunity to shine, to demonstrate their research, synthesize their finding and present them to colleagues and mentors alike," Foster said.

UCR Conference organizers include the Office of Research, the Office of Undergraduate Academic Programs, the Graduate Division and the campus academic colleges. Organizers have received a $25,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to help pay for the conference, which includes oral and poster presentations of original research, scholarly activities and creative endeavors.

Keynote speaker Tina Nova received her Ph.D. in biochemistry from UCR in 1982 and is the president, chief executive officer and director of Genoptix, Inc. based in San Diego, the latest of four biotechnology companies she has co-founded over the past 17 years.