September 28, 2015 For Immediate Release The Origins Project Announces $50,000 Awarded to Outstanding ASU Undergraduates and Faculty Mentors Tempe, AZ - The Origins Project is pleased to announce the winners of the inaugural Undergraduate Research Scholarship. These scholarship funds for joint research projects between ASU undergraduates and their faculty mentors consist of a $5,000 research fund for both the student and their mentor, for a total of $10,000 awarded per project. Winners of the $10,000 research project funding include Astrophysics student Michael Busch and mentor Judd Bowman, Economics and Biochemistry student Alexi Choueiri and mentor Jason Newbern, Physics and Mathematics student Aditya Dhumuntarao and mentor Maulik Parikh, Anthropology and Geological Sciences student Alexandra Norwood and mentor Michael Smith, and Biomedical Engineering student Nitish Peela and mentor Mehdi Nikkhah. "The Origins Project is providing a wonderful opportunity to support aspiring scientists with undergraduate research funding," said one of the student winners Alexi Choueiri. "My faculty mentor and I are very grateful and excited to pursue our research goal of elucidating the origins of the brain. I strongly believe this award will cultivate me as a scientist and a scholar. It is a privilege to have the Origins Project here at Arizona State University!" Choueiri's mentor Jason Newbern agreed, saying "we are extremely honored to have the opportunity to contribute to The Origins Project mission by unraveling the complex origins of neural circuitry. I look forward to the fantastic mentoring opportunity made possible by this award and preparing the next generation of innovative neuroscientists." "The Origins Project was established at ASU in part to encourage ASU undergraduates to explore foundational questions as they pursue their studies, and to encourage new research opportunities in forefront areas of interest across the full spectrum of sch