UT Tyler Pre-Med Student Recognized at State Science Conference
March 5, 2026 | Hannah Buchanan
Mercy Nnaeme of Tyler, a junior biology and psychology double major at The University of Texas at Tyler, placed first for her undergraduate research poster in the conservation ecology category
at the 2026 Texas Academy of Science Conference recently held on campus. Nnaeme received
a cash prize in the amount of $50.
Based on data gathered from a study abroad trip last spring where UT Tyler students studied conservation biology in Ecuador, Nnaeme’s poster examined how nectar concentration influences feeding behavior and energy intake in free-ranging hummingbirds. Her faculty mentor is Dr. Josh Banta, UT Tyler professor of biology.
“Mercy represented UT Tyler and the college extremely well, and I congratulate her on this accomplishment,” said Dr. Neil Gray, dean of the UT Tyler College of Arts and Sciences. “I also want to thank Dr. Banta and the biology faculty for their unwavering support of our students.”
Using field observations conducted in Ecuador’s Andean Cloud Forest, Nnaeme analyzed how different sugar concentrations affect how hummingbirds feed and how efficiently they obtain energy. Her work highlighted the trade-offs animals face when foraging and showed how differences in body size and feeding strategy shape how species use the same resources.
A native of Nigeria, Nnaeme will graduate next spring with a UT Tyler Bachelor of Science in biology and psychology. After graduation, she plans to attend medical school and become a doctor. Her hobbies include travel and fashion design.
With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 11,500 students. Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.