Riley Tucker and Stevan Jovanovic take top honors at UW-Parkside WiSys Quick Pitch competition
Kenosha, Wis.—UW-Parkside students Riley Tucker and Stevan Jovanovic earned first place and the 
people’s choice award at the WiSys Quick Pitch competition held on campus in April 2025.
Their winning pitch, “Development of Next-Generation Superconducting Electronic Devices,” highlighted their groundbreaking research using high-temperature superconductors and novel electrical insulators to improve efficiency in sectors such as quantum computing, deep-space missions, and biomedical imaging. Their work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and involved collaboration with UW-Madison, the University of Michigan, and Ames Laboratory.
Tucker and Jovanovic will go on to represent UW-Parkside at the WiSys Quick Pitch State Final during the WiSys SPARK Symposium at UW-Madison this July.
Second place went to Samantha Esp for her pitch, “The Effect of Sense of Agency on Voluntary Motor Action,” which explored how a person’s perceived control over their actions may impact neural activity. By analyzing EEG recordings from a Libet-style motor task, the study contributes to broader debates on free will and the neuroscience of decision-making.
Additional participants in the UW-Parkside Quick Pitch 2025 competition included:
• Jack Burleson, “The Neural Architecture of Deception, Persuasion, and Cognitive Workload”
• Jose Herrera, “An EEG Investigation of Sleep Quality, Memory, and Executive Function”
• Juan Meza, “Bridging Business Development to Small Business Enterprises”
Judges for the event included:
• Dr. Lynn D. Akey, Chancellor, University of Wisconsin–Parkside
• Dr. Amber Handy, Associate Vice Provost and faculty member in the History Department
• Dr. Theresa Castor, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Professor of Communication
The WiSys Quick Pitch program encourages students to share their research in a concise, engaging three-minute pitch. It provides a platform to sharpen public speaking skills, translate complex ideas for broader audiences, and celebrate student innovation.
To view photos from the event, click here. Thank you to Laura Mason at UW-Parkside for attending the event and sharing the pictures. To learn more about WiSys Quick Pitch, click here. For questions about Quick Pitch, please contact Margot DeBaker, Regional Intellectual Property and Licensing Associate, at mdebaker@wisys.org.
Since its founding in 1968, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside has been a trusted partner for the region’s higher educational needs, empowering students to thrive, advancing applied knowledge, and developing talent for the future. The university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as certificates and pre-professional programs, designed to foster personal and professional growth through real-world and impactful learning experiences. Located in the dynamic Chicago-Milwaukee corridor, UW-Parkside offers unmatched access to world-class internships, professional networks, and endless career-building opportunities, placing students at the center of it all.
Media contact:
Derek Fye
Communications Manager
University of Wisconsin-Parkside
Fye@uwp.edu | (262) 771-5419