Undergraduate Research Program Directors Division · Undergraduate Research Program Directors...

Undergraduate Research Program Directors Division

Nominee: Tasneem Ashraf

Institution: Cochise College Community, Sierra Vista, AZ

Institution Name: Cochise College

Type of Institution (eg R1, Community College, HBCU, etc): Community College

Institution City and State: Sierra Vista, AZ

Position Title: Director- Virtual Campus

Supplemental Position Title (Use if you have a teaching position as well as administrative): Biology Associate

Faculty

Institutional affiliation and noteworthy positions (limit 50 words): Employee of Cochise College; director of virtual

campus; five years as department chair of sciences; eighteen years in teaching face to face, blended and online

classes, pioneer in establishing undergraduate research opportunity at the institution, presentation at CCURI poster

session in Mesa, AZ; Washington, DC and National Collegiate National Council.

Noteworthy grants received/professional accomplishments: (limit 100 words): • Community College

Undergraduate Research Initiative, National Poster Session, Washington D.C 2014.

• Community College Undergraduate Research Initiative, Poster Session, Mesa 2014.

• Community College Undergraduate Research Initiative National Conference, March 2013.

• Established Undergraduate Research Cochise College, 2012

• Develop Inquiry based laboratory protocol for Bean Beetle _ A Research Workshop, Atlanta, 2012.

• NISOD Faculty Award, Teaching and learning 2010, Austin TX.

• Great Teachers Academy, Cochise College, 2009-2010

• Leadership Academy, Cochise College, 2008-2009

Relevant publications or presentations (limit 3)Highlight any undergraduate co-authors with an asterisk (*): •

Cochise College ‘Chemical Hygiene Plan”, April 2014.

• Poster presentation “a comparison of protein extraction protocols for bean beetle protein analysis”, CCURI poster

presentation, February 2014.

• Poster presentation “an evaluation of extracted proteins from bean beetle” September 2014.

In what professional activities related to undergraduate research have you engaged over the last five years?

(limit 200 words): Since 2011 spearheaded Undergraduate research at Cochise College using Bean Beetles

(Callosobruchus maculatus; Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) as a model organism. The goal is to develop

inquiry based laboratory experiments that will be used by undergraduate institutions across the country. In these inquiry

based laboratories undergraduate students will perform real research during their classes as they pose questions and

hypotheses and develop protocols to test their questions. Research is currently being done on Bean Beetles to develop

the laboratory exercises that will be used. The research is in the field of genetics and developmental biology and

involves studies of life history as well as proteomics of bean beetles. This is an exciting opportunity for undergraduate

students to become involved in real research. Involvement will not only increase a student’s knowledge and

appreciation of biology but it will assist them as they move on to other institutions of higher learning. Two posters have

been presented since this research was mentored by me.

As a leader within the URPD, in what ways might you work toward promoting connections among UR

Directors and the sharing of ideas, resources, best practices?: I have been faculty member for 17 years and have

just moved to a new role of Director of the Virtual Campus. I find I have many qualities that will help streamline the

URPD.

i. Strategic Planning- My strength is to envision a creative strategic think tank plan, I am proud to establish UR this at

my institution.

ii. Interface and create partnership- between District, Community, and local Universities

iii. Faculty Issues- Being a faculty member for a very long time, I understand the issues that faculty face at institutions.

iv. Budgeting- Any project requires oversight of budget and to be transparent.

v. Well respected and very personable personality-this helps in communication with internal and external personals.


CUR has articulated five “strategic pillars” (listed below) to guide its work in the coming years. Describe

how your experience/knowledge could be of value to the mission of the Council broadly. (limit 250 words):

Established Undergraduate Research initiative at the college. Recent financial aid changes has made this difficult for

students to register in research as a standalone course. Research is now built in the curriculum for Majors in General

Biology courses. The students take two semester courses and few laboratory protocols have been replaced by the

existing research project.

In an attempt to institutionalize undergraduate research at Cochise beyond the end of CCURI funding, participating

faculty planned a strong effort toward establishing collaborative efforts with local institutions . The goal is to provide a

network of programs and local institutions that are willing to feed students into our program, or sponsor research

experiences.

The students that worked with me during the last two years of implementation were excited to be a part of the

research. They really became engaged and active participants in the research. I could tell that they were owning the

research and making it their own. Instead of simply following instructions from the advisors they discussed ideas and

brainstormed with the advisors about the best methods to use and came up with many ideas of their own.

It will be an ongoing process and probably one of the biggest challenges will be making itself sustaining. So far the

faculty members involved are carrying the load but if they stepped out the program would fail. Involving new faculty and

getting others engaged will be very important. Agreement between our VP of administration and CCURI was one of the

biggest barriers.


Nominee: Mrs. Edna Caston

Institution: Jackson State University, Jackson, MS

Title: Director of UG Research

Institution Name: Jackson State university

Type of Institution (eg R1, Community College, HBCU, etc): HBCU

Institution City and State: Jackson, Mississippi

Position Title: Program Coordinator of Center for Undergraduate Research

Institutional affiliation and noteworthy positions (limit 50 words): Coordinator - Center for Undergraduate

Research (CUR)

Member – Search Committee for the Vice President of Research and Federal Relations

Member - Retention Advisory Board

Member - Foundations of Excellence Committee

Board Member- Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities Institute of Epidemiology and Health Services

Research

Noteworthy grants received/professional accomplishments: (limit 100 words): My first accomplishment with the

Center for Undergraduate Research was the expansion of activities related to the Annual Research Conference . At

this conference a total of ninety-six students presented during research presentations, panel discussions, and poster

sessions with one student participating from another university.

Collaboration with the Summer Bridge Program resulted in 37 incoming freshman students participating in a six- week

mini research session.

Relevant publications or presentations (limit 3)Highlight any undergraduate co-authors with an asterisk (*):

During the 2013 Mississippi Advisor’s Meeting (MAM), I presented a workshop on the topic: "Effective Advisement,

Development and Retention via the JSU Center for Undergraduate Research". The objective of this workshop was to

discuss research opportunities that can be made available to students and offered through the JSU Center for

Undergraduate Research.

June 19-21, 2014, I presented at the HBCU Student Success Summit on the topic: "Under the Microscope:

Undergraduate Research". This workshop was designed to engage colleagues at HBCUs in discussions to promote

best practices, and to share innovative programs, practices, and projects that are effective at increasing student

recruitment, retention and graduation.


(limit 200 words): Attended the Biennial National CUR Conference , June 28-July 1, 2014, Washington, D.C.

Served as a judge with the Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities Institute of Epidemiology and Health

Services Research Annual Conference where I was responsible for reviewing and selecting student abstracts and

judging student research posters.

Collaborated with two representatives from Prairie View University to discuss the establishment of a Center for

Undergraduate Research on their campus using our model for their design.

Collaborated with representatives of the Summer Bridge Program and the Richard Wright Writing Center to develop a

Summer Research Project. A total of thirty-seven (37) students volunteered to participate in the initiative that paired

them with four CUR faculty mentors. The students were divided into teams where they met with the mentor to develop

mini research projects. The students made poster presentations during their recognition program.

Hosted two annual conferences sponsored by the Center to showcase each faculty mentor’s research project with the

student researchers as the presenters. This conference brings together the community of undergraduate scholars in

events that include oral presentations, panel discussions, a poster session and interactive sessions.



Directors and the sharing of ideas, resources, best practices?: As a leader, I would like to work towards

establishing connections with other Undergraduate Research Directors by maybe hosting quarterly conference calls;

establishing a two page Q & A newsletter to provide opportunities for simple questions to be asked of those who have

experience and are willing to share their best practice ideas. The development of conference calls or newsletter would

allow for more personal dialogue with each other.

I met representatives from Prairie View University who were seeking information about starting an undergraduate

program that was not attached to STEM. I was honored recently when they came to our campus to discuss in depth

how we established and operate our Center for Undergraduate Research. There may be other URPD who would be

willing to share their program’s operations with others.

I believe that an exchange of ideas, experiences and best practices discussions should not have to wait until there is a

conference.



The JSU Center for Undergraduate Research (CUR) supports a teacher-scholar model, in which faculty are expected

to regularly produce research that is recognized by their peers and includes the critical elements of effective

undergraduate research mentorship and productivity.

Many of JSU’s final semester courses focus on a major project that requires research , statistical analysis and

communication skills. It is my belief that curriculums should be developed that include capstone projects as a key way

of integrating undergraduate research into the curriculum. The opportunity for the student to participate in research

projects with different mentors, with an interdisciplinary team, or in projects that draw upon multidisciplinary practices

provides expanded learning and experience.

As a means of measuring the impact of undergraduate research, I have identified several areas that we will assess for

this project which include: recruitment and retention of the student researcher; student learning outcomes;

curriculum-based research/capstone projects; research presentations; and faculty/student publications.

Students majoring in all of the academic colleges have opportunities to participate in faculty mentored research

activities. This design offers undergraduate research to a more diverse audience of student researchers and other

underrepresented groups and faculty mentors who are not a part of other university research projects.

Through collaborations with the Summer Bridge Program and the Richard Wright Writing Center , a Summer

Research component was added to the program designed especially for the incoming freshman that would introduce

them to various components of research.


Nominee: Dr. Donna Chamely-Wiik

Institution: Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL

Institution Name: Florida Atlantic University

Type of Institution (eg R1, Community College, HBCU, etc): High Research Activity, Doctoral Granting Institution

Institution City and State: Boca Raton, Florida

Position Title: Director, Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry

Supplemental Position Title (Use if you have a teaching position as well as administrative): Associate Scientist,

Chemistry and Biochemistry and Director of University Quality Enhancement Plan

Institutional affiliation and noteworthy positions (limit 50 words): Founding Director of the Office of

Undergraduate Research and Inquiry, Director of the University Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) and faculty in the

Department of Chemistry at Florida Atlantic University. I also serve on the University Research Council and University

Honors council at FAU.

Noteworthy grants received/professional accomplishments: (limit 100 words): Project ChemBOND: The Next

Generation, National Science Foundation-GK-12 Grant, $2,558,552, D. Chamely-Wiik (PI), 2007- 2015,

The Research, Advancement & Innovation for Scientific Excellence – Undergrad Pipelines: RAISE UP Planning Grants

for NIH Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) Initiative (P20), $150,000, D. Chamely-Wiik (Key personnel),

2013

Shifting Responsibilities: When Chemistry Replaces First-Year College Writing, National Science Foundation

$149,363, D. Chamely-Wiik (Co-PI),2007- 2011

Professional Accomplishments:

Presidents Leadership Award, Florida Atlantic University, 2013

Faculty Club Advisor of the Year Award, Florida Atlantic University, 2014

Distinguished Alumni Award, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Florida Atlantic University, 2013

Relevant publications or presentations (limit 3)Highlight any undergraduate co-authors with an asterisk (*): 1.

Chamely-Wiik, D., Holman, M., Kirsch, P., Meeroff, D., and Peluso, J. Scaffolding the development of student

research skills for capstone experiences: A multi-disciplinary approach. Council of Undergraduate Research Quarterly,

2014, 34(4), 18-25, 2014.

2. Chamely-Wiik, D., Haky, J., Louda, D., Romance. “SQER3: A Instructional Framework for Using Scientific Inquiry to

Design Classroom Demonstrations.” Journal of Chemical Education, 2014, 91 (3), 329–33, 2014.

3. Chamely-Wiik, D. Haky, J., Galin J. “From Bhopal to Cold Fusion: A Case Study Approach to Writing Assignments

in Honors General Chemistry.” Journal of Chemical Education, 89 (4), 502–508, 2012.


(limit 200 words): - 2011-2013 Led the development of FAU’s comprehensive 6-year plan to expand a culture of

undergraduate research and inquiry through our QEP. SACSCOC onsite team found zero recommendations with FAU’

s QEP and plan and has lauded FAU’s QEP as an exemplar of best practices for other institutions to model .

- 2013-present Founding Director, Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry (www.fau.edu/ouri) and currently

implementing the plan.

- published articles in the area of undergraduate research and inquiry and STEM education

- Presented regionally and nationally on Undergraduate research topics such as integrating research into the

curriculum as well as establishing an undergraduate research program which includes curricular and co-curricular

programs.

- Directly responsibility for the following programs: faculty curriculum grants program, student undergraduate

research grants, Summer undergraduate research fellowship, undergraduate symposium, journal, student peer

mentors and student club, workshop series

- Work closely with faculty to integrate research into the curriculum and write federal grants which include involving

undergraduates in research.

- Organizing committee for the Life Sciences South Florida Undergraduate Research Symposium 2012-present.

- Mentor of undergraduate students in chemistry and through independent research projects in chemistry and

chemical education



Directors and the sharing of ideas, resources, best practices?: - Research for all disciplines: FAU’s

undergraduate research program is one which supports all colleges and programs. Expanding best practices on

incorporating colleges such as Business etc would be important.

- Curriculum: I would also like to continue working with other leaders to expand ways to engage students in research

from all disciplines and through both faculty mentored experiences within and outside of the curriculum.

- Best Practices: When establishing our program here through the QEP, I looked to CUR to adapt best practices based

on the literature. It was most helpful to me. I would like to pay that forward by continued sharing of best practices and

collaborating with other faculty to publish on undergraduate research key topics to disseminate to a wider audience.

- Assessment: Providing best practices and establishing exemplars of ways to assess undergraduate research

participation, not only number of students but measurable ways to evaluate student learning.

Statewide and regional symposia: In Florida, Kim Schneider has already established a wonderful consortium of URPD

through an annual symposium held at UCF each year. It has been really helpful for me as we have only recently

established our office here. I would be interested in supporting these kinds of activities in other states, as well as

expanding to include larger consortiums such as a South East etc.. currently done in other organization such as the

American Chemical Society.



Curriculum—I recently published our efforts (CUR Quarterly Summer 14) with capstone experiences and honors

programs. I work with faculty and departments across many colleges on integrating research experiences (through

specific targeted learning outcomes) into the curriculum including both lower and upper division courses. I am in the

process of establishing a Research Intensive course designation here at FAU to credit faculty for research intensive

experiences within coursework. We have implemented a scaffolded model based on the literature for faculty to

integrate research into the curriculum in a sequential fashion which builds on exposure all the way to intensive

experiences. Next year I will be working with General Education (IFP) faculty to integrate research exposure elements

into the general education requirements.

• Assessment— FAU has established rubrics for evaluating student learning outcomes based on research

assignments. These rubrics are designed for evaluating students in courses. Rubrics have also been established for

evaluating student presentations at showcase events. As an institution we have also established a plan to identify

“Culture shift” towards a more engaged campus which supports undergraduate research practices.

• Diversity—FAU was designated the most diverse campus in the SUS system. In addition our research model is

research for all and not limited to the sciences or to strictly honors programs.

• Innovation—currently collaborating with a new initative here at FAU Tech Runway ,

http://business.fau.edu/centers/adams-center/tech-runway/index.aspx#.VEAG5k10yUk to integrate more the ideas of

research and innovation and entrepreneurship.

• Internationalization—I would like to learn more about this area as an international myself.


Nominee: Dr. Charles W Gunnels IV

Institution: Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL

Institution Name: Florida Gulf Coast University

Type of Institution (eg R1, Community College, HBCU, etc): Regional Comprehensive University

Institution City and State: Fort Myers, FL

Position Title: Associate Professor

Supplemental Position Title (Use if you have a teaching position as well as administrative): Director of the

Office of Undergraduate Scholarship and QEP

Institutional affiliation and noteworthy positions (limit 50 words): - Director of the Office of Undergraduate

Scholarship and Quality Enhancement Plan (FGCUScholars: Writing, Critical Thinking, and Information Literacy): 2015

- FGCU Faculty Senate Vice President: 2013 – present

- Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed Board of Trustee: 2011 – present

- Biology BA Program Leader: 2010 – present

Noteworthy grants received/professional accomplishments: (limit 100 words): Grants

- FGCU Multi-Disciplinary Research Initiative 2013 – 2014 (2013 – 2014: $15,000): Co-PI: Dr. Nicola Foote: Science

and Society in the Galapagos Islands.

- Southwest Florida Community Foundation (2009 – 2012: $25,000): Co-PI: Drs. Sean Kelly & Tunde Szecsi: Florida

Gulf Coast University Honors Program’s Humane Research Group

Professional Accomplishments

- Junior Faculty Teaching Excellence Award: 2010-2011

- Individual Faculty Service Excellence Award: 2012-2013


Foote N & Gunnels CW (in press) Exploring Early Human-Animal Encounters in the Galapagos Islands Using a

Historical Zoology Approach, in Animals and History: Finding the Non-Human Factor in the Past, editor: Susan Nance,

Syracuse University Press.

2. Lahey Z* & Gunnels CW (2013) Effects of native landscaping using Sabal palmetto on urban arthropod biodiversity .

Florida Scientist. 76(3/4) 363-377.

3. Dutcher K*, Codes A*, Gunnels CW (2011) Child behavioral patterns that trigger shelter canine bites. International

Society for Anthrozoology Meeting, Human-Animal Interactions: Challenges and Rewards, Indianapolis, IN (Invited

Poster Presentation).


(limit 200 words): I have mentored 50 plus undergraduate research students over the past 5 years on projects that

were inspired by either the student or my interests. I always developed full collaborations so that students gained a

thorough understanding of the project and academic culture. This strategy has proven successful, including 15 student

grants and 16 presentations as well as 3 publications that included 8 undergraduate co-authors.

I expanded my efforts recently to facilitate undergraduate research opportunities across the university . I led the writing

team that submitted a proposal focused on undergraduate research for the university’s next Quality Enhancement Plan

(QEP). Even though this effort was rejected in favor of a plan centered on writing , critical thinking, and information

literacy, I continued to seek involvement with the development of the QEP because of the positive effect that this

program would have on students. I worked with the steering committee to focus the QEP on undergraduate

scholarship as the vehicle to enhance student writing, critical thinking, and information literacy thereby creating the best

of both worlds. I will now lead the QEP as the Director of the Office of Undergraduate Scholarship , which is a newly

minted unit at FGCU.



Directors and the sharing of ideas, resources, best practices?: The development and mentoring of undergraduate

research has blossomed and matured over the past decades. Despite this growth, the identification of fully

generalizable ideas and practices has proven impractical, as each undergraduate research program is essentially a

case study influenced by the particularities of the institution and environment. This reality makes the Undergraduate

Research Program Directors Division especially valuable as individuals from across the country can share first-hand

experiences, insights, and perspectives in a collective effort to maximize the effectiveness of all programs .

I would contribute by employing a combination of listening, speaking, and scholarship. I am particularly excited about

the biennial conferences. Similar events have been some of the most important experiences in the development of my

thinking and career. For example, I began the grass-roots effort to develop an office of undergraduate research at

FGCU after attending a CUR conference and then a Project Kaleidoscope Summer Leadership Institute. That effort

has now resulted in the creation of the Office of Undergraduate Scholarship . I have also created and utilized distance

communication, such as social media, message boards, and online surveys, to continue the conversation. Online

surveys have been particularly important to identify a collective voice and represent shared goals. For example, I

created a bi-weekly survey of faculty members as Vice President to the FGCU Faculty Senate to help inform us about

our peers and their concerns. Creation of the senate survey produced wonderful results in the form of improved

communication and transparency within the Faculty Senate as well as has enhanced shared governance at FGCU.

Similar opportunities will be available within URPD.



My work aligns closely with CUR’s strategic pillars. For example, I developed a 2-semester capstone course in biology

that engages students in a meaningful undergraduate research experience within a large-format class, which has

ensured that every graduate received a high-quality research experience. Development of this course resulted from

assessments that I completed as the Biology BA program leader. As a program, we identified areas needing attention,

such as limited faculty research mentors. I will now lead the university-wide effort to incorporate student scholarship

into every program as the Director of Undergraduate Scholarship and Quality Enhancement Plan.

In addition, I have worked to expand undergraduate research opportunities across the different divisions and units at

FGCU. For example, I started the STEM Undergraduate Research and Internship Symposium that originally attracted

students from 2 programs. In four years, this event has grown to include students from 7 programs and 3 colleges as

well as students from the local community college. I have also worked with programs that have not traditionally

engaged undergraduate research at FGCU, such as the humanities. This effort led to the creation of a student journal,

Aquila, which attracted papers from history, literature, and sociology students.

I am now collaborating with our Office of Civic Engagement and Service Learning to foster civically minded student

research opportunities with non-profit organizations across SW Florida. For example, I led study abroad trips to the

Galapagos and Dominican Republic over the past three years that combined student scholarship and civic

engagement.


Nominee: Dr. Patrick J Killion

Institution: University of Maryland College Park Office of the Provost, College Park, MD

Institution Name: University of Maryland

Type of Institution (eg R1, Community College, HBCU, etc): R1

Institution City and State: College Park, MD

Position Title: Director of First-Year Research Programs

Supplemental Position Title (Use if you have a teaching position as well as administrative): Assistant Clinical

Professor of Cell Biology & Molecular Genetics

Institutional affiliation and noteworthy positions (limit 50 words): Director of First-Year Research Programs

Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President

University of Maryland

Assistant Clinical Professor

Department of Cell Biology & Molecular Genetics

College of Computational, Mathematics and Natural Sciences

Assistant Professor of Biology

Delaware Valley College

Research Educator

College of Natural Sciences

University of Texas

Noteworthy grants received/professional accomplishments: (limit 100 words): Lead PI: NSF STEM Talent

Expansion Program (STEP) $500K (Unfunded, in resubmission)

Lead PI: NSF Improving Undergraduate Education (IUSE) $2.1M (Unfunded, in resubmission)

Collaborative author on a number of funded NIH, NSF and HHMI research and education proposals.


FIRE: The First-Year Innovation & Research Experience

Transforming Stem Higher Education - October 2014

Indianapolis, Indiana

Undergraduate Research Programs: Lessons Learned Outside UT

Freshman Research Initiative Annual Conference - March 2014

University of Texas at Austin, Texas

Using Social Media Technology To Facilitate Community, Writing and Inquiry-Based Teaching

Faculty of the Future - August 2012

Bucks County Community College, Pennsylvania


(limit 200 words): I am the founding director of major new first-year research immersion initiative at the University of

Maryland - FIRE: The First-Year Innovation & Research Experience. I previously served as the founding Research

Educator of the Functional Genomics Research Stream of the UT Freshman Research Initiative and played significant

roles in UT FRI program administration. I joined the University of Maryland after serving as a Biology faculty member at

Delaware Valley College in Pennsylvania where I drove inquiry-based curricular reform, expanded

insitutionally-supported undergraduate research opportunities for students, an expanded experiential learning program

and extramural funding efforts across several STEM disciplines. I have served in leadership positions in both industry

and academic faculty roles and have experience coordinating and large programs within the framework of a larger

institution.



Directors and the sharing of ideas, resources, best practices?: I would like to bring operational best practices to

the forefront of UR Director conversations. We often focus the bulk of our discussions on the specifics of our student

interventions - what we do for and with students. This information is often publicly available and well documented. I

would like to champion the sharing of best UR Director operational practices - information we rarely discuss and never

publish. Such practices might include hiring, development and long-term facilitation of industry and external

organization partnerships, marketing, student recruitment, institutional integration and facilities development.



The University of Maryland recently reformed its General Education curriculum requirements to include a new category

called “Scholarship in Practice”. In Scholarship in Practice courses students have opportunities to experience

authentic work of a discipline. Faculty reveal the processes of their work whereby abstract knowledge is transferred

into a tangible form. This reform provided the perfect venue with which to align a new experiential learning program

(FIRE: The First-Year Innovation & Research Experience). I worked with faculty and administrators to align the

curriculum development of FIRE with this new General Education category to produce a suite of inquiry-based courses

that serve students and the institution.

With respect to diversity, the University of Maryland has a relatively high 43+% minority rate. The First- Year Innovation

& Research Experience (FIRE) broadly recruits across the entire demographic spectrum in order to facilitate maximal

inclusivity and access to inquiry-based opportunity.

The First-Year Innovation & Research Experience is uniquely located proximal to Washington D.C. This provides us

powerful access to a hub of potential national research institute, NGO and non-profit partner organizations. We are

actively working to build relationships with these organizations and seek to openly share details regarding the formation

and maintenance of these relationships.

We are actively working with the Maryland Office of International Affairs and the Universitas 21 initiative to develop and

deploy international research collaborations that facilitate student research, exchange and field opportunities.


Nominee: Ms. Pascale Lafrance

Institution: University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON

Institution Name: University of Ottawa

Type of Institution (eg R1, Community College, HBCU, etc): Research Intensive

Institution City and State: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Position Title: Director, Office of Undergraduate Research

Institutional affiliation and noteworthy positions (limit 50 words): Director, Office of Undergraduate Research

University of Ottawa, Canada

Noteworthy grants received/professional accomplishments: (limit 100 words): Founding Director of the Office of

Undergraduate Research at the University of Ottawa


Lafrance, P. «Initiating an International Research Exchange Program for Undergraduate Students: Challenges and

Benefits», Council on Undergraduate Research Windows of Opportunity Conference, poster presentation (June 2013)

Lafrance, P. et Heap, R. «Promoting a campus-wide undergraduate research program: challenges and opportunities»,

Council on Undergraduate Research Conference 2012 : Leveraging Uncertainty : Toward a New Generation of

Undergraduate Research, poster presentation (June 2012)


(limit 200 words): I have been involved in Undergraduate Research (UR) since 2010, when I implemented the UROP

initiative at the University of Ottawa, the first centrally managed UR program at this institution. Since that time, the

program has quickly grown, having more than doubled in less than 5 years. I led the creation of an office entirely

dedicated to promoting and facilitating UR. I organize a major annual symposium on campus where more than 300

undergraduate students present their research.

In 2012, I developed and implemented the Summer International Research Internship program for undergraduate

students. Through this initiative, several students travel every summer to conduct research abroad at partner

institutions in France, Germany and China.


Directors and the sharing of ideas, resources, best practices?: One of the major role I wish to play as a councillor

in the URPD division is to promote connections specifically among UR Directors in Canadian institutions. To that effect,

I am organizing a first meeting for the creation of a Canadian Network for Undergraduate Research on my campus in

February 2015. With this network, I hope to promote collaboration and sharing of best practices within Canada and with

CUR. Some of the first action items I wish to pursue include creating a student event at the Canadian Parliament as

well as initiating advocacy activities for support of UR in Canada.

As a current councillor, I have been involved on the editorial committee of the URPD Newsletter and will be co-chairing

sessions on Administration Nuts and Bolts at the 2015 Conference for Undergraduate Research Programs: Building,

Enhancing, Sustaining.



My main contribution goes to the Internationalization pillar. I am currently serving on the Internationalization Task Force.

As mentioned previously, I am actively working at connecting Canadian institutions among them and with CUR through

a Canadian Network for Undergraduate Research.

I am also organizing a colloquium on UR as part of the Entretiens Jacques Cartier, an international conference which

will be held in Lyon, France in November 2015. At this event, we will showcase UR from various perspectives, bringing

together speakers from France, Swiss, Canada, United States and more.


Nominee: Dr. Julie Lyon

Institution: Google People Operations, Mountain View, CA

Institution Name: Google

Type of Institution (eg R1, Community College, HBCU, etc): Industry (internet company)

Institution City and State: Mountain View, CA

Position Title: Learning Evaluation Program Manager

Institutional affiliation and noteworthy positions (limit 50 words): Google, Inc. (Aug. 2014 to present), Learning

Evaluation Program Manager

My job as Evaluation PM is to help People Development design evaluation strategies to measure the efficiency ,

effectiveness, and impact of learning at Google.

Roanoke College (2007 - 2014), Director of Undergraduate Research (2010-2014), Associate Professor of Business

Administration

Noteworthy grants received/professional accomplishments: (limit 100 words): - Tenured Associate Professor in

Business Administration.

- Won the Roanoke College Exemplary Teaching Award in 2011.

- Published in top journals, including the Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Critical Care, Journal on Excellence

in College Teaching (in press), and IJSOTL.

- Published several times on UR assessment, including twice in CUR Quarterly.

- Had 2:2 teaching load and served as Director of Undergraduate Research at Roanoke College (managed ~400

students/year across 15 departments). In four years, I increased numbers of students conducting research by over

40% and students presenting research by over 400%.

CUR Councilor for URPD (2013-present)


Blaney*, J. M., Filer, K., & Lyon, J. S. (2014). Assessing high impact practices using NVivo: An automated approach to

analyzing student reflections for program improvement. Research & Practice in Assessment, 9, 97-100.

http://www.rpajournal.com/dev/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/NIB.pdf

Anderson*, M. A., Filer, K., & Lyon, J. S. (2012) Undergraduate research on UR leads to college-wide change. CUR

Quarterly, 33(1), 8-12.

Adkins, D. R., & Lyon, J. S. (2012) Promoting research to the masses: Assessing the impact of a poster walk.

International Journal on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning , 6(2), 1-11.



(limit 200 words): - Served as CUR Councilor for URPD (2013-present)

- Published on UR assessment in CUR Quarterly, Research & Practice in Assessment, and the International Journal

on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

- Presented on UR assessment at conferences, including CUR Annual Conference (2014), NCUR faculty sessions

(2014), Virginia Assessment Group (2011, 2013), Pre-ISSOTL CUR symposium (2013), Lilly Conference on College

Teaching & Learning (2013), CUR’s Gateways to Best Practices for UR Program Directors (2011), Association for

Psychological Science (2011), SoTL Commons (2010).

- Served as Director of Undergraduate Research at Roanoke College (2010-2014)

--Managed all undergraduate research and training programs for the college. Reported to the Vice President for

Academic Affairs/Dean of the College.

--Managed ~400 students/year across 15 departments.

--In four years, I increased numbers of students conducting research by over 40% and students presenting research

by over 400%.

--Identified appropriate metrics for evaluating the impact of the research training programs. Worked with key

stakeholders to recommend and implement changes in training, resources, and interventions based on assessment

data.

--Presented to a variety of external audiences, including the President’s Community Advisory Group, the Parents

Advisory Council, and the Roanoke Financial Planners Association.


Directors and the sharing of ideas, resources, best practices?: I can continue to build on the connections that I’ve

already made within CUR and URPD in the past 4 years (since becoming a UR director and joining CUR). I continue to

present and publish on innovative ways to assess UR effectiveness (most recently a journal article that described our

approach to automating the qualitative coding of UR reflection essays using NVivo , which was well-received in poster

form at the last CUR annual conference).

Additionally, I think my personal strengths (via Gallup’s StrengthFinder assessment) make me a well-suited

boundary-spanner and connector of ideas and people. My number one strength has always been Input, which means

that I like collecting information and resources. I’m constantly devouring new information, articles, etc. and I get great

joy out of sharing the right resources with the right people, depending on their interest and need. My other strengths are

Achiever (aren’t we all), Learner (no surprise being an academic for 7 years before moving to Google), Futuristic (I love

thinking about possibilities and what *could* be), and Relator (which means that I am great at forming relationships with

others and keeping my network warm).

While I have less time now that I’m in the corporate world, I am deeply passionate about undergraduate research and

would really value the opportunity to stay connected with URPD and CUR.


how your experience/knowledge could be of value to the mission of the Council broadly. (limit 250 words): 1)

Assessment of the impact of UR. As an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist, and from my years as UR director and

as coordinator of assessment for my old department (Business Administration), I have a deep training and experience

in program assessment, particularly UR assessment. I have published several papers on this and plan to continue to

do so. My current position is essentially as a learning evaluation expert, so I continue to do this work and deepen my

own expertise each day.

2) Diversity and inclusion in UR. My other research stream in academia was focused on improving diversity in

organizations. I’ve published a top-cited journal article in my field and a recent book chapter on increasing applicants

pools to improve diversity in organizations. Suffice it to say, increasing diversity has been one of my interests and

research areas, and I am happy to help in applying that same research to CUR specifically.

3) Innovation and collaboration in UR. As someone who recently left academia to take a job at Google, I think I have an

interesting perspective both on how UR works within academia and how it is perceived outside of academia.


Nominee: Ms. Vanessa McRae MPA

Institution: Albany State University, Albany, GA

Institution Name: Albany State University

Type of Institution (eg R1, Community College, HBCU, etc): HBCU

Institution City and State: Albany, Georgia

Position Title: Undergraduate Research Program Director

Institutional affiliation and noteworthy positions (limit 50 words): Chair, Albany State University Undergraduate

Research Faculty Steering Committee

Albany State University Research Committee (voting member)

Albany State University’s Official Liaison for Campus Compact and Service Learning Coordinator appointed by the

President of the University

Albany State University Center of Excellence for Community Engagement Advisory Board

Noteworthy grants received/professional accomplishments: (limit 100 words): 2014 American Society of

Microbiology full travel award recipient for the ASM-Link Mentoring Strategies workshop and the 2014 Annual

Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS)

2014 Inaugural Presidential Research Grant Award Recipient

2013 Community-based Research proposal funded for $100,000

2014 Application selected to participate in the Integrating Undergraduate Research into the Curriculum CUR Institute


2014 Presented at the CUR Conference in Washington, D.C. on Implementing an Interdisciplinary Approach to

Undergraduate Research at Historically Black Institutions

2013 Co-authored: Implementing an Interdisciplinary Approach to Undergraduate Research at Historically Black

Institutions


(limit 200 words): 2015: CUR URPD Conference Co-Chair

2014: Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (Abstract reviewer and Poster Judge- Nov. 12-15)

2014: American Society of Microbiology- Link Mentoring Strategies Workshop (Nov. 11-13, 2014)

2014: Manuscript reviewer for the Council on Undergraduate Research

2014: CUR Liaison

2014: Presented at the 2014 CUR Biennial Conference

2014: NCUR Conference in Lexington, Kentucky

2014: CUR Integrating Undergraduate Research into the Curriculum Institute

2013: Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (Abstract reviewer and Poster Judge)

2013: Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students Facilitating Mentor Training for Biomedical

Researchers, Clinical and Translational Researchers

2013: CUR Conference, Windows of Opportunity: Undergraduate Research Conference

2012: Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (Abstract Reviewer and Poster Judge)

2012: CUR Conference, Leveraging Uncertainty: Toward a New Generation of Undergraduate Research

2011: Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students


Directors and the sharing of ideas, resources, best practices?: As a leader within URPD, ways in which I would

work towards promoting connections among UR Directors include, actively participating in the CUR-List-Serv of which

as a means of sharing information with other URPD members as well as inquiring about best practices and models of

which have been implemented at their institutions. I have and would continue to attend and actively participate in the

Biennial and URPD conferences and CUR Institutes as a presenter and attendee. In addition, I plan to submit to the

CUR Quarterly and other CUR publications.



how your experience/knowledge could be of value to the mission of the Council broadly. (limit 250 words): As

the Director of the Center for Undergraduate Research, I am currently incorporating CUR’s Five Strategic Pillars

through our UR program at Albany State University. As a result of attending CUR’s Integrating Undergraduate Research

into the Curriculum Institute, we have developed a model that will redefine the approach of which undergraduate

research is integrated into the curriculum at Albany State University . As part of this newly defined strategy, we are now

implementing UR learning communities. We will evaluate the impact and outcomes of our redefined strategy by

measuring the results on students GPAs, retention rates and graduate level studies. As we complete the assessment,

I plan to share the results with other URPDs. The Center for Undergraduate Research at Albany State University prides

itself on diversity and inclusion. We solicit proposals from all majors and disciplines across the campus . We promote

undergraduate research that range from community-based, interdisciplinary, creative arts to global studies. We

initiated our first community-based research call in 2013. The call allowed students to submit proposals on local and

national disparities including health, education, poverty and crime. The community -based initiative was very

successful in that it allowed the students and faculty to work closely with community constituents on issues affecting

our local communities. It also gave us an opportunity to have a member of congress to serve as our keynote for the

kick-off of that project. Our newest initiative involves students majoring in speech and theater and music education

working on interdisciplinary and community-based projects.


Nominee: Dr. MaryLynn T Quartaroli

Institution: Northern Arizona University UG Research & Creative Activity office, Flagstaff, AZ

Institution Name: Northern Arizona University


Institution City and State: Flagstaff, Arizona

Position Title: Coordinator, Office for UG Research & Creative Activity

Institutional affiliation and noteworthy positions (limit 50 words): Northern Arizona University (NAU)

• Coordinator: Office for Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity, University College

• Project Director: NEXUS Math/Science NAU grant, College of Education

• Visiting Assistant Professor, College of Education, Teaching & Learning Department

Co-founder/owner: Professional Evaluation & Assessment Consultants, LLC

Noteworthy grants received/professional accomplishments: (limit 100 words): Project Director: NEXUS

Math/Science NAU, Science Foundation Arizona grant ($750,000 for 3 years):

Coordinate the enhancement of math and science outreach activities to secondary students statewide (e-tools for Girls

Investigating Real Life Sciences Camp, Engineering Outreach Program, Summer Enrichment Program, Summer

Scholars, and Changes in Altitudes Balloon Satellite Program); author and/or co-author research papers and

manuscripts for publication and/or present at conferences.

External Evaluator: 7 grants (Arizona Department of Education Math-Science Partnership, United States Department of

Education Carol M. White Physical Education Program, Arizona Statewide Instructional Technology); 5 upper division

professional certification course reviews; 5 tribal air quality training programs.


Quartaroli, ML. T., & Hedegard, D. (June 30, 2014). Preliminary impact assessment of participation in undergraduate

research activities on cumulative GPA. CUR Creating the Citizens of Tomorrow: Undergraduate Research for All

conference. Renaissance Washington, Washington, DC.

2. Quartaroli, ML. T. (June 23, 2013). Interns-to-Scholars (I2S) pilot test: An initiative to increase early engagement in

research. CUR Windows of Opportunity for Undergraduate Research Program Directors conference. Chapman

University, Orange, CA.

3. Quartaroli, ML. T. (2012). Program evaluation. In S. D. Lapan, ML. T. Quartaroli, & F. J. Riemer (Eds.). Qualitative

research: An introduction to methods and designs. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.



(limit 200 words): As the Coordinator, my primary responsibility is to develop and expand the Office for Undergraduate

Research & Creative Activity (OURCA). Activities include the following:

1. Program Leadership: Develop opportunities for students to engage in mentored scholarly, creative, and/or research

projects; implement strategic marketing and fundraising plans; coordinate activities with other units on campus;

evaluate impacts of undergraduate research participation campus-wide; and represent OURCA with relevant campus

and community stakeholders.

2. Community of Undergraduate Research Scholars (COURS) Development: Recruit and train Student Undergraduate

Research Council members and graduate assistants; facilitate COURS seminars for undergraduates in all colleges;

work with campus-wide faculty to plan and oversee the Fall Showcase, Undergraduate Symposium, Hooper Poster

Presentations, and other scholarly presentation opportunities; create and edit our new online Journal for Undergraduate

Research and Creative Expression; teach an introduction to undergraduate research short course.

3. OURCA Grant Programs: Promote, administer, and assess our internally-funded undergraduate grant programs:

Hooper Undergraduate Research Awards, Interns-to-Scholars program, Student Travel Awards.

4. Faculty Mentor Development: Facilitate and implement opportunities for research mentor development through

internal workshops, community conversations, town halls, and panel discussions; identify and support faculty mentor

exemplars to disseminate their models for undergraduate mentoring in local and national settings.


Directors and the sharing of ideas, resources, best practices?: As a passionate believer in the benefits of

engaging in mentored research, scholarly, and/or creative projects as an undergraduate, I would be thrilled to serve as

a Councilor for the URPD division of CUR. My experiences at NAU, a public, high-research institution of 27,715

students (23,845 undergraduates) located in a geographically and culturally rich, small urban community has provided

insights into the opportunities and challenges of starting and expanding the OURCA that I am eager to share with

others.

By nature, I am a creative problem-solver, a skilled communicator, and a highly motivated, organized team member. I

am excited to serve as an Assessment Session Co-Chair for the 2015 URPD conference next summer and look

forward to putting together an amazing program for that event.

I am very interested in developing a shared blog, on which URPD members could post/share hot tips, lessons learned,

and/or rad resources.

I would love to work with a small group of other URPD councilors and members to initiate an on-going series of short

(no longer than 20 minutes, including questions) webinars on topics of interest to URPD. I regularly participate in this

type of “coffee-break discussion” webinars provided by the American Evaluation Association . The webinars are not on

a fixed schedule, but occur as guest speakers have new ideas, skills, and best practices to share. Each webinar

focuses on one topic of potential interest to the membership. The webinars are well-attended by members regardless

of their geographical location; they are also recorded so that those who cannot participate live can view/hear them at a

later date.




My knowledge base includes exemplars of how to support best practices for teaching and learning in lower division

courses that result in academic success and how to integrate faculty-mentored undergraduate research into degree

programs so that students develop their scientific reasoning and problem-solving skills.

Impact assessment continues to be both an expectation and a challenge in this era of increased transparency and

accountability in the academy. My expertise in program evaluation is a valuable asset for the CUR Council, via sharing

my skills and resources with CUR/URPD members.

Celebrating and promoting diversity in all its forms is a cornerstone of NAU, which ranks among the top institutions for

minority students and in the top 10 of all institutions granting undergraduate degrees to Native Americans . Over the

course of my teaching and program administration career, I have developed strategies to work effectively with multiple

stakeholders, including students, of diverse ages, ethnicities, cultures, and academic abilities.

In collaborating with the UC’s First and Second Year Seminars, I have a model of a successful First Year

Seminar-Action Research Team program that offers general education courses based upon faculty research linked to

civic engagement in long-term projects with community partners.

NAU’s Strategic Goal 3 is to advance the internationalization of the university to prepare students for global citizenship

by expanding teaching and research partnerships with partner institutions worldwide. Our Center for International

Education houses multiple opportunities including the Global Science and Engineering Program and the undergraduate

Global Learning Research Scholarship.


Nominee: Karl Reasoner

Institution: University of Oregon, Eugene, OR

Institution Name: The University of Oregon


Institution City and State: Eugene, Oregon

Position Title: Program Manager

Institutional affiliation and noteworthy positions (limit 50 words): University of Oregon: Program Manager,

Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program; Planning Committee Member, Undergraduate Research Symposium;

Steering Committee Member, Common Reading Program

Noteworthy grants received/professional accomplishments: (limit 100 words): Compact Service Corps

AmeriCorps Grant (multiple); MLK Collegiate Challenge Grant (multiple)


Reasoner, K. (2013, May). High Impact Learning: Connecting Classroom and Community. SDBOR System

Conference on Academic Quality, Brookings, SD.

Wittmuss, S., Reasoner, K., & Leise, E. (2013, March) The Power of Assessment: “Selling” the Story of Student

Success through Applied Learning. Conference on Applied Learning in Higher Education, St. Joseph, MO.

Reasoner, K. (2013, March) The Role of Design Thinking in Experiential Education. Conference on Applied Learning in

Higher Education, St. Joseph, MO.


(limit 200 words): From 2010-2014 I held a position in which 50% of my responsibilities were dedicated to planning,

implementing, coordinating, and evaluating institutional undergraduate research programs and events. In my current

position I am 100% dedicated to these endeavors, but also include departmental programs in addition to institutional

programs in my portfolio of responsibilities.


Directors and the sharing of ideas, resources, best practices?: I would begin by looking into ways of building

connections between UR Directors that are in somewhat close proximity to each other. Many similar organizations

have regional affiliate groups in this fashion. It allows for the opportunity to arrange formal and informal meetings

between professionals that are more feasible due to the distance involved. I would also look into using technology that

would allow for the sharing and archiving of information in a much more accessible way than a listserv. For example,

an Evernote professional learning network could be a simple and effective way to share best practices , annotated

bibliographies, syllabi, and other resources. Further research into this area may reveal other online applications that

could be useful in similar ways.



My professional experiences thus far have centered on planning and delivering experiential learning activities, with

undergraduate research holding a primary place in my programming portfolio. I believe that my experiences make me

uniquely valuable for a few reasons. First, having previous experience managing experiential learning activities beyond

undergraduate research allows me to bring in perspectives, insights, and best practices from these activities that are

founded on similar principles. Second, I have worked at both a small institution with high research activity and large

institution with very high research activity. This allows me to bring an understanding of organizational cultures, student

populations, and programming variations at institutions of different size and standing . Finally, my experience with

community-based learning activities will allow me to provide insights into the nuances of successfully partnering with

community and non-profit organizations. I believe that these unique perspectives and experiences, some of which go

beyond those of the traditional undergraduate research program administrator, would allow me to contribute to the work

of CUR as guided by the five strategic pillars.


Nominee: Dr. Jefferson A Roberts

Institution: The Ohio State University Newark Campus Evol, Ecol, Organismal Biology, Newark, OH

Title: --

Institution Name: The Ohio State University - Newark Campus

Type of Institution (eg R1, Community College, HBCU, etc): R1 University/Technical College partnership

Institution City and State: Newark, OH

Position Title: Research Coordinator

Supplemental Position Title (Use if you have a teaching position as well as administrative): Associate

Professor

Institutional affiliation and noteworthy positions (limit 50 words): Research Coordinator, The Ohio State

University at Newark

Associate Professor, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University at Newark

Student Research Forum Coordinator, The Ohio State University at Newark

Noteworthy grants received/professional accomplishments: (limit 100 words): I became the Ohio State Newark

Research Coordinator in 2011, with oversight of all research activities. I represent the Undergraduate Research Office

at Ohio State Newark to help integrate undergraduate research activities across the multi-campus university. I maintain

a research lab at OSU, and have been the recipient of numerous research, training, and travel grants. In the last five

years alone, my lab has secured more than $100,000 to support undergraduate and graduate research. In 2007, I was

awarded the Newark Campus Teaching Excellence Award, and in 2014, I was the awarded the Newark Campus

Faculty Service Award.


Campbell* M & Roberts JA. (Submitted) Influence of ambient temperature on efficacy of signals produced by female

Schizocosa ocreata (Hentz 1844) (Araneae: Lyscosidae). Journal of Arachnology.

Clark DL, Roberts JA, Rector* MA, & Uetz GW. (2011) Spectral reflectance and communication in the wolf spider,

Schizocosa ocreata (Hentz): simultaneous crypsis and background contrast in visual signals. Behavioral Ecology and

Sociobiology, 65(6): 1237-1247.

Vaccaro* R, Uetz GW, & Roberts JA. (2010) Courtship and mating behavior of the wolf spider Schizocosa bilineata

(Araneae: Lycosidae). Journal of Arachnology, 38(3): 452-459.


(limit 200 words): I have enthusiastically supported undergraduate research throughout my career, not just the last five

years. I firmly believe in the motto “Education for Citizenship" and maintain that undergraduates who conduct

independent research will be better citizens, able to make reasoned, informed decisions about difficult topics

throughout their lives. I rarely turn away any undergraduate that has expressed an interest in research in my lab, and

because of that policy I have advised more than 30 undergraduate researchers just in the last 5 years. I served 9 years

(2005-2013) as the coordinator of the annual Ohio State Newark, Student Research Forum, which showcases

undergraduate research from many different disciplines across campus . Presently, I serve as the Ohio State Newark

Research Coordinator. In that role, I approve all undergraduate research grants and grant-related expenditures,

conduct trainings for undergraduates concerning how to secure funding for their proposed work, and act as a

representative of the OSU Undergraduate Research Office on the Ohio State Newark campus . Finally, I have been a

member of the Undergraduate Research Program Directors Division of CUR for two years, and have attended both the

2013 Windows of Opportunity for URPD meeting, and the 2014 CUR Conference.



Directors and the sharing of ideas, resources, best practices?: The URPD, and CUR more broadly, is a

wonderfully inclusive organization and is working toward a truly impressive array of methods for connecting the

membership and sharing ideas: Biannual meetings, newsletters, list-servs, social media, mentoring programs, work

groups, and much more! I am amazed by the volume of material right at my fingertips. As a prospective leader within

the URPD, however, I find myself reflecting on what value this “breadth of avenues” provides. The information is there

and access is critical, but in providing so much of it to filter every day, I fear that the underlying importance/novelty is

somehow diminished. Have you ever sat back a moment, between the pings of new email, the texts, the flickering

voicemail light, and the stacks of half-read journals and newsletters slowly forming a rickety barricade around your

workspace to really reflect on where you were and who you were with when you developed that last great idea? The

one that became a “best practice”? Try it… If you’re like me, the clutter fades away and you see yourself among your

friends, your colleagues, maybe at a URPD meeting, and you’re having a conversation. A conversation filled with

serious moments, laughter, gossip, and governance over antipasto and a half-finished drink you had no idea came with

an umbrella… You know who you are. You’re hatching a plan to take over the world, or maybe just stir things up a bit,

but even so, your creativity is in high gear, and it’s all plotted out on a napkin. This is the environment we need to foster

among the UR Directors – a place to go and run fresh new ideas by our colleagues. I see this as a logical extension of

the Mentor Network where groups, not pairs, of mentors and mentees can talk about best practices, new and old, and

share ideas that will help move the division, the organization, and ultimately the whole of undergraduate research

forward.



The four regional campuses of The Ohio State University are unique in that the smaller campuses serve as both the

“open access" arms of a huge, R1 institution, and also as the small college experience for a comparatively diverse

group of undergraduates desiring a small college education at a state university price. The regional faculty, myself

included, are members of their respective departments at the Columbus campus, but are specifically hired as

undergraduate education/scholarship specialists who may be the only member of their department on a particular

campus. Each regional campus also has a co-located, technical college that caters to non-traditional students. Faculty

and administrators (I am both) must smoothly transition between campus cultures and disciplines to provide effective

leadership. Unlike faculty in typical departments, we do not have the luxury of working within a silo of our peers – we

work day to day with faculty from the Arts, Humanities, STEM, etc., and must have the breadth of experience,

knowledge, and flexibility to be effective leaders across many disparate disciplines . This is the experience I will bring to

CUR Council, that of working effectively with an amazing array of individuals all pursuing a common goal of

undergraduate research and education. I fully appreciate the opportunities and constraints that span different types of

educational institutions. I thrive on developing public/private/non-profit partnerships to advance internship and job

opportunities for undergraduate and technical college students. I look forward to working with like-minded individuals to

enhance the collective undergraduate research experience.


Nominee: Dr. Suzanne E Rocheleau

Institution: Drexel University Pennoni Honors College, Philadelphia, PA

Institution Name: Drexel University

Type of Institution (eg R1, Community College, HBCU, etc): Research University

Institution City and State: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Position Title: Associate Dean/Director of Undergraduate Research

Institutional affiliation and noteworthy positions (limit 50 words): Drexel University

Associate Dean, Pennoni Honors College

Director, Office of Undergraduate Research

Director, Center for Civic Engagement

Freedom Valley Girl Scout Council: Executive Director

Girls Inc. of Delaware: Executive Director

Noteworthy grants received/professional accomplishments: (limit 100 words): While at Drexel University, I have

established and managed the Center for Civic Engagement and the Office of Undergraduate Research . While CEO of

Girls Inc. of DE, I secured a $2 Million Kresge Grant.


Rocheleau, S. (2004). Effect of non-cognitive and social environmental factors on the retention of under-represented

minority students in engineering and techology-related disciplines.Drexel University, ProQuest, UMI Dissertations

Publishing, 2004. 3134072.

Rocheleau, S. , Muschio, G., Malazita, J., Petrovich, M. and Mohan, J. STAR Scholars and Digital Cultural Heritage.

CUR Quarterly, Winter, 2013 (34 (2), 27-32.

Stanford, J., Mohan, J., and Rocheleau, S. (2014) Early Undergraduate Research Experiences Lead to Similar

Learning Gains for All Students. Manuscript submitted for publication, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA.


(limit 200 words): Since 2003, I have developed and managed the STAR (Students Tackling Advanced Research)

Program, Drexel's signature early undergraduate research program for first year students which has served more than

1,000 students since its' inception. I have presented workshops at every CUR conference since 2010 and co-authored

two publications related to the STAR program in 2013 and 2014. In 2012, I developed the iSTAR program which

provides professionally mentored research experiences to students in international settings and have established

partnerships with research institutes and universities in Germany, Finland and Costa Rica, with two more sites in

development for 2015. In addition, we have developed novel research partnerships with our Close School of

Entrepreneurship and the Westphal College of Media Arts and Design that will provide faculty -mentored research and

creative opportunities to students in these traditionally underserved fields, both on campus and in Los Angeles, as well

as faculty-mentored research opportunities for exceptional high school students as part of Drexel University’s outreach

efforts.


Directors and the sharing of ideas, resources, best practices?: If elected, I will work actively with other CUR

Counselors to develop and present programs that meet the articulated needs of new, intermediate and experienced

undergraduate research program directors. In addition, I will, with CUR support, develop a blog in which undergraduate

program directors can contribute questions, concerns, answers and photos and share best practices during the

academic year. This, in addition to the current Listserve, should help to promote active communication among our

members and result in a faster dissemination of best practices.



how your experience/knowledge could be of value to the mission of the Council broadly. (limit 250 words): As

we have developed Drexel’s undergraduate research programs and the Office of Undergraduate Research I have

gained valuable experience in each of CUR’s five strategic pillars . However, I believe that my strengths lie within

Diversity and Inclusion in Undergraduate Research and Internationalization and Undergraduate Research. For ten

years prior to development of Drexel’s STAR program and Office of Undergraduate Research , I managed a partnership

program with NACME for under-represented students within the University that served 136 African American, Hispanic

and American Indian students with a 93% college graduation rate. I have used this experience to inform development of

our undergraduate research programs and formed strong alliances from the outset with AMP , SWE, SHPE and our

Bridges to the Doctorate program to assure good representation of under-represented students into undergraduate

research. We continue to work closely together, both to secure additional funding for these programs and to find new

ways of introducing research opportunities to traditionally underserved populations. Similarly, in developing an early

international research program for our students, I have been able to gain valuable experience in creating partnerships

with international research institutions and universities that meet the sometimes conflicting needs of students and the

two partner institutions. This has resulted in the creation of strong partnerships that provide exceptional research

experiences to our students, while facilitating the creation and expansion of international research collaborations

among faculty, resulting in win-win-win programs that benefit institutions, and faculty as well as the students for whom

they were created.


Nominee: Dr. Jenny Olin Shanahan

Institution: Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA

Institution Name: Bridgewater State University

Type of Institution (eg R1, Community College, HBCU, etc): Master's Comprehensive Public

Institution City and State: Bridgewater, MA

Position Title: Director of Undergraduate Research

Institutional affiliation and noteworthy positions (limit 50 words): As Director of UR at Bridgewater State

University, I administer our signature high-impact program: student research and creative scholarship across 80

majors and concentrations. We fund multidisciplinary scholarly work, educate students and faculty about UR best

practices, support students’ conference travel, host two annual symposia, and publish a student-research journal.

Noteworthy grants received/professional accomplishments: (limit 100 words): Elected to the Executive Board of

the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) in 2013

Invited to give 10 keynote addresses in the last three years on UR topics, especially UR in the curriculum, UR

opportunities for underrepresented students, and UR in the humanities, arts, education, and business

Facilitator of CUR Institutes for the Arts & Humanities and Systems & Consortia

Elected to the CUR Council, URPD division in 2011

Elected to the CUR Council, Arts & Humanities Division in 2009


"Research-Informed Practice, Practice-Informed Research: The Integral Role of Undergraduate Research in

Professional Disciplines"

CUR Quarterly, Winter 2015

Co-Editor of the book How to Get Started in Undergraduate Research in the Arts and Humanities (2014) Published by

the Council on Undergraduate Research, Washington, DC

“Building Undergraduate Research into the Curriculum.” Chapter 7 of Faculty Support and Undergraduate Research:

Innovations in Faculty Role Definition, Workload, and Reward (2012), Published by the Council on Undergraduate

Research, Edited by Nancy Hensel and Elizabeth Paul


(limit 200 words): I have presented over 30 faculty workshops at colleges and universities across the country, and I

have been invited to give 10 keynote addresses--all on topics related to the mentoring of student research and writing

across the disciplines, especially in areas that have been underrepresented in UR programs and for a diversity of

students, including first-generation, low-income, and minority students.

I was the primary author of the curriculum for CUR's Arts & Humanities Institute.

I have published several articles on integrating undergraduate research in the curriculum, scaffolding scholarly skills

from lower- to upper-division courses, and managing an inclusive undergraduate research program.

I serve as an Executive Board member of CUR and have been a CUR Councilor in the Undergraduate Research

Program Directors (URPD) Division. I was a founding member of the Arts & Humanities division in 2008.

As a member of the planning committee for the CUR National Conferences in 2012 and 2014, as well for the URPD

conferences in 2013 and 2015, I have contributed my experience and ideas to four national events that support UR and

bring innovative "best practices" to a diversity of faculty and administrators from across the country.



Directors and the sharing of ideas, resources, best practices?: Connecting with other URPDs and sharing

resources, ideas, and support, have been the most gratifying aspects of my work on the CUR Council. URPDs are a

generous group of colleagues who have inspired my work, exchanged best practices, and welcomed my input. I will

continue to be active in contributing to the URPD newsletter, participating in conference calls, and responding to

requests for help through our listserve. And as someone who benefits immensely from our URPD conferences (and

has helped plan them for 2013 and 2015), I will continue to advocate for that great biennial event, as an invaluable

opportunity for us to come together and support each others' efforts in administering UR programs.


how your experience/knowledge could be of value to the mission of the Council broadly. (limit 250 words): I’

ve authored CUR publications on scaffolding UR in the curriculum and presented multiple conference sessions and

workshops on infusing research skills into the curriculum in every discipline. I’m also serving on CUR's task force on

UR in the curriculum. I’m committed to UR in the curriculum because I want to make research available to a diversity of

students; rather than keeping UR an exclusive/selective opportunity for very few students, UR in the curriculum brings

a high-impact practice to the center of what we do, for all of our students.

At Bridgewater State University, over 2/3 of our students are first-generation, low-income, and/or minority students. We

are committed to providing access to excellent UR opportunities in equitable ways to all of our students. Our SOAR

(student opportunities as apprentice researchers) program pairs low-income, first- and second-year students with

faculty mentors. Our student-grant recipients reflect the demographics of our overall student body, through intentional

efforts of all of us involved in UR. I'm committed to learning more from my colleagues in CUR, as well as sharing our

work from Bridgewater, with regard to diversity and inclusion in UR.

Our UR Abroad program at Bridgewater, in which faculty from a range of disciplines lead small groups of

student-researchers for 3 weeks at one of our 30+ partner institutions around the world, is a replicable model of

utilizing existing contacts and resources to offer a diversity of UR international opportunities .


Nominee: Dr. Bethany M. Usher

Institution: George Mason University OSCAR, Fairfax, VA

Title: Director of UG Research

Institution Name: George Mason University

Type of Institution (eg R1, Community College, HBCU, etc): Research I

Institution City and State: Fairfax, Virginia

Position Title: Director, Students as Scholars Initiative

Supplemental Position Title (Use if you have a teaching position as well as administrative): Affiliate Faculty,

Sociology and Anthropology Department

Institutional affiliation and noteworthy positions (limit 50 words): I am the Director of the Student as Scholars

initiative, in the Office of Student Scholarship, Creative Activities and Research at George Mason University. I am also

Associate Director of the Center for Teaching and Faculty Excellence, and Affiliate Faculty in two areas: Anthropology,

and Women & Gender Studies.

Noteworthy grants received/professional accomplishments: (limit 100 words): In collaboration with a team of

colleagues, I wrote Mason’s successful Students as Scholars Quality Enhancement Plan of our SACS reaffirmation of

reaccreditation.

I have been involved with writing and administering successful grant proposals to the National Science Foundation

Research Experience for Undergraduates, the Department of Education, and National Institutes of Health to support

undergraduate research. In anthropology, I was a Fulbright Scholar to Denmark.

I have twice been nominated for Mason’s Teaching Excellence Award, and earned the Excellence in Academic Advising

award at SUNY Potsdam.


Nazaire D, and BM Usher 2014. Expanding Opportunities for Undergraduate Research through Federal Work Study .

Session presented at the CUR Conference 2014: “Creating the Citizens of Tomorrow: Undergraduate Research for

All”, Washington, DC; June 2014.

Chaloux* M and BM Usher 2013. “Short people got no reason to live”: Long bone length and selective mortality of

children in medieval Denmark. Presented at American Association of Physical Anthropologists Annual Meeting ,

Knoxville, TN; April 2013.

Usher BM, K Eby, and QEP Planning Committee. 2011. Quality Enhancement Plan: Students as Scholars, Fostering a

Culture of Student Scholarship. Presented to Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges,

in partial fulfillment of requirements for Reaffirmation of Reaccreditation at George Mason University , Fairfax, Virginia.


(limit 200 words): I came to George Mason University in 2010, after 10 years of working at SUNY Potsdam as an

anthropology faculty member, department chair, and Center for Undergraduate Research founding director. I joined

Mason, a 32,000-student public research university in Virginia, to direct the Students as Scholars initiative. Our goal is

to give all undergraduates an opportunity to participate in undergraduate research and creative activities. In 2011,

Mason launched OSCAR: Office of Student Scholarship, Creative Activities, and Research. We offer undergraduate

research grants, designate research-intensive courses, provide faculty and student development, fund student travel,

and host Celebrations of Student Scholarship. In 2013-2014, over 9000 students were involved in OSCAR activities,

983 had participated in a research project, and we have over 130 research-enhanced courses.

I have been an active participant in CUR since attending a Grant Writing Workshop in 2001 at Juniata College. I was

impressed by the knowledge of the facilitators, and encouraged by the support for undergraduate scholarship through

CUR. I have since attended (and presented at) many CUR events and workshops (Mason had over 40 students

presenting at NCUR last year). I have served as a URPD Councilor since 2012, and was CUR national meeting

co-chair in 2014.



Directors and the sharing of ideas, resources, best practices?: My colleagues at CUR have been crucial to

helping me be a successful UR director, and I appreciate the opportunity to continue this tradition. One of the best

aspects of CUR is the collaborative work we do, and in chairing the CUR2014 national meeting we worked to foster this

sharing of ideas. I will continue to work to extend our resources to help institutions that don’t have the ability to have a

dedicated UR Director. URPD has the opportunity to use digital resources (such as the webpage, Zotero library, and

the listserv) as well as the very successful in-person URPD summer meetings to share resources. We should also be

leveraging social media, like Twitter was used during the CUR2014 meeting, to communicate with program directors at

all levels.



The Strategic Pillars are similar to the values that guide Mason’s Students as Scholars initiative . I have experience in

implementing programs in each of the five areas, and can contribute our successes and challenges to the CUR

conversations.

• Integrating and Building UR into Curriculum and Coursework: SaS has established a scaffolded curricular model

that builds research skills through majors. While these courses have been successful for students, it has been a

challenge to maintain the focus over time.

• Assessment of Impact of UR: We have built a system of student and course evaluation into our SaS plan , and have

made our instruments available publically on assessment.gmu.edu.

• Diversity and Inclusion in UR: Mason is one of the most diverse universities in the country, and it is our goal to give

undergraduate research opportunities to all students. We offer a Federal Work Study Research Assistantship program,

which has supported over 100 students in the past two years.

• Innovation and Collaboration in UR: We regularly work with the Smithsonian, local hospitals, and other research

institutions to create student opportunities. Partnering with businesses is usually the domain of our entrepreneurial

programs on campus, but I would like to find additional models to integrate undergraduate research into for-profit

agencies.

• Internationalization and UR: SaS has supported a Global Fellows Program that gives students an opportunity to

develop an international research project. I would like to learn more about additional models or programs that can

serve a larger number of students.

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