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Mentor Awards

Awards for Distinction in Mentoring Undergraduates in Research

Purpose

The Honors College and the Office of Undergraduate Research created these awards to better recognize, reward and encourage faculty members and graduate students who mentor undergraduate students in research and creative endeavors (i.e., scholarship). 

Types of Awards

For 2024, we expect to make a maximum of five awards. For faculty and post-docs, we expect to make a maximum of four awards, one each in the categories of Physical Sciences & Technology, Humanities & the Arts, Behavioral & Social Sciences, and Biosciences & Health Sciences. We expect to make a maximum of one award to a deserving graduate student mentor.   

What do we mean by "research"?

Mentoring undergraduates in research and creative endeavors (i.e., scholarship) is different than mentoring students in their academic pursuits (i.e., academic advising). As defined by the Council on Undergraduate Research, undergraduate research is " an inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline". This process begins with discovery of disciplinary scholarship, is followed by scholarly inquiry (e.g., articulating questions and engaging in the process and practices) and culminates in creation of scholarship (e.g., creating an original scholarly project, communicating about the project)

Eligibility

Any full-time tenure or non-tenure track West Virginia University faculty member who has not received this award in the past five (5) years or   for the graduate mentor award,  any graduate student who has directly served in a mentoring role.

  • Committee: Nominations will be reviewed and outstanding nominees will be invited to submit supporting documentation.
  • Awards: Awards will be announced publicly in spring during research week and awardees will be recognized by the President and Provost at the annual faculty and staff awards dinner at Blaney House. 

Nominations

Nominations are accepted from any source - WVU College Deans, Department Chairs, faculty colleagues, and student researchers, including self-nomination. Nomination of a mentor from several sources (e.g., multiple students, faculty colleagues or a combination thereof) tend to enhance the nomination.  Outstanding nominees will be invited to submit supporting documentation

Students, staff, faculty, alumni and the public are invited to nominate mentors (faculty or graduate students) who exhibit the qualities of excellent research mentorship, including but not limited to:

  • Establishing a strong professional mentoring relationship with their undergraduate research student(s)
  • Acting as a role model for methods of inquiry or artistic expression in the chosen field of study and for the responsible and ethical conduct of research or creative activity
  • Demonstrating an ability to inspire students to pursue research or scholarly activities
  • Supporting the dissemination of student work through recognized professional outlets
  • Engaging students in all aspects of scholarship (discovery, inquiry and creation
All eligible nominations will be considered. Nominations must include a description of why the person should receive the award. For example, how has the nominee gone beyond his/her normal job responsibilities (beyond regular coursework/teaching responsibilities) to include undergraduates in research/creative work? How has inclusion of undergraduates in research impacted the students, department and/or the institution?

More Information?  Contact the Office of Undergraduate Research at   undergradresearch@mail.wvu.edu.

Nominations for the 2024 Mentor Awards are open! 

Ember Morrissey, associate professor of environmental microbiology in the Davis College
Luis Arroyo, assistant professor of forensic & investigative science in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Shari Steinman, associate professor of psychology in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Yoav Kaddar, professor of dance in the College of Creative Arts
Malia Miller, a PhD student in the Department of Biology

2022 Award Winners

Angel Smothers, clinical associate professor in the School of Nursing   
Brian Popp , associate professor of chemistry in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Joel Beeson , professor in the Reed College of Media  
Nicholas Turiano , associate professor of psychology in the Eberly College
William Walker II , postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Neuroscience in the School of Medicine 
Erin Hudnall , a doctoral candidate in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology in the Eberly College

2021 Award Winners

Matthew Kasson , associate professor of forest pathology and mycology, Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design
Amy Gentzlerprofessor of psychology in the  Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Justin Legleiter associate professor of chemistry in the  Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Megan Leight teaching assistant professor of art history in the School of Art & Design

2020 Award Winners

Cole Vonder Haar, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Daniel PanaccioneDavis-Michael Professor of Plant and Soil Sciences in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design
Travis Stimeling, Associate Professor of Musicology in the College of Creative Arts
Jessica Hoover, Associate Professor of Chemistry in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences


Sadie Bergeron, Assistant Professor of Biology, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Cerasela Dinu, Associate Professor and Associate Chair of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resouces
Cheryl McNeil , Professor of Psy c h ology, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Geah Pressgrove, Assistant Professor of Advertising and Public Relations, Reed College of Media

2018 Award Winners

Fernando Lima, Department of Chemical Engineering, Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources
Edward Sabolsky ,  Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

2017 Award Winners

Kirk Hazen, Department of English, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Natalie Shook, no longer at West Virginia University          

2016 Award Winner

James E. Smith, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources