Research Ambassadors

Undergraduate Research Ambassadors

UGR Ambassadors are advanced undergraduate researchers and committed students that are passionate about increasing research opportunities for students in the WVU community. Undergraduate research is a form of high-impact experiential learning, and students that participate in this process reinforce and expand upon subject knowledge, network with experts in their fields, and make a mark on their respective disciplines. Above all, UGR Ambassadors seek to enhance the undergraduate experience at WVU by capitalizing on their firsthand experiences with research.

Requirements

Minimum requirements to serve as an undergraduate research ambassador include:

1 year of undergraduate research experience
Concurrent involvement in research at the time of ambassador appointment
Ability to attend meetings twice a month (biweekly) at pre-scheduled meeting times
Ability to complete 15 hours of service over the course of the semester
Maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA at the time of serving
Strong interpersonal communication skills
Strong interest in advocating undergraduate research programming and promoting the positive aspects that the Office of Undergraduate Research offers

Additional research and leadership experiences will be taken into consideration when offering the role of an ambassador including:

Past enrollment in any research program or symposia (e.g., RAP, SURE, NIST SURF, REUs, URDC, POH, NCUR, WVU’s Undergraduate Spring Symposium, WVU’s Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, travel-funded research, or other conference presentations)
Serving in a prior role with a demonstrated community impact on campus (e.g., serving in a student organization, serving as a resident assistant, extensive volunteering)
Proven commitment to expanding opportunities in undergraduate research

Opportunities to Serve

Ambassadors are asked to serve in several ways. Throughout the semester, opportunities might include:

Presenting undergraduate research opportunities to various student organizations
Tabling in the Lair or other spaces on campus for event promotions
Providing event support at the Undergraduate Spring Symposium
Recruiting at Decide WVU Days
Recruiting at WVU Junior Preview Days
Providing programmatic support to the RAP program

Student organizations interested in hosting ambassador presentations on undergraduate research opportunities as well as students interested in becoming UGR Ambassadors in future semesters should contact Dr. Amy Hessl at undergradresearch@mail.wvu.edu for more information.

2023-24 UGR Ambassadors

Suraya Boggs

Undergraduate REsearch ambassador

Majors: Sociology and Anthropology
Graduation Year: 2025
Hometown: Spencer, West Virginia
Student Organization Involvement: WVU NAACP, Mirage Magazine, Asian Association
Interest and Hobbies: Crocheting, thrifting, reading
Fun Fact: I have a twin brother!
Research Area:
Cooper Coursey

Undergraduate REsearch ambassador

Major: Biology
Graduation Year: 2025
Hometown: Erie, Pennsylvania
Student Organization Involvement: Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED), Research Ambassador Program (UGR), National Biological Honors Society (TriBeta), Undergraduate Research Association (URA), Pre-Med Club, The Pride of West Virginia Mountaineer Marching Band (MMB)
Interest and Hobbies: Playing Trumpet and French Horn, hiking, traveling, skiing, cooking, camping, birdwatching
Fun Fact: I am licensed to fly a small aircraft.
Research Area: My primary research is in environmental microbiology and nematology, where my lab generates novel techniques for microbial environments and manipulated pathways to understand the roles of individual environmentally occurring microorganisms' abilities to interact and disrupt the impact that nematodes ultimately hold. Nematophagous fungi are a versatile carnivorous group of organisms that specialize in trapping and digesting nematodes. Our main goal is to compare the interactions of nematodes against various isolates of nematophagous fungi, and evaluate the possibilities of these molecular interactions to treat surfacing contaminations and parasitic disorders. Our research has resulted in the modification of environmentally occurring processes of fungi associated in conjunction with nematodes. In the future, we hope to produce biological control outcomes against different types of roundworm isolates.
Rushik Patel

Undergraduate REsearch ambassador

Major: Biomedical Engineering
Graduation Year: 2024
Hometown: South Charleston, WV
Student Organization Involvement: Student Government Association, Biomedical Engineering Society, Club Tennis
Interest and Hobbies: chess, tennis, reading fiction novels
Fun Fact: This summer, I went to New York City and went to the top of the Empire State Building!
Research Area: Rushik is a junior undergraduate student majoring in Biomedical Engineering from Charleston, WV. He is a RAP graduate and is currently continuing his research from the SURE program this past summer with Dr. Shailendra Singh in the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Rushik is looking to better under the relationships between celiac disease and other pancreatic disorders such as pancreatic cancer and inflammation using patient data from major hospitals across the nation. After graduating, Rushik wants to pursue an MD-PhD degree. He hopes to teach at the university level while conducting research in medicine.
Rachel King

Undergraduate REsearch ambassador

Majors: Computer Science, Physics
Graduation Year: 2025
Hometown:
Student Organization Involvement: First2 Network
Interest and Hobbies:
Fun Fact:
Research Area:
Victoria Nist

Undergraduate REsearch ambassador

Major: Animal Nutritional Sciences
Graduation Year: 2024
Hometown: Massillon, Ohio
Student Organization Involvement:
Interest and Hobbies:
Fun Fact:
Research Area:
Ethan Harner

Undergraduate REsearch ambassador

Major and Minor: Geography
Graduation Year: 2025
Hometown: Harpers Ferry, WV
Student Organization Involvement: Geography Club, Center for Resilient Communities, Eberly College Ambassador Program
Interest and Hobbies: Hiking, Backpacking, Music, Running, Reading
Fun Fact: I am working on climbing the tallest mountain in every state.
Research Area: I am working with Dr. Bradley Wilson on a community-based action research project on rural development. Our project examines the challenges and opportunities associated with creative placemaking as a rural development strategy through a case study of Princeton, WV.