OURMA Awards

2017 - 2018 Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award Recipients

"Serving as an undergraduate research mentor is one of the most fulfilling roles I play at the University of San Diego. I design collaborative, hands-on research opportunities for Communication students so they may develop the skills and confidence to address some of the most fascinating and important questions of our time.  For me, the most rewarding part of being a research mentor is watching my mentees develop into thoughtful, disciplined, ethical researchers. I am grateful for the opportunity I have to help channel undergraduates’ ambition and service-mindedness toward an ongoing quest for knowledge."  

Susannah Stern, Ph.D., Senior Awardee
Communications

"Mentoring undergraduate students and bringing them into the culture of scientific research is one of the great joys of my work here at USD. No matter the outcome, every research project journey is a fruitful one and allows us to make critical contributions to science. The leadership and collaboration skills with a focus on professional development, intellectual community and accountability are an added bonus and I feel fortunate to be a part of this growth. Independent research enriched my life greatly and made me engage in science genuinely and I hope that research has the same impact in our student’s lives”

Divya Sitaraman, Ph.D., Junior Awardee
Psychological Sciences

2016 - 2017 Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award Recipients

"Over the past 20 years I have been fortunate and blessed to have 168 young men and women work with me in my research laboratory.  Helping and watching so many people gain confidence in themselves as they are pushed to become scientists is extremely rewarding.  The best part of my job is sharing the excitement as they see the results of an experiment they’ve struggled with and know that they are the first person in the world to determine a new discovery."

Joseph Provost, Ph.D., Senior Awardee
Chemistry and Biochemistry

Jennifer Prairie, Ph.D., Junior Awardee
Environmental and Ocean Sciences

"One of the greatest strengths of USD is its focus on hands-on and experiential learning, and one of the most important roles I play as a faculty member is to mentor undergraduate researchers. I have been fortunate to have had many wonderful undergraduate students in my lab even in my short time at USD, and it has been extremely rewarding working with these students as they have undertaken cutting-edge research projects in marine and environmental science. My hope is that, through these research experiences, the undergraduate students working with me will learn about science in a much deeper way than what is possible in a traditional classroom setting, thus motivating and preparing them to pursue scientific careers."

2015 - 2016 Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award Recipients

Rachel Blaser, Ph.D., Senior Awardee
Psychological Sciences

"Science is a way of learning about the world that involves a great deal of habit formation; the only way that I know to develop a habit is to consistently engage in the behavior. People become scientists not by reading about research, but by doing it. For this reason, I think that research experience is one of the most essential components of undergraduate education. Students arrive at USD with a tremendous amount of curiosity and motivation - helping them to recognize the value of thier own questions, and to consider those questions in the context of broader scientific inquiry, is one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching. Our students bring a constant source of energy and new ideas that can lead to publication-worthy research. Of course, it doesn't hurt that doing research is also the most fun part of being a professor!"

Rae Anderson, Ph.D., Junior Awardee
Physics and Biophysics

"Undergraduate research is an invaluable experience that every student should be able to participate in. Being able to mentor undergraduates in meaningful and fruitful research projects is the primary reason I pursued a faculty position at USD. I wanted a lab in which the primary researchers were undergraduates who would contribute to all aspects of research from sample preparations to writing papers. My undergraduate research experience was one of the defining experiences of my undergraduate education - teaching me so much about myself - my strengths, weaknesses and passions. It was this experience that motivated me to pursue a PhD, and I still use many of the skills I learned in that experience today. My goal is to provide every student with such a meaningful and powerful research experience that not only teaches them fundamental research skills but also teaches them about themselves, solidifies their passions, and gives them the confidence to pursue their dreams."

2014 - 2015 Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award Recipients

Read Inside USD's story Students Fete Faculty Mentors Benz, Jacobitz

Frank Jacobitz, Ph.D., Senior Awardee
Engineering

"Mentoring curious minds is one of the most rewarding aspects of my work. In addition to the successful progression of a research project, I believe that undergraduate research is a wonderful tool to develop a varied set of skills in students, such as information literacy, research methodology, or writing and oral communication. I immensely enjoy the interactions and discussions with the researchers, observing their professional and personal growth and development, as well as attending their presentations at meetings and conferences."

Lauren Benz, Ph.D., Junior Awardee
Chemistry and Biochemistry

"Undergraduate research is one of the hallmarks of a USD education, and it’s one of the main reasons I chose a career at USD.  I thoroughly enjoy helping students grow as critical thinkers, and my reward is that I get to be a part of their journey as they ultimately start to contribute their own independent ideas to a research project.  Witnessing that growth is the most exciting part of what I do!"

2013 - 2014 Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award Recipients

Mitch Malachowski, Ph.D., Senior Awardee
Chemistry & Biochemistry

 "In many ways, my involvement in undergraduate research activities has shaped my life as I love to teach and work in my lab, and I love to work with students. I am dedicated to student success and student outcomes, and this dedication shapes both my teaching style and my research agenda. I think that engaging with students in such intense ways as we do in the laboratory  can have a powerful impact on their intellectual and affective development  and in helping a student find direction and purpose in life. Seeing their development over the years is what makes it all worthwhile and satisfying."

Daniel Lopez-Perez, Ph.D., Junior Awardee
Art, Architecture and Art History

"At the center of my teaching philosophy is a commitment to undergraduate research and most importantly to share my own research questions with my students. In addition to giving them the opportunity to gain advanced practical skills, the virtue of this model of “shared inquiry” is driven by my deep belief in the collective spirit of critical thinking. In this context, students cease to be passive learners and become active participants – partners in the creation of new knowledge. I conceive the architectural design studio as a place for highly collaborative experimentation and intellectual risk, one where students are treated like colleagues, encouraged to take a position as the first step from which to find their own polemic. Conveying to my students that true research is after all a shared pursuit I have found this collaborative method of working most effective, particularly when they internalize the research questions and see them as their own."

2011- 2012 Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award Recipients

David DeHaan, Ph.D., Senior Awardee
Chemistry & Biochemistry

"Undergraduates are the heart of my research lab, and to date I've collaborated with 55 students.  I have a commitment to mentoring extended undergraduate research experiences for racially and academically diverse students, including freshmen and sophomores.  Mentoring with “big picture” motivation, low stress, and high expectations has resulted in undergraduate students doing publication-quality research.  In addition, the research experience draws students to STEM careers and helps attract new students to USD."

Monica Stufft, Ph.D., Junior Awardee
Theater

"As a performance studies scholar-practitioner working in the field of theatre, I find undergraduate research an ideal way to help students bridge their interests and explore their passions. A project may be artistic, scholarly or a combination of both. Together, we think deeply and explore creatively, learning about performance in various social and cultural contexts. The work is challenging but oh so rewarding!"