Nominee: Dr. Jeanne Law Bohannon Institution: Kennesaw State University English, Marietta, GA Title: Assistant Professor Institutional affiliation: Kennesaw State University Current Position: Assistant Professor of English Early Career Distinguished Faculty Council? (limit 300 words): As a teacher-scholar I employ public, digital, writing strategies in my undergraduate courses to encourage students to participate in community-service writing opportunities and to view their own writing as valuable contributions to both academia and the world at-large. My English and Communications majors conduct archival, mixed methods, and ethnographic research as they work through projects that seek to increase awareness of various social justice and civil rights issues. I want to further partner with my students and also with students from throughout my university to bring their work to diverse audiences and external stakeholders. As a CUR Councilor, I am interested in cultivating Arts and Humanities undergraduate research in order to develop and sustain an ecosystem that will integrate that research into our university's curriculum. I also want to work in my own classes and to cooperate with other faculty to create innovative collaboration between departments and stakeholders, using an inclusive URSCA definition to broaden participation in undergraduate research across my university's College of Humanities and Social Sciences and its College of the Arts. Finally, I want to represent the work we are doing at my university and demonstrate our process to other schools, learning from each other to provide applicable, real-world experiences for our student-scholars. page, Bio on Campus webpage, other websites or blogs): http://facultyweb.kennesaw.edu/jbohan12/
Nominee: Dr. John W Cordes Institution: Cabrini College Communication, Wayne, PA Institutional affiliation: Cabrini University Current Position: Associate Professor/ Communication Council? (limit 300 words): The five strategic pillars provide a number of opportunities to serve. I would suggest that my focus be on: Integrating and Building Undergraduate Research into Curriculum and Coursework and Innovation and Collaboration in Undergraduate Research. With the first, I have been instrumental in developing and expanding the undergraduate research efforts of my University which is a small liberal arts University. Developing the processes for faculty involvement in research, the student awareness of the importance and feasibility of research, and the presentation of research to the larger campus and off-campus communities has been my focus for the past ten years. This was supported by more than ten years of teaching and promoting undergraduate research at my prior University, University of Maryland, College Park. I believe that my Arts and Humanities academic interests, especially Philosophy, can work well with social science research methodologies that I have often used. With the second pillar chosen, working to expand undergraduate research opportunities beyond academic institutions need not been limited to the sciences. The need, utility and acceptance of research components in undergraduate students' internships and preparations for career employment through liberal arts coursework is vital. Such acceptance will assist in the integration of research into the expanding demands of the workplace. Teaching and coaching student abilities in research should help open paths to career employment. I believe my work in research with both major media and consumer companies over the past thirty years have given me the perspectives and contact mechanisms to develop off-campus research relationships in arts and humanities environments. page, Bio on Campus webpage, other websites or blogs): https://www.cabrini.edu/about/departments/academic-departments/school-of-business-arts-and-media/communicatio n/faculty/cordes
Nominee: Jamie Gilbert Institution: Central Washington University Office of Undergraduate Research & SOURC, Ellensburg, WA Institutional affiliation: Central Washington University Current Position: Program Coordinator Undergraduate Research & SOURCE and College of Arts and Humanities faculty Council? (limit 300 words): I am positioned to serve the council as I integrate undergraduate research into my non-profit leadership courses by providing an experiential learning environment based on research. My students are partnered with non-profits from around the state to develop research proposals that the agencies can use in grant proposals and other funding opportunities. The students appoint their own board of directors in my courses and delegate their work accordingly. The students are teamed up based on an academic strengths and needs assessment in order to provide opportunities to learn from each other and further their growth. I chaired, managed, and ran our first two-day university research symposium in 2016 and will continue to manage it in 2017. Over 600 students from 47 different disciplines presented their research and creative expression projects to an audience of 6,300, up from 35 departments in 2015. I analyzed the data to ensure we are providing inclusive research opportunities to all students across disciplines. I also advise the undergraduate research club that consists of students from across disciplines and mentor them in global learning research that they plan to present and share at the university symposium and an upcoming global diversity conference. I am also presenting research on engaging underrepresented students in undergraduate research with another faculty member along with three students from varying disciplines and cultures at the Hawaii International Conference on Education in January 2017. I am also collaborating with an east coast university on the impact of faculty perceptions on higher education administration decision making in support of undergraduate research. My current dissertation work focuses on the influence of creativity and grit on millennial student engagement in university research. I developed a research ambassador program at our campus and I am currently mentoring an online student and in person student research collaboration. page, Bio on Campus webpage, other websites or blogs): http://www.cwu.edu/undergrad-research/about/staff http://www.cwu.edu/communication/faculty-and-staff-bios http://www.cwu.edu/undergrad-research/sites/cts.cwu.edu.undergrad-research/files/documents/jamie-gilbert-cv-nov ember%202016%20.pdf
Nominee: Dr. Alexa Sand Institution: Utah State University Art + Design, Logan, UT Institutional affiliation: Utah State University Current Position: Associate Professor of Art History Council? (limit 300 words): I have been a member of CUR since 2008, and a councilor for Arts and Humanities since 2009. I am passionate about the potential of UR to reach not only the most gifted students, but also those who struggle to stay engaged in their education. Much of my professional identity has been built around facilitating and fostering the development of UR in the arts and humanities. I bring over a decade of experience of working with students and faculty to build a culture of UR at my home institution, and a long commitment to CUR to the table as I stand for reelection. At a moment when the arts and humanities face serious challenges in the public discourse of higher education, it is more crucial than ever to advocate for and develop best practices in UR in these fields. As an art historian who teaches in a department of art and design in a college of the arts, I am well placed to appreciate the unique issues pertaining to arts, while at the same time understanding the situation of the humanities. In my work for CUR I have always endeavored to bridge between arts and humanities, for example co-authoring a How To essay on UR in the arts with a graphic designer and a ceramic artist. In the area of diversity and inclusion, I feel strongly that UR should be part of every student s experience; to this end I have been closely involved with initiatives that broaden the scope of UR and integrate it into curricula. I think that CUR and advocates of UR do our most significant work when we think in terms of UR and that is, how UR can be integrated into service, international, and collaborative learning. page, Bio on Campus webpage, other websites or blogs): https://art.usu.edu/directory/faculty-directory/sand-alexa
Nominee: Dr. John Thomas Scott Institution: Mercer University, Macon, GA Institutional affiliation: Mercer University Current Position: Professor of History, College of Liberal Arts Honors Program Director Council? (limit 300 words): Given CUR s strategic pillars, I am positioned to serve the council in a variety of ways given my experience with URSCA and with CUR. My experience with URSCA began two decades ago when I led my department in creating both a senior research seminar and then a sophomore level research methodology course for history majors. Since then I have shepherded several hundred students through their preliminary and advanced research. My work with URSCA, then, began at the grass roots and grows out of long desire to promote undergraduate research before I ever learned CUR existed. I know URSCA in my discipline from the inside out. Since I first interacted with CUR in 2010 I have further worked on integrating research in my college s General Education curriculum and designed a research-based curriculum for my institution s Honors program. I have helped other institutions integrate URSCA in their curriculum through facilitating at CURAH Institutes since 2012, through invited lectures and customized institutes, and via a CUR publication. In the area of integrating URSCA into the curriculum and the pedagogy, then, I have wide and deep experience. I have and am gaining experience in several of the other pillars as well. I am currently chairing my college s Engaged Learning Committee, which this year is tasked with developing assessment tools for the college s Experiential Learning Requirement, which includes URSCA as a primary component. In the area of innovation and collaboration outside the academy, I am currently exploring, in my role as Honor s Program Director, a research possibility with an NGO in Puerto Rico which manages natural and historical sites, thereby also working to internationalize research opportunities for students at my institution. Finally, my service as a CURAH Councilor for the last six years means I am ready to work effectively towards its strategic pillars immediately. page, Bio on Campus webpage, other websites or blogs): http://cla.mercer.edu/history/faculty-staff/john-thomas-scott/
Nominee: Dr. Chad Spigel Institution: Trinity University, San Antonio, TX Institutional affiliation: Trinity University (San Antonio, TX) Current Position: Associate Professor Co-Director, Mellon Initiative for Undergraduate Research in the Arts and Humanities Council? (limit 300 words): As someone who has been deeply involved in encouraging and developing undergraduate research opportunities at Trinity University, I am well positioned to contribute as a CUR Councilor. While developing research skills in the classroom has been an important part of my pedagogy, my greatest contribution to undergraduate research on the university level has been with the Trinity University Mellon Initiative for Undergraduate Research in the Arts and Humanities. The Mellon Initiative at Trinity has several goals, including integrating undergraduate research experiences into the curriculum and supporting summer fellowships for undergraduate students to work with Humanities and Arts faculty members on faculty research projects. In addition to serving on the steering committee for the Mellon Initiative since 2012, I have been awarded three fellowships to have students work with me on my research. These fellowships have taught me how to create opportunities for the students to learn research skills in a mentorship situation; the fellowships have also provided opportunities for the students to present the results of our research at professional academic conferences. Over the past four years, the Mellon Initiative at Trinity has been extremely successful in creating high impact summer research opportunities for our undergraduate students, and at the beginning of 2017 my involvement in the program increased when I became a Co-Director of the initiative. My role as Co-Director is to continue the success of the current program, but also to develop the program by creating ways to integrate research preparation more fully into the Arts and Humanities curriculum, by extending summer research opportunities into the academic school year, and by increasing the number of research opportunities for our Arts and Humanities students. If selected to be a CUR Councilor, I would apply what I have learned at Trinity to help accomplish CUR s goals. page, Bio on Campus webpage, other websites or blogs): https://trinity.academia.edu/chadspigel
Nominee: Dr. Amy Woodbury Tease Institution: Norwich University, Northfield, VT Title: Director of UG Research Institutional affiliation: Norwich University Current Position: Assistant Professor of English and Undergraduate Research Program Director Council? (limit 300 words): I have mentored undergraduates across disciplines, designed research-focused seminars, and engaged in collaborative efforts to promote undergraduate research in the Arts and Humanities through my scholarship, teaching, and service at Norwich University. In 2012 I was elected Chair of the Undergraduate Research Committee, a position that I held until appointed Undergraduate Research Program Director in 2015. I piloted the first annual Students to Scholars Symposium, a university-wide event featuring shark-tank style panels where early-career undergraduates pitch research ideas to the Norwich community and refine their ideas into focused research questions. This two-day event empowers students to see themselves as scholars and has grown to include faculty-student workshops on mentorship, grant writing, and research methods, fostering new collaborations across disciplines and increasing the professionalization of our students. As URPD, I have also developed two new programs: the Ambassador Program, for undergraduates to promote their research and mentor students who are new to the research experience; and the Apprenticeship Program, which funds undergraduates to collaborate with faculty on their research projects. In addition, my active involvement in CUR Institutes and Conferences has improved my pedagogy and mentorship of undergraduate research. In 2015, I mentored the first Norwich undergraduate to be accepted to Posters on the Hill. The recognition she received for the achievement brought attention to the role that research in the Arts & Humanities can play in promoting action and change on a national scale. Most recently, I attended the Creative Inquiry in the Arts and Humanities Institute where our team created a plan for integrating interdisciplinarity and creativity into the general education curriculum. I look forward to continuing to develop programs and participate in initiatives that bring attention to the relevance of innovative research and teaching in the Arts & Humanities in my role as CUR Councilor. page, Bio on Campus webpage, other websites or blogs): https://norwich.academia.edu/amywoodburytease
Nominee: Dr. Gregory Young Institution: Montana State University Bozeman, Bozeman, MT Title: Professor Institutional affiliation: Montana State University School of Music Current Position: Professor of Music Council? (limit 300 words): As a facilitator of workshops and Institutes for faculty and administrators over the past decade, I have focused on integrating undergraduate research into the curriculum especially in the arts and humanities. I currently have a book contract with Routledge Press to write Undergraduate Research in Music: A User s Manual and have used undergraduate researchers in my senior capstone class to help write this book as their project. I helped write the planning document to start the CUR Division of Arts & Humanities and I hosted the 2009 CUR Business Meeting. Former treasurer and chair of the NCUR Board of Governors, I worked on a Lancy grant to merge NCUR and CUR. I designed an undergraduate research program for Montana State University in 1994 that currently serves hundreds of students per year in all disciplines and contains and international component. page, Bio on Campus webpage, other websites or blogs): http://www.montana.edu/music/people/people_single.html?person_id=33