New award highlights undergraduate research mentorship

Igor Alabugin

Having a strong undergraduate research culture helps Florida State recruitand retain the brightest students, and improve its rankings by enhancing thereputationof its undergraduate programs.

To those ends, the Undergraduate Research Mentor Award was established this year to recognize faculty commitment to undergraduate research. The award, which includes a $2,000 stipend, was funded by the FSU Student Foundation.

“We are extremely grateful to the FSU Student Foundation for sponsoring this award to celebrate the outstanding research-mentoring occurring on our campus,” said Joe O’Shea, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research. “Despite so many demands on faculty members, they still take the time to involve undergraduates through research. We hope this recognition rewards faculty members for their dedication and encourages others to invest in undergraduate research.”

The inaugural honorees are: Igor Alabugin (Chemistry and Biochemistry), who participated in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), and Ashby Plant (Psychology).

Students nominated the winners, who demonstrated a deep and long-term involvement in undergraduateresearch, including multiple papers and presentations co-authoredwithundergraduates.

No matter how many Undergraduate Research Mentor Awards are presented each year, one award will be reserved for a faculty member who participates in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP).