Past Mentor Awards

The Outstanding Undergraduate Research FACULTY Mentor Award in 2022-23 was given to Webster Santos, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry. In his nomination, Dr. Santos was described as willing, sharing, and available. Here are excerpts from his nomination:

"He is always more than happy to listen to my questions and give advice. He never passes up a chance to teach me and never seems bothered to help. He connected me with my previous summer research experience, has introduced me to numerous scholarships, and always sends newly published research papers for me to read. He also makes time to check in on me; by this, I mean that in addition to asking about my research progress, he also cares about my personal life. It means a lot to have a mentor who knows me personally and academically. Over the years, Dr. Santos has pushed me to become a better chemist not only in the lab but also in my scientific writing and communication skills. Additionally, he respects me. He allows me to feel like an equal in our conversations, even though I recognize we are anything but the same. This relationship, however, allows me to be confident in my skills and open to criticism. He fosters this environment of respect which I have not encountered from other men in STEM. Finally, Dr. Santos has cheered me on from the start which has given me the ambition to define and reach my goals. Right now, that looks like me attending graduate school in the Fall. The mentorship of Dr. Santos has served as a key relationship for me that has inspired me to pursue science for life. I know his mentorship role in my life is far from over and I look forward to continue to share with him."

The Outstanding Undergraduate Research GRADUATE STUDENT Mentor Award in 2022-23 was given to Jessica Gannon (Biomedical Engineering), who received three nominations. In her nominations, Jess was described as approachable, supportive, inspirational, knowledgeable, and patient. Here are excerpts from the nominations:

"Whenever I have questions, she is always there to answer, and answer in great depth. She is an extraordinarily supportive mentor, with the knowledge and experience to provide valuable insights. Jess is very considerate, and is key in the integration of new undergrads. As my mentor, she sees my own skills and capabilities before I see them and has been a big proponent of me taking over my own individual projects as an undergraduate. Jess truly wants her undergraduate students to learn and grow into individual, independent researchers, which is evident in her “see one, do one” teaching methods. Jess made me feel like a valuable member of the team from day one. Regardless of the project we are working on, Jess has always set achievable goals for me, optimized my skill set to enhance our workflow, and made my contributions to the project feel critical. Jess’s priorities as a mentor are not simply to teach, but rather to instill confidence, foster curiosity, and invoke independence. Jess is highly motivated and dedicated to her work, inclusive to all members of our collaborative team, and genuinely cares about the people she works with. Truthfully, Jess has made a bigger impact on me than she will ever give herself credit for. Every acceptance and accomplishment is celebrated by her, but what she doesn’t know is that without her confidence in my abilities and her guidance, I wouldn’t be the researcher I am today. The guidance and support she has instilled in me has truly shown me the value of a great mentor. Wherever my future career takes me, the wisdom, kindness, and mentorship that Jess has shown me will translate to my own role as a mentor."

In 2021, the OUR received 15 nominations for the Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award, 8 for faculty members and 3 for graduate students.

The Outstanding Undergraduate Research FACULTY Mentor Award in 2021-22 was given to Shahabedin Sagheb, M.A, Assistant Collegiate Professor with the Calhoun Discovery Program, who received four nominations. In their nominations, the students described Dr. Sagheb as supportive, innovative, caring, resourceful, kind, and, encouraging. Here are excerpts from the nominations:

Shahab goes out of his way to support us in any way possible. He has innovative ideas and cares greatly about our research and us as individuals. He knows so much and will always explain something if you don't understand without being condescending. He has helped me to understand topics I never thought I would understand because of his dedication and passion. He is a great communicator. He pushes you and is a very supportive. To me Professor Sagheb is different from all the other mentors because he makes an active effort to ensure that everyone is enjoying the project and wants to be thereEvery time I walk into his office, I go in with one idea and come out with a completely new way to solve the problem that is simpler, better, easier, and more effective feeling like I created it. I am not handed a solution, but neither am I left alone to work it out myself.

This mentor has pushed me outside of the box I created for myself. He has empowered me to feel "smart" and help me achieve my goals. Sagheb has shaped my idea and knowledge on what is possible in college. I never thought I would be able to work on a project at such a scale that will be published in journals.

The Outstanding Undergraduate Research GRADUATE STUDENT Mentor Award in 2021-22 was given to Rebecca Kriss (Civil and Environmental Engineering), who received four nominations. In her nominations, Rebecca was described as caring, welcoming, professional, compassionate, knowledgeable, and loyal. Here are excerpts from the nominations:

She cares about our individual lives but still expects professional and good work - pushes us to be better. She handles things in a professional manner and always shows interest in our professional careers. She also has great knowledge in the field and has great advice. Becca works hard to get to know her students and goes the extra mile to make it known that you are cared for. She is always open to any questions or extra training needed for students. She is always very encouraging when we are learning new things and holds us to a high standard.

I have seen a lot of growth in my knowledge. After all this experience I will be a published co-author on her paper, while at the beginning of starting in lab I knew hardly anything. She helped me push myself into enjoying research and getting a job directly out of college. She truly helped develop me into the professional I am today and to not only get a job directly out of college, but to be prepared for it too.

The OUR is extremely grateful to the hard work and dedication of all undergraduate research mentors.

The Outstanding Undergraduate Research FACULTY Mentor Award in 2020-21 was given to Koeun Choi, PhD (Human Development), receiving two nominations. In their nominations, the students described Dr. Choi as patient, supportive, passionate, and empathetic. Here are excerpts from the nominations:

She is so supportive and kind but also extremely knowledgeable. She is constantly teaching us new information and her knowledge is not limited to one field. This combined with her kind and approachable personality makes her the best mentor and professor I have ever had. Dr. Choi constantly goes the extra step to ensure her research assistants are set up for success in the future and always has an open door if we need assistance. Her constant guidance and advice has encouraged me to apply to graduate school.

The Outstanding Undergraduate Research GRADUATE STUDENT Mentor Award in 2020-21 was given to William Singer (School of Plant and Environmental Sciences). In his nomination, Will was described as patient, engaging and adaptable. Here are excerpts from the nomination:

Even when he has five projects running simultaneously, he carves out time in his schedule to patiently answer questions. Will sets himself apart from other research mentors by knowing when to step back and give me a chance to do things on my own and also when to step in to prevent big mistakes. He takes interest in each undergraduate in the lab and helps steer us towards opportunities that can benefit us.

The Outstanding Undergraduate Research FACULTY Mentor Award for 2019-20 was awarded to Eli Vlaisavljevich, PhD (Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics), who received three nominations. Students described him as encouraging, fair, thoughtful, well-rounded, and supportive. Here are excerpts from the nominations:

He is extremely driven as a researcher, he encourages curiosity, and is a fair man to all lab members.  His drive inspires me to dig deeper, think harder, and achieve more. He goes above and beyond to help his undergraduates be the best we can be (so much so that I now want an MD/PHD instead of "just" an MD). He creates a really inclusive, collaborative lab environment between graduates students, faculty, and undergraduates. Whether you are an undergraduate or graduate student, Dr. Vlaisavljevich makes you feel like an invaluable part of his team. He always checks in to see how we are doing and what we need from him in order to achieve our goals. I think his attitude of leadership and motivation and inclusivity motivates all of us to do our very best work and be the best research team we can be. He makes doing research rewarding and fun, on top of being an incredible learning experience.

The Outstanding Undergraduate Research GRADUATE STUDENT Mentor Award for 2019-20 was awarded to Jeannie Purchase (Civil and Environmental Engineering), who received a whopping six (6) nominations. Students described her as insightful, caring, empowering, patient, and inspiring. Here are excerpts from the nominations:

She is very insightful, making sure to explain the bigger picture of our research to each of us. She has created a cohesive dynamic across the group and enabled us to grow as students. Jeannie helps empower us to learn from mistakes, enhance our strengths, and become better students and workers. She inspires us to keep doing well in our majors and to still make time to do other things we enjoy. She is devoted to her students' success and wellbeing. Her work ethic is impeccable, her personality is super friendly and approachable, and she always works with a purpose. She will sit down and explain to you everything that’s going on in the research instead of just telling you to do it.

In 2019, the OUR received 21 nominations for the Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award, 16 for faculty members and 5 for graduate students, from 5 of 7 colleges.

Outstanding Undergraduate Research FACULTY Mentor Award in 2019-20 was given to Anne Brown, PhD (University Libraries and Biochemistry) who received 5 nominations. The students described her as patient, encouraging, approachable and inspiring. Here are excerpts from the nominations:

Dr. Brown is always available and is incredibly patient but never compromises on believing the high standard that her students can achieve, and helping them to achieve that. She is understanding of each student's individual circumstances. She has created an environment in our laboratory where it is easy to communicate our needs to her. She manages to help someone find a solution to problems without hand-holding. This encourages students to keep moving forward and creates an impetus to learn from mistakes. Being a member of her lab is my favorite part of attending Virginia Tech. It has given me a sense of purpose, a community to transition into as a transfer student, and a place where I feel like I belong.

Outstanding Undergraduate Research GRADUATE STUDENT Mentor Award in 2019-20 was given to Tyler McFayden (Psychology) who received two nominations. She was described as encouraging, helpful, respectful, and willing. Here are excerpts from the nominations:

Tyler always responds to my questions swiftly and is sonsistently willing to take time out of her day to help me on a project. She makes me feel comfortable asking questions and explains things to me in a polite and helpful manner. She has encouraged me to apply to conferences and has challenged my ideas to make them stronger. She has helped me grow as a researcher and as a person. She has shown me what it is like to be a graduate student.

The OUR is extremely grateful to the hard work and dedication of all undergraduate research mentors.