Students in awarded positions will have $750 deposited in their Bursar's office account toward the middle of the semester. If a student carries a balance of greater than $750 with the Bursar's office at that time, the award will go to reduce that amount. Students with a balance of less than $750 will be given a refund for the remainder of the amount. The award is dispersed at this time to minimize any possible interference with the student's financial aid for the following semester. However, students are still required to successfully complete their URCA Assistant position, and should a student not meet URCA requirements after the award has been dispersed, the university will revoke the award. Although every attempt has been made to design the award so that it will not interfere with student aid, each student's financial situation is different, and it is simply impossible for us to guarantee that this award will not affect the student's financial aid. If a student is concerned, they should check with the Financial Aid office.
This award is considered financial aid and will be taxable. At the end of the calendar year all financial aid students receive is reported to the IRS and the student will receive a Form 1098 from the Bursar’s office to file with their taxes. In the case of Foreign National students, the award is taxed up front and a check is cut for any remainder of funds. Also, any funded URCA student who does not have a social security number, including Foreign National students, needs to have one in order to receive the award. To do this, please email ISSS@siue.edu for assistance with this process.
Finally, in extremely rare cases, some students who have maximized their financial aid may be ineligible for the stipend as they are prohibited by state and federal guidelines from receiving any additional funds. (While this rare occurrence could affect any student, it would most likely only affect Meridian Scholars, but only in instances where cost of attendance has been reached; that is, not all Meridian Scholars would be affected.)
Congratulations to all of our URCA Assistants and Mentors for the Spring 2024 semester! We wish you all the best of luck with your projects.
College of Arts and Sciences
Department and Mentor
Assistant(s)
Anthropology
Julie Zimmerman
Holly Keiser, Amaya Tillerson
Art & Design
Thad Duhigg
Josie Woodrome
Joe Page
Marguerite Burns
Brigham Dimick
Evan Payne
Mike Stumbras
Theo Fuller
Rodrick Whetstone
Sydney Williams
Biological and Environmental Sciences
Thomas Anderson
Sadie Sheets, Kaitlyn Stopa, Calista Petroskey
Maurina Aranda
Ella Highfill
Carolyn Butts-Wilmsmeyer
Jacob Stephens
Elizabeth Esselman
Michaela Bauter, Kylie Pearman
Thomas Fowler
Alexis Bartimus, Elizabeth Moss
Danielle Lee
Mackenzie Hayes, Diana Miller, Isabel Brewer, Julia Steltenpohl
Darron Luesse
Elyse Ibata, Leyla Loga, Aubri Thompson, Franzine Cole Salas, Kate Barbour
Brittany Peterson
Kaylee Brandon, Sophia Daum
Emily Petruccelli
Tyler Miller, Landon Winkelman, Kevin Oseguera, Adriana Elliot, Jacob Pate,
Leslie Smith, Ella Reed, Emma Klein, Annabelle Kowalski, Madison Ramshaw, Kiera Murphy
Eunyoe Ro
Hayley Fowler, Alyssa Johnson, Riley Miller
Mitsuru Shimizu
Aubrey Simon
Exercise, Sport, and Nutrition Sciences
Cynthia Inman
Gabrielle Burns
Bryan Smith
Gavin Smothers, Issac Gauerke
Joshua Wooten
John Western, Grace Karolewicz, Izzy Melton, Jennifer Barker, Maxwell Hardiek
Jen Zuercher
Karli Yotter
Katerine Mora
Lily Daughtry
Educational Leadership
Candace Hall
Anthony Harris Jr.
Public Health and Speech-Language Pathology
Steffany Chleboun
Gavyn Baer, Mickey Christian, Alyana Shain
School of Nursing
Department and Mentor
Assistant(s)
Primary Care and Health Systems
Erica Frost
Glore Omole, Chole Birchett
Family Health and Community Health
Annie Imboden
Dirk Tescon II
Nurse Anesthesiology
Leah Baecht
Katelyn Gutmann, Sonakshi Gulati
School of Dental Medicine
Department and Mentor
Assistant(s)
Biomedical and Craniofacial Sciences
Cinnamon VanPutte
David Ferrier, Eleanor Schuler, Braden Prschirrer, Anne Strullmyer
School of Pharmacy
Department and Mentor
Assistant(s)
Pharmaceutical Sciences
Maria Kontoyianni
Alexis Agbleade
For more information about the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Program, contact Dr. Ariel Belasen at (618) 650-2940 or abelase@siue.edu.
University Museum and Library and Information Services
Department and Mentor
Assistant(s)
Research, Teaching, and Learning
Elizabeth Kamper
Albert Smith
University Library
Erin Vigneau-Dimick
Griffin Wilson
For more information about the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Program, contact Dr. Ariel Belasen at (618) 650-2940 or abelase@siue.edu.
