Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities

Fall 2019 URCA Assistant Program Awards

Vaughn Vandegrift URCA Assistant Research Mentor of the Semester Award 

Dr. Darron Luesse, Department of Biological Sciences

Nominated by: Kyle Warnecke

“Dr. Luesse (or Darron, as he informally goes by to his students) has reminded me and all of us repeatedly that science, at its heart, is driven by the desire to know “why.” It is about asking a question, and then figuring out a proper way to go about finding an answer to it – and whether or not that question involves an overarching hypothesis about chloroplast biogenesis or simply why a particular restriction enzyme didn’t cut the way it was expected to, the path to its answer is fueled by curiosity, which must be maintained with careful patience and determination. Each time I leave his office, I walk back to the lab confidently, anxiety dissipated and armed with encouragement, determined to try again.”

URCA Creative Activities Mentor of the Semester Award 

Jane Barrow, Department of Art and Design

Nominated by: Sutton Allen

“As my personal mentor, Jane assists me in ways that go beyond my formal education. Thus far, Jane and the URCA program have given me personal insight into a working artist’s personal process and practice. I have been able to engage with my mentor not as my professor but as a working artist, helping her to problem solve and create a new body of work. During this time, she shares with me many of the struggles painters today are likely to face… Jane sincerely engages with her students in a heartfelt and genuine way, she is personally invested in our success.”

URCA Research Assistant of the Semester Award

Henry Schilling, Department of Psychology

Nominated by: Dr. Elora Voyles

“It is clear that other students look to Henry. Given his tenacity, positive attitude, humor, and intelligence, it’s not surprising that he is an excellent leader and mentor for other students. My research and my other URCA students have been positively influenced by Henry. As such, Henry deserves the URCA assistant award because he is truly an outstanding URCA assistant.”

URCA Creative Activities Assistant of the Semester Award 

Haley Inyart, Department of Art and Design

Nominated by: Brigham Dimick

“Haley is a model of excellence in many ways. Aside from her professionalism and depth and breadth of skills, she is extremely ambitious.  She is prolific in her drawing production without losing a high degree of detail and ongoing innovation of form and content. She is the most active undergraduate I have met in terms of applying to juried exhibitions throughout the country she has applied to. Her applications have been rewarded by a long list of exhibitions and awards. In that spirit, Haley found an exhibition for the two of us to apply to as collaborators, an exhibition whose theme focused on the conversation between the artworks of mentors and their students.”