University of Missouri–Columbia’s Undergraduate Research Director Will Serve as a Council Representative

Linda Blockus—director of the Office of Undergraduate Research at the University of Missouri–Columbia—has been elected to the Executive Board of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). Representing CUR’s Undergraduate Research Programs Division (URP), Blockus will begin a three-year term on the board in summer 2021.

Blockus earned her AB in biology from Dartmouth College, her EdM in educational leadership from Boston University, and her PhD in educational leadership and policy analysis at University of Missouri–Columbia. She also was a visiting student at The Ohio State University (as an undergraduate student) and Stanford University (as a graduate student), as well as a fellow at the Center for Advancing Science & Engineering Capacity at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Blockus served on the CUR Executive Board in 2009–2011 and as a Councilor in CUR’s At-Large Division in 2002–2005, as well as assisted in founding URP in 2005.

Said Lindsay Currie, CUR’s executive officer, “Dr. Blockus’s invaluable experience as an undergraduate research administrator has been of great benefit to CUR in areas such as student and faculty programming and the production of CUR’s important publication Characteristics of Excellence in Undergraduate Research. Her promotion of interdisciplinary and interassociational collaborations, advocacy for undergraduate research on local and national levels, and long service to CUR will provide distinct strengths to the board.”

The Council on Undergraduate Research announces the results of its recent election. These individuals will take office in summer 2021:

President-Elect
Ruth J. Palmer (emerita, The College of New Jersey)

Treasurer
Karen G. Havholm (emerita, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire)

Council Representatives to the Executive Board
Linda Blockus (University of Missouri–Columbia; representing the CUR Undergraduate Research Programs Division)
Sarah K. Johnson (Moravian College; representing the CUR Psychology Division)
Nicole Snyder (Davidson College; representing the CUR Chemistry Division)

General Representative to the Executive Board
Jennifer Thorington Springer (Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis)

Karen G. Havholm—former assistant vice chancellor for research and sponsored programs, and former director of the Center of Excellence for Faculty and Undergraduate Student Research Collaboration at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire—has been elected to a second term as treasurer of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). A member of CUR’s Undergraduate Research Programs Division who has served as a CUR Councilor and as a general representative to the Executive Board, Havholm will begin a three-year term on the board in summer 2021.

Havholm earned her bachelor’s degree in geology with honors from the College of Wooster. After K–12 teaching in Tehran, Iran, and Austin, Texas, she earned master’s and doctoral degrees in geology at UT Austin. After teaching at Colorado College and University of Washington, she moved to UW–Eau Claire, where she combined her geology and education backgrounds. As a faculty member in the Geology Department, she mentored 27 research students. From 2006 to her retirement in 2020, she led the campus research office, focusing on advancing undergraduate research at the university as well as publishing and presenting on undergraduate research issues at the state and national levels. In 2016, UW–Eau Claire was a recipient of CUR’s Campus-Wide Award for Undergraduate Research Accomplishments. Havholm has served as president of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers, as a Councilor for the CUR Geosciences Division and Undergraduate Research Programs Division, as a member of the CUR Finance Committee, and as a current member of the CUR Executive Board.

Said Lindsay Currie, CUR’s executive officer, “Dr. Havholm’s substantial experience with program management, grant-supported research programs, and fiscal policies and procedures is of considerable value as CUR continues to implement policies to ensure fiscal health for the organization. Her continued service is an asset to CUR.”

Said Havholm, “I am honored and excited to be able to continue to work with the hard-working CUR staff and dedicated CUR volunteers as we navigate this time of upheaval and transition.”

Ruth J. Palmer, associate professor emerita in the School of Education at The College of New Jersey, has been elected as president-elect of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). She will take office as president-elect in summer 2021 and become president of the organization in summer 2022.

Palmer’s contributions to CUR include her service as a general representative to the CUR Executive Board, co-chair of the 2016 CUR Biennial Conference, and cofounder of the CUR Education Division. Under her leadership, the division established its first faculty-student research scholarship (to support first- and second-year students in education-related fields) and created working groups to promote faculty and student scholarly engagement in education research. This work has developed into a book project focused on mentored undergraduate research. She was recognized as the organization’s Volunteer of the Year in 2017. 

The teaching portfolio of educational psychologist Palmer has included multiple courses in the US and international programs of TCNJ’s School of Education such as Adolescent Learning and Development; the first-year seminar Pedagogy and Politics of the Civil Rights Movement: A Focus on Citizenship Schools, Freedom Schools, and Community; and practicum-based research and inquiry integrated into courses. Her research interests include professional identity construction in teacher education, mentored undergraduate research, and academic emotions in teaching and learning. Her target research population includes adolescents and emerging adults. She initiated and advised TCNJ’s student-led Secondary Education Teachers Association and its subcommittee, the Undergraduate Research Advocacy Initiative. Palmer served two terms on the Board of Education for the Ewing Township (NJ) Public Schools, including as vice president. She earned a BA in modern studies and a diploma in education (teaching) from the University of the West Indies, as well as an M Ed in school psychology and a PhD in educational psychology from Howard University.

Said Lindsay Currie, CUR’s executive officer, “Dr. Palmer’s thoughtful nurturing of preservice teachers has done much to build their professional identities and equip them with research and other skills so they can become effective educators of the next generation. Her concerns for diversity, inclusion, and access as well as assessment in undergraduate research will be of great benefit as CUR works to fulfill these crucial goals in its Strategic Plan.”

Said Palmer, “To serve as CUR president-elect 2021 is an honor which I receive respectfully. What I envision is that CUR, in service to its membership and not losing sight of its mission, extend its role as incubator of and laboratory for testing and validating ideas related to intellectual leadership for the field of undergraduate research. The organization has the structures that can serve to initiate and support this effort in conjunction with its partnerships with other organizations. CUR can make a road by walking.”

Associate Dean of Student Affairs Will Serve as a General Representative

Jennifer Thorington Springer—associate dean of student affairs, founding director of the RISE Program, professor of English, adjunct professor in the Women Studies and Africana Studies Programs, and an affiliate faculty member in the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)—has been elected to the Executive Board of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). Thorington Springer will serve as a general representative to the board, beginning her three-year term in summer 2021.

Thorington Springer earned her BA in English from Westfield State College (now University) in Massachusetts, as well as her MA and PhD in English from Miami University of Ohio. At IUPUI, she has served as an active mentor in initiatives such as the McNair Scholars Program and the Olaniyan Scholars Undergraduate Research Program; piloted a peer-to-peer mentoring program; and promoted high-impact practices, experiential learning, and civic engagement, particularly among underrepresented students. At CUR, she has served as a Councilor in the Arts and Humanities Division since 2018 and as co-chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. She will begin a three-year term as Councilor in CUR’s At-Large Division in summer 2021.

Said Lindsay Currie, CUR’s executive officer, “Dr. Thorington Springer’s leadership has been of enormous benefit as CUR works to fulfill its strategic goal of diversity, equity, and inclusion in undergraduate research while remaining true to its values. Her encouragement of faculty wishing to mentor underserved students in culturally appropriate ways, diligence in expanding research opportunities for students, and implementation of institutional structures supporting undergraduate research will be invaluable to the work of the board.”  
 

Said Thorington Springer, “I am honored and excited to have been selected to serve as a General Representative.  While I look forward to participating in the overall work conducted by the board, I am enthusiastic about collaborative opportunities to guide and enhance CUR’s efforts to integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion at every level of the organization with intentionality and built-in accountability.”

Assistant Dean for Research and Creative Works Will Serve as a Council Representative

Nicole Snyder—professor of chemistry and assistant dean for research and creative works at Davidson College (NC)—has been elected to the Executive Board of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). Representing CUR’s Chemistry Division, Snyder will begin a three-year term on the board in summer 2021.

Snyder earned her BS in chemistry and BS in biology cum laude from Westminster College (PA) and her PhD in bioorganic chemistry from the University of Connecticut. She has mentored or co-mentored nearly 100 undergraduate researchers over the past 15 years. At CUR, she has served as a Councilor in the Chemistry Division since 2016 and as the division’s representative on the Internationalization Task Force.

Said Lindsay Currie, CUR’s executive officer, “Dr. Snyder’s staunch commitment to anti-racist practices and policies will be of great benefit to the board as CUR works to fulfill its strategic goal of diversity and inclusion in undergraduate research while operating according to our values. Her leadership roles in the chemistry community will assist CUR in strengthening its connections with colleague organizations.”

Said Snyder, “It is an honor to serve the CUR membership as a member of the Executive Board. CUR members are aware of the transformative impacts of undergraduate research, especially for students from underrepresented groups. I am looking forward to collaborating across CUR and with our partner organizations to strengthen support for national and international undergraduate research opportunities at every level of the curriculum while working with my colleagues to ensure that our best practices reflect the extraordinary work we do and continuing to emphasize inclusive approaches that help all our students achieve their goals.”

Associate Professor of Psychology Will Serve as a Council Representative

Sarah K. Johnson—associate professor in the Department of Psychology/Neuroscience at Moravian College in Pennsylvania—has been elected to the Executive Board of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). Representing CUR’s Psychology Division, Johnson will begin a three-year term on the board in summer 2021.

Johnson earned her BA in psychology with honors at Bucknell University and her PhD in cognitive psychology from Temple University. She has mentored 50 students in independent research projects and more than 320 students in course-based undergraduate research projects. Her CUR roles have included vice-chair of the CUR Psychology Division (2015–2020), chair of the National Conferences on Undergraduate Research Oversight Committee (2017–present), and member of the Student Programs Task Force (2018–2020).

Said Lindsay Currie, CUR’s executive officer, “Dr. Johnson’s substantial involvement in student-centered initiatives has provided great benefits to CUR in student outreach. As a longtime faculty member at a primarily undergraduate institution, Dr. Johnson will bring an important perspective to the board that reflects the unique strengths of these institutions in advancing undergraduate research.”

Said Johnson, “I am excited to be a part of the CUR Executive Board as we all face the ‘new normal’ together. CUR has been exceptionally important in shaping how I approach UR in my own work and programmatically at my institution. I look forward to helping envision how, in these changing times, CUR can continue to be a resource and an inspiration in the lives of many faculty, administrators, and students who are dedicated to advancing undergraduate research.”