The Mathematics and Computer Sciences Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) has announced the recipients of its 2018 Faculty Mentor Award, which recognizes outstanding mentoring of undergraduate researchers:
- Liz Bouzarth (Furman University)
- Gabriela Marcu (University of Michigan)
- Karl Schmitt (Valparaiso University)
Bouzarth is an associate professor of mathematics at Furman University in Greenville, SC. Her research interests include applications of mathematics to sports, health, theme park touring, and various community engagement projects within the Furman and Greenville communities. She often collaborates with students on research and engaged learning projects, blending teaching, scholarship, and mentorship. In partnership with two colleagues at Furman, she developed Math and the Mouse, a three-week study away Maymester course that immerses students in learning about the breadth and applications of mathematics and related topics in Walt Disney World. She earned a bachelor's degree from Dickinson College and a PhD in mathematics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Marcu is an assistant professor in the School of Information at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Her research combines ubiquitous computing, interaction design, and community-based participatory research to promote coordination and equity in the delivery of behavioral health services and support. Marcu directs the Empathic Research Group, a highly diverse and interdisciplinary team working on user experience projects funded by the NSF, NIH, HRSA, and Pennsylvania Department of Health. She earned a BS in informatics from the University of California, Irvine and a PhD in human-computer interaction from Carnegie Mellon University.
Schmitt is an assistant professor and director of data sciences at Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, IN. He is the founding director of the bachelor’s in science in data science at the university. Schmitt's formal research specializes in data science as applied to networks and graphs. He also has designed and implemented an Introduction to Data Science course designed for students with minimal programming experience that centers on a data-driven service learning/undergraduate research project. Schmitt is very interested in finding ways to connect data science with social good, especially through the classroom and experiential learning. He earned a BA in physics from Wittenberg University, a BS in computer science cum laude from Wittenberg University, and a PhD in scientific computing from the University of Maryland-College Park.
CUR's Mathematics and Computer Sciences Division has opened the nomination process for its 2019 Faculty Mentor Awards. Nominations are due March 31, 2019.
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