URSA announces 2023-2024 Mentor Award recipients
The Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Activity congratulates the following individuals who received an URSA 2023-2024 Mentor Award.
Sasha Bitzer
Assistant Professor of Printmaking & Painting
Student: Reily Dixon
Project Title: Cognitive Cryogenics: Visual Metaphors for Human-Environment Relationships
Jaunelle Celaire
Professor of Voice & Music Department Chair
(L-R): Dario Martin, Olivia Buzby, Grace Farrell, Alexia Devine, Steven Anderson, Jaunelle
Celaire, Mariana Beks, Ellie Martinson, Luci McWilliams
Project Title: Fairbanks North Star Borough School District Music Outreach with ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Music Department
Erica Ebert
Fisheries, Graduate Student
Student: Amelia Knavel
Project Title: Analysis of Stable Isotopes in the Fourhorn Sculpin to Determine Foraging and Habitat
Strategies
Florian Hofmann
Research Assistant Professor, Geophysical Institute
Students: Cori Patchkofsky (L), Ada Causey (R)
Project Title: Developing Techniques to Date Young Volcanics in ²ÝÁñÉçÇø
Claudia Ihl

Professor of Biology, NW Campus

Students: Lynette Adams & Janet Adams
Project Title: Muskox Winter Foraging in Changing Snow Conditions near Nome
Ana Medina
Fisheries, Graduate Student
Student: Nivedita Menon
Project Title: Determining Life History Attributes of Rainbow Smelt in the Nearshore Waters of the
Beaufort Sea
Kristin O'Brien
Professor of Biology and Wildlife
Student: Jessica Gimarc
Project Title: Metabolic Remodeling in Threespine Stickleback
Sarah Rice
Postdoctoral Researcher, Institute of Arctic Biology
Student: Mars Brennan
Project Title: Undergraduate Research Training on Enzyme Activity in Hibernating Bears
Garrett Savory
Biology and Wildlife, Graduate Student
Student: Molly Cook
Project Title: Do serum amino acid nitrogen isotope ratios capture declines in captive muskox body
condition?
Deanna Strohm
Project Biologist/ Laboratory Manager, Institute of Arctic Biology
Student: Paul Lecheung
Project Title: Assessing the Extent Tributary Watersheds Contribute to Arctic Grayling (Thymallus
arcticus) Population Viability and Structure in Boreal Riverscapes
Naoki Takebayashi
Associate Professor of Biology
(L-R): Diana Wolf, Denali Crawford, Naoki Takebayashi, Steffi Ickert-Bond, James Phillips,
Gaku Amada
Project Title: Estimation of the Ploidy of Plants from Dried Herbarium Specimens
Lauren Wilson
Geoscience, Graduate Student
Student: Xochitl Munoz
Project Title: New Insight into Cretaceous Arctic Mammals using Computed Tomography
URSA’s Mentor Awards offer up to $6,000 for faculty, researchers, staff, and graduate students from all disciplines and all ²ÝÁñÉçÇø-affiliated campuses to engage undergraduate students on their current research and creative projects. Visit the Mentor Award webpage for additional award information.
*²ÝÁñÉçÇø-Affiliated Campuses include: Bristol Bay Campus, Chukchi Campus, Community and Technical College, Interior ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Campus, Kuskokwim Campus, and Northwest Campus.
Please contact the URSA Office with questions: 907-450-8772; uaf-ursa@alaska.edu.