WVU Receives National Award for Undergraduate Research
By Connect-Bridgeport Staff on March 12, 2025
Efforts from the West Virginia University Office of Undergraduate Research to connect undergraduate students with research opportunities and faculty mentors are being recognized nationally by the Council on Undergraduate Research with its Award for Undergraduate Research Accomplishments.
Announced Tuesday, the award recognizes institutions with exemplary programs that provide high quality and collaborative research experiences for undergraduates.
“The undergraduate student research experience at WVU is truly unique,” Vice President for Research Fred King said. “From their earliest days on campus, we offer novel experiential learning opportunities and one-on-one mentorships between students and faculty. Along this special journey, students develop a passion for identifying problems and develop confidence in their ability to apply what they have learned to solving those problems.”
An R1 institution, the highest possible research ranking designated by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, WVU is one of 187 colleges and universities to earn the latest prestigious classification.
“Providing research opportunities for undergraduates across all majors and disciplines, both during the academic year and in the summer, is a key differential of WVU,” said Cinthia Pacheco, director of the University’s Office of Undergraduate Research.
“For students who participate in these experiences, the impact on their academic journey is significant. They not only graduate at higher rates compared to their peers, but also enter graduate and professional schools with a stronger foundation of skills.”
Established in 2015, the Office of Undergraduate Research promotes a strong undergraduate research culture that offers students opportunities for growth, mentorship and professional connection.
The Research Apprenticeship Program, one of the most successful endeavors, supports an average of 200 first- and second-year students each academic year in faculty mentored research.
The two-semester program is ideal for students who are interested in exploring the world of research alongside a faculty member but who have little to no experience in the area.
In 2024, a study authored by Pacheco and Amy Hessl, professor of geography and previous director of the Office of Undergraduate Research, found that 92% of first-year students who participated in RAP returned to WVU for their second year, surpassing institutional averages of 72%.
“This is a valuable opportunity for first-year college students to embark on this high impact academic practice,” Pacheco said. “Through a curriculum that facilitates connections between participants, faculty mentors and research group members, students cultivate a strong sense of belonging within the University community.”
The Office of Undergraduate Research also organizes the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience, an eight-week mentored program ideal for students interested in graduate school or a career in research. Participating students receive a stipend of $5,000 to conduct research full-time during the program.
For Jayla Boyd, a sophomore neuroscience major from Charleston, participating in both programs was essential to discovering her passion for research and defining her career goals.
“They really helped me get connected, get involved and to have a support system,” she said. “I came to WVU thinking I wanted to go to medical school, but my experiences helped me realize I want to get my doctoral degree and continue to conduct research.”
During her two semesters with RAP, Boyd worked closely with William Walker, then a postdoctoral researcher in the research lab led by Randy Nelson, chair of the WVU School of Medicine Department of Neuroscience, and Hazel Ruby McQuain Chair of Neurological Research, WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute.
She contributed to a study on how altering the time of day chemotherapy is administered can impact how the drugs target brain metastasis given fluctuations in the permeability of the blood-brain barrier throughout the day.
“When I first learned about circadian rhythms, I only thought they pertained to sleep; however, I soon realized there are many different things they can impact within our bodies,” Boyd said. “We’re learning there are things we can tweak or change that can drastically improve somebody’s well-being. While it may not necessarily cure a disease, it could make living with the disease a lot easier.”
During SURE last summer, Boyd transitioned to a lab led by Walker, now an assistant professor of neuroscience, and took the lead on a project studying time-of-day administration of chemotherapeutics in a mouse model of leptomeningeal disease, the spread of cancer cells to the cerebrospinal fluid.
“I had some freedom to work autonomously,” she said. “I felt more involved and like I had more of a leadership role within the lab, but I also knew I wasn’t on my own. I could go to my mentor and ask for help at any point.”
For Walker, mentoring students is not only essential to his job, it’s one of the highlights.
“I genuinely enjoy teaching new skills and watching students begin to learn, understand and apply the skills,” he said. “I cannot do research without the help from students. I frequently tell students that I need them just as much as they may think they need me, because I cannot carry out the work alone and it is their commitment and dedication that allows me the opportunity to run an effective research laboratory.”
Since arriving at WVU in 2018, he has mentored more than 15 undergraduate students, helping them gain exposure to the most current challenges and ideas.
“Undergraduate research gives students their initial exposure to critical thinking and problem solving,” Walker said. “These are indispensable skills that can be applied to virtually any field.”
Boyd shares his sentiments.
“It adds so much value to your education because you’re actually using what you’re learning,” she said. “It helps you think critically and increase your communication skills. There’s also a great sense of community and some of my best friends are people in my lab.”
That sense of community is exactly what Pacheco said she wants to foster across campus.
“Offering programs where undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and researchers can come together in shared spaces helps foster lasting connections and relationships that contribute to the prosperity of WVU and West Virginia,” she said.
Editor's Note: Top photo by Davidson Chan shows Jayla Boyd conducting research at the Erma Byrd Biomedical Research Center. Bottom photo is of King.
