Arts & Sciences celebrates 2022-2023 ASSURE fellows
February 16, 2023 - Talullah Begaye
On a bleary Tuesday afternoon, the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 cohorts of the Arts & Sciences Support for Undergraduate Research Experience (ASSURE) met in the Physics & Astronomy and Interdisciplinary Science (PAÍS) building to celebrate the accomplishments of the 47 students selected over the course of this academic year.
Launched in 2021, ASSURE’s goal is to help cultivate student-faculty collaborations through the funding of projects that engage in thought-provoking research. As a Carnegie-designated Research One (R1) institution, UNM is recognized as a very high research activity institution. Programs such as ASSURE support these efforts by providing undergraduates with research opportunities that will help them build connections with some of the strongest leaders in their fields.
At the celebration, Fellows and mentors bonded over lively conversations about the student’s research projects and individual interests. The event was the first of its kind, encouraging networking and community amongst the impressive group.
“I’m glad that ASSURE is doing in-person events. It brings such a comforting and encouraging sense of community,” said John San Nicolas, a fellow for both Fall 2022 and Spring 2023.
Interim Dean Arash Mafi and Associate Dean of Research, Christopher Lippitt, talked to the group about how the program came to be and the importance it has in both the College and the University. Research experiences at the undergraduate level are one of the many unique opportunities that students get to take advantage of at UNM, and they are significant in that they very often lead to expanded opportunities beyond the undergraduate level.
Elizabeth Zellner, a Fall 2022 fellow, was glad to see the passion those who worked in the college had for ASSURE.
Mafi commended the students for stepping out into the world of research and taking initiative in their academic careers and to move forth with the skills they learn in the program.
Dr. Diana Dragomir, mentor and Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy, completely agrees. “ASSURE shows students that their work is valuable, so they’re learning what it’s like to do research and get paid for the time they spend on it,” she said.
“ASSURE mentors certainly have a wealth of knowledge, and I’m proud to be part of the next generation of researchers,”
Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 fellow, Andrew Schumann, said.
Cheryn Vigil, a Spring 2023 fellow, advises for prospective ASSURE students to bet on themselves and to go after the opportunities that are helping to set your foundation.
The applications to become a Fall 2023 fellow will open this upcoming summer.
