WVU School of Nursing faculty member receives 2022 Award of Distinction in Mentoring Undergraduates in Research
Angel Smothers, clinical associate professor with the West Virginia University School of Nursing, was recently named a 2022 Award of Distinction in Mentoring Undergraduates in Research.
Smothers was recognized in the biosciences and health sciences category. As a nurse for 23 years, she has focused her efforts on community-based palliative care and faith community nursing with the past 15 years as a faculty member in the WVU School of Nursing.
“It is an honor to receive this prestigious award and I look forward to many more years working with undergraduate students,” Smothers said.
According to Ubolrat Piamjariyakul, associate dean for research and scholarship in the School of Nursing, Smothers goes beyond her normal teaching responsibilities when mentoring undergraduates in research.
“Introducing nursing students to research and evidence-based practice early in their education can help to promote a sense of inquiry and critical thinking skills that students will carry throughout their lives,” she said.
The selection committee for the award underscored their admiration of Smothers’ efforts in mentoring.
The letter said, “The selection committee was truly inspired by your ability to include undergraduate students in the process of nursing research and evidence-based practice. The committee was also impressed on how you were able to stimulate undergraduate student curiosity in original research in nursing that culminated in students as co-authors in peer-reviewed publications and presenters at meetings and conferences.
“In addition, the selection committee was impressed by your long-term, quality mentoring of individual students and your concern for the ongoing professional development of your students. It was clear that your involvement in mentoring undergraduates in research is expanding to include more students, more UR programming and more ways of incorporating undergraduates in your scholarly endeavors.
“Our undergraduates and West Virginia University are fortunate to have such a dedicated faculty member.”
Sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research and the Office of the Provost, the award serves to recognize and reward faculty and graduate students who encourage and support undergraduates in making an original intellectual or creative contribution to their discipline.
Since 2016, awards have been presented in four categories: behavioral and social sciences, biosciences and health sciences, humanities and the arts, and physical sciences and technology.
New this year is an award for Graduate Student Mentor to recognize the important role graduate students play in mentoring undergraduates in research and creative work.
The other 2022 recipients are:
- Brian Popp, associate professor of chemistry in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
- Joel Beeson, professor in the Reed College of Media
- Nicholas Turiano, associate professor of psychology in the Eberly College
- William Walker II, postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Neuroscience in the School of Medicine
- Erin Hudnall, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology in the Eberly College
“Undergraduate research is a high impact practice that helps retain students at WVU and is often a life-changing experience for the student and the mentor,” Amy Hessl, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research and professor of geology and geography, said. “WVU is fortunate to have these outstanding mentors serving undergraduate students. We hope the stories of these award-winning mentors serve to inspire other faculty and graduate students to include undergraduates in their scholarly endeavors.”