Who are we?
Undergraduate Research Program Division Chair: David Salomon, Christopher Newport University
The Undergraduate Research Program Division (URPD) serves and supports the need of faculty and administrators who direct UR programs on their campuses. Our membership includes directors of new and established programs at diverse institutions, programs that encompass a wide variety of disciplines from the sciences to the performing arts, and programs across traditional academic boundaries. This Division promotes networking amongst Directors in order to share ideas and resources, disseminate best practices, and organize workshops and Institutes. The Division also sponsors a CUR Affinity Group to support the work of members who wish to remain within the disciplinary Division in CUR but would like to benefit from the work of the URP Division.
| Name | Institution |
| Andrea Sell | California Lutheran University |
| Melonie Sexton | University of Central Florida |
| Name | Institution |
| Adam Neal | Southern Methodist University |
| Alexis Mathews | Morehead State University |
| Amy Childress | Purdue University |
| Ashley Fricks-Gleason | Creighton University |
| Christopher Fuse | Rollins College |
| David Salomon | Christopher Newport University |
| Donna Chamely-Wiik | Florida Atlantic University |
| Gabriela Chavira | California State University Northridge |
| Jaya Mohan | Drexel University |
| Jeffrey Ratliff – Crain | University of Minnesota Rochester |
| Jordan Cofer | University of Minnesota-Morris |
| Karen Rodriguez’G | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign |
| Keri Swaby | Virginia Tech |
| Kevin Walden | George Washington University |
| Kyla Esguerra | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee |
| Lakshmi Krishna | Colorado School of Mines |
| Lisa Brown | Morgan State University |
| Rachael Eaton | Oklahoma State University |
| Rosalie Rolon Dow | University of Delaware |
| Sarah Ferstel | Louisiana State University |
| Sarah Humfeld | University of Missouri-Columbia |
| Shay Rahm | University of Central Oklahoma |
| Sophie Pierszalowski | University of Washington |
| Stephanie Ramos | Oregon State University |
Division Activities
The Undergraduate Research Program Division (URPD) serves and supports the need of faculty and administrators who direct UR programs on their campuses.
- Learn more about the URP Division with this information flyer
- The CUR Undergraduate Research Programs Community
- The URP Community is a place for any CUR member to post questions and comments and share resources related to the operation of undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activity offices and programs.
- URP Division Awards to Recognize Exemplary URP Websites – currently closed
- This award recognizes websites with logical navigability and design, effectively communicate information for faculty and students, highlight program successes, and provide programmatic details that could allow for replication.
- URP Exchange
- These 50-minute Zoom sessions are monthly facilitated “exchanges” of ideas and information on a variety of topics and issues related to Undergraduate Research Programs. Details posted in the URP Division Community.
- Upcoming URP Exchanges can be found on the CUR Events Calendar.
- Undergraduate Research Annual Reports and Data Gathering – recorded on March 20, 2026 (download slides)
- Leveraging Undergraduate Research as Career Readiness Skills – recorded on February 18, 2026 (download slides)
- Best Practices in Undergraduate Research Program Websites – recorded on January 21, 2026
- Working with Development/Advancement/Donors – recorded on November 12, 2025
- AI in/and Undergraduate Research – recorded on October 14, 2025
- Vertically Integrated Programs – recorded on September 16, 2025
- Cultivating a Research Mindset on Campus – recorded on April 23, 2025 (download handout)
- Engaging First-Year Students in Research – recorded on March 19, 2025
- Best Practices in Assessing Summer Research Programs – recorded on February 26, 2025 (download slides)
- Best Practices and Current Challenges in Undergraduate Research Journals – recorded on January 29, 2025
- Best Practices in Undergraduate Research Websites – recorded on November 18, 2024
- Policies and Attitudes towards the Use of AI in Undergraduate Research Proposals – recorded on October 16, 2024
- Establishing an Undergraduate Research Advisory Committee/Board – recorded on September 25, 2024
Division News
