Morrison, Papish Earn 2007 Research Mentor Awards

SALISBURY, MD---With many Salisbury University faculty involved in student research, judges choosing the winner of the annual Outstanding Research Mentor Award often find it difficult to narrow the field to one. This year they found it impossible.

For the first time, co-recipients were named during the seventh annual SU Student Research Conference. They were Dr. Lucy Morrison of the English Department and Dr. Elizabeth Papish of the Chemistry Department.

Morrison “has inspired students to expand their thoughts and carry their work well beyond the restrictions imposed by the classroom,” said Dr. E. Eugene Williams of the Biological Sciences Department, announcing this year’s winners. In three years, “Her students have delivered 28 presentations at local, state, regional and international conferences,” added Williams.

“Her enthusiasm for research really excites her students to perform,” said one student in Morrison’s nomination.

“As a teacher and scholar, research is a vital part of my academic existence, career and pedagogy,” said Morrison. “I greatly admire how willing [SU students] are to push their own boundaries and take on the challenges of research.”

Papish’s goals “are to maintain an active research group that fosters student learning while eventually leading to publishable scientific studies,” said Williams. “She believes this approach allows her to bring students from the level of novice gradually to the level of an intellectual peer by the time they graduate.”

During the past four years, Papish has supervised 12 students in independent study. They have worked on topics from Beer’s law plots of transition metal complexes to designing entire organic syntheses.

“Although I had my doubts of spending my summer doing research, it truly ended up being one of the best decisions I ever made and a wonderful learning opportunity,” said one student in Papish’s nomination.

Student research is an international movement in higher education. The National Conference on Undergraduate Research will be held at SU in 2008.

For more information call 410-543-6030 or visit the SU Web site at www.salisbury.edu.