Recipients named for 2026 Travis Stimeling Awards for Mentoring Undergraduates in Research

Yu Gu, Eric Horstick, Brent Murry, Michelle Roley-Roberts, Marissa Nicodemus, and Kshitij Tewari were recently named recipients of the Travis Stimeling Award for Mentoring Undergraduates in Research. (WVU graphic)

Five faculty members and two graduate students were recently named recipients of the Travis Stimeling Award for Mentoring Undergraduates in Research at West Virginia University. 

Story by Lindsey Willey, Director of Marketing and Communications, Honors College
Photos supplied

Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

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. 

Formerly the Faculty Awards for Distinction in Mentoring Undergraduates in Research, the award was renamed in memory of Travis Stimeling, former professor of musicology in the College of Creative Arts. Stimeling was a recipient of the award in 2022 and was a passionate advocate of undergraduate research and providing students with research opportunities.  

This year’s awards are presented in four categories: behavioral and social sciences, biosciences and health sciences, physical sciences and technology and graduate student mentor. 

The 2026 recipients are: 

• Yu Gu, Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering Academy of Distinguished Alumni Professor in the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources (Physical Sciences and Technology)
• Eric Horstick , associate professor of biology and associate chair of graduate studies in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences (Biosciences and Health Sciences)
• Brent Murry , assistant professor of aquatic ecology in the Davis College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Biosciences and Health Sciences)
• Michelle Roley-Roberts , assistant professor of clinical child psychology in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences (Behavioral and Social Sciences)
• Marissa Nicodemus, a Ph.D. candidate in behavioral neuroscience (Graduate Student Mentor)
• Kshitij Tewari, a Ph.D. candidate in chemical engineering (Graduate Student Mentor)

“Engaging undergraduate students in research and creative work is widely recognized for its positive effects on retention rates and more successful degree completion,” said  Cinthia Pacheco , director of the  Office of Undergraduate Research . “This success is only possible because of the outstanding faculty who support our students’ intellectual and professional development through scholarly pursuits.

Yu Gu

As a mentor, Gu recognizes his role is to not only teach technical skills but help students identify their true passion and develop the confidence to pursue it.

For 20 years, he’s worked with more than 70 undergraduate researchers in his Interactive Robotics Laboratory.

“When an undergraduate student walks into my office wanting to do research, they usually do not yet know what research is and what they can do,” he said. “What they also may not realize is that they have already made a life-changing decision: choosing to seek research experience during their undergraduate years.

Of those undergraduate students, 34 secured competitive scholarships, fellowships or awards – including two National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships. Additionally, undergraduate students working with Gu have co-authored 15 peer-reviewed publications.

For Trevor Smith, a former undergraduate researcher and now a Ph.D. candidate in mechanical engineering, Gu’s mentorship shaped his development and career aspirations.

“From the beginning of my undergraduate research experience, Dr. Gu went well beyond the expectations of a typical faculty mentor,” he said. “Dr. Gu provided both intellectual freedom and principled guidance, encouraging exploration while strategically aligning my ideas with meaningful research opportunities, resources, and professional venues.”

Eric Horstick

Once an undergraduate student researcher himself, Horstick found that meaningful research opportunities and having mentors invested in his development truly shaped his career trajectory.
 Now, he works to create that same type of experience for his students.

"I have always been motivated to facilitate the journey of young professionals getting to take ownership of a question, and to be a part of one of their first, but very likely not last, discoveries," he said. "For me, I find it hard to define this work as within or beyond the scope of the job, because I simply define the role of undergraduate mentor as one of the joys of the job, and this role I’m excited to continue to support to the best of my ability."

During his senior year, Alexander Cunill, a 2025 graduate with a degree in biology, served as a research assistant conducting zebrafish behavioral and developmental research. Using a specialized camera based behavioral analysis system, Cunill investigated how different drug treatments affect critical period development in the species.

"Dr. Horstick ensured that undergraduate students were not simply assisting with tasks, but truly understanding the scientific process behind them," Cunill said. "I can state with confidence that his mentorship played a significant role in shaping both my academic development and my future career in medicine. "

Brent Murry

Murry believes undergraduate research plays an important role in shaping students’ development and future direction. 

"At this point in their academic trajectory, students are still building the bridge between theory and application," he said. "Engagement in authentic research deepens that connection,
strengthens analytical thinking and - perhaps most importantly - builds confidence in their own
capacity to solve complex problems."

He also recognizes mentors play an important role in that development. 

"When students realize they are capable of generating new knowledge, communicating it effectively, and contributing to real-world solutions, their educational trajectory changes," Murry said. "That transformation is the lasting legacy I aim to cultivate."

Since joining WVU in 2020, he has mentored 30 undergraduate researchers whose work has led to peer-reviewed publications and presentations at scientific meetings across the country.

While working with Murry as a student researcher, Abigail Clasgens, a 2023 graduate with a degree in wildlife and fisheries resources, was able to share her research at an international fisheries conference and at Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol, as well as several other conferences. 

“Through our time together, Dr. Murry gave me a space not just to grow, but to flourish,” she said. “Under his guidance, I was given opportunities that have helped me grow as a researcher, a scientist, a student, and as a human being in general. Dr. Murry’s unending stream of passion and the dedication to digging deep to find what a student is truly capable of is what really makes him a great mentor."

Michelle Roley-Roberts

For Roley-Roberts, being a mentor means creating meaningful, individualized opportunities for undergraduate students that help them reach their goals.

During her tenure, Roley-Roberts has mentored 111 undergraduate researchers, 28 of whom are current students.

She designed her lab to be structured and student-centered, allowing undergraduates to be fully immersed in the research process and contribute to ongoing projects while having the flexibility to pursue their own research interests.

According to Gabrielle McColly, a senior double majoring in psychology and criminology, Roley-Roberts’ encouragement, trust and support allowed her to pursue an independent project that helped her earn a SUPER Fellowship through the American Psychological Association.

“Her mentorship has shaped my development as a researcher and student, and has profoundly influenced my future goals,” McColly said. “Because of her guidance and allowing me such extensive experience and opportunities as an undergraduate student, I have discovered a passion for research and a commitment to contributing to the field of clinical psychology.”

Marissa Nicodemus

A doctoral candidate in behavioral neuroscience, Nicodemus currently mentors eight undergraduate student researchers pursuing degrees in biology, neuroscience and psychology.

“Throughout my undergraduate studies, working alongside graduate student mentors proved to be one of the most enriching and formative experiences of my education,” she said. “Now, as a graduate researcher myself, I prioritize providing undergraduate students with the same depth of experience that I was lucky enough to receive.”

During her six semesters as a graduate student researcher for Kathleen Morrison , assistant professor of behavioral neuroscience psychology, Nicodemus has mentored a total of 18 undergraduate students.

Mostafa Foual, a biology major, has worked with her for more than a year and expressed how Nicodemus exemplifies the qualities recognized by the Stimeling Award.

“What distinguishes Marissa as an exceptional mentor is not only her research expertise, but also her methodical approach to mentoring undergraduate students,” he said. “Since I’ve joined the Morrison Transitional Neuroscience Lab, I’ve witnessed how she goes above and beyond to build a strong professional working relationship with every student who performs work in our lab.”

Kshitij Tewari

Tewari, a doctoral candidate in chemical engineering, believes mentoring undergraduate students has been “one of the most meaningful aspects” of his time as a Ph.D. student.

“I view mentoring not as assigning lab tasks, but as helping students develop confidence and independence to think like researchers,” he said.

Over the last year, he’s worked closely with Devin Burton, a physics major, on a catalytic biomass gasification to hydrogen production project and took the initiative to help Burton fully understand the research process.   

“Throughout this time I have experienced the commitment, investment, and personal guidance he provides to those around him,” Burton said. “In eighteen months, I have participated in the full spectrum of scholarly activity: discovery, experimental design, execution, analysis, writing, peer review, presentation, and professional networking. These opportunities were not incidental; they were intentionally cultivated through Kshitij’s mentorship. He has fundamentally shaped my development as a researcher and as a professional.”

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