Undergraduate Research Fellows — Mentors Make a Difference

Amanda Marinello is one of the three research fellows for the English Department. The program is designed to encourage freshman students to become more active with research, develop their own academic goals and to foster relationships with faculty in their department.  

 

Research fellows were selected based on their academic performance in high school, their previous research experience and a series of interviews last spring.

 

It was in 2003 that Vice President for Research Brent C. Miller inaugurated the fellowship program. Emphasizing Utah State's belief in the value of hands-on learning, the fellowships were offered to the entering class of 2003, rewarding students who desired a future in research. Each student received a $1,000 stipend for the year to work on a project with a faculty mentor.

 

There have been 43 research fellows at the university this year. The participants are drawn from the Presidential Scholarship recipients who are invited to interview for the research positions. A faculty panel conducts the interviews for final selection.

 

“I was originally awarded a research fellowship in the aviation technology major,” Marinello said. “I’ve been a pilot for years, and am very active in the aviation community. Utah State seemed like the perfect choice for my future in aviation — and I was thrilled to be chosen to be a part of a research program that was designing a new airfoil. But, when I was diagnosed with an eye condition that prevented me from flying professionally, I was lost. I suddenly had no major, and no idea what I wanted to research.”                                            

 

Marinello decided to switch to her other passion in life — English.  She had been a Sterling Scholar in English, and served on a number of different literary projects in her school and community. 

 

“It seemed like a very logical choice,” she said. “But, I still had no idea what I wanted to research.” 

 

After a meeting with Kathryn Fitzgerald, Marinello set up a meeting with Marina Hall, head of the department’s public relations efforts. 

 

“Marina and I hit it right off — I couldn’t imagine a better mentor for my first year.” 

 

She started a project researching “lost” Utah authors, authors whose work has met with acclaim elsewhere but haven’t received their due at home. Her research is the basis for the fourth program of “Synecdoche’s” second season. Synecdoche is a radio program that features literary works read by actors in front of a live audience.

 

“The English Department has become a great home for me,” Marinello said. “Working with Marina has allowed me to meet a number of the other faculty members — and all of them have been so inviting and open.”

 

“Both of my parents work for another university in the state, which will remain nameless.  But I was never impressed with the faculty at their university. They often seemed disconnected from their students — never even bothering to learn their students’ names.” 

 

She goes on to describe how all of her English professors knew their students’ names by the first week of class.

 

“It’s just a small thing, but it shows how much the Utah State English department cares about its students,” she said. “I’ve never been intimidated by a professor. And, it just makes my day when a professor will say ‘hi’ to me on campus or around town. Unlike other universities, professors at Utah State go out of their way to help their students succeed — even if it’s just a friendly wave to encourage them.”

 

The interest in the students is one of the main things that drew Marinello to Utah State.

 

“When I moved into my dorm room, the entire staff of presidents and provosts were dressed in sweat pants and t-shirts helping with boxes and furniture,” she said. “President Hall grabbed my suitcases from my hand and raced up the stairs, with a sloppy grin on his face. I don’t think I’ve ever seen another university president in a t-shirt, let alone helping students move in.” 

 

Marinello added a final word to high school students researching universities.

 

“Come for the academics, of course, Utah State excels in all of its departments. But love the English Department for the faculty and staff. They will change your entire academic career and even your life.”

 

For more information on the Research Fellows program, contact Joyce Kinkead.

 

Research Fellows for the 2005-06 year include the following students:

 

Ben Kuhns (Logan High), Loni Pilcher (Riverton High), Catherine Bergeson (Alta High), Stephanie Croasdell (Albuquerque, N.M.), Tasha Falslev (Sky View), Peter Griffin (Highland, Ohio), Jeffrey Davis (Jordan High), Albert Lund (Highland High), Arthur Mahoney (Logan High), Nathaniel Harris (Fremont High), Kristina Rose (Northridge High), Derrick Kress (Kearns High), Benjamin Carroll (Skyview High), Megan Bitner (Logan High), Danielle Babbel (Crescent Valley, Ore.), Jason Carlisle (Payson High), Mckenzie Jackson (Pleasant Grove High), Mitch Morby (Weber High), Kara Parker (Timpview High), Lenaye Howard (Skyview High), Ashley Rowe (Richfield High), Mark Christiansen (Pleasant Grove), James Wilson (Tonopah, Nev.), Eric Gibbons (Davis High), Jessica Thornley (Oregon City, Ore.), Kathryn Harris (Weber High), Katie Brown (Bonneville High), Trevor Park (Riverton High), Skylee Simmons (Weber High), Whitney Call (Idaho Falls, Ida.), Angeline Winterton (Union High), Katrine Cox (Grantsville High), Robert Call (Batesville, Ind.), Jennifer Albretsen (Waunakee, Wis.), Michael Crosby (Dayton, Ohio), Cordelia Holmes (Desert, Calif.), Daniel Tate (Hurricane High), Cassidy Elliott (Kennewick, Wash.), Jonathan Chambers (Mountain Crest High), Ryan Lovell (Tascosa. Texas), Trevor Pearce (Davis High), April Lockwood (Kearns High,) Lance Pflieger (Uintah High).