USU Uintah Basin Professor Named QCNR Undergrad Research Mentor of the Year

VERNAL, Utah — Utah State University Uintah Basin associate professor Mark Chynoweth has been named the honoree for Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year in the Quinney College of Natural Resources.

Chynoweth, who teaches courses in wildlife ecology and conservation biology for the Department of Wildland Resources, is now in contention for the university-wide Undergrad Research Mentor of the Year, which will be awarded later this year.

“Mark Chynoweth has always been student-oriented,” said David Law, associate vice president for USU Uintah Basin. “Mark thinks ‘outside the box’ to give his students rich experiential learning opportunities. Mark is an exceptional mentor, providing his mentees with the needed blend of support, honest feedback that promotes growth, and guidance in their academic and life journey.”

Chynoweth graduated with his doctorate degree in biology from the University of Utah and joined the USU Uintah Basin faculty in 2017. He has previous experience as both a teaching and research assistant at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa and the University of Utah. Chynoweth is grateful to receive the award.

“I am honored to receive recognition as an undergraduate research mentor from my colleagues in the Quinney College of Natural Resources,” Chynoweth said. “It is a privilege to work with students at the USU Uintah Basin campus, where we can provide opportunities for hands-on learning, including applied field work. We are proud to provide research experiences for our students that prepare them for careers in natural resource management”

The Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year award is given annually to faculty who mentor undergraduate researchers. They are characterized as counselors and guides who encourage, instruct, and advocate. A good faculty member provides a role model for methods of inquiry in a field of study and the responsible conduct of research. Good mentors often provide students with their first entry into professional circles and support the dissemination of the student’s work as through professional conference participation or publication.

Operating campuses in Vernal and Roosevelt for more than 50 years, Utah State University Uintah Basin gives students the personalized attention and small class sizes of a small-town college with the resources of a large university, all in the backdrop of the outdoor oasis that is the Uinta Mountains and Ashley National Forest. With degree options ranging from associate to doctorate degrees and more than 125 programs available, as well as access to the renowned Bingham Research Center, USU Uintah Basin offers programs that help fuel local economies and empower individuals and their communities. Learn more at uintahbasin.usu.edu.