Jeanne Mekolichick, Ph.D. elected president of the Council on Undergraduate Research

Radford University Associate Provost for Academic Programs Jeanne Mekolichick Ph.D. has been elected president of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). 

In this three-year role, Mekolichick will serve as president-elect 2020-2021, president in 2021-2022 and intermediate past president in 2022-2023.

More than 700 institutions and 13,000 individuals belong to CUR, an organization dedicated to supporting faculty development for high-quality undergraduate student-faculty collaborative research and scholarship.

“Jeanne Mekolichick’s commitment to and experience with key CUR issues such as assessment, curricula, diversity, mentoring and support will provide invaluable benefits to the organization and the wider undergraduate research community,” said CUR Executive Officer Lindsay Currie. “Her previous work within CUR has nurtured the Social Sciences Division, including an important collaboration with the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research, and the organization as a whole. Her leadership will be an asset as CUR continues its mission to advance undergraduate research.”

Mekolichick has held numerous diverse roles within CUR. Those include serving as a member of the executive board, councilor in the Social Sciences Division, chair and newsletter editor of the division, and member of the Advocacy Advisory and Program Review Committees.

In addition, Mekolichick has been a member of CUR’s Assessment Task Force and  Governance Task Force.

“My experience as an undergraduate researcher altered the trajectory of my career and my life, compelling me to carry forward this opportunity to others,” Mekolichick said. “I am excited about the prospect of serving CUR, supporting a broader group of enthusiastic students, dedicated faculty, and committed institutional leaders to transform lives and society through undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative inquiry.”

At Radford University, Mekolichick has served as director of the Center for Social and Cultural Research, director of interdisciplinary studies in the liberal arts, interim director of the International Education Center and assistant vice provost for high-impact practices. Mekolichick has also served as professor and chair of the Department of Sociology.

Mekolichick earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Kent State University, where she graduated summa cum laude. She earned a Master of Arts degree and a Ph.D. in sociology also from Kent State University. Mekolichick is a 2013 graduate of the Harvard University Graduate School of Education Management Development Program.