Meet OUR Staff

Dr. Wirgau is the founding Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research (OURS) and a Professor of Chemistry at Radford University. He has over two decades of experience innovating to empower students to reach their potential. He led the efforts to create OURS and many successful programs including the Sumer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program, and multiple student symposia. He has mentored over 200 student presentations in the areas of coordination chemistry and pedagogy. He is a recipient of the Radford University Foundation Distinguished Service Award, the Anna Lee Stewart Award for outstanding contributions to faculty development, and is a member of the American Chemical Society, the Council on Undergraduate Research, Sigma Xi, and Phi Betta Kappa.

Tiesha Martin earned her Ph.D. in Sport Leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has a Masters in Kinesiology from East Carolina University, and a B.A. in Exercise and Sport Science from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, both with a Sport Administration/Management concentration.

Martin’s research interest involve using sport as a mechanism for community outreach, connectedness, social change, and health promotion. Her published works are in the areas of service-learning, sport for development, and health promotion.

My name is Hanna Tavassoli, I have a B.S. in Psychology from Virginia Tech with a minor in Abnormal Brain and Behavior. I am currently getting my Masters in Clinical mental health counseling. My long term goal is to get my Phd in clinical psychology. I am excited to start my second year as a Graduate Assistant in OURS.

Raven Lee is the Administrative Assistant in OURS, helping provide a welcoming presence and handling the budget and logistics of the office.

Haley Gilley is excited to be one of the OURS Office Assistants for the Research Rookies program. She is a third year student majoring in Marketing . Through the Research Rookies program, Haley has conducted research on Escape Rooms: An Interactive Learning Experience as a way to improve career readiness skills for college students, which she presented alongside Professor Luke Liska at the Appalachian Research Business Symposium (2025). Haley has also explored AI prompt engineering in education and the linguistics around career readiness and undergraduate research. At Radford University, she is actively involved both academically and within the campus community. She has consistently earned a place on the Dean’s List, reflecting her dedication to academic excellence. Haley is also a proud member of the Davis College Fellows program, which has provided her with opportunities to expand her leadership, research, and professional development. Beyond these commitments, Haley stays engaged in student life and leadership opportunities that help strengthen the Radford community.

Lily is starting her second year at Radford Univerity as a Communication Science Disorders major and researcher, as well as an Executive Student Assistant in OURS.