Southern Miss Announces New Cohort in the Eagle Scholars Program for Undergraduate Research
Thu, 01/30/2025 - 10:17am | By: Gabriela Shinskie
The University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM) Drapeau Center for Undergraduate Research (DCUR) recently announced the new cohort of awardees in the Eagle Scholars Program for Undergraduate Research (Eagle SPUR). The 13 selected students will receive grants of up to $1,500 to support research and creative activity, community-engaged projects and travel in 2025.
The recipients will have the opportunity to foster research initiatives, complete projects, enhance their resumes and gain experience in applying for competitive research grants. Dr. Rebecca Tuuri, co-director of DCUR and associate dean of the Honors College, is excited to present the funds to students dedicated to making a difference.
“We are thrilled to introduce the new cohort of Fall 2024 Eagle SPUR awardees. Their projects span a wide range of disciplines, from forensic science to sculpture to polymer science. This year, we have strong representation from biological sciences and ocean engineering, thanks especially to dedicated faculty mentors like Dr. Gero Nootz. We hope future students from all disciplines across the university will apply for the next round of Eagle SPUR grants this spring,” Tuuri said.
“This funding enables students to develop solutions without being constrained by financial limitations. It allows them to produce technically superior projects compared to what would be achievable with only course-provided funds,” said Dr. Gero Nootz, assistant professor of ocean engineering. “Visitors to the Ocean Engineering lab consistently express admiration for the creativity and quality of the senior design projects. This emerging tradition of excellence will continue, thanks to the generous and well-deserved support from the Drapeau Center for Undergraduate Research.”
The Fall 2024 DCUR Eagle SPUR winners include:
- Matthew Anderson, Ocean Engineering
- Jason Ang, Forensic Science
- Kayla Beeles, Art (Sculpture)
- Gavin Friend, Ocean Engineering
- Charles Heatherly, Ocean Engineering
- Leilanie Martinez, Ocean Engineering
- Neta Nnabuenyi, Biological Sciences (Biomedical Sciences)
- Aliya Puryear, Polymer Science and Engineering
- Joseph Serio, Biological Sciences
- Joshua Seymour, Ocean Engineering
- Olivia St. Germain, Marine Biology
- Arnaz Maryam Tariq, Biological Sciences (Microbiology)
- Leah Tucker, Biological Sciences
Joshua Seymour, a senior in the School of Ocean Science and Engineering, will focus his research on developing a cellular-enabled data telemetry system for remote sensors under the guidance of his mentor, Mahdi Razaz, assistant professor of marine science. Seymour plans to use his project for data transmission through a Fluvial Acoustic Tomography system deployed in the West Pearl River.
“Being awarded the Eagle SPUR grant allows me to cover travel expenses to and from the test site, which is approximately an hour from my home. Additionally, it provides the funding necessary to purchase materials for this project. Finally, receiving this grant for undergraduate research helps set me apart from other graduates,” Seymour said.
Applicants who submitted proposals were asked to provide details about their projects, travel plans, the relevance of their project to their career goals and a project budget. To learn more about how the Eagle SPUR program supports student research and engagement, visit Eagle Scholars Program for Undergraduate Research (Eagle SPUR) | Undergraduate Research | The University of Southern Mississippi.