Congratulations to the winners of the 2026 Transformative Mentorship Award in Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity, who were honored at the VIP / CURE 2026 Poster Session on Friday afternoon, April 24.
2026 Transformative Mentors in Undergraduate Research - Award Winners
Outstanding Faculty Mentor
Dr. Liliana Salvador
Assistant Professor
Animal & Comparative Biomedical Sciences
Colleges of Agriculture, Life, and Environmental Sciences
Outstanding VIP Faculty Mentor
Dr. Martha Whitaker
Associate Professor of Practice
Hydrology & Atmospheric Sciences
College of Science
Outstanding Staff Mentor
Jennifer Cubeta
Director
Undergraduate Biology Research Program (UBRP)
College of Science
Outstanding Graduate Student Mentor
Gerardo Figueroa
Doctoral Candidate
Biomedical Engineering
College of Engineering
Outstanding Undergraduate Student Peer Mentor
Zoe Xanthos
Peer Educator
STEM Learning Communities
Transformative Undergraduate Research Champion
Dr. Kasi Kiehlbaugh
Director, Health Sciences Design
Chair, VIP Executive Committee
Congratulations to all twenty nominees!
Your dedication to providing Arizona undergraduates with a transformative experience in undergraduate research or creative inquiry has inspired our students to reach new heights - both in an understanding of themselves as academics and researchers, and in our collective knowledge in their field of research.
