The UA office of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development (URSD), founded in 2023 and housed in the Division of Undergraduate Education in the Office of the Provost, is charged with equitable scaling of undergraduate research (UR) by
- working with other campus entities through the Undergraduate Research Alliance, which emerged from the 2022-2023 Undergraduate Research Task Force (URTF).
- focusing on scaffolded integration of research into the curriculum across campus
- administering the VIP (Vertically Integrated Projects) program
- launching the Semiconductor-sector Undergraduate Research Experiences (SURE) program in partnership with the Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing.
Dr. Kevin Bonine
Executive Director, Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development
Kevin Bonine earned his PhD At UW-Madison and then took a teaching faculty position at UA. In 2012 he was recognized with the UA College of Science’s Distinguished Early-Career Teaching Award. His research during this time focused on local Gila monster and canyon treefrog populations and their conservation. In 2013 he stepped into a role at Biosphere 2 as Director of Education and Outreach, a position he held until 2024, also serving as co-PI for an NSF REU (research experiences for undergraduates) summer program at B2. In 2022 Kevin was asked to chair the Undergraduate Research Task Force at UA, helping to bring together the campus community with the goal of equitably scaling undergraduate research opportunities. In 2023 he became Executive Director of the new office of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development in the Division of Undergraduate Education in the Office of the Provost. URSD has partnered with other colleagues and entities on campus to launch, in 2024, the Undergraduate Research Alliance tasked with implementing the recommendations of the URTF.
Kelley Merriam-Castro, PhD
Manager, Undergraduate Research
Kelley Merriam-Castro, Ph.D., originally hails from Seattle, Washington, but chose Tucson as her home after moving here to study at the University of Arizona in 1999. Kelley has a life-long love of learning that has led her to a variety of experiences. From working as a researcher in a microbiology lab, to an analyst position in criminal intelligence, to eventually a master’s degree in Latin American Studies and Ph.D. in Mexican cultural History, Kelley has always been interested in exploring research questions across academic disciplines. She also has a long history of helping students find their passion – and success in that passion – in academics and in life. Her primary role on campus is with the office of Undergraduate Research & Scholar Development at the University of Arizona. As the Manager of Undergraduate Research, she is passionate about helping all students gain experience exploring on society’s most pressing questions in the arts, sciences, and beyond.
Kay Orzech, PhD
Program Coordinator, Vertically Integrated Projects
Kay Orzech is the Program Coordinator for Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP). She grew up in the Washington, DC suburbs and came to Tucson, Arizona in 2001 for graduate school. After graduating in 2010 with a PhD, short-term research jobs took her to Providence, Rhode Island, and then Dundee, Scotland, over the next five years. She returned, with her family, to Tucson in 2015, and worked as a program evaluator for the SNAP-Ed program (the education arm of SNAP, formerly called Food Stamps) in Arizona until 2023. When not at work, she likes to explore new places, sing with the Faculty/Staff Choir at the university, and read cozy mystery novels.
Kay earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the College of William and Mary and a MA and PhD in biocultural and medical anthropology at the University of Arizona. She completed postdoctoral training at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island (in Sleep Science) and the University of Dundee in Dundee, Scotland (working on a project, Charting the Digital Lifespan, exploring digital technology use across the lifespan in the U.K). Working with VIP allows her to connect undergraduate students with research opportunities that will provide hands-on learning in fun team research environments at
Melinda Struyk, ABD
Program Coordinator, Undergraduate Research
Melinda W. Struyk (pronounced “Strike”) was born and raised in Fresno, California. From an early age, she discovered that reading opened doorways into people’s lives, ideas, and cultures—sparking a lifelong love of learning. She earned a bachelor's degree in English literature from Fresno State, which laid the foundation for a diverse career spanning the financial sector to work as a sign artist.
Melinda found her passion for mentoring while working with students at a trade college in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was inspired by their determination but also saw firsthand the inequities that can make academic success more challenging for many learners. Motivated by this, she returned to graduate school to earn a master's degree in educational psychology and is now a PhD candidate in the same field at the University of Arizona.
Throughout graduate school, Melinda worked to promote equity and accessibility in research. As Program Coordinator with the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development, she hopes to help all students develop and pursue research interests that are academically enriching, personally meaningful, and societally impactful.