Undergraduate Research Alliance Leadership

Kevin Bonine wears a light blue collared shirt and stands in front of a Saguaro as he smiles at the camera

Kevin Bonine

UR Alliance Committee Chair

kebonine@arizona.edu 

Kevin believes in the power of effective education and environmental protection to improve the quality of life for all. In practice, this includes connecting across silos, boundaries, and disciplines while engaging students in immersive, experiential opportunities. UArizona courses he has taught include Herpetology, Conservation Biology, Environmental Biology, Introductory Organismal Biology (ECOL182), Vertebrate Physiology, and field courses in the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador) and Sonoran Desert Sky Island Region (Arizona & Sonora, Mexico). At Biosphere 2, he helps design learning experiences for 100,000 annual visitors and 10,000 K-12 school children, offers teacher professional development, and facilitates residential research internships. Kevin is on the board of trustees of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and enjoys studying Gila monsters in his spare time.

Jen Fields smiles at the camera before a brown background

Jennifer Fields

Lead, Tracking & Evaluation Working Group

fieldsj@arizona.edu

 

The Tracking & Evaluation working group strives to strengthen the systematic measurement of undergraduate research participation on campus and to ensure this information is used to enhance the availability, quality, and accessibility of research opportunities for U of A students.

Kelley Merriam Castro wears a dark jacket and stands before a nopal cactus as she smiles at the camera

Kelley Merriam-Castro

Lead, Communication & Coordination Working Group

kmerriam@arizona.edu

The Communication & Coordination working group strengthens outreach about research experiences, opportunities, and achievements to audiences on and beyond campus. The group also works to consolidate research‑readiness workshops and related resources, making them more visible and accessible to all Arizona students.

Tori Nardinelli wears a dark button-up top and smiles at the camera while she stands in front of some green bushes

Tori Nardinelli

Lead, Culture, Access, Equity, & Inclusion Working Group

outfleet@arizona.edu

Members of the Culture, Access, Equity, & Inclusion Working Group help cultivate a campus environment where all students can access research experiences. They collaborate with all UR Alliance working groups to ensure the development of barrier‑free pathways that enable every Arizona student to participate in research.

Raine Ikagawa smiles at the camera before a grey background

Raine Ikagawa

Co-Lead, Curricular Integration Working Group

rikagawa@arizona.edu

The Curricular Integration working group expands access to undergraduate research by supporting the incorporation of research into courses and degree requirements, and by developing systems to recognize and credit existing classes that already engage students in research.

Courtney wears a cream sweater over a green shirt while she smiles at the camera

Courtney Leligdon

Co-Lead, Curricular Integration Working Group

cleligdon@arizona.edu

The Curricular Integration working group expands access to undergraduate research by supporting the incorporation of research into courses and degree requirements, and by developing systems to recognize and credit existing classes that already engage students in research.

Kay wears glasses and a grey shirt as she smiles at the camera on a sunny day.

Kay Orzech

Co-Lead, Funding and Support Working Group

kmcelvee@arizona.edu

The Funding & Support working group expands access to funding information and opportunities for mentors who offer paid research positions to U of A students. The group also secures funding and coordinates student award cycles for research experiences, including URSD’s Undergraduate Research Travel Grants.

Melinda Willett Struyk wears a long-sleeve white blouse. She smiles at the camera. The wind lifts a small tuft of her long, brown hair. She stands in front of a green, leafy area with sunlight filtering through the leaves.

Mel Willett-Struyk

Co-Lead, Funding and Support Working Group

mwillettstruyk@arizona.edu 

The Funding & Support working group expands access to funding information and opportunities for mentors who offer paid research positions to U of A students. The group also secures funding and coordinates student award cycles for research experiences, including URSD’s Undergraduate Research Travel Grants.