Each year, the VCU Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program accepts nominations from students for our “Outstanding Faculty Mentor” Awards. Undergraduate researchers are asked to identify a professor or faculty mentor who regularly goes above and beyond to create and engage students in research opportunities.
Students provide a written statement that describes why the chosen nominee deserves an outstanding mentorship award, including specific examples that detail their nominee’s contribution to undergraduate research at VCU. The main criteria for these nominations include; how the faculty member has enhanced the skills related to undergraduate research in their discipline, how the nominee has expanded the knowledge base of student researchers, the ways in which the mentor has assisted undergraduates in their engagement with research, the lasting impression the mentor has made on students’ future academic and professional plans.
Please join us in recognizing our 2018 Outstanding Faculty Mentors!
Bridget T. McInnes, Ph.D., Department of Computer Science, VCU College of Engineering – Student: Clint Cuffy
“Professor Bridget T. McInnes has insurmountable drive to learn, knowledge to achieve, and demonstrates impeccable skills in the art of machine learning; as a result, my knowledge set in the subject has increased as well, especially regarding neural networks. In the beginning she oversaw my research, then slowly but surely she was able to see the fruits of my labor from her guidance. Since then, we’ve been able to accomplish many aspects of research. Some have even been published. I’ve always looked towards getting a job pursuing my interest in programming. However, under the guidance of Dr. McInnes, I slowly transitioned, seeing myself graduating and continuing towards my graduate degree or Ph.D. and pursuing research. The more I research and spend time in the natural language processing lab amongst other researchers, the more that idea changes from possibility to actuality. This would have not been possible without her intervention.”