Associate Professor of Anthropology Miriam Belmaker has been named the 2025 Tulsa Undergraduate Research Challenge (TURC) Outstanding Mentor. This award recognizes University of Tulsa faculty who oversee TURC projects and go above and beyond expectations, leaving a profound impact on their students’ education and careers.
Belmaker, whose lab focuses on the past and present ecological and evolutionary relationships between humans and their environment, has served at UTulsa since 2012. Many of her students have presented papers at professional meetings, and she has gone on to publish research with some.
Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Gabriel LeBlanc, last year’s Outstanding Mentor and now-director of TURC, commended Belmaker for providing all students with an interest in her research to participate, including students with majors other than anthropology, as well as high school students through the junior TURC program.
In their support for Belmaker’s nomination for the award, many students and alumni fondly recounted stories of conducting field studies with her and their gratitude for her ability to meet students at their level. “She embodies the excitement that science ignites in all of us,” said Rachel Wolf (B.A. ’20).
“Mentorship extends beyond the lab,” Belmaker said in her mentoring philosophy statement. “It encompasses supporting students in various aspects of their lives throughout their journey. While research is essential, it is only one component of what mentorship entails.”
Providing students with the opportunity to work with knowledgeable and encouraging research mentors like Belmaker is what makes the TURC program such an incredible opportunity. “We are fortunate to have many amazing faculty here at UTulsa who incorporate undergraduate students into their research,” LeBlanc stated. “TURC facilitates these connections and provides mechanisms for students to gain the valuable experience.”
Students interested in learning more about the variety of TURC research projects and how to connect with potential mentors can visit the webpage.