The CUR Executive Board announced the appointment of Patricia “Pam” Ann Mabrouk, professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Northeastern University in Boston, as the next editor-in-chief of Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research (SPUR), the academic journal of the organization. Beginning with volume 5 in fall 2021, Dr. Mabrouk will succeed James T. LaPlant (Valdosta State University), who has served as editor-in-chief since the journal’s debut in fall 2017.
Dr. Mabrouk earned her AB in chemistry and mathematics from Wellesley College and her PhD in physical chemistry from MIT. She held an NIH postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University before she joined Northeastern University, where her roles have included co-director of undergraduate research and associate dean for academic affairs and faculty affairs for the College of Science. Her research interests encompass pedagogy of undergraduate research, research ethics, active learning methods, and green chemistry. Dr. Mabrouk has mentored more than 100 undergraduates, including those who started their research journey as high school students, and coauthored 14 publications with her undergraduate mentees. She was an associate editor for the Analytical Sciences Digital Library and an Editorial Board member for the Journal of Excellence in College Teaching. For SPUR, she has served as the divisional editor for chemistry and editor of the SPUR volume 4 content on the theme “Undergraduate Research during Times of Disruption.”
Said Iain Crawford (University of Delaware), chair of the search committee and a CUR past president, “The search committee was extremely impressed with all the finalists for the editor-in-chief position. Pam Mabrouk stood out for her longstanding commitment to undergraduate research, wide-ranging editorial experience, and vision for new ways in which SPUR can more deeply support CUR’s strategic goals.”
Said Lindsay Currie, CUR’s executive officer, “Dr. Mabrouk’s commitment to research ethics, continuing professional development for undergraduate researchers and their mentors that includes collaborative publication, and background in academic publishing will assist in strengthening SPUR as an invaluable resource for the many communities interested in the advancement of undergraduate research.”
Said Dr. Mabrouk, “I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to lead CUR’s flagship journal, capitalizing on the strong foundation that founding Editor-in-Chief James LaPlant and the Editorial Board have established and making SPUR the premier multidisciplinary scholarly journal for the undergraduate research community.”
Founded in 1978, the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) focuses on providing high-quality and collaborative undergraduate research, scholarly, and creative activity. Among the many activities and networking opportunities that CUR provides, the organization also offers support for the professional growth of faculty and administrators through expert-designed institutes, conferences, and a wide-range of volunteer positions. The CUR community, made up of nearly 700 institutions and 13,000 individuals, continues to provide a platform for discussion and other resources related to mentoring, connecting, and creating relationships centered around undergraduate research. CUR’s advocacy efforts are also a large portion of its work as they strive to strengthen support for undergraduate research. Its continued growth in connections with representatives, private foundations, government agencies, and campuses world-wide provides value to its members and gives voice to undergraduate research. CUR is committed to inclusivity and diversity in all of its activities and our community.
CUR focuses on giving a voice to undergraduate research with learning through doing. It provides connections to a multitude of campuses and government agencies, all while promoting networking and professional growth to its community.
Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research publishes scholarly work that examines effective practices and novel approaches, explores pedagogical models, and highlights the results of assessment of undergraduate research. As a peer-reviewed publication of the Council on Undergraduate Research, the journal provides useful and inspiring information that increases understanding of undergraduate student-faculty engagement in research, scholarship, and creative work in all disciplines and at all types of higher education institutions in the United States and abroad.