For general inquiries, contact undergradresearch@uw.edu. Also learn about our team of Undergraduate Research Leaders (URLs) who conduct outreach with the Office of Undergraduate Research and are available to share their experiences with other undergraduates.
Sophie Pierszalowski
Sophie (she/her) serves as Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research. She received her Ph.D. in Science Education from Oregon State University (OSU), where her dissertation examined potential barriers to accessing undergraduate research experiences, including systemic and structural inequities that perpetuate opportunity gaps. Before joining the Office of Undergraduate Research, Sophie worked at OSU, first coordinating the OSU STEM Leaders Program and then later serving as Associate Director of OSU’s Office of Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and the Arts. Prior to pivoting to a career in student success, Sophie studied marine ecology and used molecular genetics and demographics to investigate long-standing questions regarding the ecology and population structure of humpback whales in the North Pacific. She received her M.Sc. in Wildlife Science from OSU. Her passion for marine mammals and molecular genetics began with an undergraduate research experience while completing her B.S. in Biology and Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at UW.
Pierszalowski, S., Hong S., Kenney, J., & Vignos, S. (2024). Mentoring for Equity and Inclusion: Strategies for Balancing Student Advocacy and Empowerment. Perspectives on Undergraduate Research & Mentoring, 12.1.
Pierszalowski, S., Steel, D. J., Gabriele, C. M., Neilson, J. L., Vanselow, P. B., Cedarleaf, J. A., … & Baker, C. S. (2023). mtDNA heteroplasmy gives rise to a new maternal lineage in North Pacific humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Journal of Heredity, 114(1), 14-21.
Pierszalowski, S., Bouwma-Gearhart, J., & Marlow, L. (2021). A Systematic Review of Barriers to Accessing Undergraduate Research for STEM Students: Problematizing Under-Researched Factors for Students of Color. Social Sciences, 10(9), 328.
Pierszalowski S, James G, Fetherstonhaugh G, Cheung I, Chappell P, Engels J, Plaza D, Ramos S, & López-Cevallos D. (2021). Communities of practice in academic administration: An example from managing undergraduate research at a research-intensive university. Experiential Learning & Teaching in Higher Education, 4(1), 81-90.
Pierszalowski S., Smith F., & López-Cevallos D. (2020). Research experiences for all undergraduate students? Building a more equitable and inclusive office of undergraduate research at a land-grant institution. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 52(6), 38-47.
Pierszalowski S., Heinonen G., Ulman B., & López-Cevallos D. (2020). Developing a virtual undergraduate research symposium in response to COVID-19 disruptions: Building a Canvas-based shared platform and pondering lessons learned. Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research, 4(1), 75.
Haddad B., Pierszalowski S., & Velez J. (2020). Access to leadership efficacy: Those who start early finish ahead. Journal of Leadership Education, 4, 4-40.
Pierszalowski, S. P., Vue, R., & Bouwma-Gearhart, J. (2018). Overcoming barriers in access to high quality education after matriculation: Promoting strategies and tactics for engagement of underrepresented groups in undergraduate research via institutional diversity action plans. Journal of STEM Education: Innovations and Research, 19(1).
Pierszalowski, S. P., Gabriele, C. M., Steel, D. J., Neilson, J. L., Vanselow, P. B., Cedarleaf, J. A., & Baker, C. S. (2016). Local recruitment of humpback whales in Glacier Bay and Icy Strait, Alaska, over 30 years. Endangered Species Research, 31, 177-189.
Pierszalowski, S. P., Ferrari, M., Glockner‐Ferrari, D., Mizroch, S., Clapham, P. J., & Dickerson, B.R. (2013). Investigating the feasibility of using DNA from sloughed skin for individual identification and kinship analysis in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Marine Mammal Science, 29(3), 533-541.
Chelsea Navarro
Chelsea (she/her) is the Assistant Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research. She received her M.Ed. in Student Affairs from the University of California Los Angeles and completed her B.A. in Sociology from San Diego State University. She is a proud first-generation college student, community college transfer student, and Chicana educator. Prior to joining the Office of Undergraduate Research, Chelsea held leadership positions in Residence Life at Cal Poly Pomona and worked as an academic adviser at the Foster School of Business and Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington-Seattle. Throughout her career in higher education, she has remained committed to her passion for student success by providing resources, mentorship, and opportunities for students to engage in transformative educational experiences.
crmn@uw.edu
Allison Perez
Allison is the Program Manager of the Office of Undergraduate Research. She received her B.S. in BioResource Research with a focus in Toxicology and Chemistry at Oregon State University (OSU). She discovered her interest in environmental toxicology through a summer undergraduate research program where she studied the health effects of air pollution. At OSU, Allison worked as an Undergraduate Research Ambassador for the Office of Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and the Arts, where she became passionate about the importance of mentorship and creating equitable access to research opportunities. Her commitments to educational equity and decolonization drive her work here and in her personal life. Prior to joining the Office of Undergraduate Research, she served as an Americorps member with College Possible in Portland, OR, where she mentored low-income and first generation high school students through the college application process.
allperez@uw.edu
Ruby Barone
Ruby (she/her) is a Program Coordinator & Advisor for the Office of Undergraduate Research. She received her B.A. in Art History and Comparative History of Ideas from the University of Washington. Her research as an undergraduate was sparked by her participation in the Summer Institute in the Arts & Humanities (SIAH), where she completed a formal project which investigated the intersection between art and language through an interdisciplinary and accessibility-focused lens. This project informed her undergraduate thesis on conceptualizing new ways to interact and coexist with art. She is excited to bring these experiences to her position with the Office of Undergraduate Research as she continues to advocate for diversity and accessibility in UW’s research community. Prior to joining the Office of Undergraduate Research, she served as the program assistant to the UW’s Mary Gates Endowment for Students (MGE), where she gained valuable insight on funding and supporting undergraduate research and leadership endeavors.
rkb27@uw.edu
Ethan R. Ankrum
Ethan (he/him) is a Program Coordinator & Advisor for the Office of Undergraduate Research. He received his B.A. in Business, Marketing, and Communication Studies from Buena Vista University (BVU). During his undergraduate experience, Ethan was exposed to a first-of-its-kind lab at BVU focused on middle grade knowledge and literacy of rural, non-English speaking students, with a focus on inference-making. The research is funded by a 2R15 grant through the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). This has resulted in multiple co-authorships and presentations both nationally and internationally. This experience fueled Ethan to step into an IRB and IBC reviewer role with Creighton University in Omaha, NE, where he spent time reviewing human subject and biohazardous material usage applications for quality improvement and minimal risk. He then moved into a role with the university’s center for undergraduate research and scholarship as a program manager.
Barth, A., Daniel, J. Roberts, G., Vaughn, S., Barnes, M. A., Ankrum, E. R., Kincaid, H. (2021).The role of knowledge availability in forming inferences with rural middle grade English learners. Learning and Individual Differences, 88.
Barth, A., Ankrum, E. R., Thomas, C. (2023). Inference instruction for students with reading disabilities. Rural Special Education Quarterly. (in production).
Barth, A., Thomas, C., Kincaid, H., Ankrum, E. R. (2022). Error patterns in the knowledge-based inference-making of less skilled middle-grade readers: An exploratory study. International Journal of Research in Learning Disabilities, 5(2): 18-35.
Daniel, J., Barth, A., Ankrum, E. R. (2023). Multicomponent reading intervention: A practitioner’s guide. The Reading Teacher. DOI: 10.1002/trtr.2265 (in production).
Barth, A., Daniel, J., Vaughn, S. R., Ankrum, E. R. The role of knowledge availability and accessibility in forming inferences among rural, at-risk, English learners. (in production).
ankrum@uw.edu
Deborah Oladipo
Deborah Oladipo (she/her) is the Graduate Staff Assistant for the Office of Undergraduate Research and an MPH candidate in the Department of Global Health. She earned her B.S. in Human Biology, Health, and Society with a minor in Global Health from Cornell University. Deborah began her research journey in the Division of Plant Microbe Biology, gaining valuable wet lab experience in various molecular techniques. As an undergraduate immunology research intern at the Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard, she utilized her skills to elucidate degradation patterns of viral HIV proteins.
Driven by a passion for improving population health in resource-limited settings, Deborah has led multiple community-based research projects. Notably, she was awarded a grant from Cornell University to investigate emergency preparedness behaviors in South-West Nigeria. Before starting her graduate studies at UW, Deborah worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Stanford Medicine, where she collaborated with translational research laboratories. These experiences have equipped her with extensive knowledge in basic science, clinical, and social science research methods. Deborah is enthusiastic about advising undergraduate students and creating a supportive environment for aspiring researchers.
edo26@uw.edu