Mentorship in action: UK faculty guiding next generation of researchers

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 21, 2025) — Each summer, undergraduates at the University of Kentucky have the unique opportunity to immerse themselves in projects led by top researchers.

Mentorship is a cornerstone of the UK Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR). Each year OUR presents mentor awards, recognizing faculty who provide outstanding guidance, foster exceptional undergraduate research experiences and strongly support research initiatives across campus. 

This past spring, students nominated a record 58 faculty mentors representing 34 departments and 10 colleges for the award, including four previous award winners. Five UK faculty members received the 2025 Excellent Undergraduate Research Mentor Award for their exceptional leadership and support of student researchers.

Cassandra Gipson-Reichardt, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences in the UK College of Medicine, and her research team are exploring various aspects of opioid use disorder, including work to develop new treatments that could ease the severity of withdrawal symptoms.

“One of the things we look at is adulterants, substances added to other drugs, in the opioid supply,” Gipson-Reichardt said. “Over the summer, my students have been looking at some novel pharmacotherapies, which are medications that might lessen opioid withdrawal.”

The lab recently began collaborating with the Survivors Union of the Bluegrass to incorporate insights from individuals with lived experience into the design and execution of its studies. This partnership provides undergraduates with a deeper understanding of the real-world challenges people face and the significance of the lab’s work.

Sophia Sadak, an undergraduate researcher, investigated the impact of xylazine, an adulterant in Kentucky’s illicit opioid supply, on fentanyl behavior. She also compared its effects to lofexidine, an FDA-approved treatment for opioid withdrawal, and published her first authored paper from this work.

“I will tell you that undergraduates come to me with these amazing ideas,” Gipson-Reichardt said. “It's so refreshing to get these new ideas and perspectives that really open my eyes to things I might want to incorporate into my studies. I really benefit from them as well.”

Nicholas Teets, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Entomology in the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, primarily studies the adaptations insects use to survive extreme environmental conditions, including how they endure the winter.

“If you come to our lab, you’re going to get really good at counting flies,” Teets said. “We try to start with simple tasks to build confidence and then gradually introduce the more technical aspects of the research. The insects must eat, they must be taken care of and so those students are playing a really important role.

“When we think about our research and the impact, much of the public discourse centers on what the research will deliver right now. What new drug is it going to make? What new treatment is it going to make? But really, the largest part of the research endeavor is that it produces the next generation of scientific leaders.”

Additional faculty honored with the 2025 Excellent Undergraduate Research Mentor Award

• Lindsey Fay, Ph.D., College of Design, Department of Interiors
  “What I enjoy most about mentoring undergraduate students is witnessing their growth as independent thinkers and researchers,” Fay said. “In design, especially healthcare design, it’s incredibly rewarding to help students explore how evidence-based inquiry can directly inform and improve the environments we create.”
   
• Juan Canedo, Ph.D., College of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine
  “Mentoring undergraduate students allows me to share knowledge and demonstrate respect, so they, in turn, can be kind and respectful when mentoring others,” Canedo said.
   
• Hisashi Sawada, Ph.D., College of Medicine, Department of Physiology
  Sawada was nominated by student Preet Patel who wrote, “From the time I stepped into the lab as a high school student to recently when we spent time planning a project for myself, my mentor has always made me feel included in a large laboratory with many members. He has truly made my undergraduate research experience a great learning journey.”

View a full list of previous award winners.

For more information about getting involved with the UK Office of Undergraduate Research, visit https://our.uky.edu or email ugresearch@uky.edu.