The Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development draws on a long history at Carnegie Mellon, starting in 1989, that recognizes the value and importance of research as a centerpiece of undergraduate education. The office provides seed funds for undergraduate research projects, recognizes students conducting research, funds undergraduates presenting their findings at academic conferences, and presents an annual undergraduate research symposium. The programs are available to students from each of the University’s six undergraduate colleges. The Office has proven extremely successful in encouraging students to pursue graduate studies and research careers.
Our staff also works with current Carnegie Mellon undergraduate students and alumni in fulfilling their intellectual and professional goals by pursuing nationally competetive scholarships and fellowships. We promote awareness of external scholarship and fellowship opportunities; advising; writing support; overall management of the process; and interview preparation.
Dr. Richelle Bernazzoli
Director, Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development
5000 Forbes Avenue
Cyert Hall A64
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Bio
Dr. Richelle Bernazzoli (she/her) is the Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development (OURSD) at Carnegie Mellon University. She is a political geographer whose research interests include militarism, security and identity, and Southeastern Europe. She received a 2011-2012 Fulbright grant to Croatia for her research on the Euro-Atlantic integration process in Croatian government and civil society. Prior to joining CMU, Richelle was visiting faculty in the Department of Geography and Geographic Information Science, University of Illinois, where she taught courses on international conflict and globalization, while also advising geography undergraduate students. She subsequently served as the scholarships coordinator in the National and International Scholarships Program at Illinois, supporting undergraduate and graduate student applicants for prestigious external awards. While at University of Illinois, she partnered with Northwestern University to organize a national symposium on inclusive fellowships advising, with support from the National Association of Fellowships Advisors.
Richelle joined Carnegie Mellon in 2016 as Assistant Director of Undergraduate Research and National Fellowships. She assumed the role of Director of OURSD in 2021. In this role, she oversees campus-wide research apprenticeships, grants, and fellowships for undergraduates, as well as the coordination of national and international fellowships applications for undergraduate and graduate students. She has developed programming to help undergraduate researchers build transferable skills in research design, research communication, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Richelle is active in regional and national professional organizations, presenting and publishing on various themes in high-impact educational practices. Her current research interests include the development of researcher identity and epistemic thinking in new researchers. In addition to her role in OURSD, Richelle serves as the advisor for the Eta Chapter of the Mortar Board Senior National Honor Society and has taught in the History Department. She serves on campus-wide committees and working groups for educational policy and practices, core competency development, and engaged and integrative learning.
Richelle received her B.A. in international politics from the Pennsylvania State University and MA and PhD in geography from the University of Illinois. Prior to entering academia, she spent nine years in the Army National Guard and served in the NATO KFOR peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. She is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Fulbright Association, and Global Pittsburgh, with whom she hosts international scholars visiting the Pittsburgh area. In her free time, Richelle enjoys skiing (Alpine, Nordic, and roller!), backpacking, canoeing, trail running, triathlon relays, reading, and cooking.
Dr. Paige Zalman
Associate Director, Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development
5000 Forbes Avenue
Cyert Hall A64
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Bio
Dr. Paige Zalman (she/her) has served as the Associate Director of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development at Carnegie Mellon University since 2022. She is a higher education scholar-practitioner, musicologist, and percussionist whose interdisciplinary research draws upon qualitative social science, humanities, and arts-based methods to investigate questions related to music and mental health, critical studies in music and education, music outside the Western canon, and college student success via high-impact practices. She regularly presents her research at regional and national conferences and her publications have appeared in a variety of edited volumes and peer-reviewed journals such as American Music and the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education.
During her undergraduate studies, Paige was fortunate to have a supportive faculty research mentor who helped her obtain two life-changing competitive research fellowships from her university, one of which fully funded a trip abroad to London to conduct archival research for her senior honors thesis. Paige's research and study abroad experiences were so transformative that they changed her career trajectory, and today, she loves being able to support Carnegie Mellon students in pursuit of similarly life-changing opportunities.
Throughout her time with OURSD, Paige has worked alongside the team to make research more accessible to undergraduates in all majors through a variety of initiatives, including the launch of a monthly newsletter and new research programming for Federal Work-Study students. She has also advised hundreds of undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni applying to competitive awards, such as the Beinecke Scholarship for arts, humanities, and social science students. Before she came to Carnegie Mellon, she worked for three years as Program Coordinator in the Office of Undergraduate Research at West Virginia University (WVU), and over the past decade, she has also served as an instructor, teaching assistant, or tutor for a variety of university-level courses on research design, information literacy, and music history and theory.
Paige holds a Ph.D. in higher education and an M.A. in musicology from WVU, as well as a B.M. in music performance from the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). During her Ph.D. studies, she participated in WVU's Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition, winning both First Place and the People's Choice Award. As a performing musician, she was also awarded First Place in WVU's chamber music competition during her doctoral studies, as well as First Place in UNCW's concerto competition as an undergraduate student. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys spending time with her partner and their two dogs, outdoor activities like hiking and paddleboarding, and exploring all the culture, food, and events that Pittsburgh has to offer.
Alex Johnson
Scholar Development Coordinator, Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development
- Cyert Hall A64
5000 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Bio
Alex Johnson (he/him) is the Scholar Development Coordinator with OURSD at Carnegie Mellon University. He helps undergraduate students get involved in research, serves as a SURA instructor, and helps coordinate campus processes for fellowships like the UK Awards and the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Prior to joining CMU in 2023, Alex was the Department Coordinator for Geology and Environmental Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh, where he worked with students and faculty to facilitate departmental programming and office administration.
Alex undertook several independent research and creative projects as an undergraduate. He participated in two competitive fellowship programs as well as an artist-in-residency program to support a creative project. These programs transformed the trajectory of Alex’s undergraduate education, demonstrating to him the importance of interdisciplinary scholarship and introducing him to new academic and career opportunities. He hopes to connect current students to fresh ideas, opportunities, and paths for generating knowledge in his role with OURSD.
Alex received a Bachelor of Philosophy degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 2021, with double majors in Environmental Studies and Communications. He also completed a minor in studio arts and a certificate in digital media. His undergraduate research focused on ecological science and strategies in environmental policy, specifically invasive species management. Alex is passionate about environmental issues, science communication, and the ways creative work and science can complement and build upon one another.
In his free time, Alex enjoys cooking, spending time in nature, painting, and playing the cello (his instrument of 14 years). He also loves seeing live music and exploring Pittsburgh with friends. He is always looking for new restaurant and coffee shop recommendations around the city!
Jen Weidenhof
Business Administrator & Operations Coordinator, Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development
5000 Forbes Avenue
Cyert Hall A64
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Bio
Jen Weidenhof (she/her) is the Business Administrator and Operations Coordinator of the office, where she supports office functionality, budgetary concerns, student and faculty correspondence, and all plans for the annual Meeting of the Minds Undergraduate Research Symposium. Jen has been at Carnegie Mellon University since 2016 when she was hired as the Administrative Assistant, then was promoted in 2019 to her current position. In 2017, Jen was awarded the Andy Award for Commitment to Excellence, the annual award that honors a CMU staff member who takes great pride in producing excellent work.
Prior to coming to CMU, Jen worked as Admissions & Financial Aid Coordinator and International Field Program Coordinator for the Institute for Shipboard Education, administrators of the Semester at Sea program. During her time there, she was able to able to participate in a full Semester at Sea voyage in the Spring of 1998 as Registrar, and visiting the Bahamas, Venezuela, Brazil, South Africa, Kenya, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Japan.
Jen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. In her spare time, she likes sitting around an outdoor fire with friends, stationary rowing, and spending time with her husband, Steve, and daughter, Anna.