SURF award given to ASU student

Hard work and dedication has allowed one ASU student the chance to make the most of her senior year.

Kristen Irwin, a senior biology major from Heber Springs, was recently awarded the Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship award from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education for her intensive work on her project, the evolution of troglomorphic characters among hypogean fish.

"The SURF award is a grant given for undergrad research," Irwin said. "We sent in a budget and they contacted us through e-mail in December to let us know we would be receiving the grant."

The grant will give Irwin the funds she needs to complete her project and then travel and present it at different conferences.

"I had planned on doing a senior project anyways, I just needed the funding," Irwin said. "Having the opportunity to travel and present my project is pretty exciting."

Irwin was nominated for the award and assisted by a close faculty member, Dr. Al Romero.

Romero, chair of the Biology Department, said he nominated Kristen for the grant because he had had her as a student in his research class and had always found her to be bright and diligent.

"I knew she could do the research so I presented her with the idea and she said she would love to do it," Romero said.

The project also gave Irwin the opportunity to work more closely with Dr. Romero.

"Dr. Romero motivated me, very much so," Irwin said. "I have worked with him before just not doing research, so this is pretty exciting."

Irwin credits her success and motivation to the dedicated Biology Department at ASU.

"They are great. They are very enthusiastic and motivating toward students.  It's a great program for Arkansas," Irwin said. "I transferred from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and would have to say the ASU program is the top program in the state."

Irwin plans to attend graduate school in the fall but is still undecided about where she will go.  She said she hopes to one day receive her Ph.D. and wants to stay in the university system and continue with her research.

"I am very proud of Kristen and that she has been my student," Romero said.  "She will be a great asset to the university as an ASU alum."