The Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Scholarship Award for Excellence in Mentoring Undergraduate Research and Creative Work, established in 2020 by UH Mānoa’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, recognizes two exceptional mentors each year—one from a STEM field and one from a non-STEM field. The award honors those who have demonstrated sustained excellence in mentoring undergraduates and made a significant positive impact on their mentees’ academic or professional achievements through research or creative work.

Pei-Ling Kao

Pei-Ling Kao is an associate professor and dance undergraduate advisor in the Department of Theatre and Dance in the College of Arts, Languages & Letters. She is a Taiwanese choreographer, performer, and dance educator. Her research and creative interests focus on movement improvisation, choreography, bicultural and hybrid movement, and interdisciplinary collaborations. Kao received the Board of Regents Medal for Excellence in Teaching in 2022, an Endowment for the Humanities Award in 2018, and a Junior Faculty Research Award in 2018. Her mentoring philosophy centers on empowering students to develop their artistic voice in dance. She guides students to enhance curiosity, critical thinking, and ensure that they not only develop research competencies but also grow personally and professionally. In addition to transmitting technical and professional advice, Kao endeavors to base her mentorship on care, mutual respect, and trust. She believes that students thrive most when they recognize their own potential. A student stated, “I felt more secure in my ideas and choreography because my mentor instilled confidence in me and my work.”

Sladjana Prišić

Dr. Prišić is originally from Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia), where she got her BSc in biochemistry. She studied plant enzymes and earned her PhD in biochemistry from Iowa State University. Her Postdoctoral training at Boston Children’s Hospital was focused on tuberculosis pathogenesis. At UH Mānoa, Dr. Prišić’s current research includes zinc signaling and alternative ribosomes. She leverages her diverse training and experience living and working in different environments to bring unique perspectives to teaching and mentoring undergraduate students. Leading a research program at the cutting-edge of science, she has trained fifty-five undergraduate students in the last decade, including nineteen UROP awardees and eight Honors students. Regardless of what students’ specific goals are, Dr. Prišić’s aim is always the same: to support their educational and career trajectories and provide them with transferable skills and confidence. She lets her students take the lead on what kind of mentor they need her to be, and then they are ready to take on the world. As one student stated, “I went from knowing nothing about research to being comfortable leading my own project and writing papers. I’ve gotten to this point because Dr. Prisic respects her undergraduates and gives us opportunities to take responsibility for our learning.”