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Jane Coyle Morris is the Executive Director of the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships at the University of Pennsylvania. As Executive Director, Jane provides leadership, vision, and direction for CURF, working closely with the staff and faculty to promote opportunities for undergraduate research and nationally competitive scholarships. Jane also oversees the Thouron Award, a graduate exchange program between the United Kingdom and the University of Pennsylvania.  Before coming to Penn, Jane served as the Executive Director of Duke University’s Office of Undergraduate Scholars and Fellows and as the Director of Villanova’s Center for Research and Fellowships. Prior to her career in higher education, Jane had a 20-year career as a research scientist.

Jane holds a B.S. in Biology from Villanova University and an M.A. in Biology from Bryn Mawr College. She is a former President of the National Association of Fellowship Advisors, serving as a direct liaison between the scholarship advisors and the leadership of foundations including the Rhodes, the Marshall, the Mitchell, and the Udall. In this role, Jane participated directly in helping the Marshall Scholarship Program evaluate and revise their selection criteria to include those same qualities of intellectual leadership that define excellence in a broader and more meaningful context. Jane believes deeply in the power of engaging students in an authentic process of discernment, articulation, action, and reflection that moves students from the classroom into post-graduate lives where they can make meaningful contributions to the world.  

Ann Vernon-Grey received her BS in Biology from the University of Tulsa before traveling to the University of Cambridge, England, on a Marshall Scholarship where she earned her PhD in Developmental and Cancer Biology. Her research interests have included the coordination of cell division, differentiation and migration, and subsequent investigation of how the normal processes of development are subverted during tumor formation and progression to metastasis. Ann is an enthusiastic supporter of Penn’s college life and has spent a decade living and working in Penn’s College House system, currently as Associate Faculty Director of Lauder College House. At CURF, Ann is responsible for helping undergraduates find meaningful and exciting research opportunities with Penn’s outstanding faculty, assisting students identify and secure unique summer research possibilities, and supporting their search and application for national and international grants.

Kerry Milch helps undergraduates clarify their interests and goals and find engaging and meaningful research experiences with faculty mentors. Prior to joining Penn, Dr. Milch served as the Assistant Director for Undergraduate Enrichment at Temple University, where she directed undergraduate research and peer teaching programs, served on fellowship and scholarship review committees, and advised the Lenfest Scholars. She earned a BA in Psychology at Yale University and a PhD in Psychology at Columbia University. Her research interests include motivation, self-regulation, and environmental decision making. She has taught English at the Tokyo Friends School in Japan, served as a Research Associate in Asia Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, and worked as a Research Scholar at the Center for Research on Environmental Decisions at Columbia. 

Michaile has a rich background in higher education and student development. Before joining CURF, she was the Director of Advancing Women in Engineering and Director of Special Projects at Penn's School of Engineering and Applied Science. Her work focused on supporting and promoting the success of women and other minoritized groups in engineering. Prior to Penn, Michaile was the Senior Associate Director of Career and Professional Development at Bryn Mawr College, where she guided students in preparing for their careers and life after graduation. She began her higher education career at The Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, where she led The Women’s Center. In this role, she created a supportive environment for women, focusing on their retention, social and personal development, and overall well-being. Originally from Philadelphia, Michaile is a proud first-generation college graduate. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the College of the Holy Cross and her master's degree in Social Work from Boston College Graduate School of Social Work, where she was awarded the Child Welfare Diversity Training Grant.

Favorite quote: “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” - James Baldwin

Adri Macrina joins the CURF Team as the Academic Coordinator for the Benjamin Franklin Scholars. A graduate of Franklin and Marshall College with a degree in Anthropology, Adri studied abroad in Croatia, taking part in the Lobor Bioarchaeology Fieldschool’s excavation of a late antiquity site. Prior to her position in CURF, Adri served as an Admissions Counselor at Widener University. She enjoys analyzing problems and communicating with others to build solutions. In her spare time, she loves to crochet and read classic novels.

Taryn oversees the University Scholars admissions process, grant review process, and weekly Friday Lunch Talks, among other programmatic responsibilities. She works closely with the Sr. Associate Director of Undergraduate Research and UScholars Faculty Director to ensure UScholars have a well-supported, cross-disciplinary research experience that is responsive to their interests. Prior to CURF, Taryn worked at the Netter Center for Community Partnerships at Penn and completed an AmeriCorps year of service with City Year Philadelphia at Kensington High School. She earned her B.S. in History and Political Science from the Honors College at Towson University, where she completed independent undergraduate research on statelessness. Taryn is pursuing her master’s in Social Policy at Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice.

Nick Myers is the Assistant Director of Outreach & Operations for the Center of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. He earned a B.S. in Music Industry at Drexel University with a concentration in business administration. Nick previously served CURF as Administrative Coordinator before transitioning into the role of Assistant Director. Prior to working at Penn, he worked as a social worker in supported employment services and taught foundational math skills to students with learning disabilities. His areas of research include: education, meditation, and creativity.

Shannen graduated with a bachelor's from Drexel University and previously worked at Penn’s Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter and the School of Nursing. In her role at Nursing, she wrote articles for the Penn Nursing magazine and reports on scholarship awardees and professorships. She is currently working towards a master’s degree in social work from the School of Social Policy and Practice.

Erin graduated from Penn in 2020 with a BA in Anthropology and a minor in Archaeological Science. She did her undergraduate research in southwestern Mississippi with the Smith Creek Archaeological Project and completed an honors thesis on local contributions to Native American archaeology. As an upperclassman, she served as a CURF Research Peer Advisor, helping fellow students achieve their research goals. In her free time, Erin loves to swing dance, make pottery, and hang out with her cat, Rosemary.