Olivia Carr Edenfield Earns National Mentorship Honor

When it comes to helping undergraduates publish and present their research, English Professor Olivia Carr Edenfield, Ph.D., is a standout mentor. As such, she has been named the 2025 Arts and Humanities Faculty Mentor Award winner by the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). The national recognition is for faculty who go above and beyond to nurture undergraduate research, scholarship and creativity. Since joining Georgia Southern in 1986, Edenfield has inspired countless students to reach beyond the classroom, publishing and presenting their work at national conferences. For her, the true reward is seeing their hard work and talent take flight.

“Receiving this award is deeply personal,” Edenfield wrote in her CUR nomination statement. “My greatest joy in teaching has come from my students’ successes.”

“Dr. Edenfield’s mentorship reflects the very heart of our College’s ‘Humanity in Context, Futures with Purpose’ vision by empowering students to turn curiosity into meaningful scholarship and confident futures. Her work exemplifies how Arts and Humanities mentorship transforms learning into lasting impact,” said College of Arts and Humanities Acting Dean Jeff P. Garland.