English Department Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year: Taylor Rose-Dougherty
Congratulations to Professor Taylor Rose-Dougherty, the 2025-26 English Department Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year! In her short time at USU, Taylor has already mentored several students on their research projects, helping them present their work at recognized venues, such as the National Council for Teachers of English annual convention.
“Taylor is an exceptional mentor whose guidance, enthusiasm, and advocacy for student researchers have shaped the academic, professional, and personal development of undergraduates in the English department,” notes English Department Head Brian McCuskey. “Her approach centers students as genuine contributors to scholarly conversations, and her mentoring exemplifies the highest standards of undergraduate research.”
In teaching, Taylor positions students and teachers as co-investigators, focusing on collaboration in the discussion of problems and critical solutions within education. This translates into her mentorship, as she empowers students to invest in the process of inquiry, reflection, and discovery. Under her mentorship, students not only gain tangible skills in analysis, methodology, and pedagogy, but they also gain confidence.
This year, Taylor became the English Departmental Honors Advisor within the University Honors Program, extending her mentorship to all Honors students in the English Department. In this position, she serves on many student capstone committees and advises projects within their Honors careers. In individual projects and as the Honors Advisor, Taylor works to guide students through complex topics, help students with academic stress, design research projects with ethical and positionality-focused conversations in mind, and affirms students’ cultural and linguistic backgrounds as strengths within their research work.
Throughout her mentorship, Taylor remains dedicated to her own research, having published works in venues such as Whiteness and Education, The Teacher Educator, and the Journal of Curriculum & Pedagogy. Her continued work on her own research allows her to take her mentorship to the highest level, truly understanding how to best support students, which serves as a model for their own research.
Taylor’s mentoring emphasizes inclusivity, curiosity, and reflective engagement. She creates environments where students feel respected and safe to explore difficult questions,” Brian comments. “Her tireless mentoring is transformative and exemplary of the highest values of undergraduate research at Utah State University.”