Dr. Brown and Dr. Thacker Awarded 2025 URECA Faculty Awards for Excellence in Mentored Scholarship
The 2025 URECA Faculty Awards for Excellence in Mentored Scholarship go to two talented faculty members: Professor of Sociology Dr. Hana Brown and Associate Professor of Anthropology Dr. Paul Thacker.
Dr. Hana Brown
Professor of Sociology
This year’s co-winner of the 2025 URECA Faculty Award for Excellence in Mentored Scholarship goes to Dr. Hana Brown, Professor of Sociology.
Dr. Brown’s research examines the political origins and consequences of social inequality in the U.S., focusing on how race, class, and immigration shape policy outcomes and the lived experiences of marginalized communities. Since joining Wake Forest in 2011, she has mentored more than 40 undergraduate research assistants and supervised nearly two dozen independent projects. Her students have presented at conferences, coauthored peer-reviewed publications, and pursued graduate and professional careers shaped by her mentorship.
One of her former mentees explained that, “[Dr. Brown] invested in me. I have never had anyone outside of my parents push and support me as much as she has.” Others highlight Dr. Brown’s “lasting impact,” her “advice and expertise,” and her habit of “challenging me to think critically about the world around me.”
Department chair Dr. Michael Ramirez calls her mentoring “beyond the highest of bars,” noting its ripple effect across students, faculty, and the university.
For her rigorous, student-centered, and transformative approach to undergraduate research, the Dean and the faculty congratulate Dr. Hana Brown for this award for excellence in mentored scholarship.
Dr. Paul Thacker
Associate Professor of Anthropology
The 2025 URECA Faculty Award for Excellence in Mentored Scholarship also goes to Associate Professor of Anthropology Dr. Paul Thacker.
Dr. Paul Thacker is an anthropological archaeologist whose research spans Ice Age Europe, the industrial landscapes of Louisiana, and Native American sites in North Carolina. Since joining Wake Forest in 2003, he has mentored more than 35 URECA research projects and supported dozens of students through nationally competitive fellowships and professional conference presentations.
Dr. Thacker’s mentees describe him as “the most supportive, guiding, and helpful mentor” they’ve worked with. One writes that, “Dr. Thacker is constantly encouraging and proposing ideas for independent research projects. He ensures students are fully prepared and have every opportunity to present their work.” Another notes that while he offers steady support, his goal is always to teach students to do the research themselves.
According to Department Chair Dr. Margaret Bender, “Paul Thacker is the most impressive mentor of undergraduates I have ever seen.” She emphasizes that his mentorship has launched many students into graduate study and careers in archaeology, and that his passion, care, and time investment have “changed more lives than anyone else in our department.”
For his extraordinary contributions to student research in archaeology, the Dean and the faculty congratulate Dr. Paul Thacker for this award for excellence in mentored scholarship.
