Assistant Professor of Strategic Communication April Eichmeier was awarded the 2025 Undergraduate Research Award for Faculty, which is given annually to a faculty member who demonstrates commitment to forging student-faculty research collaborations.

Peter Gregg, Chair of Emerging Media, nominated Eichmeier: ““Her courses are built around her commitment to undergraduate research. What distinguishes her work is how students are trained to think scientifically and critically, to translate findings for both scholarly and public audiences, and to produce research that has tangible, real-world outcomes.” Strategic and Business Communication major Grace Franceschi, who conducted research on woman entrepreneurship with Eichmeier, noted that “[Eichmeier] inspired confidence, nurtured independent thinking, and created a supportive learning environment. Her mentorship had a lasting impact on my academic journey.”