Mentorship in Action at Furman Engaged

When Roger Abim-Karmon ’26 first connected with Associate Professor of Health Sciences Shaniece Criss, it didn’t take long for Criss to go from advisor to mentor.

“I met him spring of 2023,” Criss said. “Initially, he was my advisee. But when somebody becomes part of my research team, I think that automatically puts me in the mentor role.”

That shift from advising to mentoring defines their partnership and reflects the kind of engaged learning that Furman Engaged is designed to celebrate when it takes over campus on April 17.

Professor Shaniece Criss and Roger Abim-Karmon ’26 present their findings to the staff of Hollingsworth Funds on June 26 as part of Abim-Karmon’s public health summer research work. Photo by Owen Withycombe, Furman University.

From Advisee to Research Partner

Criss doesn’t treat her students like assistants. She treats them like collaborators.

“I look at my students as research partners,” she said. “We are on a team, and I want them to see themselves as an equal, valid part of the team. I want them to see that they have a voice.”

For Abim-Karmon, that mindset changed everything. A public health major with a passion for advocacy, he sought out Criss not just for guidance, but for opportunity.

“I’ve seen the work that you do,” he recalled telling her. “And I think that is something that I am really interested in.”

He joined her research team, diving into a major community-based project focused on equity and public health by analyzing how power, policy and community engagement shape health outcomes. Along the way, he coded data, contributed to reports and helped draft a manuscript now under review.

Mentorship That Meets the Moment

The work pushed him into unfamiliar territory, especially when it came to academic writing.

“The most challenging part was understanding that I have the necessary skillset to take on writing a manuscript,” he said. “There were some days where I’m like, I don’t know where we’re going.”

Criss met those moments with both structure and encouragement.

“I want people to have information and know how to act on it,” she said. “But they have to show me they’re willing to follow through. From there, I can say ‘You’re ready. Let’s go.’”

That balance between expectation and empowerment helped Abim-Karmon grow not just as a researcher, but as a thinker.

A Campus-Wide Showcase of Learning

Roger Abim-Karmon ’26 presents his research findings to staff at the Hollingsworth Funds on June 26 as part of his summer research work with professor Shaniece Criss. Photo by Owen Withycombe, Furman University.

Their work now comes full circle at Furman Engaged, a campus-wide showcase where students present research, internships and creative projects in formats ranging from poster sessions and academic talks to performances and community-based work.

For one day each year, classrooms, performance spaces and meeting rooms across campus transform into a living gallery of student achievement. Undergraduates share findings with faculty, peers and industry partners, often translating complex ideas into clear, compelling stories.

“It’s an enriching experience,” Abim-Karmon said. “You’re not only presenting, you’re seeing what the rest of the Furman community is working on.”

That exchange is part of the point. Students move between sessions, ask questions and make connections across disciplines – turning individual projects into a shared academic experience.

“You need to present. You need to have those social skills,” he added. “How do you tell your story and keep someone engaged?”

Furman Engaged, Fully Realized

For Criss, the program reflects something deeper than a single presentation.

“Our students see themselves as the professionals that they are,” she said. “They are primed, ready and already acting in a professional way.”

Abim-Karmon agrees and sees it as both a showcase and a culmination.

“I’ve done Furman Engaged every year,” he said. “It feels like I’m closing that loop right now.”

But beyond the presentation, it’s the mentorship that endures.

“That faculty-to-student relationship has shaped my Furman career,” he said. “Wherever I go, that’s something I’ll want.”

For a full schedule of Furman Engaged presentations, click here.