The Eastern Washington University (EWU) McNair Scholars Program is proud to announce the successful completion of its 2024 Summer Research Internship. This year 11 participants engaged in a diverse range of research topics, from the experiences of women of color in math courses at EWU and censorship of radio around issues of sexuality in the 1930s to exploring the secondary trauma experienced by children and families of veterans and nurse’s relationship to handling the death of patients. Participants included new scholars: Eleanor Strathmore, Monique Castellano/s, Jules Amante, Nicole Nemeth, Paola Campos, Christopher Nava, Vanessa Sanchez, Aura Moreno, and Raúl Segura as well as returning scholars Tiago Correia and Makenna Tabino. Click on each student’s name to see more about them and their research! Over eight transformative weeks, these scholars not only delved into their research but also gained essential skills to prepare for graduate school.
In addition to their research activities, participants engaged in 80 hours of graduate school application preparation. This comprehensive training included workshops on writing personal statements, curriculum vitas, researching schools, graduate funding, and reaching out to faculty at potential grad programs.
On July 15, our scholars ventured to Washington State University (WSU) for a regional gathering of McNair Scholars. This enriching experience allowed them to build relationships, network, and acquire valuable information about the graduate school journey. The day began with a warm welcome by EWU McNair alumna Dr. Manee Moua, Associate Director of the WSU McNair Scholars program and long-time WSU McNair Director and Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Enrollment Management, Dr. Raymond Herrera. Participants learned from a panel of McNair alumni, including EWU McNair alumnus Malachi Chukwu, currently in the Cultural Studies and Social Thought in Education PhD program at WSU. The panel offered a glimpse into what graduate school is truly like.
To foster connections, the WSU McNair Scholars facilitated engaging “getting to know you” games, followed by a campus tour based on each scholars area of study. The event also featured a presentation by April Seehafer, WSU Director of Distinguished Scholarships, on how to apply to be a Fulbright Scholar. Additionally, a few EWU McNair Scholars had the unique opportunity to meet one-on-one with WSU faculty in their fields of interest, establishing valuable connections for their future academic endeavors, including potential research internships at WSU next summer!
Towards the end of the summer, scholars had the opportunity for a virtual panel featuring EWU McNair alumni: Aulane Mpouli, a Chemistry PhD candidate at Duke University; Badradin Mohammed, an International Relations PhD student at the University of Maryland; and Arcelia Madrigal, an EdS School Psychology student at the University of Washington-Tacoma. Each shared their research interests and experiences, tips on traversing the challenges of graduate school, and inspiration for our current scholars to pursue their academic goals with confidence.
The summer culminated with the McNair Summer Research Symposium, where participants presented their research to mentors, family, and McNair staff. Here’s a glance at four of our scholars’ projects: Christopher Nava investigated consumer behavior and developed an IRB proposal of a project in the Spokane metropolitan area, focusing consumer’s ideas about the trade-off between price and quality, and how demographics and region influence shopping preferences. Raúl Segura explored the effects of teacher bias on student-teacher relationships and how teacher awareness of bias impacted their self-perception and cross-cultural approaches. Paola Campos identified communication strategies employed by outpatient physical therapists to enhance care for patients with Limited English Proficiency, highlighting effective practices to bridge language barriers. From pygmy bunnies to a bacteria that excretes a purple color and might be used for cancer treatments- our scholar’s research is fascinating! You can check out more details on these scholars and their research on our McNair Scholars pages. All of the scholars’ presentations provided valuable insights into their fields and showcased the hard work of these scholars over the last two quarters.
As we celebrate the accomplishments of our 2024 Summer Research Internship participants, we are excited to announce that the EWU McNair Scholars Program is recruiting 16 new scholars for the upcoming year. Applications are due by November 15, and we invite all eligible students to seize this opportunity to engage in research, develop graduate school skills, and build lasting relationships within the academic community. If you are an EWU student interested in graduate school, complete this eligibility questionnaire and we’ll get back to you. Faculty and staff, please send us nominations of strong potential candidates or have students you know complete the form above or drop by the McNair office.
For more information on the EWU McNair Scholars Program and to learn about the achievements of our scholars, please visit our website www.inside.edu/mcnair.
McNair is so proud of all of our scholars and looks forward to their future accomplishments. Thank you to all of our faculty mentors, and the countless people behind the scenes that help make McNair happen, including VP Heather Veeder, Maxson Stewart, Accounts Payable, the Office for Grants, Research, and Development, and more! Let’s continue to pave the way for future leaders in academia!
