Aura Moreno Selected as an EWU McNair Scholar and Awarded Summer Research Internship

Congratulations to new McNair Scholar Aura Moreno! Aura was selected by the McNair Scholars’ selection committee on the basis of their passion for research, commitment to attaining a PhD, and overall potential for success in graduate school.

The federally-funded TRIO Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program at EWU selects motivated and talented juniors and seniors who are first-generation and low-income college students, and/or from groups underrepresented at the doctoral level to introduce them to academic research and provide them with effective strategies for getting into and graduating from PhD programs.

Aura Moreno is a first-generation college student at Eastern Washington University, pursuing a major in Visual Communication Design (VCD) with minors in Japanese and Spanish. Their academic journey is fueled by an eagerness for using VCD to advocate for social justice, aiming to discover how design can drive foundational societal changes. This passion extends into exploring the application of AI across various sectors, demonstrating a keen interest in the interplay between technology, design, and social impact. While their military background as an Intelligence Analyst has honed their analytical skills, Aura is currently focused on securing a summer internship that aligns with their ambitions, seeking opportunities to blend their knowledge of VCD with practical experiences in social advocacy and AI research. Aura will conduct their 2024 McNair Summer Research Internship alongside her EWU faculty research mentor, Dr. Tracey McHenry.

We look forward to accompanying Aura as their research unfolds!