Patolo, Najeda

Political Science student, Wendolyn Martinez (EWU McNair Scholar 2018-19 cohort) Studies Russian Language and History at Moscow State University

11/21/2019 by Patolo, Najeda Leave a Comment

Wendolyn Martinez in front of Catherine the Great's Palace (St. Petersburg, Russia)

Room of Remembrance for WWII Casualties

Moscow State University

Photo credit: Wendolyn Martinez, 2019

Wendolyn Martinez finds Russian history and language fascinating. After learning about culture and politics in Russia at EWU, she became determined to study abroad in order to learn first-hand about the places she had read about in her classes. To fund her study, Wendolyn applied for and was awarded the Gilman Scholarship through the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, maximizing her opportunities to travel and experience different cultures and languages during her undergraduate career. Wendolyn is studying abroad this quarter through the Knowledge Exchange Institute program at the Moscow State University. Beyond her studies, Wendolyn has managed to explore many sites of historical and political importance in Russia, including the Victory Museum, The Kremlin, the Winter Palace, and the Leningrad Siege Memorial.

"I’m studying Russian Language and History at Russia’s top university, Moscow State University (мгу), through the KEI program. I choose [to study abroad in] Russia because of my [academic and personal interest in] US-Russian relations...I knew this experience would be incredibly beneficial."

Wendolyn will return to EWU's Cheney campus in the winter quarter and will be applying for 2020 Summer Research Internship opportunities in Political Science. We are so proud of McNair Scholars like Wendolyn who are passionate about exploring and expanding their horizons!

Catching up with EWU McNair Scholar (2018-19) and Gilman Scholarship recipient, Malachi Chukwu in Thailand

11/19/2019 by Patolo, Najeda Leave a Comment

Chiang Mai University (CMU) Welcome Hike from the CMU campus to the summit of Doi Suthep. Malachi Chukwu pictured first row, first from left.

Photo credit: Malachi Chukwu (2019)

Currently studying abroad in Thailand at Chiang Mai University in the Political and International Affairs Department, EWU McNair Scholar, Malachi Chukwu took some time out of his schedule to check in with us. Malachi is an International Affairs and Political Science major interested in understanding economic development and resource availability. Through this study abroad opportunity, which was funded in-part through a Gilman Scholarship, Malachi hopes to excite more interest for study abroad programs.

From his statement on international education: "My target audience [for study abroad education and outreach] are students in International Affairs, Political Science, and the McNair Scholars' Program at Eastern Washington University. There are over fifty students majoring in International Affairs [alone]... a lot of them seem not have any interest of traveling out of the country or for an international education. It could be because they have not been fully convinced of benefit of participating in an study abroad programs. International education and cultural awareness are essential for these students because their college major centers on interactions at the international level."

Malachi already speaks three languages and has been maximizing his opportunities to become familiar with Thai language and culture. When he returns, Malachi hopes to inspire more students to take advantage of international education opportunities while in university. We look forward to hearing more about his journey and having him back with us next quarter. Keep up the great work, Malachi!

Malachi Chukwu teaches spelling to children in Palong Tribe

Malachi Chukwu teaching in Palong Village

EWU Alum and McNair Scholar, Dr. Alvina Cawston Marris, awarded a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant to support improving health equity in rural areas

11/14/2019 by Patolo, Najeda Leave a Comment

Photo of Alvina Marris courtesy of: https://irleaders.org/team/using-native-knowledge-and-science-to-heal-trauma/ (2019)

Dr. Alvina Cawston Marris (EWU McNair Scholar 2003) was awarded a grant in 2018 and named an Interdisciplinary Research Leader dedicated to improving health equity in rural areas. As a practicing psychologist, Dr. Marris works to improve health equity in rural areas. She works with the Colville Tribes and is currently conducting research to develop a trauma and culturally informed parenting program for her tribal community. Read more about the wonderful work being done by Dr. Marris in a previous article published in 2017. We congratulate Dr. Marris on her well-deserved award and are so proud of her accomplishments!

From the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation - Interdisciplinary Leaders Website:

The broad goal of the Interdisciplinary Research Leaders (IRL) program is to produce diverse interdisciplinary leaders who conduct and apply high-quality, community-engaged, action-oriented, equity-focused health research in order to drive improvements in the health of communities. Another central goal of the IRL program is to foster and support new interdisciplinary, action-oriented research collaborations that will help build the evidence base for effective community interventions to improve health for all.

Darlene Gilroy, EWU McNair Scholar and Environmental Geology major, attends prestigious Murdock College Science Research Conference in Vancouver, WA

11/14/2019 by Patolo, Najeda Leave a Comment

Darlene Gilroy with EWU faculty members and colleagues.

The EWU McNair Scholars' Program would like to recognize McNair Scholar Darlene Gilroy (2018-19 cohort) for presenting her original research at the 2019 Murdock College Science Research Conference held November 8th-9th in Vancouver, Washington. Darlene's research project, Chemical Weathering of Mt. St. Helens Volcanic Sediments, was completed in the summer of 2019 as part of the EWU McNair Summer Research Internship. Dr. Carmen Nezat of the EWU Department of Geology was Darlene's research mentor for this project.

From the Murdock Charitable Trust website:

The conference focuses on sharing and advancing new knowledge in the natural sciences created or discovered through collaborative faculty-student research.

Attendance at the conference is invitation-only, and this year's theme was Collaboration – A Key to Success in Undergraduate Research. Darlene offered to share her experiences with us, saying, "I felt blessed to be able to attend such a wonderful and prestigious conference. I used this as an opportunity to practice presenting on a conference level. I was truly inspired by the research that was being presented by fellow conference attendees. It was also a wonderful opportunity to network with fellow Environmental Science/ Geology students from different institutions, as well as bond with the three other Eastern students who attended. #GeologyRocks."

Now that she has returned, Darlene is focused on applying for summer undergraduate research opportunities next year where she will continue her academic and scholarly endeavors. Congratulations, Darlene, on your fantastic accomplishment!

EWU and McNair Scholars’ Program alum, Dr. Araceli Frias, featured in Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

11/12/2019 by Patolo, Najeda Leave a Comment

Dr. Frias - Photo courtesy of gradschool.utah.edu (2019)

Dr. Araceli Frias (EWU McNair Scholars' Program 2006) has been featured in the publication, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.

Named a "rising star in academia" in the article by Jamal Watson, Dr. Frias has been the assistant dean for diversity in the Graduate School at the University of Utah since 2015. As the assistant dean, she capitalizes on her passion for equity and diversity in higher education through her McNair Scholars' Graduate Network - a program designed to promote communication and collaboration for alumni scholars pursuing doctoral degrees at the University of Utah.

We are so proud of her accomplishments, and congratulate Dr. Frias on her fine work! Read the full story here.

About the publication - Diverse: Issues in Higher Education (from the website):

Diverse: Issues In Higher Education stands alone as the only source of critical news, information and insightful commentary on the full range of issues concerning diversity in American higher education. Diverse began writing about diversity in higher education long before diversity and multiculturalism became “hot-button” issues. Today, [the] mission remains as true as it was more than 30 years ago: to provide information that is honest, thorough and balanced...With more than 30 years of experience covering education, Diverse is the only news magazine focusing on matters of access and opportunity for all in higher education. Its unparalleled coverage of issues surrounding topics such as tenure, salary, faculty, students, recruitment, retention and access and equity earned Diverse the 2002 Folio Award for best education publication in America. And as...communities have grown more diverse, so, too, has [their] editorial focus.