TRIO Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program

Eastern Washington University

Lucia Roussa

Welcome The EWU McNair 2020-2021 Cohort

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New Scholars!

The EWU McNair Scholars Program is excited to welcome our new 2020-2021 cohort of McNair scholars!

Operating in a cohort model, these scholars will make connections while acquiring the knowledge, skills, and capacities necessary to successfully navigate the diligence of doctoral studies through immersion in mentored research experiences and scholarly activities.

 

This year we have an additional 6 scholars with a variety of majors including  Psychology, Mathematics, English, Africana Studies and Environmental Biology!

EWU McNair Scholar Lucia Roussa Awarded CICOES Internship at UW

By Jaeger, Corinne | 04/16/2021

Seth McCullough Selected as an EWU McNair Scholar and Awarded Summer Research Internship

By Tennyson, Bryn | 04/22/2021

Lucia Roussa Selected as an EWU McNair Scholar and Awarded Summer Research Internship

By Tennyson, Bryn | 04/23/2021

Christina Hudson Selected as an EWU McNair Scholar and Awarded Summer Research Internship

By Tennyson, Bryn | 04/25/2021

Nyibol Thareek Selected as an EWU McNair Scholar and Awarded Summer Research Internship

By Tennyson, Bryn | 04/27/2021

EWU McNair Scholars Lucia Roussa and Mori Williams Present at NCUR

By Jaeger, Corinne | 04/27/2021

Darlynne Kahyesi Selected as an EWU McNair Scholar and Awarded Summer Research Internship

By Tennyson, Bryn | 04/29/2021

7 EWU McNair Scholars Participate in Gabriel E. Gallardo Research, Student Leadership, and Advocacy Symposium

By Jaeger, Corinne | 04/29/2021

Welcome The EWU McNair 2020-2021 Cohort

By Tennyson, Bryn | 05/07/2021

Ian Campuzano Selected as an EWU McNair Scholar and Awarded Summer Research Internship

By Tennyson, Bryn | 05/13/2021

The Trio Ronald E. McNair Scholar program is federally funded by the U.S. Department of Education and searches for ambitious students who are first-generation and low-income, and/or a part of an underrepresented minority group, to introduce them to academic research and offer them effective strategies for entering and completing a PhD program.

 

The EWU McNair program was first implemented in 1995, and since then has helped mentor 41, and counting, students to obtaining their PhDs. Each fall EWU McNair will recruit students who are interested in attending graduate school and enrolls them into a non-credit "Is Grad School For You" canvas course to help guide them through the application process on becoming a McNair Scholar. Applications are reviewed by the EWU Selection Committee, which consists of EWU professors who volunteer their time to review applications and select the next cohort of EWU McNair Scholars. This years committee consisted of Dr. Judd Case and Dr. Margaret O'Connell from the Biology department, Dr. Miguel Novella and Dr. Martin Meráz-García from the Chicana/o/x studies program, Dr. Stephen Tsikalas from the Geology department, and Dr. Kayleen Islam-Zwart from the Psychology department. EWU Mcnair extends a huge thank you to the behind the scenes Selection Committee. Our work would not be possible without you!

 

Working with and supporting this years applicants through the process of applying to the EWU McNair Scholar program has been an absolute pleasure. Watching these students adapt and persist through the difficult times inflicted by Covid-19 has been an inspiring experience. Not only have these students maintained their academic achievement through rapid change, but they strive and crave more. We look forward for whats to come for this years McNair Scholars!

EWU McNair Scholars Lucia Roussa and Mori Williams Present at NCUR

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Green back drop (lime to jade), with title of article, names of scholars and an image of each

EWU McNair Scholar Mori Williams and Lucia Roussa presented last week at the virtual National Council on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) Conference. NCUR promotes undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activity in all fields of study through their conference for students. It  celebrates undergraduate student achievement and hopes to help improve the state of undergraduate education. Each conference hosts 3,500 to 4,000 students from across the globe, presenting their research through posters, oral presentations, visual arts, and performances. This year the conference took place completely online.

 

Mori and Lucia both worked with mentor Dr. Camille McNeely on research at the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge. Mori presented on cyanobacteria in the refuge by creating a video and then was available for questions during the conference. Lucia presented her project investigating the relationship between freshwater algal abundance and diversity through analyzing the eutrophication of these wetlands. Lucia's presentation was live during the conference. Here are some of Lucia's thoughts about presenting:

Presenting was much different than I had initially thought it was going to be. I really did not know what to expect, or how many people would be watching my presentation. Since the conference was online in a Zoom format it felt similar to a presentation you would give in class. There was only three students and one professor who watched me present live, so that made things a bit easier. I learned that presenting at a conference was not as scary as I had imagined! Maybe if it was in person I would feel differently, but all together it was a great experience."

I think my greatest take away from presenting at a conference is the importance of practicing your material out loud and being well prepared. I gave this presentation to my housemates more times than they probably wanted, but becoming completely comfortable with your slides and memorizing your information is key to a smooth and professional presentation."

I recommend that all students just go for it! I feel like there is such a stigma around the difficulty of these kinds of presentations/conferences. Personally, I have a huge fear of public speaking, especially in front of faculty and peers who are extremely knowledgeable! I was given great advice from one of my professors who said that you (the presenter) know the most about your topic, so be confident in what you are talking about! That really stuck with me and gave me so much confidence when it came my time to speak."

EWU McNair Encourages Scholar Presentations at Conferences

 

EWU McNair encourages all of its scholars to present at conferences such as NCUR to build confidence, experience, and to strengthen Curriculum Vitae's (CV) for applying to graduate school. This school year scholars presented at the Baylor McNair Research Conferenc,the Murdock College Science Research Conference, and last week at the Gabriel E. Gallardo Research, Student Leadership & Advocacy Symposium hosted by the University of Washington. Typically most EWU McNair Scholars also present at the EWU Symposium. Last year we may have set a record with 18 scholars presenting last spring! This year, to ensure our scholars have this opportunity, EWU McNair is partnering with CSTEM at EWU to host a symposium on June 2nd. The symposium will begin with a Social Justice in Research Panel with EWU McNair Alumni at 9 am. Check back on the McNair Website to find out how to register in advance to attend this secured Zoom event.

EWU McNair Scholars Present at Murdock College Science Research Conference 2020

By Jaeger, Corinne | 01/27/2021

Nine EWU McNair Scholars Present at Baylor McNair Research Conference

By Jaeger, Corinne | 10/09/2020

18 EWU McNair Scholars Present at EWU Virtual Symposium

By Jaeger, Corinne | 06/10/2020

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

By Patolo, Najeda | 11/14/2019

McNair Scholar, Rosa Espinosa Zuniga, presents at Baylor University in Texas

By Patolo, Najeda | 10/09/2019

Abdulrazik Mohammed Travels to DC to Attend the 7th Annual International Symposium on Women and Genocide in the 21st Century: The Case of Darfur

By jlittleton1 | 12/04/2018

More about the 2021 NCUR Presenters

 

Lucia is finishing a dual Environmental Science and Biology major at Eastern Washington University. Lucia's research interests include phycology, marine microbiology, and conservation science in coastal marine ecosystems. Recently Lucia was selected as summer research intern by Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Sciences (CICOES) at UW. She will research whether jellyfish populations can be used as markers of health in the Puget Sound with mentor Dr. Julie Keister.

 

Mori is majoring in Environmental Science with an emphasis in Chemistry and a minor in Japanese. He has worked in an Organic Chemistry lab at Eastern Washington University, which involves saponification, NMR readings, and reflux methods. He is interested in finding types of toxins in bodies of water such as lakes, ponds, and the ocean to find solutions for reducing those toxins. This spring he was accepted by the Toxicology PhD program at Oregon State University.

 

The EWU McNair staff are proud of Mori and Lucia and we're excited to see what they'll do next!

Lucia Roussa Selected as an EWU McNair Scholar and Awarded Summer Research Internship

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Lucia Rousa McNair Scholar Announcements 2021

Congratulations Eastern Washington University student Lucia Roussa! Lucia has been selected as an EWU McNair Scholar and awarded a summer research internship. McNair Scholars must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher, are first generation college students and low-income and/or underrepresented students, and are selected for their promise as scholars and commitment to attaining a PhD. Lucia is dual majoring in Environmental Science and Biology. Her research interests include phycology, marine microbiology, and conservation science in coastal marine ecosystems. She is currently working with Dr. McNeely on her project investigating the relationship between freshwater algal abundance and diversity through analyzing the eutrophication of wetlands in Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge. For this summer, Lucia has been selected for an internship with the Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Sciences (CICOES) where she will be studying jellyfish in the Puget Sound area!

 

We're so excited to have Lucia join us as a McNair Scholar!

EWU McNair Scholar Lucia Roussa Awarded CICOES Internship at UW

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Lucia Roussa Summer Research Acceptance 2021

Congratulations to EWU McNair Scholar Lucia Roussa! Lucia has been selected as one of 14 interns through the Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Sciences (CICOES). For over 40 years CICOES has fostered research collaboration between UW and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). CICOES’s research is a leader in investigations of climate change, ocean acidification, fisheries assessments, and tsunami forecasting. Interns are matched with a research project within one of CICOES nine research themes and work with a CICOES, NOAA, or University of Washington scientist. Lucia has been paired with mentor Dr. Julie Keister, a professor of biological oceanography at the University of Washington. She will work on the project: "Assessing the impact of jellyfish on Puget Sound: determining jellyfish biomass from the air." She will help quantify the size of jellyfish aggregations from aerial photos using computerized image-processing procedures. The goal is to determine seasonal and annual changes in aggregations, and to help the Washington State Department of Ecology determine whether the aerial surveys can provide a “jellyfish index” as an annual indicator of the health of Puget Sound.

Lucia is finishing a dual Environmental Science and Biology major at Eastern Washington University. In 2020, she was selected for the TLES Scholars Award. She works with Dr. Camille McNeely on her project investigating the relationship between freshwater algal abundance and diversity through analyzing the eutrophication of wetlands in Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge. This week Lucia presented her work at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. Lucia's research interests include phycology, marine microbiology, and conservation science in coastal marine ecosystems. In future projects, she would like to explore the various roles that algae play in our world and potential solutions to environmental problems related to algae. Her goal is to obtain a PhD and be a role model for those who feel like STEM fields are limited to those with economic privilege, or those who feel insecure entering a male-dominated field.

 

Due to the pandemic, Lucia will be completing her internship remotely, with the hope of an end of summer in person conference for the final week of the program if it is safe to do so. In addition to research, Lucia will have the opportunity to attend weekly seminars from special guests on climate change, research in the field, and research skills. Similar to our EWU McNair Summer Research Internship, at the end of her internship, Lucia will create research poster displaying the results of the work and create a three-minute video summarizing the experience. Be sure to check back on the EWU McNair website in the fall to find a link to the video!

 

The EWU McNair staff are so excited for Lucia.