2022 McNair Summer Research Internship

EWU McNair Scholar Badradin Mohammed Attends Two Conferences

11/17/2022 by Liina Koivula Leave a Comment

EWU McNair Scholar Badradin Mohammed recently attended two conferences: the 10th Annual Black Doctoral Network Conference in Atlanta, GA, and the American Anthropological Association’s Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA. Badradin is an International Affairs major, earning a minor in Political Science. His 2022 Summer Research Internship mentors were Dr. Kristin Edquist and PhD Candidate Alberto Felix Beltran.

The theme of the Black Doctoral Network’s conference was Black Excellence, Brilliant Minds: The Power of Diversity. Here, Badradin presented his research Water Politics: Changing Geo-politics and Changing Climate in the Nile Basin on a panel followed by an engaged Q + A session. Badradin’s work focuses on the effectiveness of the Nile Basin Initiative, aiming to offer a balanced perspective on Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan’s differing viewpoints when considering the expected future challenges of water scarcity, population growth, and climate change. The most thought-provoking question he received concerned the impacts of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the communities living in surrounding rural areas. He also presented his research poster on the same topic. Badradin appreciated the opportunity to network, and to see research posters in a variety of fields, getting a sense of what his peers are working on, and learning research was being done on topics he hadn’t considered – such as how to identify fake accounts on LinkedIn!

Badradin did not present at the American Anthropological Association conference, but attended an eight-hour intensive workshop on academic publishing with many professors and post docs. This gave Badradin a sense of how academic publishing works, how to prepare his work for success, as well as a background on the biases that may be encountered.

Badradin’s had this advice for fellow McNair scholars and undergraduates who are considering presenting or attending a conference:

When it comes to presenting, the most important thing is to stay true to yourself. Attend every panel, presentation, and networking opportunity that interests you – it might be your only chance, and you will learn something new.

EWU McNair Scholar Marianna Fischer Selected for EWU’s Technology Commercialization Academy

11/10/2022 by Liina Koivula Leave a Comment

Congratulations to McNair Scholar Marianna Fischer! Marianna has been selected to participate in EWU’s Technology Commercialization Academy (TCA), through the E-Ship Center. TCA students grow a business idea from the ground up through the process of technology commercialization. For Kickoff Week, going on now, TCA students participate in an orientation, pitch their skills and ideas, and learn about professional networking, design, marketing, and funding and financing. They create teams to develop their businesses, bringing ideas from the research lab to the market. Thanks to a 3-year, $124,000 grant from the Herbert B. Jones Foundation Fellowship Grant, the TCA is able to offer $1,000 stipends to fellowship students who complete the program.

In addition to her acceptance into the TCA, Marianna was elected Vice President of EWU’s Student Chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and is a current member of the EWU Rocketry Club.

In her 2022 Summer Research Internship, Marianna Fischer researched trash incineration and combustion for energy recovery in the United States. Next summer, she plans to create a prototype for an incineration system that can be used in the home to generate electricity from everyday household trash. Her goal is to become an expert in small scale energy generation that is better for the environment and can be used off the grid, in space, and other novel uses.

EWU McNair Scholar Devin Mumey Attends Lichen Workshop in West Virginia

11/03/2022 by Liina Koivula Leave a Comment

EWU McNair Scholar Devin Mumey collected and identified lichen species with mentor Dr. Jessica Allen for his summer research internship. He recently had the opportunity to travel with Dr. Allen and a group of students to the Tuckerman Lichen Workshop, an annual field course for scholars and enthusiasts, held this year in a remote redoubt of Appalachia, thanks to Dr. Allen’s National Science Foundation (NSF) award. Their work has been featured on the front page of InsideEWU. Read more here > EWU Students Travel for Lichen Workshop in West Virginia.

EWU McNair Scholar Devin Mumey Selected for Scholarship

08/04/2022 by Liina Koivula Leave a Comment

Congratulations to EWU McNair Scholar Devin Mumey! Devin has been selected to receive the Susan and Richard Stannard Scholarship.

Devin Mumey is working towards a major in Biology with a focus on Plant Sciences and a minor in Chemistry. He is interested in studying hybrid fruits and crossbreeding, as well as disease resistance. For his McNair Summer Research Internship, he is working with mentor Dr. Jessica Allen collecting and identifying lichen species. Future research interests include blueberry scorch disease and blackberry orange rust, as well as creating cold-hardy cultivars of tropical fruits, and the tissue culture and propagation of rare or endangered plants.

EWU McNair Scholar Arcelia Madrigal Selected for the Soaring Eagles Scholarship

07/28/2022 by Liina Koivula Leave a Comment

Congratulations to new EWU McNair Scholar Arcelia Madrigal! Arcelia has been selected for the Soaring Eagles Scholarship. The Soaring Eagles Scholarship offers

Financial support for EWU junior and senior level students demonstrating “grit” toward degree completion.

Scholarships at Eastern are highly competitive and Arcelia has been recognized as an individual who has demonstrated excellence.

Arcelia is a first-generation college student majoring in Psychology with a minor in Special Education and earning a certificate in Social Emotional Learning for Educational Equity. Arcelia is the Vice President of Eastern Washington’s Psi Chi chapter and an active member of Eagle Ambassadors. She is interested in a career in early education school psychology to help ensure educational equity for all students. Her research interests consist of how stereotype bias and cultural identity play into achievement test results and how they present in the educational setting. Arcelia’s research this summer will be on Cultural Experience and Perception of Social Emotional Learning with mentor Dr. Susan Ruby.

Katie Gower Selected as an EWU McNair Scholar and Awarded Summer Research Internship

07/15/2022 by Liina Koivula Leave a Comment

Congratulations to new McNair Scholar Katie Gower! Katie was selected by the McNair Scholars’ selection committee on the basis of her 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.

Katie Gower is a first-generation, Honors undergraduate student at Eastern Washington University. Born and raised in Spokane, she graduated from Spokane Falls Community College with a transfer Associate of Arts Degree in 2020. She is majoring in Political Science and minoring in Philosophy and Sociology. Her research interests range from political theory to domestic public policy concerning climate change, immigration, and homelessness. She has also demonstrated interest and conducted research regarding intersectional feminism and transformative justice. She is interested in local politics and public policy and has completed an extensive research project on Washington state climate change legislation titled An Analysis of Initiative 1631 and the Future of Carbon Fee Legislation in Washington State. She will complete her Summer Research Internship with mentor Dr. Matthew Anderson.

We look forward to accompanying Katie as her research unfolds!