Acceptances/Awards

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

04/25/2021 by Tennyson, Bryn Leave a Comment

Christina Hudson McNair Scholar Announcements 2021

Congratulations Eastern Washington University student Christina Hudson! Christina 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. Christina is double majoring in English studies and Africana studies, and minoring in religious studies. Prior to attending EWU, she graduated from Spokane Falls Community College with an Associate of Art degree. Christina is interested in decolonizing religious studies with a focus on ancient African religious texts. For her EWU McNair Summer Research Internship, Christina intends to shift the way we view the contributions of people of color to the development of civilization throughout history, while under the mentorship of Dr. Okera Nsombi.

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

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

04/23/2021 by Tennyson, Bryn Leave a Comment

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!

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

04/22/2021 by Tennyson, Bryn Leave a Comment

Seth McCullough McNair Scholar Announcements 2021 (1)

Congratulations Eastern Washington University student Seth McCullough! Seth 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. Seth is majoring in Biology with an emphasis in Environmental Science. His interests and research focuses are on restoration ecology and how climate change is affecting relationships within ecological communities. Seth is currently a research assistant in his mentor, Dr. Justin Bastow’s lab working on EWU’s prairie restoration project. For his EWU McNair Summer Research Internship, Seth will expand on the project and investigate how prairie restoration and biochar amenities affect carbon sequestration within the soil.

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

EWU McNair Scholar Aulane Mpouli Awarded Sloan Scholarship at Duke

04/22/2021 by Jaeger, Corinne Leave a Comment

Aulane Mpouli Sloan Scholarship Award 2021

Congratulations to EWU McNair Scholar Aulane Mpouli. Aulane was selected to receive a Sloan Scholarship, an award offered jointly by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the Duke University Center of Exemplary Mentoring (UCEM). Sloan Scholarships are extended to a highly selective group of admitted graduate students. The Sloan Foundation was created in 1934 by industrialist Alfred P. Sloan Jr. and is a not-for-profit grantmaking institution that supports high quality, impartial scientific research; fosters a robust, diverse scientific workforce; strengthens public understanding and engagement with science; and promotes the health of the institutions of scientific endeavor. This scholarship is in addition to the standard Duke stipend already awarded to Aulane. As a Sloan Scholar, she will have access to resources and opportunities to enhance her academic and professional development, beginning with the Early Start Research Immersion Program. In addition to this five-week experience in the summer before the first year of graduate school, designed to help smooth the transition to Duke, the Sloan Scholarship also includes a series of workshops, symposia, lunches, and periodic check-ins throughout Aulane's time at Duke.

Aulane is an outstanding scholar. She has been accepted by the Chemistry PhD Programs at the University of California San Diego, Duke University, Ohio State University, and the University of Utah, all with full funding! Aulane is majoring in Chemistry and plans on specializing in Analytical Chemistry. Her research interests include analytics, biological chemistry, and catalysis. Last summer Aulane was accepted into a Summer Research Program by Ohio State University, and while they were unable to continue due to COVID-19, she continued to participate in a series of online seminars provided by OSU. Additionally, Aulane completed a McNair Summer Research Internship here at EWU under the mentorshop of Dr. Yao Houndonougbo. Her research, Molecular Docking Study of ITPA Protein Substrate Complex, relates to analyzing the successful ways in which the substrate Inosine Triphosphate (ITP) binds to the enzyme Inosine Triphosphatase in order for it to perform its enzymatic function and prevent the accumulation and over concentration of ITP, an intermediate in the formation of Purines which help make up DNA. The accumulation of ITP could cause mutations in the DNA causing cancers and other detrimental effects to the body. She has continued this research throughout the 2020-2021 school year. Aulane also works as a Teacher’s Assistant for the Quantitative Analysis, BioChem for Health Sciences, and General Chemistry courses where she grades lab reports, prepares unknowns for students, and helps with calculations and clarifications.

The EWU McNair staff are so excited for Aulane and we know she'll do amazing at Duke and beyond! Click here to read more about Aulane or her research.

EWU McNair Scholar Malachi Chukwu Awarded Theodore A. LeGros Fellowship at WSU

04/22/2021 by Jaeger, Corinne Leave a Comment

Congratulations to EWU McNair Scholar Malachi Chukwu! Malachi has been selected by Washington State University's (WSU) College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Political Science, Philosophy and Public Affairs for the Theodore A. LeGros Graduae Recruitment Fellowship. This fellowship comes through an endowment by the same name established by Jean Baumgarten LeGros in honor of her husband. Theodore graduated from WSU in 1942 in political science and, among many accomplishments, went on to be a lawyer and was president of the Japan-America Society of Seattle in 1976.

Malachi Chukwu is an International Affairs and Political Science major at Eastern Washington University with an emphasis on global security. He is interested in researching the effects of development on Sub-Saharan Africa, the connections between development, environmental degradation, and conflict in this region, and potential policy and implementation solutions. Malachi completed his 2019 summer research Economic development in the Global South: A case study of Niger Delta, Nigeria under the mentorship of Dr. Majid Sharifi. In 2020, Malachi participated in the Laney Graduate School Summer Opportunity for Academic Research (LGS-SOAR) Program at Emory University under the mentorship of Dr. Emily Gade at the Oppressions and Resistance Lab. Click here to read more about Malachi or his research.

Malachi has been accepted by the International Relations PhD program at Florida International University with funding, the Political Science PhD Program at the University of Oregon, and the Political Science PhD program at Washington State University with full funding plus now this additional award. Malachi plans to attend WSU in the fall of 2022.

The EWU McNair staff are so proud of Malachi and all of his hard work. We're excited to see all the amazing things he will bring to his field and his communities.

What the Gilman Scholarship for Studying Abroad Can do for You

04/20/2021 by Jaeger, Corinne Leave a Comment

2019's McNair Flyer about the Oaxaca Study Abroad Opportunity

Written by EWU McNair Scholar Samantha Sanchez-Garcia

When I knew I wanted to pursue a Ph.D., I decided to take on many research projects. I joined the McNair program and sought study abroad opportunities. The four-week immigration and language-focused international program in Oaxaca Mexico led by Dr. Nydia Martinez and Dr. Gina Mikel Petrie was an ideal program for majors in Spanish, Teaching English as a Second Language, and History. At first, I was hesitant because my major is psychology. But, after consulting with my psychology professor Dr. Seiver, we decided that it would be beneficial to add a psychology-directed study credit, along with the 6 EWU credits I would earn. For the psychology-directed study, I wanted to research the differences in experience between battered women in the U.S and Mexico. I was particularly interested in Latina women because domestic violence is not often addressed in Latinx communities. Before my trip, I arranged to meet with an organization called Mujeres in Action (M.I.A) that focused on Latina domestic abuse survivors in Spokane. I was hoping to administer anonymous surveys to their clients so I could better understand their situations. For my study abroad, I planned to work with an organization in Oaxaca that also supported domestic violence survivors and administer the same survey there. I hoped to analyze data from both groups to try to determine difference in needs and best strategies for support.

Although I was set on international research, I needed help with funding. Fortunately, the Gilman Scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, provides funding to undergraduate U.S. citizens of limited financial means to enable them to study abroad. I was hesitant to reapply, as on a prior application I had not been accepted, but I decided to reapply and got accepted. Ultimately, my dedication and passion to study abroad and conduct international research helped finance my program.

After completion of my study abroad experience, I planned to promote the Gilman Scholarship to future cohorts in the McNair program. McNair provides academic and professional development opportunities for first-generation, low-income, and/or underrepresented students committed to attaining a Ph.D. I choose this population to share my study abroad experience because all these scholars meet the eligibility criteria (e.g., 3.0 GPA). In addition, I thought it would be a great opportunity for scholars to acquire cultural perspective before entering graduate school, since it can be difficult to do so.

Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, my study abroad program was canceled. Despite this, the Gilman Scholarship offered options to use our award for virtual learning opportunities. I decided to look for programs through International Studies Abroad (ISA), which had many virtual learning choices. I was excited to find a program that aligned with my major in San Jose, Costa Rica that focused on health psychology.

Through virtual learning, I engaged with a diverse team from different nations including my Costa Rican professor which broadened my general understanding of health psychology, social context, influence, health, and illness from a cultural perspective. For instance, I presented a case study about the issues of child labor in the U.S and Costa Rica. I discovered that child labor was outlawed in both countries at different times; the U.S in 1938 and Costa Rica not until 2020.The main reasons for the time gap were poverty, lack of education, and lack of healthcare in Costa Rica. Fortunately, there is now a program to coordinate efforts from several government agencies to eliminate child labor. Although, child labor is not a predominate issue in the U.S and Costa Rica, it remains to be a global issue. I found that the psychological effects of child labor included bullying, sexual exploitation, and working unfavorable hours include mental health trauma and disorders. This can change if all countries band together to campaign against child labor, refuse to buy from companies that profit from child labor, and donate to charities that reduce the incidence of child labor.

Digital image San Jose Costa Rica, several tall sky scrapers and a stadium, on a blue day with a white streak of clouds

San Jose, Capital of Costa Rica

Ultimately, what I valued most about this experience was learning the differences in cultures between two countries. As a future psychologist, it is important to recognize the differences in cultures since it plays in important roles in influencing human behavior. I believe that studying abroad is crucial for education because it allows you to gain a cultural perspective that you can apply to your professional journey, no matter your field. I especially appreciate that the Gilman Scholarship, despite COVID-19, managed to fund our experience through virtual learning because they recognize the importance of studying abroad, even though a computer screen. Although, I would prefer to study in Costa Rica in person, it was certainly a cultural exchange and a great opportunity to meet individual from different nations who are interested in the same issues I am.

Samantha Sanchez-Garcia is an EWU McNair Scholar majoring in Psychology. She works as a research assistant in Dr. Jillene Seiver’s clinical psychology lab and completed her 2020 EWU McNair Summer Research Internship under the mentorship of Dr. Seiver where she studied traumatic experiences and mental health among college students. Samantha has been accepted by 3 graduate schools and will attend the Industrial and Organizational Psychology PhD Program at DePaul University, with full funding, where she was selected as one of three out of 80 applications! Click here to read more about Samantha and her research.