TRIO Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program

Eastern Washington University

Chemistry

Malek Chreiki Selected as an EWU McNair Scholar and Awarded Summer Research Internship

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Malek Chreiki Selected as an EWU McNair ScholarCongratulations to new McNair Scholar Malek Chreiki! Malek was selected by the McNair Scholars’ selection committee on the basis of his 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.

Malek Zein Chreiki is double majoring in Biology with Biotech Option and Physics along with a minor in Organic Chemistry at Eastern Washington University. His goal is to earn a PhD in molecular biology to research and develop novo genetic engineering biotech products. His focus is to work with Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/Cas systems to manipulate genomes and study their effects. For his 2022 Summer Research Internship, he will be working under the mentorship of Dr. Jason Ashley engineering Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus (MMLV)-based retroviral transfer plasmids for the expression S. pyogenes Cas9 and guide RNA for targeted knockout of specific genes in RAW264.7 murine macrophages.

We look forward to accompanying Malek as his research unfolds!

Devin Mumey Selected as an EWU McNair Scholar and Awarded Summer Research Internship

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Devin Mumey Selected as an EWU McNair ScholarCongratulations to new McNair Scholar Devin Mumey! Devin was selected by the McNair Scholars’ selection committee on the basis of his 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.

Devin Mumey is an undergraduate at Eastern Washington University 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 will be working with 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.

We look forward to accompanying Devin as his research unfolds!

13 McNair Scholars Present at EWU’s 2022 Student Research & Creative Works Symposium

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13 McNair Scholars Present at EWU’s 2022 Student Research & Creative Works SymposiumOn May 11, EWU held the 2022 Student Research and Creative Works Symposium. The Symposium has been held virtually for the last two years, and being back in person allowed for a different level of engagement as scholars discussed their research (both proposed and completed) with fellow students, faculty, and the EWU community. Many scholars shared their work in poster format in the PUB, while others had the opportunity to give longer talks to packed classrooms. McNair scholars shared their experiences with us for this article.

 

Graduating McNair scholar Lucia Roussa:

After a long couple of years of virtual meetings it was really nice to see all of the other student projects in one room. It felt so rewarding that so many people were interested in my research. Poster sessions are really great because they allow people to take in the information at their own pace. I had people leave and come back with more questions, which tells me that they were thinking about my poster even after they left! I really enjoyed being a part of an energetic room of student researchers.

New McNair scholar Alexander Dodson:

Presenting at Eastern Washington University's Research and Creative Works Symposium was an amazing opportunity. Everyone was super kind and excited for me to tell them about the research I am doing. I would recommend everyone attend or present at the symposium!

New McNair scholar Arcelia Madrigal:

I loved presenting at the symposium because it was a lot more personal since I had my professors and friends visit my poster. I was able to see the creative work of those in my community.

The mission of the federally-funded TRiO Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program at EWU is to increase diversity in academia by supporting first-generation and low-income and/or students underrepresented at the graduate level who plan to go on to earn a PhD. When scholars from diverse backgrounds become leaders in their fields, they bring forth exciting and relevant research questions. They grow to be role-models, increasing both representation and opportunities for future students. The 13 McNair scholars who presented at the symposium reflect the many different areas of study where our scholars are gaining expertise.

 

We are consistently impressed with the breadth and depth EWU’s McNair scholars bring to their research, and we look forward to experiencing the impact of their work!

 

Haili Poss presents her research proposal poster, Sex Guilt and Attitudes towards Sex Work.
Badradin Mohammed presents his research proposal poster, Water Politics: A Case Study of Hydro Politics Among Nile River Stakeholders.
Arcelia Madrigal presents her research poster, An Analysis of Character: Strong’s PurposeFull People Program Components.
Katie Gower presents her research, Policy & Practice: Investigating Homelessness Discourse in Spokane, Washington.
Alexander Dodson presents his research poster, Potential Effects of the American and Pride Flag on Our Judgments of Others.
Malek Chreiki presents his research proposal poster, Design and Delivery of Gamma-Retroviral CRISPR Plasmids
Serena Camacho presents her research poster, Understanding the Role Gender Might be Playing in Your Child's ASD Evaluation.
Saul Bautista presents his research proposal poster, Honduran Tribes and their Historical Erosion.
Lucia Roussa presents her research poster, Freshwater Sponges in Eastern Washington: Environmental Constraints, Species Composition, and Associated Photobionts.
Christina Hudson presents her research poster, Transforming Yourself Through English.
Ashley Destin presents her research poster, Feline Red Blood Cell Shape and the Impacts of Cytauxzoonosis.
Saul Bautista presents his research proposal poster, Honduran Tribes and their Historical Erosion.
Arcelia Madrigal presents her research poster, An Analysis of Character: Strong’s PurposeFull People Program Components.
Lucia Roussa presents her research poster, Freshwater Sponges in Eastern Washington: Environmental Constraints, Species Composition, and Associated Photobionts.
Alexander Dodson presents his research poster, Potential Effects of the American and Pride Flag on Our Judgments of Others.
Haili Poss presents her research proposal poster, Sex Guilt and Attitudes towards Sex Work.

EWU McNair Scholar Malek Chreiki Awarded Schwalm Scholarship

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Malek Chreiki Receives 2022 Schwalm ScholarshipCongratulations to new EWU McNair Scholar Malek Chreiki! Malek has been selected to receive the 2022 Schwalm Scholarship through the EWU Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physics. The committee was impressed with Malek’s academic achievements, dedication to interdisciplinary research and community service work.

This upcoming summer, Malek will be researching Design and delivery of Gamma-Retroviral CRISPR Plasmids with faculty mentor Dr. Jason Ashley. Malek presented his research proposal poster for this project at EWU’s 2022 Student Research and Creative Works Symposium.

Malek is double majoring in Biology with Biotech Option and Physics along with a minor in Organic Chemistry at Eastern Washington University. His goal is to earn a PhD in molecular biology to research and develop novo genetic engineering biotech products.

12 EWU McNair Scholars Present at EWU Virtual Symposium

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12 McNair Scholars Present at EWU’s 2021 CSTEM and McNair Spring Research SymposiumIn June 2021, EWU held the CSTEM and McNair Spring Research Symposium. This online event offered a chance for McNair scholars to present their research, as well as attend the Social Justice in Research Panel of EWU McNair alumni now working in academics and education. 

The mission of the federally-funded TRiO Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program at EWU is to increase diversity in academia by supporting first-generation and low-income and/or racially under-represented students in higher education who want to go on to earn a PhD. 

When scholars from diverse backgrounds become leaders in their fields, they bring forth exciting and relevant research questions. They grow to be role-models, increasing both representation and opportunities for future students. The 12 McNair current and former scholars who presented at the symposium reflect the many different areas of study where our scholars are gaining expertise. Breakout rooms focused on topics including Prairie Restoration, Social Sciences and Humanities, Fisheries and Water Science, Material Science, Regional Ecology, Microbiome, Disease Ecology and COVID, and Computation and Modeling. Presenters included:

Seth McCullough Effect of Biochar Additions in Palouse Prairie Restoration on Several Soil Perimeters 

Rachael Pentico Plant Soil Feedbacks Vary with Aspect in Palouse Prairie Remnants 

Alexis Lisandro Guizar-Diaz Indentured Servitude in the 21st Century? A Case Study on Agricultural Labor Employment 

Theresa Lee Prisoner Reentry: College Perceptions of Reentry Barriers in a Northwest Community 

Alexandria Coronado Impacts of COVID-19 on Food and Housing Student Resources at Universities in State of Washington 

Lizeth Bañuelos Latinx First-Generation Students’ Academic Experience: The Role of Institutional Supports During a Pandemic 

Christina Hudson The Characterization of African Religions 

Mori Williams Nutrient Concentration for Cyanotoxins at Turnbull  & Henry’s Law Constant for Chloroform and Deuterated Chloroform 

Lucy Roussa Freshwater Algae of Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge 

Ashley Destin Size Scaling in the Skull of North American Felids as Adaptations for Prey Acquisition 

Nyibol Thareek Mitochondrial excitability and its ability to support waves of calcium 

Aulane Mpouli Molecular Dynamic Simulation Study of ITPA-ITP Protein-Ligand Complex 

We are consistently impressed with EWU’s McNair scholars and we look forward to experiencing the impact of their work!

EWU McNair Scholar Mori Williams Awarded Opportunity to Attend Society of Toxicology Program

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Mori Williams Society of Toxicology Award 2021

Congratulations to EWU McNair Scholar Mori Williams! Mori was given a Committee on Diversity (CDI) Undergraduate Diversity Program Student Award to attend the Virtual Undergraduate Diversity Program (UDP) at the SOT 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting. This included registration for the annual Society of Toxicology (SOT) annual meeting, a three-week special program, and a mentor assignment. Mori attended virtually in March.

 

This year Mori was accepted by the Toxicology PhD program at Oregon State University as well as by South Dakota Mines (SDM) in their Masters in Atmospheric & Environmental Science Program where he received a graduate student assistantship and will attend Fall 2022.

 

Mori's research interests focus on finding types of toxins in bodies of water such as lakes, ponds, and the ocean to find solutions for reducing those toxins. He is majoring in Environmental Science with an emphasis in Chemistry and a minor in Japanese. For his 2020 EWU McNair Research Internship, he worked with Dr. Camille McNeely in researching cyanobacteria in local areas such as the Spokane River and the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge. Mori has presented his research to the Biology department, the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, and the EWU Symposium.

 

The EWU McNair staff are so excited for Mori! Click here to read more about Mori or his research.