TRIO Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program

Eastern Washington University

Scholar Cafe

Scholar Cafe October 10th – Histories of Immigration and Languages in Oaxaca, Mexico with Dr. Nydia Martinez

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Are you interested in studying abroad? Join Dr. Nydia Martinez of the EWU History Department at the McNair Scholars’ office to learn more about the partnership between EWU and the University of Oaxaca. This is an ideal program for majors in Spanish, Teaching English as a Second Language, History, and others! Classes in Oaxaca are taught at the University of Oaxaca (UABJO), which was established in 1827 as one of the first universities in Mexico. Spanish Language and Electives classes are taught at the Facultad de Idiomas, the prestigious language department of the university.

Program dates: August 17th through September 16th, 2020

Description: This four-week program will take 10 to 15 undergraduate students across EWU disciplines during the second summer session 2020 (August 17th to September 16th, 2020) to Oaxaca City, Mexico. The academic emphasis of this study abroad program is on the history of migratory and linguistic processes of people in the region of Oaxaca through the lenses of culture, society, politics, economics, art, and language. Students will engage in cross-cultural experiences in Oaxaca while carrying out service learning through the teaching of English as a second language.

Interested in learning more about the McNair Scholars' Program? Please Contact Us!

2019's McNair Flyer about the Oaxaca Study Abroad Opportunity

Oaxaca Program Coordinators

Nydia Martinez
Dr. Gina Mikel Petrie
Dr. Nydia Martinez,
Assistant Professor of History
Dr. Gina Mikel Petrie, Associate Professor of English as a Second Language

Coordinator of the English as a Second Language Program

Scholar Cafe October 3rd – Distinguished Latino-Heritage Mathematics and Biological Sciences Professor, Dr. Carlos Castillo-Chavez

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Join the EWU McNair Scholars' Program for our first Scholar Cafe of the fall 2019 Quarter! We are honored to welcome Regents Professor & Executive Director of the Simon A. Levin Mathematical, Computational and Modeling Sciences Center, Dr. Carlos Castillo-Chavez.

(Institutions on his resume: UW-Madison, Cornell University, Arizona State University, Brown University, and Yachay University (Ecuador)).

Scholar Cafe date/time: October 3rd (Thursday) 12:00 pm -12:55pm

Location: MON 107 (McNair Scholars' Offices) EWU-Cheney Campus

Learn more about his incredible story....

  • Immigrated from Mexico to Wisconsin as a young man in search of an opportunity and education.
  • Founder of the Mathematical and Theoretical Biology Institute MTBI (Cornell University, Arizona State University)
  • Director of Institute for Strengthening and The Joaquin Bustoz Math-Science Honors Program (JBMSHP)
  • Co-author of over 250 publications
  • Regents Professor, a Joaquin Bustoz Jr. Professor of Mathematical Biology, and a Distinguished Sustainability Scientist at Arizona State University.
  • Former rector of Yachay University of Experimental Technical Research in Ecuador.
  • Founding Director of the Simon A. Levin Mathematical, Computational and Modeling Sciences Center.
  • Dedicated to supporting first-generation and minority students in graduate school.
  • A Latino-heritage mathematician and dedicated mentor.

Dr. Carlos Castillo-Chavez is the Emeritus and Founding Director of the Simon A. Levin Mathematical and Computational Modeling Sciences Center (SAL-MCMSC), a Regents Professor, a Joaquin Bustoz Jr. Professor of Mathematical Biology and a Distinguished Sustainability Scientist at Arizona State University (ASU).  Dr. Carlos Castillo-Chavez has been an active member on national committees for the National Science Foundation, National Academy of Sciences and National Institutes of Health. For example, NSF’s Advisory Committee’s included the Committee for Education, Human Resources (2016-2022) and the NSF’s Cyber Infrastructure Advisory Boards (2016-2019). Other past committees include, the National Research Council’s Board of Higher Education and Workforce (2009-2015), and President Barack Obama Committee on the National Medal of Science (2010-15). While at Cornell University, he became member and co-chair of the Faculty Council of Representatives standing committee in affirmative action (1990-1996), established as a result of Walter Cohen and Henry Louis Gates’ report, “The Crisis of Minority Faculty at Cornell.”

Dr. Carlos Castillo-Chavez’ recognitions to his work include: three White House Awards (1992,1997, and 2011), the 12th American Mathematical Society Distinguished Public Service Award in 2010, the 2007 AAAS Mentor award, the 17th recipient of the SIAM Prize for Distinguished Service to the Profession and Distinguished Alumni by UW Stevens Point. He is a fellow of the AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science); SIAM (Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics; Founding Fellow of the AMS (American Mathematical Society); and fellow of ACE (American College of Epidemiology).

Carlos Castillo-Chavez has given 518 invited presentations, in 35 countries and visited over 300 cities. He has 259 academic research articles, numerous non-research articles and technical reports, and 19 books or edited volumes. He has published in over 80 distinct journals. Over his 30 years in academia, 18 at Cornell University and 16 at Arizona State University, he has mentored 49 PhD students including 20 women, 28 from US underrepresented groups, 25 USA underrepresented minorities and 7 from Latin America placing him, according to the Math Genealogy Project among the top 200 mentors in the history of mathematics. He has also mentored 29 postdoctoral students and several young researchers.