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EWU McNair Alumna Dra. Christina Torres García Invited to Write for Oxford Research Encyclopedias

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Congratulations to EWU McNair Alumna and EWU McNair Director Dra. Christina Torres García who was invited to write an article about Chicana feminist epistemology in higher education for Oxford Research Encyclopedias to be included in their Race and Education issue. In addition, Dra. Torres García has been hard at work at research and writing in multiple other areas, including: DACAmented students’ Testimonios about their Educational Journey Against the Backdrop of Racist Nativist Discourse in Washington State, submitted to the Journal Race, Ethnicity, and Education; Being Brown in the time of Trump: The Tactics of Dehumanizing (Im)migrants which is now undergoing peer-review at the University of Arizona press; ongoing co-research with EWU McNair Alumna Dr. Laura Zamudio-Orozco examining how race, gender, and class shape STEM research mentor-mentee relationships; and in coordination with the Pell Institute and the Council for Opportunity in Education, is researching first-generation, low-income students' challenges and obstacles during the COVID-19 and how this affects their college aspirations.

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Chicana feminist epistemology in higher education is an extensive manuscript that suggests democratizing and diversifying the Western Canon of thought in higher education research. Using the work of decolonial philosophers, Dra. Torres García illustrates how Westernized Universities’ epistemological foundations present a form of Eurocentric fundamentalism. She presents an evolution of the contributions of Chicanas from the 19th to the present and describes how their work has been excluded from the Western canon of thought in higher education. She shows how Chicana feminists have constructed their own epistemic foundations, methodologies, and how they are disrupting the boundaries of how knowledge is created. Because the Latinx population is increasing rapidly, giving rise to more Hispanic Serving Institutions around the nation, her research is critical. It ultimately recommends incorporating Chicana feminist epistemologies into educational research.

 

Dra. Torres García's current research with Dr. Zamudio-Orozco examining mentor-mentee relationships stems from gaps in the field.

Mentoring is a widely studied concept presented as a vital component for undergraduate students’ research and their graduate school journeys.  However, little research examines the effectiveness of mentoring experiences from the perspective of first-generation, low-income students.”

They aim to bring students’ testimonios to the forefront to illustrate how they struggle to navigate the intersections of race, class, and gender and how this shapes the power dynamics within the mentor-mentee relationships.

 

Dra. Torres García's research with the Pell Institute and Council for Opportunity in Education to find out the short-term and potential future impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the decisions and life experiences of low-income and first-generation college students uses mixed methods involving national surveys to increase our empathetic understanding of student actions, and outcomes for this student population and higher education. Two of our graduating McNair Scholars, Alexandria Coronado and Lizeth Bañuelos, have also supported this research. Both completed their own McNair research projects during their EWU McNair Summer Research Internship and into the 2020-2021 school year on related topics. Alexandria, with the mentorship of Dr. Lindsey Upton, completed the research paper: Impacts of COVID-19 on Food and Housing Student Resources at Universities in the State of Washington. Lizeth, with the mentorship of Dr. Aryn Ziehnert, completed the research paper: First-Generation Students' Academic Experience: The Role of Institutional Supports during a Pandemic. Both students have been accepted to multiple graduate programs and will attend graduate school starting the fall of 2021!

 

EWU McNair is incredibly proud of all of Dra. Torres García's work. She not only exemplifies outstanding research, but also incorporates a social justice lens in all of her work with an eye to improve higher education and better meet the needs of all students. Like so many of our EWU McNair alumni, Dra. Torres García gives back to her community both in her everyday work and in her research. Recently EWU McNair had the chance to showcase similar approaches by other McNair alumni in our Social Justice in Research Panel. Click here to learn more about EWU McNair’s other alumni accomplishments! Our EWU McNair Scholars continue to show the power of McNair on students, higher education, and changing the world!

 

Congratulations again to Dra. Christina Torres García!

Join us for the EWU McNair Alumni Social Justice in Research Panel

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Social Justice in Research with EWU McNair Alumni. Join us to hear these panelists June 2nd, 9 am.

McNair is a federally funded TRIO program intended to diversify academia by providing support to low income and first-generation students and/or students racially underrepresented in higher education on their path towards attaining a PhD. To date 41 EWU McNair alumni have gone on to earn their PhD and many are currently in graduate school getting closer to that goal. Our scholars are doing incredible work in their communities, both in school and once they've earned their degree. They are also making powerful change in academia. One piece of this is rethinking and implementing research practices that are more liberatory and whose aim is to create a more just world.

 

We are honored to have EWU McNair Alumni Dr. Laura Zamudio-Orozco, Dr. Frank C. King Jr., Dr. Yvonne Sherwood, and Dr. S. Omar Jobe join us for a panel on "Social Justice in Research" facilitated by EWU McNair Directora Dra. Christina Torres Garcia. This year EWU McNair and CSTEM collaborated to host a research symposium to ensure undergraduate students had the opportunity to present their research. This panel will be the plenary session kicking off the symposium at 9 am on June 2nd.

Click here to register for the free "Social Justice in Research" panel on June 2nd at 9 am!

 

The panelists have a wide range of research, including Afrocentric philosophy, Indigenous Feminism, Mathematics education, and medical devices. We were fortunate enough to talk with panelists in advance of the session where they shared some of their insights on the topic. EWU McNair Alumna Dr. Zamudio-Orozco, who earned her PhD in Mathematics Education and is now an Assistant Professor and the McNair Program Director at Heritage University, says, "I see research as a tool to work with our multiple communities to highlight social injustices and issues that we are facing and also to highlight the strength and knowledge in our communities."

 

Dr. Jobe, Senior Manager in Medical Science Liaison at Edwards Lifesciences, relates what social justice looks like in his field of medical research. "Far too often, gross inequities mean that some groups succumb to disease and death disproportionately, while others’ advantages protect them, due to disparities in health care provision, political persecution, social strife, racial discrimination, and a plethora of other factors.  My company makes medical devices for structural heart diseases and social justice in that sense means I have to do everything in my power to make sure our research and clinical trials represent the make up of the country and our devices are accessible and affordable to all."

 

In addition, panelists were asked about how to be a good mentor and how to take the most advantage of research as a student. Dr. King, Executive Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and a Program Coordinator for Ethnic Studies, advises "Remember that it is the student's project. We have to find a way to help the student find their voice. We can challenge them. We can maybe even say how difficult or impossible the topic will be. But we have to let them find their way."

 

Dr. Sherwood, Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto, Mississauga, shares this insight for students involved in research: "Read: Critical Mentoring: A Practical Guide by Torie Weiston-Serdan. Find strength in knowing you (and your community) are not the deficit despite that much of the dominant narrative places us (marginalized and racialized communities) as needing to be "saved" by schooling and mentorship. You are our strength. Trust yourself and trust your network."

 

To hear more from these outstanding and insightful panelists, join us for the panel and click on their name above to read the full pre-panel interview with each candidate. You can register for free to attend this amazing discussion.

Click here to register for the free "Social Justice in Research" panel on June 2nd at 9 am!

Meet Social Justice in Research Panelist – EWU McNair Alumna Dr. Laura Zamudio-Orozco

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Dr. Laura Zumidio-Orozco Social Justice Panel 2021

We are honored to have EWU McNair Alumna Dr. Laura Zamudio-Orozco, PhD, Assistant Professor of Mathematics and McNair Program Coordinator at Heritage University, joining us for our "Social Justice in Research" Plenary Session on June 2, at 9 am (register for free here). Dr. Zamudio-Orozco will join 3 other EWU McNair alumni in this panel preceding the EWU Online Symposium, a collaboration between McNair and CSTEM. She earned her PhD in Mathematics Education from Florida International University in the fall of 2019 and worked as an student advisor for EWU McNair in Winter and Spring 2020. Below is an interview with Dr. Zamudio-Orozco about what she's doing now and some of her thoughts on social justice and research.

Our Interview with Dr. Laura Zamudio-Orozco:

What does “Social Justice in Research” mean to you?

 

For me, social justice in research means that I can bring my experiences as a first-generation Latina and those of my community to investigate unjust issues we have faced and continue to face in education. For so long, I questioned the tracking of students in K-12 education and why so many of my friends were placed in different tracks, which led them to believe they could not succeed in certain classes and often limited their choices after high school. I also questioned why so many students felt disconnected from certain disciplines, especially mathematics, and how that disconnect was part of the teaching and learning practices employed by teachers. My research now is centered on bringing answers to these questions by creating and adopting new pedagogy in the field of mathematics; a pedagogy that attends to student access, achievement, identity, and issues of power that are necessary to empower students to use mathematics as a tool to investigate, understand, and respond to social justice issues in our communities.

 

What do you see as the purpose of academic research in this current moment?

 

This is a hard question because I think back to my understanding of academic research before graduate school, and it was difficult for me to connect theory to my lived experiences. With that being said, in this current moment, I see research as a tool to work with our multiple communities to highlight social injustices and issues that we are facing and also to highlight the strength and knowledge in our communities. This can take many forms; I think back to a recent conversation with a Heritage University McNair Scholar as we questioned the chemical makeup of pesticides invading our communities and how it affects the lives of farmworkers who spend innumerable hours working in the orchards. Now the question becomes, how do we take action as academic researchers to share this information with our communities and to work together to bring solutions to such problems? First, we must do our part to be in proximity to our communities to inform the research questions we ask, the methodologies we utilize, how we analyze data, and most importantly (I think) how we communicate the results to our communities as a means of developing solutions together.

 

How did your undergraduate research experience prepare you for the next steps you have taken?

 

Sometimes I sit in disbelief when I reflect on my graduate school experience and see my diploma because I did not fully understand what graduate school was until I became a McNair Scholar at the end of my sophomore year. I remember sitting in the car with one of my closest friends, Jereny, and talking about wanting to implement pedagogy that reflected students’ lived experiences in the field of mathematics because I was not seeing it my classes at the time. She asked, “Have you ever considered doing a small research study on this pedagogy you talk about and going to graduate school?” The next day I was in a meeting with Dr. Christina Torres García, McNair Director at EWU, and I walked out ready to apply to the McNair Scholars Program. The following summer, I led my own research with the support of mathematics faculty and my McNair family. Working with students at the Martin Luther King Jr. Outreach Center and creating and solving fractions problems was such a beautiful experience. We all felt connected to the teaching and we were having long mathematical discussions about sharing items equally and how that would look based on our individual experiences. Through this experience, I was able to think back to my own K-12 education and reflected on how much more engaged I would have been if I had teachers who used my experiences and identities to enrich the field of mathematics. My reflection then led into my journey as a full-time graduate student; it shaped the research questions I was posing, the methods for my data collection, analysis, and it made my think creatively about how I was going to distribute the knowledge I was gaining in my communities.

 

What advice would you give to an undergraduate researcher?

 

Let your experiences and those of your communities drive your questions, methods, and how you distribute your findings.

 

Talk to others about your experiences with your research mentors. This can be a great strategy to break down what you enjoy about the mentoring relationship and to get support from outside mentors if you are experiencing an unhealthy mentoring relationship. Always advocate for yourself and find mentors who will join you in that journey because it is something that we can always improve as we navigate new spaces.

 

Take advantage of the opportunities presented by mentors at EWU. This is something I wish I would have taken more advantage of as an undergraduate. This does not mean that you have to take all the opportunities because I want you to take care of your overall health, but I do think it is important to listen to those who are advocating for you and listen to their advice when they present you with new opportunities that support your goals.

 

What advice would you give to an undergraduate faculty research mentor?

 

Give students the freedom to share their experiences to enrich the research questions, methods, analyses, and findings when they join a research team and/or when they conduct independent research projects.

 

Provide students with opportunities to ask about your experiences in academia and be open to sharing your journey knowing that everyone has a unique journey.

 

Support students by sharing opportunities, cheering for them during their research presentations, asking about their personal health, and by always advocating for them.

 

Consistently work to understand the power dynamics that exist in your mentor-mentee relationships and strive to reshape that relationship by envisioning students as leaders and knowledgeable research partners. By reshaping our relationships, it allows students to feel more comfortable asking questions and sharing concerns, taking initiative in research projects and conversations, and contributing their experiential knowledge.

Click here to register for the free "Social Justice in Research" panel on June 2nd at 9 am!

Meet Social Justice in Research Panelist – EWU McNair Alumnus Dr. Frank C. King Jr.

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Dr. Frank King Social Justice Panel 2021 WSU

We are honored to have EWU McNair Alumna Dr. Frank C. King Jr. joining us for our "Social Justice in Research" Plenary Session on June 2, at 9 am (register for free here). In addition to working as an Associate Professor, Dr. King is the Executive Director: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville; Special Assistant to the Senior Diversity Office; and a Program Coordinator for Ethnic Studies. Dr. King will join 3 other EWU McNair alumni in this panel preceding the EWU Online Symposium, a collaboration between McNair and CSTEM. He earned his PhD in American Studies at Washington State University. Dr. King graduated from EWU in 2004 with a major in History and minors in Africana Studies and Anthropology. Below is an interview with Dr. King about what he's doing now and some of his thoughts on social justice and research.

Our Interview with Dr. Frank C. King Jr.:

What work are you doing now?

I teach topics along the lines of race, class, gender, sexuality, and religion. Areas of research include African American Studies, Afrocentric philosophy, Hip Hop pedagogy, the prison industrial complex, and political economy. As an Executive Director of DEI, I work on action planning for the university to include a stronger presence of DEI topics in the classroom. I am also a project manager for various other projects for the campus."

What does “Social Justice in Research” mean to you?

It means to me to understand systems of oppression. To be sound through scholarship and being able to convey the ideas you've learned to reach people to help them understand how these systems influence or oppress them as individuals, as well as systemically."

What do you see as the purpose of academic research in this current moment?

Research to me is about gaining knowledge of a topic and being able to share that knowledge with others. To find ways to make people's lives better should be the focus for most research. But also having research to help people understand major problems in the world is also important."

How did your undergraduate research experience prepare you for the next steps you have taken?

I was very fortunate to have amazing scholars at EWU. Anthropology, History, African American Studies, and Geography professors pushed me to want to learn more of the topics they taught. I was an active learner, which made me want to learn how to research. So, I think that desire is key, the process of researching comes naturally after with guidance from great instructors."

What advice would you give to an undergraduate researcher?

Find what YOU want to research. Find great mentors that will push you and support you. Don't be afraid of falling on your face when it comes to research and writing. And read as much as you possibly can about the topic."

What advice would you give to an undergraduate faculty research mentor?

Remember that it is the student's project. I had a mentor in grad school that pushed me to write on a topic they wanted me to do. We have to find a way to help the student find their voice. We can challenge them. We can maybe even say how difficult/impossible the topic will be for the student. But we have to let them find their way."

Click here to register for the free "Social Justice in Research" panel on June 2nd at 9 am!

Meet Social Justice in Research Panelist – EWU McNair Alumnus Dr. S. Omar Jobe

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Dr. S. Omar Jobe Social Justice Panel 2021

We are honored to have EWU McNair Alumna Dr. S. Omar Jobe joining us for our "Social Justice in Research" Plenary Session on June 2, at 9 am (register for free here). Dr. Jobe works as a Senior Manager in Medical Science Liaison at Edwards Lifesciences. Dr. Jobe will join 3 other EWU McNair alumni in this panel preceding the EWU Online Symposium, a collaboration between McNair and CSTEM. Dr. Jobe earned his PhD in Endocrinology and Physiology from University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2012. He went on to get his MBA in Marketing Research at UW-Madison as well. Dr. Jobe graduated from EWU in 2008 with a major in Biology. Below is an interview with Dr. Jobe about his thoughts on social justice and research.

Our Interview with Dr. S. Omar Jobe:

What work are you doing now?

The focus of my role is field based scientific exchange, for which I leverage my scientific background, industry knowledge, and business acumen to act as a scientific resource to scientific experts and medical leaders as well as hospital administrators, while gathering insights that inform scientific objectives and strategic decision making."

What does “Social Justice in Research” mean to you?

Social justice in research and in my line of work means a commitment to social justice, means believing that everyone ought to be able to avoid preventable disease and escape premature death. Far too often, gross inequities mean that some groups succumb to disease and death disproportionately, while others’ advantages protect them, due to disparities in health care provision, political persecution, social strife, racial discrimination, and a plethora of other factors.  My company makes medical devices for structural heart diseases and social justice in that sense means I have to do everything in my power to make sure our research and clinical trials represent the make up of the country and our devices are accessible and affordable to all."

What do you see as the purpose of academic research in this current moment?

Academic research drives and increases our knowledge on a variety of topics and if it makes sure that knowledge integrates diverse perspectives and multidisciplinary approaches, then the knowledge gained can be use to positively change our communities and our lives."

How did your undergraduate research experience prepare you for the next steps you have taken?

My undergraduate research was my first experience in structure and asking the right questions. I was mentored by Dr. Charles Herr who was by all accounts an intellectual of the highest order. He not only challenged me but also guided me to think independently and gave me confidence to believe in myself and my abilities. Those qualities were evident as soon as I started my PhD and accelerated my growth through the rigors of grad school."

What advice would you give to an undergraduate researcher?

Take your research methodologies and fundamentals very seriously because no matter what the topic is and what the findings are, sound techniques and skills translate to all disciplines and levels. "

What advice would you give to an undergraduate faculty research mentor?

Try to balance being patient with making sure undergraduate researchers are challenged to ask the right questions and learn independence. You cannot be a good researcher until you are independent and can drive a project by yourself."

Click here to register for the free "Social Justice in Research" panel on June 2nd at 9 am!

Meet Social Justice in Research Panelist – EWU McNair Alumna Dr. Yvonne Sherwood

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Dr. Yvonne Sherwood Social Justice Panel 2021

We are honored to have EWU McNair Alumna Dr. Yvonne Sherwood, PhD, Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto, Mississauga, joining us for our "Social Justice in Research" Plenary Session on June 2, at 9 am (register for free here). Dr. Sherwood will join 3 other EWU McNair alumni in this panel preceding the EWU Online Symposium, a collaboration between McNair and CSTEM. In addition to her role as an Assistant Professor, Dr. Sherwood is an incoming committee member of the Canadian Sociological Association Decolonization Subcommittee and a member of UTM's Vice President & Principal's Indigenous Initiative working group. She earned her PhD in Sociology with a designated emphasis in feminist studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Dr. Sherwood graduated from EWU in 2011 with a double major in Sociology and Women and Gender Studies, with minors in American Indian Studies and Chicanx Studies, which she notes as important studies that continue to inform her research. Below is an interview with Dr. Sherwood about what she's doing now and some of her thoughts on social justice and research.

Our Interview with Dr. Yvonne Sherwood:

What work are you doing now?

My days are filled with writing and research. In sociology, I teach Indigenous Peoples: Legal Orders and Law and Indigenous Rights, Resistance, and Resurgence. My research focuses on Indigenous Feminisms, Settler Colonialism, Sovereignty, and Anti-Colonial Movements."

What does “Social Justice in Research” mean to you?

Starts with the fundamental recognition that all knowledge production is political, and therefore no science is "objective" and "pure."  From there, "justice" is grounded in and through our relations and responsibilities to our relatives - both human and more-than-human."

How did your undergraduate research experience prepare you for the next steps you have taken?

Though my work continues to change and develop with my understanding of the evolving socio-political context and research, I think a great deal of my work remains tethered to questions that I began asking before I was ever an official student in a university. These are questions like, Why is the environment (land, air, and water) so degraded in our communities? Why do we experience so much violence in our homes and neighborhoods? Why are "we" (Indigenous Peoples) statistically more likely to experience "x, y, and z" in our lives? What can I do about it? As a feminist and sociologist, I've learned these questions are fundamentally about power. My undergraduate research helped me to learn that power shapes the questions we ask, the resources put forward to address particular questions, and who gets to then answer those questions. I have continued to keep this in mind in both my own scholarship and mentoring."

What advice would you give to an undergraduate researcher?

Read: Critical Mentoring: A Practical Guide by Torie Weiston-Serdan. Find strength in knowing you (and your community) are not the deficit despite that much of the dominant narrative places us (marginalized and racialized communities) as needing to be "saved" by schooling and mentorship. You are our strength. Trust yourself and trust your network."

What advice would you give to an undergraduate faculty research mentor?

Read: Critical Mentoring: A Practical Guide by Torie Weiston-Serdan. This is a practical guide on how to best support young scholars and join the next generation of scientists rallying for change."

Click here to register for the free "Social Justice in Research" panel on June 2nd at 9 am!