2017-2018 Cohort

EWU McNair Scholar Rachel Silverthorn Published in American Journal of Criminal Justice

04/07/2022 by Liina Koivula Leave a Comment

EWU McNair Scholar Rachel Silverthorn graduated from Eastern Washington University in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She went on to attend Florida International University’s PhD program in Criminal Justice, with full funding. This spring, she will complete her Masters degree in Criminal Justice, and continue through the program for her PhD. She is on schedule to begin writing her dissertation in summer 2023.

In March 2022, a paper Rachel co-wrote with her faculty, Revisiting the Association Between Attachment to Parents and Adolescent Substance Use: Conditional Effects of Parental Disapproval, was published by the American Journal of Criminal Justice. Additionally, in her position as a research assistant, she is currently involved in 4 ongoing projects, 3 of which will be submitted for publication in the next year.

During her time as a McNair Scholar, Rachel was mentored by Dr. Kayleen Islam-Zwart on her Summer Research project The Effects of Pregnancy on Jury Perceptions. Rachel also presented research at EWU’s 2020 Virtual Symposium on Gender differences in confidence in jury decision making. Her goal is to become a professor and continue research within the criminal justice system so she can impact policy in order to reduce bias and increase equitable treatment.

Congratulations, Rachel, on your academic achievements and publication!

EWU McNair Scholar Kianna Baker Accepted to Masters Program at Columbia University

02/01/2022 by Liina Koivula Leave a Comment

Congratulations to EWU McNair Scholar Kianna (Key) Baker! Key has been accepted by the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in the Department of Sociomedical Sciences to earn her Master of Public Health with a certificate in Child, Youth, and Family Health. She will receive funding as a Public Health Special Programs Scholar. In 2019, Key participated in the Summer Public Health Scholar Program (SPHSP) at Columbia University Medical Center. Under the mentorship of Dr. Okera Nsombi and Dr. Sarah Mount, Key presented her research poster for A Study of Food Insecurity for Eastern Washington State Colleges at the 6^th Annual Black Doctoral Network Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2018.

Key graduated from Eastern Washington University in 2020 with a degree in the Science of Public Health and a minor in African Studies. Her career goals are to work in an urban city where she can help the disadvantaged population while teaching at a local university.

The EWU McNair staff are excited for Key and we know she will make an impact in her program and in the communities she serves. Click here to read more about Key and her research.

The Ongoing Legacy of EWU McNair Director Doctora Christina Torres García

08/12/2021 by Jaeger, Corinne Leave a Comment

After 12 years of dedicated service as EWU’s McNair Director Doctora (Dra.) Christina Torres García has been selected by Central Washington University (CWU) through a national search process to be the Assistant Professor in the Communications Department and Director of their Latino & Latin American Studies Program (LLAS) called El Centro Latinx. Dra. Torres García has been a leader at EWU, regionally, and nationally serving low-income first-generation and underrepresented students. Her dedication went beyond just McNair Scholars to strengthening support across the university for all students at EWU, so it’s no surprise to anyone who has worked with her that Central chose her to join their faculty and staff.

Dra. Torres García spent her childhood in Mexico and migrated to the US as a teen, following her farm-working parents to Washington State. In 1999, she became an EWU McNair Scholar herself. Named for Dr. Ronald E. McNair, the second African American to fly in space and who passed in the ill-fated U.S. Challenger space shuttle, the TRIO McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program selects first-generation and low-income college students, and/or those 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.

EWU McNair Alumna Dra. Christina Torres Garcia was the Clear Choice for McNair Director

Dr. Margaret O’Connell, Biology Professor and McNair board committee member since the first EWU McNair grant was funded in 1996, remembers, “I first ‘met’ Christina when I read her application to a very early EWU McNair cohort, and I remember the committee’s immediate vote to accept her. Our assessment was confirmed as she delved into her McNair undergraduate research and went on to earn her PhD.” Dra. Torres García first earned her MBA and then a PhD in Cultural Studies and Social Thought in Education at WSU, making her uniquely qualified to lead Eastern’s McNair program. Dr. O’Connell confirmed this as she reflected on her experience with the McNair program:

It has been a profound honor and a tremendous delight to have been associated with EWU’s McNair Scholars Program since its inception. I serve on the program’s selection committee and have read the application of every McNair Scholar. I have mentored McNair Scholars, I served on the search committee for Program Director when the former director retired, and I have been a steadfast cheerleader for the program – recruiting students, writing letters of support for grant applications, and celebrating the perfect scores received on those grant applications. In all these activities, I have worked closely with Dr. Christina Torres García. Christina’s strong sense of giving back to community led her to apply to be the Director of the McNair Program and, again, her selection was a clear choice" - Dr. Margaret O'Connell

Dr. Margaret O'Connell

Dra. Torres García has not only recruited and supported well over 100 EWU McNair Scholars, including nearly half of the 41 EWU McNair Scholars who have attained their PhD so far, but she’s always going above and beyond for students within and outside of the program. At the beginning of COVID, she provided potatoes and onions to students in need. As the pandemic continued, she saw the structural obstacles that students from underserved populations had to navigate during their graduate application process and the inequities in taking the GRE at home, such as students having little to no access to quiet and private space for testing. In response, she assisted in securing the temporary waiver of standardized graduate testing requirements at Eastern. And these are just a few recent examples!

Left to Right: McNair alum Isaura Gallegos: MS in Genetics and Cell Biology at WSU, current PhD student in Education and Human Learning and Development at Harvard; McNair alum Deseure Deberry: MA in Justice Studies, Arizona State University; McNair alum Dr. Charise Deberry, MA in Sociology at WSU, PhD in Cultural Studies and Social Thought in Education, WSU, currently University of Minnesota Morris McNair Assistant Director; McNair alum Dr. Maria Morales: PhD in Cultural Studies and Social Thought in Education from WSU, current faculty at the Evergreen State College; Dra. Christina Torres García; Maria Reyna, TRIO Student Support Services alum, Master’s in Social Work from EWU, currently Director New Student Transitions & Family Programs at EWU.

A Powerful Collaborator and Student Advocate

Throughout her time at EWU, Dra. Torres García built strong relationships with faculty research mentors from all colleges and collaborated in enacting the best mentoring approaches. She worked with Deans, the Provost, and the President to arrange McNair faculty mentor’s summer compensation, summer credits for McNair Scholars, and free transcripts. She has also worked closely with the Writer’s Center, Plus, the Library, the Digital Commons, Records and Registration and a multitude of other student support programs on campus. Additionally, she’s provided resources and helped create community with students in the Multicultural Center and the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP).

During her tenure as McNair Director, Dra. Torres García wrote two competitive federally funded grants in collaboration with Cynthia Dukich, which received maximum scores in both competitions (2012, 2017). This was especially notable given that in 2012 nearly 25% of McNair programs lost funding. Dra. Torres García credits her success with grant writing and program development to, “the healthy partnerships and mentoring I have cultivated with McNair and TRIO directors across the nation including the Washington State TRIO Association (WSTA), the Northwest Association of Educational Opportunity Programs (NAEOP), and the Council for Opportunity in Education’s (COE).” All of this has culminated in Dra. Torres García leading one of the most successful McNair programs in the region.

My leadership style is influenced by Indigenous philosophy; I consider myself a servant leader grounded in a holistic and humanistic approach. I focus on supporting and collaborating with others, contributing in insightful ways for the betterment of students and colleagues in my unit, university, and beyond.” - Dra. Torres García

Doctora Christina Torres García with families of EWU McNair Scholars at the 2019 Spring Gathering.

Following this philosophy, Dra. Torres García has contributed to Eastern in a multitude of other ways. While teaching Chicana/o Studies in 2011, she modernized a minor that had not been revised since the 2000s by cross-listing courses with Communication and Gender, Women’s & Sexuality Studies. In 2018, she co-chair and organized an all-day event featuring panel and round table discussions focused on best practices in serving students of color by faculty, community leaders, administrators, and other professionals across the state. This event, EWU Inaugural Cinco de Mayo Latino Forum, was a great success and led her to pursue research and writing on how we can restructure the educational system to become more just, equitable, and inclusive as colleges and universities move towards becoming Hispanic Serving Institutions. In addition, she collaborated with the Honors Program to assess and restructure their course curricula to incorporate civic responsibility and social justice elements and developed a Research Methods course centered on Social Justice. Dr. O’Connell brilliantly summarized Dra. Torres García’s success and powerful impact at Eastern:

As Director of the McNair Scholars Program, Christina has skillfully balanced the individual needs of each student with the overarching goals and requirements of the McNair Program. She can challenge students out of their comfort zone but is always there to support. One important component of that support is communication. Christina has been conscientious about fostering clear communication between the McNair Scholars, their mentors, and the McNair Office. She celebrates the success of current and former McNair Scholars with sincere joy and communicates this joy to the university community. A Ronald E. McNair quote is ‘before you can make a dream come true, you must first have one.’ Christina had a dream for herself and has helped so many EWU students find theirs.” - Dr. Margaret O'Connell

Dra Torres Garcia celebrating the 2018 EWU graduation of McNair scholar Felix Beltran, who is currently completing his dissertation for his PhD in Political Science from Purdue.

Dra. Torres García celebrating the 2018 EWU graduation of McNair scholar Felix Beltran, who is currently completing his dissertation for his PhD in Political Science from Purdue.

A Respected Leader, Locally, Regionally, and Nationally

Outside Eastern, Dra Torres García has also contributed to regional and national work for low-income, first-generation and underrepresented students. As a TRIO peer-reviewer for the (NAEOP), an organization that trains members to simulate a U.S. Department of Education audit for federal funding programs, Dra. Torres García evaluated the student learning objectives, identified areas of improvement, and documented evidence of project services on TRIO Educational Opportunity Center (EOC), Student Support Services (SSS), SSS-STEM, and McNair. Through this position, she has created strong relations among TRIO directors across Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska.

Furthermore, she served a three-year term as the WSTA president and had the opportunity to work with approximately 200 outstanding TRIO directors and staff across the state. She has also worked closely with the COE while advocating for Veteran, Undocumented, DACAmented, and TRIO students by educating Senators, State representatives, and other members of Congress on nationwide initiatives for more than ten years.

Ongoing Academic Research in Equity, Chicana Feminist Epistemology, and Higher Education

As if all of this wasn’t enough, Dra. Torres García has also continued research and writing throughout her work. Recently, the Oxford Research Encyclopedias invited her to write an article about “Chicana Feminist Epistemology in Higher Education” to be included in their Race and Education issue. She has also written “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, and “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.

She is also conducting ongoing research with EWU McNair Alumna, Assistant Professor of Mathematics and McNair coordinator at Heritage University, Dr. Laura Zamudio-Orozco, examining how race, gender, and class shape STEM research mentor-mentee relationships. Moreover, in coordination with the Pell Institute and the Council for Opportunity in Education, Dra. Torres García is guiding a state-wide research study on first-generation, low-income students' challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and how this affects their college aspirations.

A Force for Positive Change Who Will Be Greatly Missed

Needless to say, losing Dra. Torres García from the Eastern community will be significant. She will be particularly missed by EWU McNair students and staff. Maria Reyna, current Director of New Student Transitions and Family Programming at Eastern remembers how proud she felt to see Christina dancing and teaching ballet folklorico to EWU students. Seeing traditional Mexican folk dancing showcased on a college campus made Maria feel like she belonged. About this first connection, Maria states, “Meeting Christina as a fellow student formed the basis of a friendship and professional relationship that has lasted to this day. I know the dedication she has given to our students will continue at Central, and she will be greatly missed.” Central students, faculty, and the institution itself will be incredibly lucky to have her join them.

The McNair Program will stay in good hands with Cynthia Dukich becoming the Interim Director as of September 1st. Cynthia, current Assistant Director of McNair, says of her work with Dra. Torres Garcia over the last 12 years:

Maria Reyna, Director of New Student Transitions & Family Programs

Maria Reyna, TRIO Student Support Services alum, Master’s in Social Work from EWU, currently Director New Student Transitions & Family Programs at EWU.

McNair Assistant Director Cynthia Dukich and Outgoing McNair Director Dra. Christina Torres García

Good friends Cynthia Dukich, McNair Assistant Director and incoming Interim Director of McNair; and Dra. Christina Torres Garcia, Outgoing McNair Director

It is one of the great privileges in my life to have worked with Christina as a colleague and a friend for all these years. I have learned so much from her, as I have watched her determined pursuit of excellence, commitment to growth, and collaborative approach to everything she does. Although I am very excited for her opportunity to apply her talents, knowledge and compassion to supporting student success as faculty and LLAS program director at Central, I know I speak for many at EWU when I say I am very sad she is leaving and that I will miss her very much.” - Cynthia Dukich, McNair Assistant Director

Even though it is hard to see her go, as always, Dra. Torres García can be counted on to be supportive to any who reach out to her, even from afar. And, there is no doubt she will continue to be a force for positive change in the region and beyond.

Dra. Christina Torres Garcia with McNair Certificates for McNair Scholars and Graduates at the 2019 Spring Gathering.

EWU McNair Alumna Angélica García-Macías Accorded Ford Fellowship Honorable Mention

04/13/2021 by Jaeger, Corinne Leave a Comment

Angelica Garcia Macias Ford Foundation HM

Congratulations to EWU McNair Scholar Angélica García-Macías! The Ford Foundation found Angélica's application to their pre-doctoral fellowship particularly strong and wanted her to recieve special recognition on their Honorable Mention List. This is commendable, for while Angélica was not one of the 75 recipients of the fellowship, her application stood out near the top amongst 2,228! Angélica graduated in 2020 with a major in Political Science with an emphasis in Pre-Law and minors in Spanish and Chicano Studies. In 2020 she was acknowledged for her strong academic record and demonstration of outstanding leadership qualities with the Frances B. Huston Award. She was accepted by four graduate programs and began the Political Science PhD program at the University of California, Irvine in Fall 2020 with full funding.

Angélica's research focuses on Latinx community involvement in politics and solutions to increase Latinx political participation. For her 2018 EWU McNair Summer Research Internship, she studied housing discrimination in the Latinx community with the mentorship of Dr. Martín Meráz García. Then in 2019, she was awarded a summer research internship at MIT. There, under the mentorship of Dr. Charles Stewart III, she researched the electoral behavior of the Latiné community.

EWU McNair is so proud of Angélica's continued accomplishments and we're excited to see what she does next!

EWU McNair Alumna Marixza Torres Awarded National Science Foundation Fellowship

04/08/2021 by Jaeger, Corinne Leave a Comment

Congratulations to EWU McNair Alumna Marixza Torres! Marixza has been awarded a highly competitive and prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRF). The NSF GRF program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported STEM disciplines pursuing research-based masters and doctoral degrees at accredited US institutions. The five-year fellowship includes three years of significant financial support. Each year EWU McNair educates students on various scholarship and research opportunities and how to apply for them, including the NSF GRF. While it is rare that an undergraduate will receive one of these fellowships, it prepares our students for future applications, and they are provided feedback from NSF on how to strengthen the application submitted. Last year, Marixza was accorded an Honorable Mention in the 2020 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program competition for her research proposal's intellectual merit and potential broader impacts.

Marixza graduated from Eastern Washington University with a degree in Applied Developmental Psychology and a minor in Chicano studies. She completed two research internships as a McNair Scholar. For her 2018 EWU McNair Summer Research Internship, guided by her mentor Dr. Christina Torres Garcia, Marixza conducted research on the cultural obstacles faced by families of Latinx young adults with autism. In 2019, she was awarded and completed the Summer Research Opportunities Program at the University of Notre Dame under the mentorship of Dr. Dawn M. Gondoli. Through this internship, she examined the relationship between adolescent adjustment, dimensions of parenting, and work orientation. Marixza presented on her research at several conferences. In addition, during the 2019-20 academic year, Marixza worked with Dr. Theresa Martin analyzing the relationship between family communication in college and prosocial values exploring the influence of these on academic achievement. For her strong academic record and demonstration of outstanding leadership qualities at Eastern and in the community the College of Social Sciences awarded Marixza a Frances B Huston Medallion in 2020.

Last year, Marixza was accepted by the Master's of Social Work program at the University of Texas, Austin, the PhD program in Human Development and Family Services at the University of Missouri, and the Psychology PhD program at the University of California, Irvine, where she began attending in the Fall 2020 with full funding. In talking with EWU McNair in the fall, Marixza noted the impact of the program:

The program’s ability to empower marginalized students gave me the confidence to address my imposter syndrome and continue to build my skills to succeed. After developing research proposals and presenting my work to others, I saw how valuable my perspectives were to making significant contributions to the academic field in Latinx Psychology. With the support of TRiO’s McNair, I developed the expertise I needed to become a doctoral student at the University of California Irvine in the Department of Education and Human Development. This opportunity transformed my life and will allow me to address concerns impacting the Latinx community."

We are so proud of Marixza and all of our EWU McNair Scholars. Since Eastern’s TRIO McNair program was first funded in 1995, 39 EWU McNair Scholars have completed their PhD’s and over 117 have earned Master’s degrees. These amazing individuals are making history and valuable impacts on their communities including teaching future teachers, bringing to light hidden histories, improving health in rural areas, increasing equity and diversity in academia, strengthening mental health care for underserved communities, and supporting McNair programs at other institutions.

Faculty and staff, if you have students in your class who are interested in conducting research and attending graduate school, please send them to our website! Students, if you want to make a difference in your communities or learn more about the EWU McNair program, check out our website or check out this eligibility questionnaire!

EWU McNair and Research Transform Students Lives!

10/01/2020 by Garcia, Christina Leave a Comment

Dear EWU & TRIO Community and Students,

I am sure you remember our EWU McNair scholar Marixza Torres, a Frances B Huston Medallion recipient, who was accepted into the University of California, Irvin's Ph.D. program in Human Development in Context (HDiC), fully funded! She also was accorded an Honorable Mention in the 2020 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program competition for her research proposal's intellectual merit and potential broader impacts. She is doing excellent at UCI beginning the first semester of her Ph.D. program and would like to share a few words on how EWU's TRIO McNair Program assisted in accomplishing her academic goals.

TRiO’s McNair has expanded my life opportunities and has given me the tools to enact change in my community. As a Mexican American and first-generation student, I began my academic journey feeling like I did not know enough about my community to make lasting change towards social justice. That quickly changed...When I found out about the McNair Scholars Program, I knew little about graduate school and felt as though my limited academic exposure did not compare to other scholars in my field of psychology.

During the McNair Program, Marixza worked on three research projects. First, she conducted research on Latinx families with autistic children, shedding light on the unique challenges that they face due to numerous barriers in health care services, including the limited language translation and limited culturally competent personnel. Guided by her mentor Dr. Christina Torres Garcia, she utilized three surveys including the Family Needs Survey, Caring for My Child Survey and the Bias and Cultural Competence Survey. This research assists in filling the gap in the literature regarding Latinx families with autistic children in the Pacific Northwest. During the academic year, Marixza worked with Dr. Theresa Martin analyzing the relationship between family communication in college and prosocial values exploring the influence of these on academic achievement. In 2019, through a Summer Research Opportunities Program at the University of Notre Dame, Marixza examined the relationship between adolescent adjustment, dimensions of parenting, and work orientation guided by Dr. Dawn M. Gondoli. Marixza described how the culmination of all these experiences transformed her life:

The program’s ability to empower marginalized students gave me the confidence to address my imposter syndrome and continue to build my skills to succeed. After developing research proposals and presenting my work to others, I saw how valuable my perspectives were to making significant contributions to the academic field in Latinx Psychology. With the support of TRiO’s McNair, I developed the expertise I needed to become a doctoral student at the University of California Irvine in the Department of Education and Human Development. This opportunity transformed my life and will allow me to address concerns impacting the Latinx community.

Faculty and staff, if you have students in your class who are interested to conduct research and attend graduate school, please send them to our website! Students, if you want to make a difference in your communities or learn more about the EWU McNair program, check out our website or check out this eligibility questionnaire!