EWU McNair Spring Celebration 2023

Saul Bautista is a Senior at Eastern Washington University majoring in History. He earned his AA degree at Spokane Falls Community College. He is currently studying the historical socio-political climate of Latinoamerica’s diverse cultures. For his research project in the summer of 2022, he worked under the mentorship of Dr. Joseph Lenti to do deep research … Read more

Irie Browning is an undergraduate at Eastern Washington University pursuing a major in Philosophy and a minor in English Literature. Though she finds nearly every aspect of philosophy fascinating, her areas of special interest are literary ethics, action theory, American pragmatism, and ancient Greek philosophy (particularly the works of Aristotle). She is a past president … Read more

tommyboiZ (they/them/their) is a transfer student at Eastern Washington University, double majoring in Philosophy and Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies. They transferred from Spokane Community College after completing their AA-DTA for business. tommy has a plethora of scholarly interests which culminate into a unique holistic approach that emphasizes unity through understanding difference. With a focus … Read more

Alexander Dodson is majoring in Psychology at Eastern Washington University. He is the Treasurer and President-Elect of EWU’s chapter of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology. Alexander has been a Dean’s List student for every quarter he has attended Eastern Washington University. He is also a research assistant for Dr. Phil Watkins studying … Read more

Juan Claudio Escalante is a first-generation undergraduate student at Eastern Washington University. Originally from Kennewick, WA, Claudio obtained his Associate of Arts and Science from Colombia Basin College in 2020 before transferring to EWU. He is majoring in Biology with a minor in Spanish. In the winter of 2022, his research interests expanded when he … Read more

Marianna Fischer is a first-generation undergraduate at Eastern Washington University who is pursuing a major in Mechanical Engineering Technology with a specialized interest in robotics. While obtaining an associate’s degree from Spokane Community College she had hands-on experience with AC/DC circuits in a lab setting and this helped grow her passion for robotics. She is … Read more

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 2022 McNair Summer Research Internship, he worked with Dr. Jessica Allen collecting and … Read more

Richard Murphy is an undergraduate student at Eastern Washington University. His three declared majors are Philosophy, Political Science, and International Affairs with an emphasis on Global Socio-Economic Development. Richard is also pursuing a minor in Spanish. By moving around a lot as a youth, living in urban, suburban, and rural communities in the Pacific Northwest, … Read more

Tiago Correia Tiago Correia is a first-generation, low-income student working towards a Bachelor of Science in mathematics at Eastern Washington University. He is interested in several areas of math, including topology, complex analysis, and algebra, and he will be attending Central Convergence Research Experiences for Undergraduates (CC-REU) at Central Washington University this summer. He plans to one day … Read more

Kelly Parke is a first-generation undergraduate student at Eastern Washington University pursuing a degree in Anthropology with a minor in Disability Studies. She currently works as an office aide for the History, Anthropology, and Modern Languages department and has maintained a quarterly Dean’s List status since beginning at EWU. Kelly is particularly interested in research … Read more

Sylvia Kennerly is an aspiring researcher majoring in Biochemistry at Eastern Washington University. Growing up in Seward, Alaska, Sylvia developed a fascination with science at an early age that has evolved to her interest in the intricacies of cellular pathways and the role of biochemistry in human health. Driven by her curiosity Sylvia has engaged in a research … Read more

Terreca DeFehr will graduate from Eastern Washington University in 2024, with a major in Psychology and a minor in Industrial and Organizational psychology. She is a first-generation college student. Her summer 2023 research will analyze an existing data set, “Work-Family And Family-Work Conflict As A Function Of Role Commitment And Core Self-Evaluation” with Dr. Jill … Read more

Brendan R. Roof is a first-generation student graduating in Spring 2024 from Eastern Washington University with a major in Secondary English Education. He was raised in Ketchikan, Alaska and Memphis, Tennessee. He is interested in researching the pre-colonial traditions, customs, and socio-political history across Philippine literature, familial dynamics and themes in Pan-Asian literature, and the socio-economic influence of … Read more

Makenna Tabino will graduate from Eastern Washington University with a B.S. in Biology (Wildlife Management Track). As a Running Start student, she spent her last two years of high school attending EWU as a full-time student. She is passionate about ecology and conservation, especially in regards to wetlands. Some of her interests include restoration ecology, wetland management, and … Read more

Mary Belton is a first-generation college student at Eastern Washington University majoring in English Secondary Education with a minor in English as a Second Language. Mary decided to major in Secondary English Education as she is passionate about teaching and helping others, especially children, achieve their educational goals. As a first-generation college student herself, Mary … Read more

Mai Peregrina is majoring in Psychology at Eastern Washington University. She is a member of the Alpha Phi sorority and is the President of the Panhellenic Council here at EWU. For her upcoming McNair Research Project she will be working with Dr. Islam-Zwart as her mentor. Mai plans to research how students from her institution … Read more

Alejandro Torres obtained his associate of Arts and Science degree from Wenatchee Valley College in 2021, before transferring to Eastern Washington University for his Biology degree. His research interests are botany, restoration ecology, and conservation. In the fall of 2022, he was offered the opportunity to volunteer with Dr. Rebecca Brown and Ducks Unlimited in … Read more