Africana Studies

EWU McNair Scholar Shawn Dufrene Completes Summer Research Internship

09/27/2021 by Jaeger, Corinne Leave a Comment

Photo of Shawn Dufrene next to text congratulating her with red textured border.

Congratulations Eastern Washington University student Shawn Dufrene! Shawn has completed her summer research internship. Shawn is a senior majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies focusing on Africana Studies with a minor in History. She is studying African American History as well as what it means to be white in America. Her goal is to become a professor of African American Studies. In 2019 she presented historical research for the Phi Alpha Theta regional conference and the EWU Symposium. She is a volunteer docent at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and an officer in EWU’s Black Student Union. For her 2020 EWU McNair Summer Research Internship, Shawn researched Malcolm X’s racial identity development under Dr. Okera Nsombi, Assistant Professor of Africana Studies.

7 EWU McNair Scholars Participate in Gabriel E. Gallardo Research, Student Leadership, and Advocacy Symposium

04/29/2021 by Jaeger, Corinne Leave a Comment

EWU McNair Scholars Rachael Pentico, Lizeth Bañuelos, and Malachi Chukwu presented last week at the virtual Gabriel E. Gallardo Research, Student Leadership & Advocacy Symposium hosted by the University of Washington. Four other EWU McNair Scholars attended: Alexandria Coronado, Wendolyn Martinez, Christina Hudson, and Aulane Mpouli. This was the first annual Gabriel E. Gallardo Research, Student Leadership & Advocacy Symposium (GEG Symposium) hosted by the University of Washington’s Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity (UW OMA&D). This builds on UW McNair’s 28-year legacy of hosting a Pacific Northwest Undergraduate Research Conference and is intended to honor the legacy of Dr. Gabriel E. Gallardo who passed away last year after a lifetime of service to educational equity, particularly on behalf on TRIO McNair, TRIO-SSS, and CAMP students. This symposium provides an amazing opportunity for undergraduate researchers to meet other scholars and to share their research in a unique, exciting and supportive environment. A huge thank you to EWU McNair Faculty Mentors for encouraging and supporting scholars with their research and presentations! Below are some quotes from our scholars about the value of the experience.

On Attending the Conference:

Attending the conference was such an enriching experience for me. I had the opportunity to meet professors doing work in my area of interest at UW and to make important connections. I would recommend attending conferences to other students because it is an invaluable opportunity to ask questions and do some important networking."

- Christina Hudson, 2021 EWU McNair Scholar

Attending the conference was an insightful and meaningful. I attended: Finding Your Community, Imposter Syndrome, the Student Leadership Panel, Meditation and Stretching, Mental Health in Graduate School, Building Positive Mentoring Relationships, Self-Advocacy and Speaking Up for Yourself, and the Networking Fireside chat with Graduate Students from social sciences. These provided such honesty and great advice to successfully building relationships, your community, and taking care of your mental health."

- Lizeth Bañuelos, 2020 EWU McNair Scholar

On Presenting:

This was the first time that I pre-recorded a poster experience and it was such a great experience. It calmed the nerves I would have had if I presented live. I enjoyed familiarizing myself with this process. Take advantage of these opportunities, they are worth it. The nerves are worth it."

- Lizeth Bañuelos, 2020 EWU McNair Scholar

Check out Our Scholar's Presentations!

EWU McNair Scholar Presentations at the UW Conference:

To watch Lizeth's presentation" First-Generation Latinx Students' Academic Experience: The Role of Institutional Supports During the Pandemic, click here!

Click here to see Malachi's poster: Projects of Economic and Social Development in the Global South: The 20th and 21st Century Trends and their Effects.

Click here to see Rachael's poster: A Review of Plant Soil Feedbacks and their Importance for Palouse Prairie Restoration and Management.

EWU McNair Encourages Scholar Presentations at Conferences

EWU McNair encourages all of its scholars to present at conferences such as NCUR to network with those in their field and to build confidence, gain experience, and to strengthen Curriculum Vitae's (CV) for applying to graduate school. In addition to the UW conference, this school year scholars have presented at the Baylor McNair Research Conference, the Murdock College Science Research Conference, and the National Council on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) Conference. Typically most EWU McNair Scholars also present at the EWU Symposium. Last year we may have set a record with 18 scholars presenting last spring!

This year, to ensure our scholars have this opportunity, EWU McNair is partnering with CSTEM at EWU to host a symposium on June 2nd. The symposium will begin with a Social Justice in Research Panel with EWU McNair Alumni at 9 am. Click here to register for the event for free!

Green back drop (lime to jade), with title of article, names of scholars and an image of each

EWU McNair Scholars Lucia Roussa and Mori Williams Present at NCUR

By Jaeger, Corinne | 04/27/2021

EWU McNair Scholars Present at Murdock College Science Research Conference 2020

By Jaeger, Corinne | 01/27/2021

Nine EWU McNair Scholars Present at Baylor McNair Research Conference

By Jaeger, Corinne | 10/09/2020

18 EWU McNair Scholars Present at EWU Virtual Symposium

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Darlene Gilroy, EWU McNair Scholar and Environmental Geology major, attends prestigious Murdock College Science Research Conference in Vancouver, WA

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The EWU McNair staff are proud of all of our scholars for the hard work they've put into their research and sharing that research with the broader community.

Christina Hudson Selected as an EWU McNair Scholar and Awarded Summer Research Internship

04/25/2021 by Tennyson, Bryn Leave a Comment

Christina Hudson McNair Scholar Announcements 2021

Congratulations Eastern Washington University student Christina Hudson! Christina has been selected as an EWU McNair Scholar and awarded a summer research internship. McNair Scholars must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher, are first generation college students and low-income and/or underrepresented students, and are selected for their promise as scholars and commitment to attaining a PhD. Christina is double majoring in English studies and Africana studies, and minoring in religious studies. Prior to attending EWU, she graduated from Spokane Falls Community College with an Associate of Art degree. Christina is interested in decolonizing religious studies with a focus on ancient African religious texts. For her EWU McNair Summer Research Internship, Christina intends to shift the way we view the contributions of people of color to the development of civilization throughout history, while under the mentorship of Dr. Okera Nsombi.

We're so excited to have Christina join us as a McNair Scholar!

Shawn Dufrene selected as an EWU McNair Scholar and Awarded Summer Research Internship

06/25/2020 by Jaeger, Corinne Leave a Comment

Congratulations Eastern Washington University student Shawn Dufrene! Shawn has been selected as an EWU McNair Scholar and awarded a summer research internship. McNair Scholars must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and are first generation college students and low-income and/or underrepresented students. They are selected for their promise as scholars and commitment towards attaining a PhD.

Shawn is a senior majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies focusing on Africana Studies with a minor in History. She is studying African American History as well as what it means to be white in America. Her goal is to become a professor of African American Studies. In 2019 she presented historical research for the Phi Alpha Theta regional conference and the EWU Symposium. She is a volunteer docent at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and an officer in EWU’s Black Student Union. For her 2020 EWU McNair Summer Research Internship, Shawn will research Malcolm X’s racial identity development under Dr. Okera Nsombi, Assistant Professor of Africana Studies.

We're so excited to have Shawn join us at EWU McNair!