Dr. Martín Meráz García

18 EWU McNair Scholars Present at EWU Virtual Symposium

06/10/2020 by Jaeger, Corinne Leave a Comment

EWU McNair is proud to announce that 18 EWU McNair Scholars presented at this year’s Virtual Symposium. In the midst of regular reminders of the suffering from COVID-19, in particular its disproportionate effect on communities of color, as well as recent police murders, we hope that lifting up our scholars will continue to support their work and the ultimate goal of McNair – which is to increase diversity in academia. Every McNair Scholar at EWU has powerful story. It is our goal that scholars use their powerful knowledge, experiences, and voices to develop research and actions that contribute to shifts in systemic racism, economic inequality, and overall building a more just world. Read below to learn more about the research presented, including links to each student’s poster or oral presentation. A huge thank you to all of the mentors that helped make this possible. We’re so proud of all of our students’ hard work and look forward another summer research in just a few weeks!

Four of our new scholars presented posters with their research proposals for the summer of 2020. Alexandria Coronado presented, “Research Proposal: Housing and Food Insecurity Among College Students” with the mentorship of Dr. Lindsey Upton. Ashley Destin presented, “Size Scaling in the Skull of North American Felids as Adaptations for Prey Acquisition” with the mentorship of Dr. Judd Case. Aulane Mpouli presented, “Molecular Docking Study of ITPA protein substrate complex” with the mentorship of Dr. Yao Houndonougbo. Hope Sands presented, “Exploring the Archaeological and Geographical Past of Fort Spokane: A Proposal” with the mentorship of Dr. Brian Buchanan.

Meanwhile, four new McNair scholars Analisea Araya, Gloria Bravo, Alexis Guizar-Diaz, and Rachael Pentico presented on completed or ongoing research. Analisea presented, “An Analysis of Early Modern Philosopher Mary Astell and a Critique of the Western Canon” with the mentorship of Dr. Kevin Decker. Gloria presented, “Economic Sanctions Reproduce State Sponsored Repression, Human Rights Violations and Violence: A Case Study of Venezuela” with the mentorship of Dr. Majid Sharifi. Alexis presented on, “Machismo, Marianismo, and The Ethics of Care” with the mentorship of Dr. Mimi Marinucci. He will continue this research in the summer of 2020 with Dr. Edwin Elias. Rachael Pentico presented, “A Review of Plant-Soil Feedbacks and Their Importance For Palouse Prairie Restoration and Management” with the mentorship of Dr. Rebecca Brown.

Four additional continuing McNair scholars presented on their research from their 2019 EWU McNair Summer Research Internship. Darlene Gilroy presented “Chemical Weathering of Deposits from the 1980 Mount St. Helens Eruption and its Effect on Stream Water Chemistry” in collaboration with Dr. Carmen Nezat. Theresa Lee presented “Understanding Prisoner Reentry: Public Perceptions of Reentry Barriers Among College Students” with the mentorship of Dr. Lindsey Upton. Both Darlene and Theresa have also presented this research at other conferences around the country this last school year. Malachi Chukwu presented “Projects of Economic and Social Development in the Global South: The 20th and 21st-century developmental trends and their impacts” with the mentorship of Dr. Majid Sharifi. And Wendolyn Martinez presented “Propaganda: USSR and US – Comparing Propaganda from the US and USSR Produced for the Advancement of Public Approval for Hydro-projects in the 1930s,” with the mentorship of Dr. Dorothy Zeisler-Vralsted. Malachi and Wendolyn had hoped to present at a McNair conference in the early spring; however, the conference was cancelled due to COVID-19.

Also, four graduating McNair Scholars presented their current research at the Virtual Symposium. Abdulrazik Mohamed presented “Darfurians in the Diaspora: Perceptions of the Conflict in Darfur, Sudan’s Past and the Future of Darfur Under International Response” with the mentorship of Dr. Dorothy Zeisler-Vralsted. Abdu has also presented additional research this school year at the Annual International Symposium on Women and Genocide in the 21st Century: The Case of Darfur and the Black Doctoral Network Conference in the fall of 2019. Angélica García-Macías presented “Eat the Poor” under the mentorship of Dr. Thomas Hawley. Last academic year, Angélica presented research from her work with EWU McNair Mentor Dr. Martín Meráz García at several conferences as well as her research with Dr. Charles Stewart III at MIT at an MIT symposium last summer. Madelyn Brown presented “Maintaining Our Land: Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Wildfire Prevention” with the mentorship of Dr. Christina Torres García and PhD candidate SimHayKin S. Jack. Rachel Silverthorn presented “Gender differences in confidence in jury decision making” under the mentorship of Dr. Kayleen Islam-Zwart. She also presented this research at the 31st Association for Psychological Science Annual Convention. Washington, D.C. in 2019. All four of these scholars will attend Masters or PhD programs in the fall of 2020!

Finally, two EWU McNair Alumni, current EWU graduate students, also presented their current research. Christina Ramelow presented “Oral Farnesol Administration Protects Against Inflammatory Demyelination,” research done with mentorship from Dr. Javier Ochoa-Reparaz and in collaboration with multiple other graduate students and faculty. Veronica Albrecht presented “Characterizing Two cagPAI Located Small RNAs in Helicobacter pylori” in collaboration with Dr. Andrea Castillo and “Gene Expression Regulation of sRNA Hpnc2525 in the Clinically Relevant Helicobacter pylori cagPAI Genomic Region” in collaboration with EWU McNair STEM GSA and fellow graduate student Brandon Flatgard, under the mentorship of Dr. Andrea Castillo. Christina and Veronica will both attend fully funded PhD programs in the fall of 2020.

To learn more about our new and continuing scholars and all the other amazing work and presentations they have done, check out our Spring Gathering page celebrating scholars, mentors, and alumni. EWU McNair is incredibly proud of the hard work of all of our scholars and we look forward to seeing their research impact higher education and the wider world.

EWU College of Social Sciences Honors Six EWU McNair Scholars

05/20/2020 by Jaeger, Corinne Leave a Comment

Six fantastic EWU McNair Scholars receive highest awards from the College of Social Sciences at EWU.

This spring, the Eastern Washington University College of Social Sciences has selected six EWU McNair Scholars for some of their highest awards. The Frances B. Huston Medallion Award is presented to only 20 graduating students each year who have a strong academic record and have demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities at Eastern and in the community. EWU McNair Scholars Angélica García-Macías (Political Science), Miriam Carlson (Psychology), and Marixza Torres (Psychology) all received this award. The Dean Jeffers W. Chertok Honored Student Award for the College of Social Sciences is presented to exceptional students who have shown a commitment to their education by demonstrating outstanding academic achievement with a minimum of a 3.75 GPA in their previous four quarters and through leadership and service to the community. The College of Social Sciences selected EWU McNair Scholars Madelyn Brown (History), Lily Ann Long (Psychology) and Abdulrazik Mohamed (International Affairs) for this award.

Not only do these awards acknowledge the hard work of each of these students, they also exemplify the power of collaboration, mentorship, and student support by EWU faculty and staff. Each year the EWU McNair Program recruits promising scholars and engages them in year round learning on research, writing, and preparation for graduate school. Each EWU McNair Scholar is paired with a faculty mentor who guides them through the research process. EWU McNair Faculty Mentors meet as often as weekly with their mentees throughout spring and summer quarters culminating in a research paper. EWU McNair Scholars then present this research at the EWU Symposium as well as at academic conferences around the nation. For example, Miriam Carlson will present her research, completed under the mentorship of Dr. Aryn Zeihnert, at the upcoming Western Psychological Association conference in October 2020. Marixza Torres has presented her EWU research, under the mentorship of McNair Director Dr. Christina Torres García, at the Western Psychological Association conference and the National Latinx Psychological Association conference. Marixza has also been mentored year round by Dr. Theresa Martin. Other mentors for this group of scholars include: Dr. Dorothy Zeisler-Vralsted (Abdu), Dr. Aryn Zeihnert (Lily Ann), Dr. Martín Meráz García (Angélica), and Lecturer SimHayKin S. Jack along with Dr. Christina Torres García (Madelyn), and there are countless other College of Social Sciences faculty and staff that support McNair students at present and in past years. In addition to these formal faculty mentorships, many professors do additional year round support for students, by having them join their research labs, TA, and just everyday care, engagement, and guidance.

McNair also provides year round support for students including tutoring, linking students to services and resources, and regular one-on-one meetings for connection, encouragement, and advice. EWU McNair makes sure students have the tool they need to navigate higher education, successfully apply to graduate school and research internships, and negotiate funding and final decisions for which graduate schools they will attend.

McNair is a federally funded program that helps low-income first generation colleges students and those else wise underrepresented in higher education to earn PhD's and increase diversity in academia. EWU's McNair program started in 1995 and, to-date, 40 EWU McNair Scholars have gone on to earn their PhD and over 100 more have attained their Masters degree. This year, twelve graduating EWU McNair Scholars have been accepted to Masters and/or PhD programs, many with full funding. Miriam has been accepted Gonzaga University's Education Specialist in School Psychology program. Lily Ann has been accepted into Point Park University's PsyD Program. Angélica has been accepted at 3 PhD programs with full funding and one Masters program. Marixza has been accepted to 2 PhD programs with full funding and one Masters program. Abdu has been accepted by 3 Masters programs and 1 PhD program with full funding. And Madelyn has been accepted by 7 Masters programs, many of which offered full funding. All are planning to attend graduate school in the fall of 2020. This would not be possible without the incredible support of faculty mentors and partnership with the other colleges at EWU. Thank you to all of our incredible faculty and staff and congratulations to our phenomenal scholars!

EWU McNair Scholar Marixza Torres Awarded Frances B. Huston Medallion

04/28/2020 by Jaeger, Corinne Leave a Comment

Congratulations to EWU McNair Scholar Marixza Torres! Marixza has been selected to receive a 2019-2020 Frances B. Huston Medallion Award for the College of Social Sciences. This award is presented to only 20 graduating students each year who have a strong academic record and have demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities at Eastern and in the community. Marixza is a Research Assitant working under the mentorship of Dr. Theresa Martin in the Psychology department. She is also the secretary for Scholars in Action, where she mentors peers, including creating and leading workshops on how to prepare for graduate school. In addition, Marixza acts as the Public Relations Chair for POWERS to support undocumented students and their allies. In the past, Marixza has been a Student Consultant at the EWU Multicultural Center where she helped assess student need as well as planned and promoted events. When there were issues around solidarity on campus, Marixza coordinated a Unity Rally to promote inclusion and followed up on feedback after the rally to coordinate support services for students.

In addition to her work in the community, Marixza is an exceptional and dedicated scholar. She is a senior at EWU majoring in Applied Psychology with a minor in Chicano Studies. As a McNair Scholar Marixza has committed to attain her PhD. To prepare for this Marixza completed two summer research internships, one at EWU under the mentorship of McNair Director Dr. Christina Torres García, and another at the University of Notre Dame under the mentorship of Dr. Dawn M. Gondoli. To read more about Marixa and her research check out her webpage on the McNair site. She also has participated in research with Dr. Theresa Martin and Dr. Martín Meráz García. Marixa has presented her research at symposiums at both Notre Dame and EWU, the Western Psychological Association, and the National Latinx Pyschological Association. She has been recognized throughout her academic career with multiple scholarships including the Jeffers Chertok Scholarship for outstanding acheivement in the EWU College of Social Sicences, the Wittenbach Trust Scholarship, and the Chicano Studies Program scholarship for Multicultural Acheivement. Marixza was also recently accorded an Honorable Mention for her grant application to the National Science Foundation.

Marixa has been accepted by the PhD program in Human Development and Family Services at the University of Missouri, the Masters of Social Work program at the University of Texas, Austin, and most recently a Psychology PhD program at the University of California, Irvine. The McNair family is so proud of Marixza and all of her hard work. We know Marixza will continue to have a huge impact on her communities as she attains her PhD and beyond!

EWU McNair Scholar Angélica García-Macías Awarded Frances B. Huston Medallion

04/24/2020 by Jaeger, Corinne Leave a Comment

Congratulations to EWU McNair Scholar Angélica García-Macías! Angélica has been selected to receive a 2019-2020 Frances B. Huston Medallion Award for the College of Social Sciences. This award is presented to only 20 graduating students each year who have a strong academic record and have demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities at Eastern and in the community. Angélica has been a student advisor for Welcome Week Orientation, a mentor for the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP), and both a Legislative Affairs Associate and a Superior Court Justice Associate for ASEWU. She is a dancer, choreographer, and fundraiser for Ballet Folklórico De Aztlán. She has volunteered for EWU's Annual Drag Show, Habitat for Humanity, 2nd Harvest Mobile Food Bank, and Cheney Clean Up events. She also interned for the Washington Legislative Program in 2018 researching issues concerning housing and undocumented student resources as well as for the Sea Mar Executive Program, a non-profit that provides health care and support services for farmworkers and marginalized communities. In addition, Angélica did peer mentoring and advising with Scholars in Action, including creating and leading workshops on how to prepare for graduate school.

In addition to all of her extracurricular work and volunteering, Angélica is an incredible scholar. She is a senior at EWU majoring in Political Science and minoring in Spanish and Chicano Studies. As a McNair Scholar Angélica has committed to a path of attaining her PhD. To prepare for this she completed two summer research internships, one at EWU under the mentorship of Dr. Martín Meráz García, and another at MIT under the mentorship of Dr. Charles Stewart III. To read more about Angélica and her research check out her webpage on the EWU McNair website.

Angélica has been accepted by Political Science PhD programs at the University of Washington, the University of California, Irvine, and Michigan State University. She was also accepted into the Higher Education Masters program at Arizona State University. EWU McNair is so proud of Angélica and all her hard work. We're so excited for her next steps to graduate school and the lasting impact we know she will make on academia and in all of her communities.

EWU McNair Scholar Angélica Garcia-Macias Accepted into Additional Graduate Program

03/16/2020 by Jaeger, Corinne Leave a Comment

Photo of Angélica Garcia-Macias next to red confetti backdrop and text congratulating her.

Congratulations to EWU McNair Scholar Angélica Garcia-Macias! Angélica has been accepted into the MA in Higher Education program at Arizona State University. This is in addition to three prior acceptances to PhD Political Science programs across the country! Angélica is a senior at Eastern Washington University majoring in Political Science and minoring in Chicano Studies and Spanish. To prepare for graduate school Angélica completed two summers of research internships: one through the EWU McNair Scholars Program with mentor Dr. Martín Meráz García researching housing discrimination in the Latinx community, and last summer at MIT with Dr. Charles Stewart III researching the Latiné vote. To read more about Angélica and her research, check out her page on the EWU McNair website.

We are so proud to see all of Angélica's hard work paying off and excited for her next steps towards attaining a PhD!

EWU McNair Scholar Maria Rivera Diaz Accepted to Masters Program at Oregon State University

02/18/2020 by Jaeger, Corinne Leave a Comment

Photo of Maria Rivera Diaz beside text congratulating her for being accepted into the Masters in Public Health program at Oregon State University.

Congratulations to EWU McNair Scholar Maria Rivera Diaz! Maria has been accepted into the Masters in Public Health program at Oregon State University. Maria is a senior at Eastern Washington University majoring in Applied Developmental Psychology and Public Health with a minor in Chicano Studies. To prepare for graduate school Maria completed a summer research internship through the EWU McNair Program with mentor Dr. Martín Meráz García researching health care access for farmworkers in the Yakima Valley. To read more about Maria and her research, check out her page on the EWU McNair website.

We are so proud of Maria and excited for her next steps towards attaining her PhD!