EWU logo

    • Apply
    • Academics
    • Athletics
    • Calendar
    • Community
    • About
    • InsideEWU
    • Canvas
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

TRIO Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program

Eastern Washington University

  • Home
  • About McNair
    • About TRiO and Ronald E. McNcnair
    • Meet Our Scholars
    • Meet Our Staff
    • Map
  • Annual Overview
    • Annual Overview 2021
    • Annual Overview 2020
  • McNair Research
  • Faculty Mentors
    • Our McNair Research Faculty Mentors
    • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
    • Professors: Help Students Prepare For Life After Graduation
  • Prospective Students
    • Applying to EWU McNair
    • EWU McNair Scholars: Student Resources
    • McNair Graduate Assistantships
    • 2021 Social Justice in Research Panel
  • Spring Gathering

Research

The Ongoing Legacy of EWU McNair Director Doctora Christina Torres García

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

Christina Torres Garcia Final 2021

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
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 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 Maria Morales: PhD in Cultural Studies and Social Thought in Education from WSU, current faculty at the Evergreen State College; Maria Reyna, TRIO Student Support Services alum, Master’s in Social Work from EWU, currently Director New Student Transitions & Family Programs at EWU.

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.

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. 

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

Filed Under: 2014-2015 Cohort, 2015-2016 Cohort, 2016-2017 Cohort, 2017-2018 Cohort, 2018-2019 Cohort, 2019-2020 Cohort, 2020-2021 Cohort, 2020-21 Awards, 2020-21 Publications, Alumni, Alumni Spotlight, Chicano Studies, EWU McNair PhD's, McNair Mentors, Mentor, News, Research, Scholars, Uncategorized, Women's and Gender Studies Tagged With: Alumni, Chicana feminist epistemology, Chicano/a/x Studies, COE, Department of Education, Dra. Christina Torres García, EWU Alum, EWU McNair Program, EWU McNair Scholar, Higher Education, Latinx/a/o Studies, McNair, Mentor, Mentors, naeop, PhD, Research, TRIO

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

05/28/2021 by Jaeger, Corinne Leave a Comment

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!

Filed Under: 2019-2020 PhDs, 2020-21 Presentations, All Majors, Alumni, Alumni Spotlight, EWU McNair PhD's, News, Research, Scholars Tagged With: Dr. Frank C. King Jr., Dr. Laura Zamudio-Orozco, Dr. S Omar Jobe, Dr. Yvonne Sherwood, EWU Alum, EWU McNair Program, EWU McNair Scholar, Research, Social Justice

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

05/14/2021 by Jaeger, Corinne Leave a Comment

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!

Filed Under: 2019-2020 PhDs, Alumni, Alumni Spotlight, EWU McNair PhD's, Mathematics, News, Research, Scholars Tagged With: Dr. Laura Zamudio-Orozco, EWU Alum, EWU McNair Program, EWU McNair Scholar, Research, Social Justice

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

05/14/2021 by Jaeger, Corinne Leave a Comment

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!

Filed Under: Africana Studies, Alumni, Alumni Spotlight, EWU McNair PhD's, History, News, Research, Scholars Tagged With: Dr. Frank C. King Jr., EWU Alum, EWU McNair Program, EWU McNair Scholar, Research, Social Justice

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

05/11/2021 by Jaeger, Corinne Leave a Comment

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!

Filed Under: Alumni, Alumni Spotlight, Biology, Chemistry, EWU McNair PhD's, News, Research, Scholars Tagged With: Dr. Frank C. King Jr., EWU Alum, EWU McNair Program, EWU McNair Scholar, Research, Social Justice

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

05/07/2021 by Jaeger, Corinne Leave a Comment

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!

Filed Under: Alumni, Alumni Spotlight, American Indian Studies, Chicano Studies, EWU McNair PhD's, News, Research, Scholars, Sociology, Sociology, Women's and Gender Studies Tagged With: Dr. Yvonne Sherwood, EWU Alum, EWU McNair Program, EWU McNair Scholar, Research, Social Justice

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to Next Page »
  • McNair
  • Apply
  • Mentors
Eastern Washington University
509.359.6200 • Contact Information
EWU expands opportunities for personal transformation through excellence in learning.
  • About EWU
  • Accessibility
  • Campus Map
  • Visit EWU
  • Diversity
  • InsideEWU
  • EWU Libraries
  • Jobs
  • Campus Locations
  • Canvas
  • Leadership
  • EWU Foundation
  • Privacy Policy
  • Rules Docket

© 2022 Eastern Washington University