Dear Scholars,

In response to both Governor Kate Brown’s new restrictions and statewide freeze in Oregon and President Stephen Percy’s recent COVID-19 statement, we know a lot has changed in the past couple of weeks. A few reminders for us all! With the holidays coming up we urge you all to please follow the recommendations and guidelines from public health experts. Continue wearing your masks, washing your hands, maintaining physical distance, and limiting social gatherings. This can be hard to do since the holidays are often a time spent with family and friends. But if we can maintain safe COVID behaviors and practices this holiday season, we can keep our loved ones and ourselves safe and healthy. 

Switching gears, as an undergraduate research training program focused on biomedical and health sciences, we will continue supporting you through your academic journey and research endeavors. We recognize that many of you are feeling the pandemic fatigue, and many of the BUILD EXITO staff are too! Staying motivated and focused on classes can be a lot right now, but remember, you have been able to adapt to this virtual world and are almost done with your fall term. Keep going!

The recent news about promising COVID vaccines are a testament to the importance of research and as Scholars of BUILD EXITO, you are in the scientific research community! Take a moment to remind yourselves why you applied for this program and ruminate on that thought. Really sit with it and reflect. Let these thoughts motivate you to continue pushing forward and finishing this term strong. 

This newsletter will mainly focus on COVID-related resources. If you know of any that you think would be helpful to share with your peers, please send an email to Arjun (iarjun@pdx.edu).

Best,
The BUILD EXITO Team
What We’re Reading about COVID and the Holidays:

What We're Reading about COVID and Your Health:

What We’re Reading about Mental Health:

What We're Listening to:

What We're Hopeful about:
Thanks to all who attended the Annual Kickoff! We recorded this event, and all videos from the event have been uploaded to the Kickoff Google Site! If you'd like to be connected with any of the speakers let us know at exito@pdx.edu.
EXITO Survey Time – Take a short break and help EXITO!
 
Email invitations with unique URLs are out to every Scholar who has consented to the EXITO study for EXITO’s yearly surveys. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes to complete the survey. This is an opportunity to share your experience AND help future students in biomedical fields. 
 
  • Cohort 6 Scholars are invited to complete the Orientation Survey (your first friendly neighborhood EXITO survey!)
  • Cohort 4 and 5 Scholars are invited to complete the YASS (Yearly Academic Scholar Survey - the yearly follow-up to the Orientation Survey)
  • Scholars have told us invitations have been found in your spam folders.
  • Alternatively if you haven’t received an email invitation or have ANY questions about consent or the surveys, email Matt (honore@ohsu.edu) or Kristina (nelsokri@ohsu.edu). They'll race to see who can respond to you faster!
First Year Scholars!

Don't forget that your peer mentors are ready and available to meet with you. Peer mentors are EXITO Alumni Scholars who can provide advice and guidance on navigating EXITO and are a great resource for you. Please schedule your meetings with them if you haven't already.
Free Laptop!

One of your peers, Clare Hansen (Cohort 5) is giving away her old laptop. It’s not fancy or super fast, which is why she's upgraded, but it is in excellent condition! Purchased in 2017, used for one term, and hasn’t been used since.
There are plenty of appointments available for students who are interested in meeting with a coach to develop a study plan for finals. The PSU Learning Center is offering academic coaching that is free for all students. During coaching, students receive custom-tailored tools to fit their needs.

Applications due on November 30, 2020
The PSU McNair Scholars Program works with selected first-generation, low-income and under-represented undergraduates who want to pursue PhDs. McNair scholars conduct research under the supervision of faculty mentors and create effective strategies for getting into and graduating from doctoral programs.

Applications due on December 1, 2020 at 5pm PT
The OHSU Equity Research Program offers an exciting opportunity for diverse undergraduate college students to spend eight weeks working on research projects alongside faculty, scientists and graduate students. Examples of past internship tracks include: Biomedical Sciences, Dental, Health Systems & Policy, Medicine, Nursing, and Public Health.

Applications due on January 15, 2021 by 11:59pm PT (including recommendation letters!)
The University Studies program is seeking applicants for Undergraduate (UG) Peer Mentors in the University Studies (UNST) Peer Mentor Program for the 2021 – 2022 academic year. They are seeking upper-division Undergraduate students who meet the position criteria and demonstrate a range of skills necessary for supporting students in FRINQ (Freshman Inquiry) courses and in related mentored-inquiry sessions. Undergraduate mentors receive a scholarship covering 12 credits of tuition and a leadership award. 
December 3, 2020 from 4pm-5pm Pacific Time 
PSU's Chemistry department’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee is planning a Zoom forum during the last two weeks of the Fall 2020 term. The forum is designed to help undergraduates from underrepresented backgrounds become aware of the types of career development steps that are expected for competitive job and graduate school applicants in chemistry and other STEM fields. Graduate students will be doing a ~10 minute presentation about the lab and project in question with contact information for their group members, followed by questions from students.

December 4 2020 4pm-6pm PT
Uplift: Students in STEM, are an extension of the LSAMP (Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation) program at PSU. As a student group, Uplift works to be all-inclusive and supportive of students in STEM. They are hosting a finals week study session with volunteer tutors for various STEM subjects: Bio 212-213, Calc I&II, CS 161-202, Gen Chem 221-223, Ochem 241-243, and Physics 211-223. They will be raffling off prizes, including a Bluetooth speaker and wireless headphones!

Check out the CRC website for ways to get involved and attend upcoming events with:
  • Native American Student & Community Center (NASCC),
  • Pacific Islander, Asian and Asian American Student Center (PIAAA),
  • Middle East, North Africa, South Asia (MENASA)
  • Pan-African Commons (PAC)
  • La Casa Latina (LCL)
For Scholars at non-PSU campuses, check with your college/university resource centers and mentors to learn what support is available.
If you know of any resources/events that you think would be useful to share with BUILD EXITO, please send an email to Arjun Viray (iarjun@pdx.edu).
BUILD EXITO | pdx.edu/exito