Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center
N e w s l e t t e r | O c t o b e r 2 0 2 0
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Spellbound by the Research |
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As we approach the climax of this election season, the idea of social justice is ever present in the forefront of our minds. For many of our students, social justice is simply an extension of their being and their work reflects that.
We asked a couple of students to share with us what social justice means to them and how their research helps address it.
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What does social justice mean to you?
Social justice to me means everyone has access to the same resources and rights; that no one is made to feel less than others based on their ethnicity, income, cultural background, or if they are differently abled.
How does your research influence it?
Over the summer, I was part of a research project that focused on shedding light to the experiences people in the Pajaro Valley have been living through due to a changing climate. The Pajaro Valley is made up of large agricultural communities, which means there are a lot of farmworkers in the area. Farmworkers are one of the most vulnerable populations when it comes to climate change because their work exposes them to rising heat temperatures, among other things. The data for this project was collected via surveys and interviews. We then presented the information in a community webinar and wrote a paper for it. Through this research, I was able to learn more about what people in the Pajaro Valley are experiencing, but also what they would like to see done to build resilience. Achieving social justice, for me, means letting those who are being affected have autonomy of what they want to see done, and through my research, I was able to help a community start taking those steps.
Ahtziri Medrano Carranza is a UROC McNair Scholar and Environmental Studies major
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What does social justice mean to you?
To me, social justice means fighting to make the world a better place for everyone.
How does your research influence it?
My research with Dr. Angie Tran and Dr. Lorenzo Covarrubias highlights the social injustice that H2A guest workers face. H2A workers are agricultural guest workers that are in the U.S. on a temporary work visa. These workers are vital to our economy, yet very few know about the program and even less people know about their challenges. During a crisis, groups that are already vulnerable to inequality, oppression, and exploitation experience more intense challenges, this makes their lives more difficult. It is my intent to highlight and voice the challenges H2A workers endure through research. I believe the first step towards social justice is to begin the conversation and recognize that a problem exists.
Xenia Enriquez is a UROC Scholar and Social & Behavioral Science major
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UROC 2020 Fall Competition
The UROC Fall 2020 Virtual Research and Scholarship Competition is right around the corner. Modeled after the CSU Student Research Competition, each year the Fall Competition features 10 exemplary student/teams selected to strut their stuff in the form of an oral presentation. Check out the presentations chosen by the committee below, and join us in congratulating those selected for this year's event.
This year's judges panel will consist of returning faculty Dr. Jenny (Meng-Hsien) Lin, College of Business, Dr. Kelly Medina-Lopez, School of Humanities and Communication, Dr. Erin Ramirez, Department of Education and Leadership, and first time judge Dr. JP Dundore-Arias, Department of Biology and Chemistry. Last year, we had the pleasure of welcoming Assemblymember Mark Stone as our guest judge. We are excited to have Doug McKnight, Senior Advisor, Reporter and Host of 90.3 KAZU serve as this year's guest judge.
The Fall Competition will take place Thursday, November 12, 3pm-6pm. Please RSVP and join us in supporting these awesome undergraduate students.
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Species-Specific Vital Rates in Hawaiian Corals Pocillopora ligulata and Porites lichen
Mentors: Caroline Rodriguez & Dr. Cheryl A. Logan
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Wildlife impacts from recreational activity in response to COVID-19
Mentor: Dr. Christy Wyckoff
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Youth Research and Action: The Impact of COVID-19 on Gonzales Youth
Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Lovell
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Hurricane Preparedness Planning for Low-Income/ Homeless Citizens with Covid-19 as an added Variable
Mentors: Dr. Jennifer Collins & Dr. Robin Ersing
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Comparison of Afro Indigenous to African American and Native American student research models in Higher Education
Mentor: Brian Corpening
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Testing the fidelity of global biogeochemical algorithms in the California Current System to study carbon cycling
Mentor: Dr. Andrea Fassbender
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Connectedness to Nature and Well-being among First-generation College Students, Faculty, and Staff
Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Lovell
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Becoming homeless: Using virtual reality to generate empathy in college students
Mentors: Dr. Jennifer Lovell & Dr. Christine Valdez
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Amelia Parker & Jesus Sanchez Orozco |
Higher education is not immune to messaging mishaps: A qualitative rhetorical analysis of COVID-19 messaging on U.S. campuses |
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Mentors: Dr. Sam Robinson, Dr. Shantel Martinez & Dr. Kelly Medina-Lopez |
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Estimating Vital Rates Across Species for Corals in Maui, Hawaii
Mentors: Caroline Rodriguez & Dr. Cheryl Logan
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*Scholars Application Deadline Approaching*
Are you or anyone you know interested in becoming a UROC Scholar? Don't miss out on your opportunity to submit an application and get paid to conduct your research. Applicants from all disciplines, backgrounds and at all skills levels are welcome.
UROC Scholars enroll in a four-semester Undergraduate Research Seminar Series and work closely with CSUMB faculty mentors to complete research projects. During the summer, Scholars have the opportunity to conduct research locally or outside of the region through established Summer Research Experience Programs. UROC Scholars are guaranteed two years of summer research funding, are eligible for continued academic year funding, and are awarded travel funds to present their work at conferences.
Deadline to apply is October 30 at 3pm. Access the application here.
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UROC is excited to roll out the new Koret Scholars Program funded by the Bay Area Koret Foundation. The goal of this 5-year program is to provide faculty mentored social science research opportunities for first-generation students. Want to learn know more about their research? Plan on attending the virtual Spring 2021 Research Showcase celebrating CSUMB student scholarship and creative activities during national Undergraduate Research Week, April 19-23 for a special session highlighting the Koret Scholars and their work. Learn more about the Koret Foundation gift to CSUMB.
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And say Hello to the Inaugural Koret Scholars Class!!
Darchelle Burnett, Social & Behavioral Sciences, minor Peace Studies
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Brian Corpening, Office of Inclusive Excellence
Courtney Crouse, Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Lovell
Arlene Diazleal, Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Vivian Waldrup
Paul Dommert, Psychology, minor Anthropology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Christine Valdez
Erika Hernandez-Gonazalez, Business Administration
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jenny Lin
Hana Jacinto, Japanese Language & Culture
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Shigeko Sekine
Melissa- Ann Lagunas, Psychology; minor Statistics
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Lovell
Claudia Rocha, Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Lovell
Stephanie Stephens, Marine Science
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Vanessa Lopez-Littleton
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It's Time to Play 'Which UROC Staff Is It'?
We invite you to play our first ever interactive contest! See if you can guess which Halloween childhood picture belongs to which UROC staff member. Email UROC with your guesses by Nov 1 and get a mention in next's month issue.
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According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2020 is the year of the rat. In the Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology (TWE) lab, however, I think this is the year of the bat. Before 2020 even began, a small group of students had been diligently working in the field to collect data on local bats. Some had been capturing bats in mistnests to assess numbers in habitats along an urbanization gradient. Others had been using acoustic detectors to test if the activity of echolocating bats changes with the restoration of habitat along the Salinas River. All of this work came to a halt when our campus was closed last March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With careful social distancing, we were eventually able to re-start research that did not include handling live bats. Research with live bats, however, has been almost entirely shut down in the state of California to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 from humans to bats. This may surprise some people, but the truth is, with rampant habitat loss and degradation and a fungal disease (i.e., white-nose syndrome) already threatening the persistence of many bat species, we can't risk exposing them to another deadly disease.
Fortunately, previous data collection has resulted in plenty of material to keep students busy while working remotely. Hannah Carrell, a UROC researcher in the TWE lab, has been busy working not only with the software that displays the echolocation calls we record from bats in the field, but also insects sampled by Dr. John Olson's Watershed Environments and Ecology Lab at the same field locations. This is the third semester that I have spent as Hannah's research mentor, and I couldn't be more pleased with her progress. Hannah's passion for bat-focused research has driven her to spend hours reading scientific literature, classifying insects, and learning new statistical analyses. Next, Hannah is applying to CSUMB's MS program in Environmental Science, where she hopes to continue studying local bats and helping me to train the next cohort of undergraduate students in the ways of working with bats. For my part, I look forward to mentoring Hannah for another couple of years, enjoying some spectacular Halloween celebrations, and eventually seeing Hannah off into a fulfilling career filled with lots and lots of bats!
Dr. Jennifer Duggan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Environmental Science.
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Campus Resources & Workshops |
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Demystifying Research
November 2, 4-5pm
November 4, 1-2:45pm
Nov 5, 4-5:30pm
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November 17, 12-2pm
November 17, 3-4pm
November 19, 3-4pm
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There's Power In Your Story! |
Join TRIO SSS & SSS STEM HS, the Otter Cross-Cultural Center (OC3), Undocu-Success, Office of Inclusive Excellence, College Support Programs, Associated Students (AS), and other campus resources for a welcoming and transformative experience. There will be workshops throughout the week on Zoom to allow students to engage with other first-generation students and staff/faculty. They will develop skills on how to write and share their unique stories as first-generation college students and be reminded of their remarkable journey. RSVP right away!
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RAFT Peer Mentor Program
The goals of the RAFT Peer Mentor program are to contribute to retention and graduation rates for transfer, first-generation, and commuter students and to eliminate the equity gap for underrepresented minorities and pell-eligible students. Peer mentors will help new students adjust to their first year at CSUMB by providing information about the campus and community through their own experiences. The benefits of becoming a mentee is that they will receive support and referrals to areas like academic advising, financial aid, tutoring services, campus involvement, and much more. Mentees will also be able to meet with other students in the program and build connections.
There is no deadline, applications will be collected on a rolling basis.
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Congratulations to the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Dodgers on their recent titles! |
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Chat with us!
Want to get involved in research but don't know where to start? Set up a virtual consultation on the UROC website!
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