Undergraduate Research Opportunity Center
N e w s l e t t e r |
May 20 2 0
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May the Research
Be With You!
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From Left to Right. Top Row: Heather Haeger, Eric Barajas, Jessica Bautista Middle Row: Natasha Oehlman, Holly Unruh, John "Buck" Banks, Bottom Row: Quentin Sedlacek, Corin White
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Congrats to all our Graduates!
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We want to recognize the achievements of our UROC students and thank colleagues, friends, and families for their tremendous support. This year we are proud to celebrate the scholarly and creative activities of CSUMB undergraduates spanning a range of scholarly fields including Kinesiology, Psychology, Spanish Culture, Biology, Humanities and Communication, Marine Science, Mathematics and more. These students, whether participating as
UROC Scholars
(including McNair
Scholars
), Researchers, or
Certificate
earners, have demonstrated, via both internal and external measures, the powerful transformation that engagement in activities such as undergraduate research can bring out.
This work is not easy -- it takes tremendous effort, discipline, and passion, along with a supportive nurturing community. And though we could not celebrate our students in person, we still want to take some time to recognize their accomplishments. As we say goodbye and offer congratulations to our graduating class, we look forward to hearing about their future adventures and achievements.
Dr. John "Buck" Banks
Director
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Victoria Assad
, Scholar
Marine Science, Social & Behavioral Sciences, Statistics minor
David Calderon
, Researcher
Marine Science
Brian
Chávez Bolaños
, Researcher
Spanish Language and Hispanic Cultures
Nicole Cortes
, Researcher
Social & Behavioral Sciences
Liana Gaspar
, Researcher
Marine Science
Citlalli Gonzalez
, Researcher
Marine Science, Biology minor
Nery Gonzalez
, Researcher
Spanish Language and Hispanic Cultures, Chicanx Studies minor
Amanda Hansen
, Researcher
Psychology
Marina Hernandez
, Researcher
Marine Science
Jonathan Johnson
, Researcher
Biology
Laura Lesyna
, Scholar
Marine Science
Marisa Lovos
, Researcher
Marine Science
Erin Mansel
, Scholar*
Cinematic Arts & Technology, Journalism & Media Studies minor
Christopher Mayers
, Researcher
Computer Science
Joseph Mellow
, Researcher
Biology, Statistics minor
Rene Nunez
, Scholar*
Environmental Science, Technology,
and Policy
Esmeralda Ochoa-Villicana
,
Researcher
Human Communication, Community Health Education minor
Juan Pacheco Marcial
, Researcher
Psychology, Chicana/o Studies minor, Social Work minor
Nickolas Rahawi
, Researcher
Kinesiology
Alyssa Riley
, Researcher
Humanities & Communication
Sean Rood
, Researcher
Kinesiology
Megan Salomonson
, Scholar
Marine Science
Elvin Sarmiento
, Researcher
Biology
Maria Thompson
, Scholar*
Marine Science
Selena Velasquez
, Scholar*
Psychology, Statistics minor
Donny Wilson
, Researcher
Biology
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Randi Barton
, Researcher
Biology
Maddie Cardellio
, Researcher
Psychology
Abigail Correa
, Researcher
Psychology
Danielle Flores
, Researcher
Psychology
Timothy Geary
, Scholar
Human Communications, Practical and Professional Ethics minor
Hiovanni Gonzalez
, Researcher
Human Communication, Double Concentration in Women's Studies and Chicano Studies
Ana Gonzalez
, Scholar*
Environmental Studies
Linda Heredia Chavez
, Researcher
Spanish
Isaiah Hetebrink
, Researcher
Psychology, Human Communications minor
Danielle Layne
, Scholar
Kinesiology
Sienna Lish
, Researcher
Kinesiology, Exercise Science
Crystal Loke
, Researcher
Psychology, Statistics minor
Monica Martinez
, Researcher
Mathematics, Japanese Language and Culture Minor
Cristian Mejia
, Researcher
Psychology
Maria Miranda Ramirez
, Researcher
Psychology
Madison Ono
, Researcher
Environmental Science, Technology,
& Policy
Chloe Patch
, Researcher
Psychology, Statistics minor
Kylin Peck
, Scholar
Psychology, Statistics minor
Sonia Olmos
, Scholar*
Human Communication, Chicano Studies
Sarah Ricks
, Researcher
Business Administration
Francisca Frieda Rios
, Researcher
Human Development, Psychology
Pablo Ruiz
, Researcher
Computer Science
Josephine Sanchez
, Researcher
Psychology, Chemistry minor
Clover Stubbert
, Researcher
Molecular Biology
Thomy Tran
, Researcher
Biology, Environmental Science minor
Nichol Veles
, Researcher
Sustainable Hospitality
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*McNair Scholar --
Nested in the UROC Scholars program is the
McNair Scholars program
. A subset of UROC Scholars who meet the necessary requirements, are invited to the McNair program as well. The McNair Scholars Program’s ultimate goal is to diversify the faculty at colleges and universities across the country.
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MEET YOUR UROC MENTOR OF THE YEAR
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Dr. Jenny (Meng-Hsien) Lin
Dr. Jenny (Meng-Hsien) Lin
is currently an Assistant Professor of Marketing at California State University Monterey Bay. She received her Ph.D. in Marketing from Iowa State University as her MBA and MS in Biomedical Sciences prior to that. She holds a BS in Veterinary Medicine from Taiwan, where she is originally from.
Her research focuses on studying individual differences in sensory (olfaction, hapnic, visual) perceptions and its impact on consumer decision making and consumer well-being outcomes using a combination of surveys, behavioral experiences, neuroscience methods and in-depth interviews. Her other research interests involve understanding children's cognitive and emotional processing of online advertising and the influence of social media with the focus of empowering parents (mothers in particular) through understanding their use of social media.
Dr. Lin's work has been published in European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Consumer Affairs, Frontiers in Psychology and other scholarly outlets. Her research has implications for marketers, retailers, advertisers, and public policymakers. Dr. Lin has been awarded the Best Article for Journal of Advertising in 2019, and in the same year, she also received the CSUMB Faculty Discovery and Creation Award.
Dr. Lin has mentored 16 UROC Researchers and Scholars, including students majoring in business or psychology. Four of her past students have been selected as delegates representing CSUMB at the CSU Student Research Competition, in which two of them won first place in the Business, Economics, and Public Policy track. She has co-authored with several of her students resulting in over 10 peer-reviewed articles and can be seen in conference papers, book chapters and case study. In her free time, she enjoys spending time her 3-year-old son and 14-year-old cat. She also traveling the world and her son has followed her on many of her adventures.
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CSU Student Research Competition
2020 Winners!
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The CSU Student Research Competition is held each spring to promote excellence in undergraduate and graduate scholarly research and creative activity by recognizing outstanding student accomplishments across the 23 CSU campuses. Of the 6 students selected, f
our CSUMB students,
Nicholas Heyer
,
Jessica Folck
(alumni),
Sarah Ricks
, and
Selina Espinoza
presented at this year's virtual
CSU SRC hosted by CSU East Bay on April 24, 2020. We are thrilled to announce that two students were selected as winners!! Congratulations to all our CSUMB Delegates for representing us proudly. We will see you at next year's event in CSU Pomona!!
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Sarah Ricks, 1st Place
Business, Economic, and Public Administration Category
"I’m so honored to have been chosen and I couldn’t have done it without my mentor Dr. Jenny Lin or UROC! Special thanks to Natasha and Selena who helped me perfect my presentation!"
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Selina Espinoza, 2nd Place
Health, Nutrition, & Clinical Sciences
"Thank you to UROC, Jennifer Lovell, and the Colorado University Center for Health and Neuroscience, Genes, and Environment (CU Change) Lab for your assistance and support!"
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Selena Velasquez
2020 Outstanding Alumni Vision Award
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"I am honored to have been awarded the Outstanding Future Alumni Award because it validates my efforts in creating an impact on CSUMB and the spaces I have engaged in. I thank my previous supervisor and mentor, Martine Armstrong, EOP's Admission and Retention Advisor, for nominating me for the award. I thank all of my staff and faculty mentors for their tremendous support and for modeling to me what it means to represent CSUMB's vision and values. As a soon-to-be
alumna, I am proud to carry these values with me into my future endeavors."
What's next:
MA in Higher Education, University of Arizona
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Juan Pacheco Marcial
2020 Alumni Vision Award
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"Muchas gracias to my mentors, familia, and friends. This achievement wouldn't have happened without all the apoyo que me dieron."
What's next:
Chicanx Studies Ph.D. Program, UC Santa Barbara
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UROC is proud to play a role in the development of education ownership, intellectual vibrancy, and scholarly identity in our CSUMB students. That growth allows students to not only move into the next phase of their academic careers, but feel a lot better prepared for the rigor they will encounter. Though not all are represented, we want to congratulate and wish the best of luck to some UROC Researchers and Scholars who are off on a whole new adventure somewhere around the country.
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Nery Gonzalez
UROC Researcher
MA in Spanish
Idaho State University
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Frederick Siglar
UROC Researcher
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
Southern Illinois University
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Nichol Veles
UROC Researcher
Masters in Instructional Science and Technology
CSU Monterey Bay
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Randi Barton
UROC Researcher
MS in Marine Science
Moss Landing Marine Laboratories
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Lauren Kashiwabara
UROC Scholar
MS in Biology
University of the Pacific
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Erin Mansel
UROC McNair Scholar
MA in Fine Arts
UCLA
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Victoria Assad
UROC Scholar
PhD in Oceanography
University of Hawaii
in Manoa
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Sonia Olmos
UROC McNair Scholar
MA in Gender &
Women's Studies
University of
Wisconsin-Madison
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Amanda Hansen
UROC Researcher
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
Kent State University
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SACNAS, the society for the Advancement of Chicano and Native Americans in STEM, is a key undergraduate and graduate organization. They help thousands of students across the country by introducing them to the world of scientific research and facilitating a scientific, and cultural exchange during its annual conferences. Plenty of UROC students and alumni have participated in this wonderful conference experience. The conference is only three days out of the year though. That's why we are proud to announce that CSUMB faculty members Corin Slown and Elizabeth Mosqueda, along with student officers
McNair Scholar Silvia Vasquez (President), Veronica Gutierrez-Delgado (Vice President) and McNair Scholar Kaiku Kaholoaa (Treasurer)
have resurrected our SACNAS Chapter to provide year-round support for CSUMB students. Vice President Veronica had this to say about the club:
"Invested in your own professional success? The Society of Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) is the largest diversity inclusive organization in STEM in the United States. SACNAS is dedicated to Chicanos/Hispanics and Native American success and their journey as undergraduate students to professionals, attaining careers, and leadership positions in STEM. SACNAS is looking for students from any background who seek to connect with faculty and obtain important information regarding careers in STEM to join us for the Fall 2020 semester!"
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Meet Your New SACNAS Advisor!
Elizabeth Mosqueda, Ph.D., is the Assistant Professor of Crop Management at CSUMB. Sheis a proud native of Soledad, California and is the daughter if immigrant farmworkers from México. She received her B.S. and M.S. degrees from Fresno State in Plant Science where she was able to perform research evaluating how automated lettuce thinners can protect grower investment during labor shortages, and her Ph.D. from University of Wyoming in Agronomy where she evaluated how varying integrated pest management programs impact the evolution of herbicide resistance in weeds.
Her research interests include developing sustainable and economically viable crop and pest management practices that revolve around proactive long-term solutions opposed to reactive short-term solutions. She is also interested in mechanization and automation of varying crop management practices and evaluating the possibility of incorporating these implements for grower practice. Elizabeth is a proponent for diversity in STEM fields and especially within the agricultural sciences. She has been a member of SACNAS since she was a student and helps with diversity and inclusion initiatives for various professional societies related to agricultural sciences.
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Paul Walker Youth Leadership Award Recipient: Maggie Seida
Congratulations to UROC Scholar Maggie Seida on being selected for the Youth Leadership Award from the
Paul Walker Foundation
.
The Paul Walker Youth Award was created by the Monterey Bay Aquarium in collaboration with Paul Walker’s daughter, Meadow Walker, and the Paul Walker Foundation to honor the memory of the actor who used his celebrity to advance ocean causes and in support of philanthropic ventures. The Youth Award recognizes a young person, age 16 to 22, who is an ocean conservation champion. The Paul Walker Foundation provides a scholarship to each youth award winner to help them pursue marine science/environmental studies in college.
Since graduating high school, Maggie has played a role in ocean conservation research and outreach with the organization Innoceana. She helped develop 3D models of coral colonies in Costa Rica, assisted with the installation of a weather station in Thailand, and spoke for increased conservation efforts on Television Española, Spain's largest public news channel. Maggie is currently working with Dr. Steve Moore on developing the lighting and composition systems to be used in the collection of ROV video of MBMNS maritime heritage sites. Congratulations, Maggie!
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Opportunities are still out there...
The current health crisis has forced many research opportunities throughout the country to either cancel or postpone. But that doesn't mean that there aren't virtual opportunities still out there.
Enter Zooniverse, the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research. This research is made possible by volunteers — more than a million people around the world who come together to assist professional researchers across various disciplines, all from the comfort of you own home. Their goal is to enable research that would not be possible, or practical, otherwise. Zooniverse research results in new discoveries, datasets useful to the wider research community, and
many publications
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Please note that this is not a UROC sponsored or supported project, but simply an opportunity for students to consider as they continue exploring ways to remain engaged in research. Learn more about how you can get involved on their
website
.
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UROC Summer Update
We are excited that summer research will still be taking place at CSUMB! However, it will be modified in response to the Shelter-In-Place Order put in place in Monterey County. All summer programs, including summer courses, will happen virtually. We have asked all mentors and undergraduate researchers to adhere to all mandated guidelines for social distancing.
Additionally, students participating in the Researchers Summer program will also be required to enroll in either RSCH 294, instructed by Dr. Corin White, or RSCH 394, instructed by Natasha Oelhman. Both courses will be offered virtually and will merge in late July as we approach the Summer Symposium. We will also be offering a workshop series focused on fellowship and scholarship applications as well as other faculty- and student-led workshops throughout the summer.
Unfortunately, this year's Summer Symposium will not be face-to-face as it has been in previous years, but that won't stop us from hosting one. We're excited to host this year's Symposium in a virtual format. Stay tuned for details!
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UROC Scholar / Researcher Town Hall
Thursday, May 28 11am-12pm
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Intro to Qualitative Data
Friday, June 19 12pm-2pm
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Goldwater Scholarship
Friday, July 10 12pm-1pm
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Knight-Hennessey Scholars
Information Session Offered All Summer
(Only for Stanford University)
Website
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CSU Pre-Doctoral
Scholarship Program
Friday, June 12 12pm-1pm
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Udall Scholarship
Friday, July 24 12pm-1pm
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Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship
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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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