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January / February 2023 Newsletter
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Hello and Happy New Year! While I was in Costa Rica during our Winter Research Expedition (more on that later), I had the pleasure of being among the first to learn that our Research Assistant, UROC student and recent CSUMB grad Hannah Kim, has been accepted to a Master’s program at Eastern Washington University! Having seen Hannah grow as an ecologist during our 2022 Summer Research Expedition as well as through her work with Dr. John Olson in the UROC Researchers Program, I was of course very excited to hear her great news. Upon returning home I learned that several more of our UROC students have been invited to interview for various graduate programs across the country – and a handful of them have already been accepted!
It is certainly an exciting time for many students, and although many are receiving good news, there are also some that are patiently awaiting decisions. Applying to graduate school is a challenging process, but it is of course a necessary part of the journey towards accomplishing what we want academically and professionally – one that can have both ups and downs. With that in mind, I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone in this stage of their journey that experiencing setbacks can be just as transformative as success, especially when reframed with a growth mindset. Part of professional growth and development is to engage in new risks, and applying to graduate school fits the bill exactly. Taking advantage of the Just Write sessions offered by UROC throughout the year or attending Rejection Parties that we periodically hold in the UROC Scholars program are great ways to appreciate that mistakes are part of a process that can help curtail negative outcomes So continue stretching yourselves and learning from the mistakes you will make along the way; we will celebrate you, nonetheless!
Dr. John “Buck” Banks
Director of UROC
*picture of Buck with Hannah Kim in Costa Rica
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Meet the New UROC Scholars /
McNair Scholars Cohort!
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Please join us in welcoming the newest cohort of UROC Scholars & McNair Scholars! 12 McNair Scholars and 7 UROC Scholars -- all from diverse disciplines and research areas, spanning across three academic colleges -- will work with faculty research mentors to secure summer research positions at CSUMB and other institutions across the country; present research at academic conferences; and explore leadership opportunities to support their career and graduate school goals. We’re fortunate to have 8 returning faculty mentors to help our new cohort of Scholars through this journey and we’re thrilled to welcome 2 new faculty mentors -- Dr. Shigeko Sekine, Department of World Languages and Culture, and Dr. Arun Jani, Department of Biology and Chemistry -- this year as well.
This semester, we’re also joined by six students from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Genome Research Experiences to Attract Talented Undergraduates into the Genomics Field to Enhance Diversity (GREAT) program, who will spend their summer conducting research at the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute. We are excited to be part of their academic journeys and look forward to their growth and development as scholars.
The Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, prepares academically-talented and motivated undergraduates for doctoral studies, by providing research funding and other opportunities for scholarly advancement.
Welcome to the UROC and McNair family!
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Karla Buitrago-Yepes, Marine Science
UROC Scholar
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Cheryl Logan
Sofia Campos, Psychology
McNair Scholar
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Dyer-Seymour
Maria Fernanda Corral, Psychology
McNair Scholar
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Dyer-Seymour
Derek Flores, Kinesiology
McNair Scholar
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Maria Bellumori
Anne Hansen, Marine Science
UROC Scholar
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sherry Palacios
Caleb Hernandez, Marine Science
McNair Scholar
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Cheryl Logan
Damaris Ispache, Agricultural Plant and Soil Science
McNair Scholar
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Arun Jani
Samarth Jayadev, Marine Science
UROC Scholar
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sherry Palacios
Sara Jew, Psychology
UROC Scholar
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Renee Penalver
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Jasmin Juarez-Gonzalez, Marine Science
McNair Scholar
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Cheryl Logan
Levi Mahler, Japanese Language & Culture
McNair Scholar
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Shigeko Sekine
Jhoana Morales-Lopez, Psychology
McNair Scholar
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Dyer-Seymour
Oscar Murrillo-Espinoza, Mathematics
McNair Scholar
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alison Lynch
Efrain Ramirez, Psychology
McNair Scholar
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Danielle Burchett
Samantha Ulloa, Psychology
McNair Scholar
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Renee Penalver
Yeritzi Victoria, Psychology
McNair Scholar
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Renee Penalver
Alyssa Walter, Marine Science
UROC Scholar
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alison Haupt
Lilah Wise, Marine Science
UROC Scholar
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alison Haupt
Josie Wrinkle, Marine Science
UROC Scholar
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alison Haupt
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Costa Rica Winter 2023
Research Expedition
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After a successful 2022 CSU-LSAMP Costa Rica Summer Research Expedition, we did it again in January 2023! A total of 10 students, representing San Francisco State University, Long Beach State University, Sonoma State University, Chico State University, Stanislaus State University, Sacramento State University, and of course, CSU Monterey Bay, embarked on a research expedition to the small village of Mastatal to collect and measure body/leg lengths of spiders and beetles in farmland and nearby forests to answer questions about how best to preserve biological diversity in heavily managed landscapes. Students collected and processed over 700 spider and beetle specimens, measuring their body lengths (and leg lengths in the case of spiders) in order to better understand how traits like mobility and predation ability might be potential drivers of the abundance and diversity patterns. At the end of the expedition, specimens were delivered to taxonomic specialist colleagues at the Museo Nacional de Costa Rica in San Jose, Costa Rica, for further identification.
Check out our Instagram page to see how much fun we had!
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For nearly the last 10 years, the California State University Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (CSU-LSAMP) has recognized the outstanding academic, research, and service achievements of selected LSAMP students and alumni across the CSU-wide alliance in a publication PROUD (Program Recognizing Outstanding Undergraduate Distinction). The PROUD scholars have distinguished themselves in so many ways and we are PROUD to recognize the following CSUMB students who were selected to be featured this academic year. Learn more about their accomplishments as well as those of the LSAMP community across the CSU. | |
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Wendy Feng
McNair Scholar
Outstanding Service/Leadership
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Maria Rocha
McNair Scholar
Outstanding Service/Leadership
Outstanding Research in STEM
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Gloria Greenstein
UROC Researcher
Outstanding Research in STEM
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And a Round of Applause Goes to… | |
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Congratulations to UROC Scholar, Grace Hardy, and UROC Researcher, Jasper Tao, for being awarded first place in the Research Poster Competition at the 2023 California Plant and Soil Conference in Fresno, CA. Huge shout out to their research mentor, Dr. JP Dundore-Arias, for his guidance through all this!
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The Graduate School & Professional Degree Prep Conference: Writing your Application provides the foundation and resources to submit a competitive graduate school (i.e., master, doctorate) and professional degree program (i.e., credential, law, medical) application. Designed with you in mind, sessions will offer the opportunity to work on parts of your application, so you can get a head start!
Why this conference? Competitive applicants start to plan at least 6 months before program deadlines. For academic doctoral (Ph.D.) programs, master's programs, and professional programs, that date is June 2023 to apply for fall 2023.
Planning starts now! Join and apply soon for this free 3- day conference (breakfast and lunch included)
Conference is May 23-25 at CSUMB.
Sponsored by the CSUMB METAS grant (ED-Grants-122719-001)
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Applications for the 2023 Research, Scholarship, & Creative Activity Showcase are now open!
The CSUMB's Research, Scholarship, & Creative Activity Showcase is a forum for students to share their research, scholarship, and creative work within CSUMB and the surrounding community. Students, under the guidance of one or more faculty members within their department, or multiple departments for interdisciplinary projects, are eligible to submit a project to be considered for the showcase. All faculty-mentored research projects are welcomed!
The Spring Showcase, part of National Undergraduate Research Week, will be at the CSUMB Tanimura and Antle Library! Don’t delay and submit your application today!
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Check out Fulbright U.S. Student Program Opportunities!
With its mission to foster mutual understanding between nations, advance knowledge across communities, and improve lives around the world, Fulbright is the premier international exchange program that offers many funded opportunities for graduating seniors and alum eager to make a global impact. This session will cover two awards: the Research Study Grant and English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) that are part of the U.S. Student Fulbright Program.
Questions or want to know more? Contact Natasha Oehlman, UROC's Writing and Professional Communication Associate, is the official campus Fulbright Campus Advisor (FPA) for U.S. Student Programs. The Fulbright Advisor is available to meet with CSUMB students and alum to learn more about the Fulbright student awards available.
Fulbright U.S. Student Awards open in April 2023. Applications are due October 2023. Inquire about the summer workshop sessions available to develop a competitive application.
Register for the upcoming information session, April 14, 2023 at 1pm over Zoom.
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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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