Graduate Excellence @ the Beach - October 2018
Graduate Excellence @ The Beach
Spotlight on the 2018-19 Graduate Research Fellows
The Graduate Research Fellowship is awarded by the Dean of Graduate Studies upon recommendation from CSULB faculty to students who show potential for success in scholarly and creative activity and an interest in advanced study. The purpose of the fellowship program is to support “mentored” or collaborative scholarly and creative activities involving CSULB graduate students and faculty mentors, ultimately with the intent of enhancing the graduate student culture on campus.
Ten graduate fellowships are available annually. The amount of the fellowship is $9,000 for one academic year. Funds for this award come from the Office of the Chancellor to support graduate students who demonstrate financial need, as well as academic merit.
We are proud to present the ten 2018-19 Graduate Research Fellows. Their research and creative activities are truly impressive. We also recognize the commitment of each faculty mentor for their valuable time and effort in supporting the recipients.
Juan Campos is an MA student of Political Science at CSULB. As an aspiring professor, he is already active in teaching, research, and service. In his department he serves as a Graduate Assistant and has recently completed two research assistantships at CSULB and a teaching practicum at Long Beach City College. He was also awarded the 2018-19 CSULB Sally Casanova Scholarship. His current research asks questions pertaining to political and drug violence in Mexico. Juan plans to pursue a Ph.D. in political science, with an emphasis in comparative politics and international relations. His faculty mentor is Dr. Kevin Wallsten, Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science.
Christopher George is a graduate student in the MA of Philosophy program. His research explores the role that values play in same-sex marriage case law. This work will examine all appellate-level cases involving same-sex marriage rights to show that judges are making value judgments and are not acting with judicial “neutrality.” His analysis of legal reasoning used in this context can also be useful to support other civil rights debates, including those involving trans rights and immigrant rights. Christopher hopes to enter a PhD or joint PhD/JD program and become a professor. His faculty mentor is Dr. Nellie Wieland, Professor & Chair of the Philosophy Department.
Joe Louis Hernandez is a formerly incarcerated student currently earning a MS in Counseling, with an option in student development in higher education. As an aspiring professor, he currently works at two community colleges to gain insight into how to effectively impact policies, funding, and shifting to an anti-deficit perspective to better support underrepresented students. Joe Louis plans on pursuing a doctoral degree in education, with an interest in expanding the current conversation surrounding historically marginalized populations in higher education specifically the discourse surrounding students that have been incarcerated. His faculty mentor is Dr. Shametrice Davis, Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership.
Nicholas Johnson is currently earning a MS in Aerospace Engineering. Prior to entering the program he served as a NASA intern, where he focused on human exploration of space and space vehicles. His current research in computational fluid dynamics continues this work by improving the technology of large space vehicles to enter and land on the surfaces of distance planets, like Mars. This research will advance current knowledge, which will be of great value to private space companies and US government agencies. Nicholas aspires to work in research and development at a leading aerospace company focused on space exploration. His faculty mentor is Dr. Eun Jung Chae, Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
Jennie Jieun Lee is currently pursuing an MFA in ceramics in the School of Art. Before entering the program, she was awarded the John Simon Guggenheim grant and served as a visiting resident artist at CSULB. She has also developed and produced a solo show for The Pit, an artist run gallery in Glendale, California in spring 2017. Jennie uses large-scale ceramic sculptures in her work and has been exploring various materials to cast items. In her current work, she hopes to comment on the people that are being affected by the immigrant ban using ceramic castings and wood sculptures to illustrate the void where people used to inhabit and live. She currently is teaching ceramics to undergraduate students and is working on a book entitled Rainbow 1hr Photo. Her faculty mentor is Christopher Miles, Professor in the School of Art and Program Head of the Ceramic Arts Program.
Lee Macklin is pursuing an MS in Biochemistry at CSULB. His ongoing research uses aspects of organic chemistry and biochemistry to investigate effective treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease, a leading cause of death in the United States. By examining coumarins, a class of compounds implicated as inhibitors for several biomedically relevant enzymes, he hopes to develop a treatment that will delay the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease and clinical dementia. These findings could also lead to pharmaceutical developments and treatments for other diseases. After earning his master’s degree, Lee hopes to enter a PhD program and become a professor of biochemistry. His faculty mentor is Dr. Jason Schwans, Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
Anh Nguyen is in the MS of Physics program. Anh earned her bachelor’s degree here at CSULB and received several prestigious awards, including the Keck Energy Material Research and Education Program Scholarship, the Richard & Florence Scalettar Scholarshp Award, and the ORSP 2018 Summer Research Assistantship. As a graduate student, she is investigating the magnetic properties of manganese phthalocyanine thin films and how the properties change with deposit temperatures. This work is important for the development of technology like magnetic storage media or magnetic random access memory. Anh hopes to complete her PhD in Physics and continue researching new materials that can be helpful in combating cancer and other serious diseases. Her faculty mentor is Dr. Thomas Gredig, Professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy.
Juan Sigala is pursuing an MS in Kinesiology, with an option in Sport and Exercise Psychology. His current research explores the emotion of regret in an athlete’s experience. Specifically, he focuses on the ways in which goal setting interventions can reduce the amount of regret, leading to more satisfaction and improved ability to reach their athletic and academic goals. This will lay the groundwork for future researchers to effectively study interventions to aid in reducing regrets in sport. Juan plans to enter a PhD program and become a certified mental performance consultant, to support student-athletes develop mental skills and self-regulatory practices. His faculty mentor is Dr. Leilani Madrigal, Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology.
Olivia Silke is a CSULB graduate student in the MA in Psychology, Option in Psychological Research program. She currently works in the PRO-Health Laboratory, were she studies health and well-being of low-income mothers and their infants in community settings. She was inspired to pursue research through her experience as a lab manager at USC, where she examined the impact of mindfulness-based intervention on orthopedic surgical pain. Olivia plans to pursue a PhD in psychology, with an emphasis in health psychology. Her faculty mentor is Dr. Guido Urizar, Professor in the Department of Psychology.
Marta Wirga is in the EdS School Psychology program. Her current research explores reading interventions for students, including English learners from low-income communities, who are at increased risk of developing reading difficulties later in life. She examines the Systematic Instruction in Phonological Awareness, Phonics, and Sight Words (SIPPS) program in 124 pilot elementary schools and identifies effective training and supports for teachers in implementing new practices. Marta hopes to enter a doctoral program in school psychology and expand understanding in effective reading for diverse student populations. Her faculty mentor is Dr. Kristi Hagans, Professor in the Department of Advanced Studies in Education and Counseling.
