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Undergraduate Research Mentoring Collaborate

During the 2017/2018 academic year, the Promesa Scholars program piloted their first undergraduate research partnership with faculty across the Ferris State University community.

Throughout this project, faculty elected to mentor Promesa Scholars for one semester to complete a research project proposal and presentation at the Wayne State University "La Academia del Pueblo" Latino Undergraduate research conference. This collaboration assisted Promesa Scholars to (I) gain exposure to undergraduate research opportunities beyond campus and job opportunities as research assistants, (2) build meaningful relationships and network with faculty, and (3) Learn to balance collaborative and individual work.

 

Anuli Njoku                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Anuli Njoku, DrPH, MPH

Asistant Professor of Public Health,

FSU College of Health Profession

During the 2018 Spring semester, I elected to be a faculty mentor for the Promesa Scholars Program due to excitement at the prospect of mentoring students on a research project of importance to them and seeing the process culminating in a conferece presentation. I greatly benefited from completing a pipeline program in college, and saw mentoring for the Promesa Scholars program as a wonderful way to "pay it forward".

Being a Promesa Scholars faculty mentor has been one of my most meaningful mentoring experiences. Among others, I fained inter-cultural, interpersonal, and mentoring skills. My mentees learned about expectations for conducting research, etiquette at professional conferences, networking, and presentation preparation and delivery. Seeing our hard work culminate in a conference top poster award was a defining moment. The beauty of the Promesa Scholars program is that it engages students and exposes them to research, fosters important dialogue between  faculty and students, and promotes strategies for success and retention among underrepresented college students.


The following research proposals were accepted for presentation at the April 21, 2018 Wayne State University "La Academia del Pueblo" undergraduate research conference.

Diabetes in the Michigan Hispanic Community

-By Maria Alvarado, and Taylor Flannigan

-Faculty Mentor: Dr. Anuli Njoku

Best Practices for Health Communication in the Latino Community

-By Amanda Sanchez

-Faculty Mentor: Fathima Wakeel, PhD, MPH

Drag Queen Culture: Brazilian Icon

-By Julia Castilho

-Faculty Mentor: Lucero Flores-Paez

Roosevelt Park Community Engagement Assessment

-By Samantha Sanchez-Rivera, Liz McPherson, Anna Rivera, and Jordan Coney

-Faculty Mentor: Christopher Cosper

Narrative Paradigm: Analysis of Different Holland, MI Immigrant Narratives

-By Cristian T Gomez-Canchola, Lezley Rodriguez, and Sandra Ramirez Espinoza

-Faculty Mentor: Stephanie Thomson

Factors Influencing Latino Latino Dropouts

-By Bryan Salinas and David Perez

-Faculty Mentor: Kristin Conley

Hispanic/Latino Retention in the Education Field

-By Jackie G. Calzada, Kristin Conley

-Faculty Mentor: Kristin Conley

Frida Kahlo: Virtues and Legacy on Mexican Culture

-By Daniel Rivera

-Faculty Mentor

The Latin Influence and Scope of Impact on American Music

-By Juan A. Ramirez-Diaz and Rogelio Nino-Vasquez

-Faculty Mentor: Mike Berghoef