2022 鈥 2023 Graduate Equity Fellows

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Genecy Chopin

Genecy Chopin

Master of Science in Criminology & Criminal Justice

Genecy鈥檚 鈥渢hesis highlights the negative impact of homelessness criminalization, by means of police enforcement, on the unhoused population, living in downtown Los Angeles, most of whom were Black or Latino/Hispanic and female.鈥 Through her work, Genecy was able to give her 鈥減articipants a meaningful experience鈥 and 鈥渢he opportunity to voice their concerns and opinions.鈥 Genecy鈥檚 findings outline recommendations for 鈥減olicy change and alternative means to address homelessness.鈥

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Jack Hanson

Jack Hanson

Master of Science in Chemical Engineering

Jack engaged in multiphase research on 3D metal printing for prosthetics, pharmaceutical powders that lead to medicines, and 鈥渢he interactions of water droplets and differing engineered surfaces commonly observed in various industrial applications.鈥  The goals of his studies are 鈥渢o produce more efficient, efficacious, quality, and safely engineered products鈥 that can reduce 鈥渨astefulness,鈥 address the 鈥渄etrimental impacts鈥 of products on environments and provide 鈥渂etter medical solutions.鈥

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Anise Mansour

Anise Mansour

Master of Science in Physics

Anise uses material science to address environmental justices that disproportionately impact low-income communities. I would like to address the benefits of materials research for a more equitable society. 鈥淢aterial science innovations are an important part of working toward correcting environmental justices,鈥 as 鈥減hysicists can make advancements to smaller, more energy efficient electronics with unique properties,鈥 and create renewable energy technologies.

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Tuyet-Suong Nguyen

Tuyet-Suong Nguyen

Master of Science in Counseling Student Development in Higher Education

Tuyet-Suong鈥檚 鈥渢hesis research focuses on AAPI college students and how their experiences of acculturation, discrimination, and internalized racism affect their social justice views.鈥 Her 鈥渞esearch shows the importance of challenging misconceptions and learning more about how different factors affect the way AAPI college students view social justice. By understanding the experiences of AAPI college students, higher education professionals will have a better understanding of how to support this student population in a way that makes them feel safe and heard.鈥

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Andriana Niederecker

Andriana Niederecker

Master of Arts in Linguistics, Language Documentation & Description

Andriana鈥檚 work is in 鈥渓anguage documentation and description 鈥 to bring more awareness to endangered and underrepresented languages from around the world鈥 and ensure that 鈥渢he languages and community鈥檚 knowledge are recorded in history.鈥 Through language documentation and description, 鈥渦nderrepresented and endangered communities鈥 can be empowered 鈥渢o sustain, revitalize, and reclaim their ethnic identity from forces that impacted them like colonialism, urbanization, globalization, or climate change.鈥

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Alitzah Oros

Alitzah Oros

Master of Art in Art History

Alitzah considers the impact of 鈥渂ody-based performance practices that utilize elements of pain and discomfort鈥 to 鈥渢ell the truth about colonial and neo-colonial atrocities鈥︹ 鈥渋n a way that made visible communitarian resistance efforts advanced by indigenous and afro-indigenous communities in Guatemala, Chile, and parts of the Caribbean archipelago.鈥

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Ariane Mica Segismundo

Ariane Mica Segismundo

Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology

Ariane Mica investigated the barriers that students of color face in seeking a master鈥檚 degree in speech-language pathology. Ariane Mica鈥檚 work identifies several areas for support to address the needs of marginalized students to diversify her field and better serve her communities.

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Evelyn Soto

Evelyn Soto

Master of Arts in Political Science

Evelyn engages in scholarly activism that 鈥渟trives to uplift the LGBTQ community and educate others about queer history and legal struggles for equality.鈥 Specifically, Evelyn examined the narrow construction of gender and sexuality within the U.S Supreme Court opinion of Bostock v. Clayton Co. Evelyn鈥檚 research relies on a queer trans-feminist framework and shows that the opinion essentially erases 鈥渘onbinary individuals, bisexuals, and asexuals.鈥 This has implications for queer trans-feminist jurisprudence and politics.

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Azuki Umeda

Azuki Umeda

Master of Fine Arts in Dance

Azuki created a performance entitled how i became kinder, & kinder that is a self-reflection revealing 鈥渁 vulnerable side of being a first-generation Asian woman鈥, while also making her 鈥渇eel comfortable in [her] own skin.鈥 Through this work, Azuki discovered her 鈥渢rue voice鈥 and is 鈥渆xcited to keep growing and learning more about the self鈥nd fully embrace [her] diverse background.鈥

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Aimee Vaquera

Aimee Vaquera

Ed.D Higher Ed & Leadership

Aimee relies on research to inform University policy and practices that support undocumented transfer students throughout the CSU. Through a qualitative study, Aimee explained that being undocumented is one of many intersecting identities that shape the campus they choose to attend, the relationships they create, their priorities, and how they seek-out and navigate resources. Her study helps eliminate equity gaps throughout the CSU.

 

Michelle Castillo

MS Biochemistry

Michelle studies Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), which 鈥渄isproportionately affects minority groups and is increasingly affecting younger age groups.鈥 Michelle studies glucose homeostasis in which 鈥渃ells fail to respond to insulin signaling to reduce blood glucose鈥 by investigating the effects of various isoforms on insulin resistance.  Michelle hopes that this work can help鈥 predict disease onset and develop effective treatments for T2D.鈥

 

Shayan Sheikhrezaei

PhD Engineering & Computational Math