In This Edition
December 17, 2020
DPC Newsletter Volume 5, Issue 3
Diversity Program Consortium December 2020 Newsletter
As COVID-19 continues to impact the nation, 2020 fall conferences such as SACNAS and ABRCMS pivoted to online platforms. To celebrate the perseverance of student researchers and the biomedical research community, the Diversity Program Consortium (DPC) launched a social media campaign highlighting BUILD trainees and promoting participating partners like the National Research Mentoring Network and National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
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The #FaceOfScience is a social media campaign created by the DPC Coordination and Evaluation Center at the University of California, Los Angeles. The goal of the campaign is to visualize inclusive excellence in the biomedical sciences and the STEM fields in general.
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During the past year, Janelle Talavera, a recent graduate of California State University, Northridge (CSUN) and alumna of BUILD PODER, accomplished the nearly impossible feat of publishing as first author on her research regarding speciation.
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Morgan State University ASCEND Scholar Rolling Zebaze won an award for his poster presentation at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) titled "Effects of Wealth on COVID-19 Mortality and Morbidity" in the Social, Behavioral Science, and Public Health category.
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Four XULA BUILD Project Pathway Trainees submitted research and presentations. Technicians Caryn Butler, Kayla Strong and Ly Tran had their work featured during the conference alongside current Xavier student Breyanah Graham.
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Forming a network of mentors and peers who can open doors to opportunities, offer support and encouragement, and create a sense of community is an important part of any emerging scientist’s journey. One of the best ways for young scholars to start making connections beyond their own institution is at academic conferences.
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“It’s not just hiking. It’s not just recreating, it has a focus,” APU Professor Roman Dial said of their data-collecting method, which the group called “pixel-walking.” During a four-week expedition, Dial’s students collected 3,000 data points along a 375-mile route to compare against satellite imagery.
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Eufemio’s research focuses on investigating the presence and accumulation of microplastics in Littleneck Clams, a growing concern in Alaska because many Alaskan Natives and rural people collect their own clams in subsistence gathering.
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For the past five years, BUILDing SCHOLARS at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) has held a research symposium in the fall to provide trainees the opportunity to present the research they conducted over the summer. Event organizers around the world have had to adapt to quarantine conditions under the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic by holding remote events online this year, and BUILD was no exception.
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While it can be great to have a mentoring partner in proximity for your day-to-day tasks and activities, seeking a virtual mentoring partner outside of your bubble creates the opportunity for personal growth and new perspectives, for mentees and mentors alike.
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Three Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) BUILD Project Pathways Trainees recently participated in virtual presentations of their research during online conferences.
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Lorena Melendez, a senior at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) and BUILD PODER Scholar, was recognized this year for her work in nutrition by both Drexel University and the American Heart Association.
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Spotlights on three UAF BLaST community members: Faculty pilot project awardee Maegan Weltzin, BLaST Senior director Michael Castellini, and BLaST Scholar Brianna Lu.
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SF State Faculty, Zena Mello, Ph.D., who has a doctorate in Human Development and Family Studies, was awarded funding by the Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program to study the relationship between racism and tobacco use in adolescents as influenced by time perspective
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Mentors give back from a place of understanding, love, and compassion, and benefit from an important development and learning experience. NRMN SETH is celebrating Mark Burke, Ph.D., as a mentor who exemplifies these values.
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Recently, Sunda-Meya was awarded the American Physical Society’s 2021 Excellence in Physics Education honor on behalf of the American Physical Society. The award generally recognizes a team or group of individuals or, in exceptional cases, a single individual who has exhibited a sustained commitment to excellence in physics education—this year, Sunda-Meya received this honor.
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The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic did not slow down Morgan State University’s ASCEND Scholars this summer. The following students were able to continue their summer research with institutions that made the experiences possible and intellectually rewarding.
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In September 2020, Morgan State University (MSU) illustrated their steadfast commitment to undergraduate student success by creating a brand-new office: the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR).
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NRMN Virtual Engagement Strategist Katie Stinson writes about the positivity found in helping people across the United States find meaningful mentoring relationships that help them achieve their dreams.
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The DPC Dissemination and Translation Awards (DaTA) awardee Hawai‘i Pacific University (HPU) received $750,000 from the National Institutes of Health for the creation of a student research center. This project draws inspiration from the Student Research Center at Morgan State University, which was developed through the ASCEND program.
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NRMN supported the 2020 National Postdoc Appreciation Week from September 21-25 hosted by the National Postdoctoral Association. Dr. Christine Pfund (NRMN-CC) delivered a keynote discussing best practices for mentorship
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Recently, the American Chemical Society (ACS) interviewed Maryam Foroozesh, Ph.D., the XULA BUILD Project Pathways Principal Investigator and director of the Administrative and Research Enrichment Cores.
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On Nov. 10, California State University, Northridge (CSUN) was named as this year’s IEP Talent Award recipient during the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) annual 2020 Innovation & Economic Prosperity University Awards.
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A new paper was published in Journal of Clinical and Translational Science by Akshay Sood’s (Ph.D.) NRMN U01 team titled “Measuring organizational mentoring climate: Importance and availability scales”
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Drs. Cynthia Morris (BUILD EXITO) and Doris Rubio (NRMN) presented DPC efforts in a session titled “Workforce Development: Building a Diverse and Inclusive Workforce”
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Event Date: Fri, Jan 15, 2021 Location: virtual |
Event Date: Sat, May 01, 2021 to Sun, Aug 01, 2021 Location: Virtual |
Event Date: Tue, Jun 01, 2021 to Fri, Aug 06, 2021 Location: Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia |
The NIH Diversity Program Consortium (DPC) Newsletter provides updates on activities at DPC sites, shares progress on collaborative efforts within the consortium, and highlights news and recent publications related to diversity and mentoring in the biomedical sciences.
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