Major: political science and international relations
Hometown: Las Vegas
Mentor: Adam Dunbar, assistant professor of criminal justice; College of Liberal Arts
Briefly explain your research: Our first project explored whether the race of a police officer affected support for that officer using force against a suspect. Our second project examines whether the class and racial demographics of a neighborhood affect support for police militarization in that area.
How has your mentor supported you? Associate Professor Dunbar has been an invaluable part of my research journey. On a professional level, he has heavily contributed to my ability to design experiments, formulate research questions and think critically about different contexts and relationships. More than that, his unwavering encouragement, sensitive feedback and commitment to open communication have helped build my confidence and developed my self-esteem in a way that makes me comfortable tackling challenges and personal frustrations.
What do you hope to accomplish before graduating? My interest in research is rooted in my personal curiosities; I gain a lot of satisfaction from exploring and explaining potential relationships. So, by the time I reach graduation, I hope to have explored the questions that are most interesting to me.
What is the most exciting research achievement you’ve experienced so far? The most exciting achievement thus far was presenting at the Wolf Pack Discoveries Symposium last May. I really enjoyed the opportunity to present my research, which helped me discover a deeper understanding of my own project.
What do you plan to do after graduation? After graduation, I hope to enroll in a joint master’s in public policy and juris doctor program.
How has on-campus research prepared you for your professional career? Research has helped me develop my professional writing abilities and taught me how to develop roadmaps between different relationships in my head.
Major: chemical engineering
Hometown: Redondo Beach, Calif.
Mentor: Samuel Odoh, associate professor of chemistry; College of Science
Briefly explain your research: I work in computational chemistry. We develop and use computer models to predict the properties of molecular compounds and crystalline substances, such as their energies or structures. We adjust these models for accuracy and use preexisting models to investigate reaction chemistry or develop materials with certain desired properties.
How has your mentor supported you? Dr. Odoh explains the details of the chemical processes we investigate.
What do you hope to accomplish before graduating? I hope to contribute in whatever way I can to the overall work towards discovery.
What is the most exciting research achievement you’ve experienced so far? We unexpectedly had the opportunity to be on the cover page for a journal. We designed cover artwork on short notice while trying to accurately describe the project visually to a broader audience.
What do you plan to do after graduation? I intend to get a M.S. in chemical engineering and then go into renewable energy research.
How has on-campus research prepared you for your professional career? Research provides problem-solving skills that are less directly learned in a classroom setting.
Major: Master’s in ecology, evolution and conservation biology
Hometown: Carson City
Mentors: Zeb Hogan, research associate professor of biology, and Sudeep Chandra, director of the Ozmen Institute for Global Studies, director of the Global Water Center and professor of biology; College of Science
Briefly explain your research: I am conducting research in Cambodia to understand traditional fishing practices in one of the world’s largest and most biodiverse freshwater fisheries. Fishing is essential to food security and livelihoods, but climate change and increased human demands on the ecosystem place the stability of fisheries at risk.
How have your mentors supported you? My mentors have supported me throughout my journey — recommending and reading award applications, helping me select classes, and consistently checking my progress. Knowing I have their support, years of experience and knowledge to guide my work is encouraging.
What do you hope to accomplish before graduating? I look forward to building deeper connections with my peers here and in Cambodia. I want to provide managers in Cambodia with a framework for using new technology to solve conservation challenges and share what we’ve learned about traditional fishing methods with local communities.
What is the most exciting research achievement you’ve experienced so far? I was introduced to this research by Teresa Campbell ’17 M.S. (biology). Her support and welcoming attitude inspired me to continue working in Cambodia. Last summer, I was able to bring two undergraduates from the Nevada Young Explorers program with me. It was a full-circle moment and rewarding to watch them discover Cambodia and connect with local students just as I had done five years before.
What do you plan to do after graduation? I would like to pursue my Ph.D. I plan to focus my career on aquatic conservation and protecting the world’s freshwater resources.
How has on-campus research prepared you for your professional career? On-campus research has been integral to my path to becoming a scientist. In classes and labs, I’ve learned the skills necessary to design and implement my own research projects and share results in a meaningful way. I’ve also learned lessons about cooperation within a team — how to bring people together to work toward a common goal.
Major: Master’s in journalism
Hometown: Medellín, Colombia
Mentor: Kelsey M. Fitzgerald ’15 M.A., associate professor of practice in science communication; Reynolds School of Journalism
Briefly explain your research: Multimedia pieces that combine science and environmental reporting, data visualization, and storytelling, with a solutions-journalism approach. It consists of a series of YouTube mini-documentaries that broadcast climate change-related impacts on communities in vulnerable situations in Medellín, Colombia; San Blas Islands, Panamá and locally in Reno. The videos are in Spanish with subtitles in English and all the multimedia content will be held in a StoryMap.
How has your mentor supported you? Associate Professor Fitzgerald has provided me with advice, shared authors, papers and books with me, connected me with researchers and experts, advised me to apply to different opportunities, and shared various tools with me.
What do you hope to accomplish before graduating? The best way to communicate climate change-related matters to younger generations. I hope to test my videos and multimedia materials.
What is the most exciting research achievement you’ve experienced so far? A trip to Panamá — to the San Blas Islands — to live with the Kuna Indigenous community and learn about their culture and cosmovision related to sea level rise for one of the episodes of my project.
What do you plan to do after graduation? I was recruited to be part of The Hitchcock Project for Visualizing Science for one more year to help journalists and scientists communicate their research better, report on science/environment topics related to northern Nevada, and assist researchers with multimedia projects.
How has on-campus research prepared you for your professional career? I now know how to be more versatile in science communication. I can write, take photos, edit videos and audio, work with websites, and manage social media platforms.