Class of 2017

McNair Scholar	Mentor	Title of Research
Nicole Brown	Dr. John Richeson	Dose Titration Effects of Pegbovigrastim
Joshua Castro	Professor David Clark	The Impact of Health Insurance Types on Survival Rates for Pediatric Heart Transplant Patients in the States of Texas and Oklahoma
Maria Chacon	Dr. Henry Poduthase	Religion and LGBT Community - Exploring Social and Emotional Injustice
Jonathan Espinoza	Dr. Tanner Robertson	Tattoos As Narrative and High Art
Cristian Mora	Dr. Pat Tryer	"The Life of an Undergrad: How It Feels to be Me at University". An Approach to Race and Ethnic Research.
Jose Navarrete	Dr. Tim Bowman	The Evolution of Bilingual Education and Its Spillover Effects in the Rio Grande Valley
Liliana Vasquez	Dr. Carolyn Bouma	Canine Oral Hygiene Product Efficacy on Bacteria From Canine Periodontal Disease
Sommer Wilder	Dr. Danney Rasco	Physical and Psychological Effects of Laughter Yoga Among Healthy Young Adults

Nicole Brown

Major(s): Animal Science

Classification: Senior

Anticipated Graduation Date: Fall 2017

Mentor: Dr. John Richeson

Title of Research: Dose Titration Effects of Pegbovigrastim

Joshua Castro

Major(s): Biology

Classification: Junior

Anticipated Graduation Date:

Mentor: Professor David Clark

Title of Research: The Impact of Health Insurance Types on Survival Rates for Pediatric Heart Transplant Patients in the States of Texas and Oklahoma

Maria Chacon

Major(s): Social Work

Classification: Senior

Anticipated Graduation Date:

Mentor: Dr. Henry Poduthase

Title of Research: Religion and LGBT Community - Exploring Social and Emotional Injustice

Jonathan Espinosa

Major(s):

Classification: Junior

Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2018

Mentor: Tanner Robertson, Ph.D.

Title of Research: Understanding a Modern College Campus: Measuring Compassion as it Relates to the LGBTQIA Community

Conferences Attended and/or Publications:

Career Aspirations: I hope to attend graduate school at the University of California - Berkeley where I will seek both a law degree and a master's in journalism, concurrently. I plan to utilize the skills earned at Berkeley to seek a position as a federal public defender in the United States Court System. I also hope to work in the field of advocacy, especially for the LGBTQIA community, by acting as a legal representative to join the find in ending discrimination.

Extra-Curricular Interest: When not pursuing my academic endeavors, I enjoy being in the kitchen and experimenting with new recipes. I also enjoy watching movies, with horror being my genre of choice.

How has being a McNair Scholar enhanced your academic experience? Being a scholar in the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Program has proven to be one of the most fulling and rewarding experiences of my undergraduate career. By utilizing my ability to think critically, I have come to not only appreciate academic research, but I have gained a better understanding of what will be expected of me as I pursue various degrees at both the graduate and postgraduate levels.

Cristian Mora

Major(s): English

Classification: Senior

Anticipated Graduation Date:

Mentor: Dr. Pat Tryer

Title of Research: "The Life of an Undergrad: How It Feels to be Me at University". An Approach to Race and Ethnic Research

Jose Navarrete

Major(s): History

Classification: Junior

Anticipated Graduation Date: Fall 2019

Mentor: Dr. Tim Bowman

Title of Research: The Evolution of Bilingual Education and Its Spillover Effects in the Rio Grande Valley

Liliana Vasquez

Major(s): Biology

Classification: Senior

Anticipated Graduation Date:

Mentor: Dr. Carolyn Bouma

Title of Research: Canine Oral Hygiene Product Efficacy on Bacteria From Canine Periodontal Disease

Sommer Wilder

Major(s): Psychology

Classification: Senior

Anticipated Graduation Date: Summer 2018

Mentor: Dr. Danney Rasco

Title of Research: Physical and Psychological Effects of Laughter Yoga Among Healthy Young Adults