2022/2023
Scholarship Recipients
Achraf Abouras
"The OSRC has opened an incredible door for me, leading me into an abundance of experiences I have only imagined being a part of. The program has offered me a one-on-one experience with a mentor, an experience that was dreadful to obtain before OSRC. I could talk to a real-time, real-world expert in my field of study and ask any questions while getting honest feedback. My mentor has shown me how to conduct an experiment and be able to test my hypothesis. Something I have only thought I would be able to do in a master's degree program where I would have to figure things out myself. I am proud of what I have contributed to social psychology in how to reduce stereotyping. In essence, my experience with OSRC has been an inspiring and solidifying project path to future research in psychology. I have OSRC to thank for providing the opportunity, building bridges for me, opening doors I would not have been able to open on my own, and in hopes of returning to the program for more experiences and opportunities. Thank you - especially Bettina Muenster."
Aliyah Williams
"Through the OSRC program, I have strengthened my current skills and found new interests. Better understanding research design, how to develop research questions, and data analysis are skills which will be helpful throughout my entire career. I had the privilege of developing a community of peers and mentors who all share similar goals, aspirations, and values. This research and my participation in OSRC has helped me understand my purpose. I want to be both an academic expert and a source of healing for Black women who have experienced sexual violence. I have been able to combine my understanding of spirituality, sexuality, trauma, wellbeing, and feminism to navigate the complexities of racial and gender identity and inequality which promote sexual violence in our culture. Most importantly, this research has allowed me to heal."
Amy Polinsky
"I hope the research that I have completed contributes to the literature on the challenges that bilingual individuals face for neurological assessments. As the world is becoming more globalized - and particularly in North America - bilingualism is on the rise and this is an issue that impacts millions. I am glad to be contributing to the movement of psychological science to be more inclusive of minority groups and I hope that this information will eventually translate to implementation in the health field so that more people are receiving appropriate care. The OSRC team and Bettina was great to work with. Specifically, Bettina was friendly, knowledgeable, and committed to creating a fun and safe space for our cohort to be together and create our own community. She helped me improve my writing and presentation skills, and bolstered my confidence in the ability to go forward in this area. I appreciate all the hard work she dedicated to each one of us."
Arjanita Elezaj
"In my opinion, the right faculty mentorship program prioritizes peer to peer connection and network expansion. Through my years, being part of the OSRC research mentorship program has engaged me in numerous opportunities to reflect on my impact in non-evaluative setting. The program has provided me with the opportunity to explore new ideas and grow without the fear of judgment, as well as receive reassurance from someone who cares about me. I believe that these facts naturally work to increase confidence in myself. I see my research as contributing to the existing literature by adding the valuable experiences of Albanian American women to combat domestic violence. The recommendations provided and the lessons learned from this research would serve and be transferable to every immigrant community. And the impact it has on the respective field will be tremendous. The presentation training has also been a huge help for me by providing me with constant feedback: being in a cohort I was able to receive regular feedback from my peers as well as from my faculty, and especially Bettina which has allowed me to fine-tune my abilities and understanding throughout the course. Overall, the supportive environment of a cohort has helped me stay motivated and devoted to my research, leading to higher retention and completion rates. The program is the best in every aspect of it."
Ayzha Talley
"The mentorship I have received through the OSRC has been wonderful and very educational. Again, as someone who has had no experience in research, it was extremely important that my mentor allowed space for curiosity and questions, and that was absolutely the case. The OSRC has given me the opportunity to not only conduct funded research, but to also connect with people who are interested in different fields, at different stages of school and in their careers. It was always really inspiring to see what the other students were interested in and to see how they were approaching their studies, but also to get feedback from them. I remembered thinking that during our first mini presentations, students would think my study was the oddball, but I ended up having several thoughtful questions at the end of my presentation, and it made me feel so seen. I am extremely grateful for the community and friendships I was able to make in the cohort. Most importantly though, for the ability to grow in my research skills and to be accepted at the pace I was at."
Dilan Morales Caro
"One of my proudest accomplishments during this project year was the cultivation of perseverance through hard times of the research when no progress could be easily seen, as well as the development and implementation of a unique analytical framework. A framework that helped me dissect difficult topics into manageable tasks to understand the intricacies of my research. The complexity of the task combined with its successful completion, leading to potentially transformative results in the field of cryptography, and in the lives of people, added to my sense of pride and achievement. This experience also taught me that research is not merely a process of information gathering, but a dynamic and transformative journey of intellectual growth. My next steps involve further refining the analytical framework I developed by making it more simple in its application, as well as developing my implementation fully and potentially publishing my findings to contribute to the academic discourse."
Emily Ives
"Over the course of my time working with Dr. Jeglic and the OSRC team, I feel like I have improved mostly in my confidence and ability to rely on myself, my own work, and my prior experiences. While Dr. Jeglic was ready to offer assistance when I required it, she took a very hands-off approach to my thesis advising which both made me feel as though she had faith in my work and allowed me time to navigate the research process on my own. In this vein, I am particularly proud of my ability to complete a research project from conceptualization, to writing, data analysis, and editing in a self directed way. Presenting my work for people who were not intimately familiar with my study, or even the area of my research also made me a more effective communicator and ensured that I was dedicating the necessary time and attention to my work throughout the entirety of my year in the program. Meetings with Bettina also helped me develop my professional ability, allowed me to see avenues by which to better my work, and offered support. She was someone to commiserate with when stress of applications and research was overwhelming. For these reasons, the OSRC program was foundational in allowing me to both, complete my thesis, and my acceptance to a Ph.D. program to continue research."
Eliza Popa
"The Office for Student Research and Creativity (OSRC) Scholarship Program was not only an amazing opportunity, but also a great environment for conducting undergraduate research. Bettina and the staff were incredibly helpful in times of student need; when I needed help with the stats for my project, Yan gave her time to guide me through it. I will always appreciate the immense professionalism of the program! I was really happy to be able to create a paper and poster of the preliminary study and present it at several conferences. My mentor and I now wish to refine the study in order to work towards publishing by the end of the next year. A second year in the OSRC program will greatly help in reaching this goal as it will provide me, not only with the necessary findings to continue data collection, but also the important assignments and encouraged milestones within the program to keep the study on track and me, the researcher, focused and organized."
Jeeyun (Christine) Lee
"Through each and every step of my thesis development, my advisor, Dr. Weiss, has provided me with support in diverse domains that expanded my perspectives and contributed to my personal and professional growth. She transferred some of the most valuable knowledge, that is unobtainable somewhere else, based on her expertise in psychological assessment and treatment across cultural variables. As a result, I was able to overcome self-doubt and increase self-assurance in my research abilities and achievements, which also led me to submit my research to professional conferences. This was perhaps one of my biggest achievements as a researcher - presenting three of my research projects at the American Psychological Association Convention for two years in a row alongside some of the preeminent researchers, educators, clinicians, and students."
Joie Ning
"As a second-year OSRC scholar, I have grown to realize more and more that my research topic and question is very important in today's society. I consider it important because of the impact that news media has on people and their political views. I have connected with many people about my research because the phenomenon I research on specifically tailored to the topics of U.S.-China relations, anti-Asian hate, and COVID-19. With additional research experience, I was able to develop into a more full-fledged researcher this year as I conducted all the preliminary research last year. The component I enjoyed the most this year was having the opportunity to go into the community and learn about people's thoughts on the media and the impact it's had on them. Gathering data from the field was very rewarding because I was able to listen to different stories and interact with those part of the community. I am especially proud of myself for completing the project with the guide from Professor Lee, my mentor, and Bettina. Even though I had a lot of classes throughout the semesters and was struggling at times to designate multiple hours to OSRC work, they never gave up on me and motivated me to finish the project."
Marco Alba
"Overall, this year has been a great success for me as I was able to complete my own research project under the mentorship of Professor Antoniadis. I am thankful for her support, patience, and commitment throughout the whole academic year. As a college student born in San Francisco De Macoris, Dominican Republic, my research project focused on the effect of tourism for the local residents and environments of the Caribbean islands. Finding the results to this research question is important for me because I want to provide valuable insight to give a greater context of sustainability practices to common human participation in foreign spaces. I am hoping people can learn to take care of any spaces they are in, whether it is close or far away from home. With the completion of my research, I am also thankful to Bettina and the OSRC staffers. They were there to support me whether or not I reached out for help. I found the presentation feedback to be very helpful as I was able to reflect on my own presentation skills and make improvements every time we had a new assignment."
Melitta Oppenheim
"Dr. Jeglic has been an impactful mentor over the past year and I hope to continue working with her. She is passionate, dedicated, hardworking, and her commitment to bettering the lives of individuals through her research is inspiring. She not only researches an issue but also works to see how it can be addressed and improved. I have learned that research is ever evolving, growing, at times frustrating, and key to improvement. The process I have gone through conducting my research has given me much appreciation for the research field and those involved. Research takes time; a lot of adaptability and the utmost ethics are required to conduct proper research. If we want things to change, to understand why a problem exists, and improve the world, research is essential. The presentation training and meetings with Bettina over the course of the year has been very impactful. She is a wealth of knowledge, who is always there to listen and provides such insightful advice. When meeting with Bettina and any of her OSRC staffers, you really feel they are rooting for you and are always there to help. I will often receive an email or text ensuring things are going smoothly, asking if I need help or just checking in. This is something I have not found in any other John Jay division. When I filled out the OSRC application a year ago, I did not know what an impactful and inspiring experience it would be. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to be part of the OSRC program and look forward to continue as a second-year student."
Narick Kevin Harrilall
Narick Kevin Harrilall is a first-generation college student born and raised in Guyana, South America. Currently, he is a senior pursuing a Forensic Psychology major, English minor and an Addiction Studies Certificate Program. Kevin’s research will explore the possible connections between Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and how those might translate into treatment.
Oscar Zielinski
"Conducting undergraduate research through the Office of Student Research and Creativity is an experience that has allowed me to grow many skill sets. Data collection, critically reviewing literature, presenting and public speaking are all challenges that, with help from faculty and staff mentorship, have created many growth opportunities for myself professionally. This network of scholars and researchers has a sense of community that I will carry on throughout life. Presenting facts found during our literature review was my proudest moment this year. Professor Rougier's caring and detailed approach allowed me to gain confidence while preparing for our several presentations. Gaining real feedback from my peers was also a growth opportunity to improve during the second semester of my research. Being around experienced and seasoned scholars took me out of my comfort zone. Bettina has been very important to myself since returning to school and starting research. Somebody who is reassuring, thoughtful, intuitive, and holds me accountable. Through our meetings, Bettina has helped me brainstorm and develop my research project in its execution and development. Everything about being part of the 2022-23 OSRC cohort has opened myself to the possibilities of furthering my academic career - this is a memory I will forever value."
Seunghye Yang
"The fact that I could complete my thesis project is one of the accomplishments I am proud of. Another accomplishment I am proud of was that I could study a research topic that did not have much preceding research. My research topic was a newly emerging online sexual abuse, called Image-Based Sexual Abuse (IBSA), and because it is an emerging phenomenon along with the development of the internet, there was not much literature yet. During my time in the program, the cohort meetings and presentation trainings were very helpful to me, especially when I prepared for my thesis defense. It was good practice to present my work to an audience. More specifically, it was an opportunity for me to think about what the most efficient way would be to present my thesis, so that even lay audiences can understand what I was trying to find in the study. Since there were a total of three opportunities to present on my own, I could organize what I want to present and how I explain my findings."
Shermarke Thomas
"When I learned about the OSRC program through the website, I became intrigued about the possibility of conducting my own project about a topic I explored tirelessly during my junior year of my undergraduate studies at John Jay: felony disenfranchisement. It was surprising to me that many states deny prior offenders the right to vote and/or access to certain housing and employment after they had served their sentences. I became determined to be a fierce advocate for change by exploring collateral consequences further as a graduate student. I am lucky to have found my mentor, Professor Heath Brown, whose level of expertise in public policy continues to impress me. He introduced me to a novel form of research by using the social media platform TikTok to collect data on prior offenders who had served their sentence and were having a hard time with employment, housing, and/or voting rights. With the help of the OSRC team and Prof. Brown's continued mentorship, I look forward to entering a second year of my research project as an OSRC scholar!"
Veronika Zenkeviciute
"Through my research, I was able to build a strong understanding of the scientific research process. My future plan is to continue my academic work towards becoming a physician and attending medical school. Understanding the research importance in medical care allowed me to start looking in the process of conducting research outside of classwork and be confident in navigating through the process of it. Moreover, connecting research with racial and ethnic disparities is very important to me as my research focused on epigenetics in relation to health disparities in race and ethnicity. Being part of the OSRC cohort allowed me to gain experience presenting my research to different audience groups. I would like to thank my specifically, my mentor, Dr. Lissette Delagado-Cruzata, and Bettina for all the support they provided me throughout the year."
