2023/2024
Scholarship Recipients
Achraf Abouras
"Continuing my research is important to me because it will help those like myself and others who are second-generation immigrants understand why they suffer from the agonizing pull of two identities—one composed of our family’s culture and the other a part of the new country's culture. At times, we become suspended in existential angst when faced with decisions that force us to choose between these two identities. This ambivalence can lead to confusion, anxiety, and depression. Only through understanding the mechanisms within the personality and psyche of the individual can we shed light on these issues and help those who struggle to establish a unified identity. My future work aims to build on the goals I have achieved this past year, particularly understanding first-generation immigrants and their integration processes through psychodynamic mechanisms. This foundation will help me explore the adolescent psychodynamic apparatus and organization in future research."
Daven Asafo-Agyei
"As a scholar of the Office for Student Research and Creativity (OSRC), I find it challenging to articulate this opportunity's profound impact on me entirely. This opportunity enabled me to embark on a unique research project with an esteemed faculty mentor. It granted me many opportunities to expand my scholarly network and enhance my research skills through various workshops and pow-wow sessions organized by the OSRC office. This experience has laid a solid foundation for my journey in research and academia, equipping me with a comprehensive skill set that will serve me well beyond my bachelor's degree. One of the most remarkable aspects of this program is its inclusivity, offering undergraduate students—from first-year students to seniors—regardless of major or GPA, the chance to explore creative research projects beyond their significant fields and venture into different research domains.
Furthermore, the office's overall aesthetic and welcoming nature, combined with the staff's demeanor, provided me with the foundation to understand that it is okay to make mistakes. Research can be fun and is fundamentally about making new connections to further add to the collective knowledge of human societies."
Eliza Popa
"I have learned through trial and error that research is a lengthy and meticulous process that requires steadfast efforts, and even then, one may face rejection or delays in their goals. It is very easy to feel defeated when doing research, as one mistake can make you question if you are cut out for it. I definitely felt this way several times over the span of my academic career.
With that in mind though, the OSRC program itself did not disappoint-- I was very happy with the organization, support, and resources that were offered. I especially loved the reception this year, as I got to share it with my mentor (who unfortunately had to miss it last year). Getting to present my project to her and discuss our plans for it in-person was great and I really enjoyed socializing with the other students in the OSRC program. I also really liked seeing other students’ posters and talking to them about their research, goals, and future plans. The program did an awesome job at creating a community and making everyone feel welcome. I will really miss being in OSRC, and would stay in for 2, 3, 4 more years if I could, but the time has come for me to utilize the wonderful mentoring from Dr. Jeglic and Bettina onto future professional goals. I want to thank all vital team members in the OSRC that always work so hard to provide us with a seamless fellowship experience. 100% the best research experience I have ever had and likely will ever have!"
Emma Collie
"I am proud to be a scholar in the incredible OSRC program. My research contributes to the existing literature in the field. More specifically, this study addresses the gap in the literature by providing additional insight into the progression of paraphilic noncontact offending to contact offending and outlines the differences between incarcerated contact and noncontact offenders. Our findings demonstrate that a significant proportion of offenders with a prior noncontact offense progressed into committing a contact offense, suggesting that noncontact offenses are serious offenses. Our findings also have implications for policymaking and treatment plans for sex offenders. As noncontact crimes are often not taken as seriously as contact offenses, the findings of this study aid in the argument for prosecuting these offenders. Overall, I found the cohort meetings and the presentation training to be extremely helpful. I think the presentation training helped strengthen my presentation skills for my thesis defense and for other classes. I felt that the cohort community was an important community to be part of and one that I was proud to be associated with. I always left the meetings feeling motivated and empowered to do great scientific work."
Imani Thomas
"One thing I am particularly proud of is overcoming my fear of feeling misplaced in the program. I say this because I was very hesitant to join this program, to the point where I thought about asking my mentor to drop it. I had a lot of imposter syndrome and felt like I did not belong given the complexity of some research and the interests that people had. However, the longer I stayed in the program and began communicating with other people I realized that I belonged and that I was a researcher just like them, regardless of the complexities of my topic. Even though this may seem like a small step, I was proud of myself for accomplishing my goal of staying in the program, instead of running away. As well as I am proud that I accomplished/started this project as a whole. I was scared that it would be too much to handle on top of my McNair research, but I realized that all I needed was balance and a community to support me. It has shaped and changed my understanding of my research by making me see how this topic is heavily under-researched, and that my own perception of this topic was off. For instance, I went into this research thinking that sexual grooming was common for people to know and that it would be slightly “easy” to research– I was very wrong. This research has made me more passionate and driven by a fervent desire to see how sexual grooming, childhood sexual abuse, legal and legislation work is so far behind. These multiple intersecting groups are all disconnected in the fight for change. As a second year OSRC scholar in the upcoming year, my role and responsibilities are poised to evolve dynamically. As the program progresses, I anticipate taking on more leadership responsibilities, collaborating closely with people who share liked research interests to drive innovation and critical thinking."
Kaylee Rodriguez
"As I reflect on my last year at John Jay and as a proud student of the OSRC, there are many moments I am proud of, have grown from, and will carry with me after graduation. Working with Dr. Carpi has taught me how to build a strong relationship with a faculty member as well as a very accomplished scientist with whom I felt comfortable asking questions and building the research with.
Understanding the effects of increasing levels of mercury in the environment and the atmosphere can help determine the different levels of toxicity that humans and animals are being exposed to. My research can also help to resonate with a wider audience, including legislators, educators, manual laborers, and scientists, with the goal of fostering the enactment of new environmental regulations and legislation supporting soil health and agriculture. I am proud of the confidence I gained in my research abilities as well as our final results from this project. I am particularly proud of my ability to manage full time classes and my research lab time and the progress I was able to make with both. Throughout this research experience, my understanding of other scientific processes, the process of research in general, and the significance of mercury has truly shaped how I view science. The best experience for a STEM student is hands-on, first person experience. Working independently in the lab and using my own autonomy and developed procedures has changed my perspective on research and has made it much more appealing to me."
Lisa Haye
"Current literature on how eugenics impacted economics exists, especially in the context of economic history scholarship, but I want to reintroduce this scholarship to new audiences because this is still not a “mainstream” topic of discussion: Many people approached my poster because they had never heard of eugenics’ relationship with economics, while others acknowledged that they only recognized the former’s impact on biological sciences and medicine and that is quite concerning, especially when one references my SSP to read eugenics being employed within the past year! I want people to be able to recognize how normalized this theory is in our overall understanding of society because it permeates so much of our lives and we don’t even immediately recognize it as such. I also want people to take away how any person is capable of holding a eugenic belief, so my next iteration of this project, as a second year OSRC scholar, is looking at how eugenics is playing out in the American sphere within the twenty-first century, irrespective of political or social ideologies.
Research is so fun to talk about but it’s important to have a balance of information to give out to audience members, especially when they may not be familiar with the jargon that you may be using, so the Big Presentation is definitely the most impactful presentation training session that the office offers. The camaraderie that the office offers is the most valuable part of the entire scholarship experience: being able to connect with like-minded individuals across so many disciplines really amplifies the power of knowledge sharing. I like to just really have the opportunity to be passionate about eugenics and have people engage with the material. My mission is to have people start conversations with each other and see that light go into people’s eyes. Hearing the College’s Provost acknowledge how haunting my project was to her was mind blowing."
Melitta Oppenheim
"Bettina Muenster and the OSRC staff arranged a series on how to use SPSS which helped me greatly, they heard where I was stuck and took action to enable me to succeed. In a big college community like John Jay it can be easy to feel lost and unsure as to where to turn for help and guidance but thanks to OSRC I don’t have that debate I know that I can ask for help. Additionally, OSRC is not just about my own research project and my own skill development but it is also about being a part of a community of passionate individuals who desire to learn and grow. The OSRC Cohort meetings always taught me something new and left me feeling inspired. OSRC is a space where students can come together around seemingly simple activities such as a pizza lunch or game of cards but the conversations that evolve as those activities are occurring are much deeper. Students push each other to achieve more and cheer each other on. No matter what background a student is from or what skill level they have Bettina Muenster and the OSRC staff have created an environment in which every student feels they belong and knows they can succeed.
Nonetheless my OSRC community was a bright spot and a big factor that enabled me to persevere. The warm OSRC environment, the one on one meetings and being a part of a community who are all working to create positive change in our society is something I am very thankful for."
Ngayin Cheng
"Maintaining my motivation and keeping up with my schedule while managing my externship and other responsibilities was one of my challenges during my research. Being in this program and working with my mentor, Dr. William Gottdiener, allowed me to have multiple sources of guidance during those hectic times. Learning about my mentor's and my peers' experiences gave me valuable insight into different methods of juggling different tasks. Moreover, my mentor provided helpful tips on my research assignments, which helped me complete all the required assignments. As a member of this scholarship program and with guidance from my mentor, I was able to get involved in a variety of research-related activities even before I had completed my thesis. The individual meetings with the program director, Bettina, and the team also served as another source of moral support in this seemingly solitary research endeavor, since I have never received such a detailed critique in my academic environment.. During the meetings, I learned how to present my research efficiently and other important but subtle aspects of communicating knowledge. I appreciate Bettina's and the team's attention to each cohort member, experiences which not only prepared me for future academic conferences and presentations but also increased my confidence for my subsequent research projects, teaching me how to support other researchers better and establish connections. Despite my struggle to devote enough time to my clinical work, completing all OSRC requirements forced me to change a few unproductive habits, such as putting too much on my plate and doing everything at the last minute. By obtaining feedback through presentations and meetings, I developed research planning skills and made selective choices that enhanced my work efficiency. It was an accomplishment for me because I did not envision myself having these fundamental changes before starting this scholarship program, and these will surely prepare me to become a professional researcher."
Oscar Zielinski
Oscar Zielinski is currently a senior at John Jay majoring in Forensic Psychology. He plans to complete his Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) certificate shortly after graduation and pursue a career in social services and education. In his second year as an OSRC scholar, Oscar will continue his research, shedding light on the lack of financial literacy, specifically among young college students in NYC.
Parsva Shah
"The greatest gift you could give someone is to believe in them. Therefore, I’m incredibly grateful to the OSRC program for believing in me and my research. Although I faced many hurdles, the strong mentorship and the structure of the cohort allowed me to gain a deep understanding of the research process and even contribute to the existing research in the space. I’ve benefitted immensely from the mentorship provided by both Ms. Muenster and my student mentor Lisa. In addition, my mentorship with Professor Soler was incredibly important to my development. Between last year and this year, we’ve spent an incredible amount of time in a room with a dry erase board, revising and editing my project. He’s been instrumental in helping me build and present my project. He has done a great job, making sure I could handle what I was signing myself up for, ultimately, allowing me to create a realistic project with measurable variables. I’ve grown a lot these last two semesters. I’ve grown as a researcher, as I learned to compile data, make charts, and present my work. I learned to give speeches, explain presentations, and network with others. However, the growth I am most proud of is my maturity; I’ve become better at managing my time and being able to create a schedule. I’ve been able to journal and be a much more productive person. It’s often difficult for me to keep discipline and make sure I stay in the flow state necessary to do all my assignments but things like meditation really help me. The OSRC program is incredibly well designed. Although I don’t have any ways I could improve the program, I do have gratitude in my heart for the program that believed in me."
Patricia St. Fleur
"Being able to conduct research has been an incredible and fulfilling journey that has allowed me to broaden my horizon and better understand what influences Black female patients to choose the healthcare providers they prefer. My research project adds to the literature that discusses concerns of people from the Black community – what factors influence their decisions and why they think in certain ways. My research fosters a deeper understanding of the Black community by unveiling and amplifying marginalized voices. The cohort meetings and presentation training have been a valuable asset in strengthening my communication and public speaking skills. I enjoyed being able to practice presenting my PowerPoint before I presented it at the event because it allowed me to refine and edit any mistakes I made and also diminished any fear of anxiety or nervousness. Additionally, receiving feedback from my peers has been very beneficial because it allowed me to not only get constructive criticism about my research but also to become friends with my cohort. The advice they would give me to enhance my project instilled the idea that they wanted what was best for me and they wanted me to succeed and present a clear, thorough, and detailed project that any audience member would understand. The cohort community has been profoundly invaluable as it has instilled great confidence in my abilities to be able to perform in front of a wide audience.
Tiffany A. Rodriguez
"When I look back to the researcher I was before this past year and compare it to the kind of researcher I am today, I can securely say that I am a completely different person because of my experience with the Office of Student Research and Creativity. Under the mentorship of Professor Kim Liao, I have been able to learn quite a lot about qualitative research and how, even, though it may not be as common as quantitative research, it is just as valid. Through my work and future research and writing, I hope to make more contributions to my community. I have said this so many times and I will continue to say that I am extremely grateful for Professor Liao. This project and the push to write creatively about the topics and themes I was researching all happened because I found a mentor who was willing to go down an untraditional path and research a subject that she did not know much about. I have found her support and guidance to be the anchor of my past year within the program. Whenever I had a doubt or an issue, reaching out to my mentor was a relieving experience because she reassured me that I was headed down the right path or that it was okay to reformat the project as the research question evolved. Not to mention that since my fields of study are philosophy and political science, framing this project in an academic lens was a bit challenging for me. What I was researching and reading were emotions that I had felt personally, but doing this research forced me to take a step back and figure out how to categorize all the data I was collecting of Latino identity conflict. Professor Liao helped me find that space to write and relate to the literature on a personal level, but also take that step back to see it through an academic lens."
Yan Shan Yu
"As a second-year scholar in the program, I truly enjoyed my growth as a researcher and mentee, as well as the connections I built with fellow cohort members. As a researcher, I reached my goal and successfully completed my master’s thesis on the topic of educator sexual misconduct, passing the defense. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks and credit to my mentor, Dr. Elizabeth Jeglic, who has believed in me since the beginning of my undergraduate years. She has consistently instilled in me the idea that I can always achieve greater things as long as I am passionate about the subject and work hard. I greatly appreciate her guidance and expertise in the field of sex-related crimes and her mentorship in teaching me resilience. Even though I encountered many hurdles throughout the development and data collection phases of the project, Dr. Jeglic continued to demonstrate her excellent communication skills and provided answers to any questions I had. Lastly, I want to thank her for providing me with opportunities beyond academia, such as helping me find an externship and a job related to the field of my interest. After dedicating two years to this project, my perspective on research has undergone profounds transformation, despite working with an existing dataset again. Throughout this project, I had to create my own set of codes to extract the information needed to analyze and make conclusions for the research question. Witnessing the project evolve from a mere concept to a refined research question and then eventually becoming a well-developed piece of research discovery was truly enlightening. I derive immense satisfaction from delving deeper in published literature on sex-related crimes, using insights gained to formulate new research inquires that I can continue to probe on and fill in the gap that exists. Moving forward, I am eager to further hone my expertise in the realm of sex crimes through collaboration with my mentor and peers in the field. The research journey is perpetual, offering ongoing opportunities to contribute to societal understanding and the advancement of knowledge on pressing issues, diverse phenomenon, and emerging theories."
Yanira Rivera
Yanira Rivera is currently an undergraduate sophomore majoring in Forensic Psychology and minoring in Cybercrime. Yanira aims to identify how stereotypes about police officers in the modern day affects their interaction with people, as well as, how certain appearances influence the way officers treat civilians. She hopes to discover what can be done to prevent negative interactions between law enforcement and citizens.
