My professional work demonstrates a long-standing commitment to mentoring in academic settings. My experience working with students from backgrounds that are underrepresented in U.S. institutions of higher education goes all the way back to my senior year of high school. I was recruited to be a tutor in a public program serving Hispanic/Latino 3rd graders (many of them recent immigrants) who were preparing for the state math exams. As someone who was part of English as a Second Language programs in elementary school, I knew that communicating bilingually as well as showing patience, respect, and flexibility would be crucial to student achievement. I continued working for public schools through my undergraduate college years, offering bilingual math tutoring in an after-school program.


When I completed my undergraduate degree, I joined the New York City Teaching Fellowship to work at high-needs schools while completing my M.S. in Education. At the public high school where I taught AP calculus and statistics, my students identified as African American, Afro-Latin, immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean, and/or Muslim. In addition to the impact of historical and ongoing injustices, I knew that stereotype threat posed psychological barriers to STEM fields for many of our students. We addressed these challenges by setting high standards coupled with high levels of support, which lead to a 95% graduation rate and high college acceptance rate. In recognition of these accomplishments, I was awarded with a Certificate of Excellence in Education by our district’s U.S. Congressperson, along with several other teachers.


As my interest in the mental health of my students grew, I decided to pursue a Master’s in Mental Health Counseling. During that time, I continued to teach math in a night school program for older students working towards their high school diploma after facing hardships such as trauma and incarceration. After receiving my M.A., I taught as an Adjunct Lecturer at public colleges (City College and John Jay College of Criminal Justice) where faculty, staff, and students reflected the wonderful city of New York.  Throughout my work I adapted to the needs of the diverse range of students I encountered, including those with learning disabilities, those who were learning English, and those with mental health concerns. I also anticipated students’ future needs. For my high school students, mastering advanced math gave them a boost for college admissions, and helped them survive first-year calculus, which was especially critical for the STEM majors.


Beyond the classroom, mentors should provide opportunities that align with the long-term goals of students. I strive to understand my students’ priorities and provide key support. When I was a doctoral student, I recruited research assistants with diverse goals: Olivia wanted to become a psychotherapist, Grace a physician, and Maggie was drawn to data analysis. I developed tasks that aligned with their unique goals. For Olivia, this meant training her to adapt and deliver a key clinical assessment. I trained Grace to conduct basic medical evaluations and monitor participant safety during a pharmacologic intervention. I supported Maggie’s progress from basic statistical programming to analysis of psychophysiological data. Olivia went on to be the first person in her family to pursue graduate school (PhD in Counseling Psychology), Grace is now an MD candidate, and Maggie completed a Master’s in Quantitative Methods and is now a Data Scientist in industry.


I also support students in their pursuit of original empirical research. Ashley, the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants, had previously volunteered in multiple labs and was eager to conduct independent research on a topic she was passionate about. As her mentor, I provided the resources for her to develop and execute her research proposal to examine anxiety among student recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Ashley received several undergraduate research awards for her work and was accepted to a Clinical Psychology PhD program where she conducts research on culturally responsive adaptation of anxiety treatments.


Effective educators remove barriers so that students can reach their full potential. I know that data analytic skills can be a powerful tool for advancing in science and other research professions. I seek opportunities to teach data science to students engaged in independent research.  I have led multiple R programming workshops at the Translational Research Training in Addictions for Underrepresented Groups that received positive feedback including: “Feeling less intimidated of R thanks to Dr. Papini! I really appreciated this session” and “Dr. Papini was very patient and welcomed questions as we learned about R. I left the workshop wanting to learn more.” 


University of Hawaiʻi’s is the ideal place to foster a lab environment where student research ideas are elevated and supported, funding opportunities for lab members are actively pursued, and collaborations are formed across multidisciplinary teams of scientists. As a faculty member, I aim to: