Mission & Core Program
Rooted in the Applied Psychology Department’s mission to advance equity through interdisciplinary research and community partnership, the Quality Undergraduate Education and Scholarly Training (Q.U.E.S.T.) program supports the development of critically engaged scholars committed to social transformation.
Q.U.E.S.T. is a full-time, 10-week summer program designed to expand access for historically underrepresented and under-resourced undergraduates who are dedicated to interrogating systems of power, addressing structural inequities impacting Communities of Color and marginalized identities, and developing evidence-based strategies for systemic change. Through mentorship, collaborative inquiry, and applied learning, Q.U.E.S.T. prepares students for graduate study in applied psychology and related fields, centering cultural humility and justice-oriented research.
Beyond the Summer:
Lifelong Career Support
Our commitment to our scholars does not end after ten weeks. We provide a comprehensive suite of exclusive alumni benefits designed to bridge the gap between undergraduate study and professional success:
Graduate School Launchpad: Access to a library of application resources, rubrics, and personalized reviews of personal statements to help applications stand out.
Interview Preparation: Targeted workshops to build confidence and sharpen skills for graduate school interviews.
Career Advancement: Ongoing opportunities to present at conferences and publish research, ensuring alumni build strengthened CVs.
The Q.U.E.S.T. Lab
The Q.U.E.S.T. Research Lab, independent of the summer cohort, operates year-round as a hub for justice-oriented scholarship and program evaluation of the Q.U.E.S.T program. The Lab focuses on:
Assessment & Evaluation: Implementing rigorous pre- and post-program assessments to measure learning outcomes and student growth in research confidence.
Scholarship of Teaching & Learning: Conducting qualitative research on our own social justice curriculum to document the experiences of marginalized communities within academic settings.
Knowledge Translation: Democratizing Access to Education
We believe research training should be accessible to all, not just our cohort. Through our Knowledge Translation Initiative, we adapt our high-level research curriculum into open-access social media resources. These guides provide undergraduates worldwide with practical tools for research, activism, and graduate school preparation.
