Please check out all 19 projects, and remember that faculty mentors are looking for interested students, not students from any particular major. If you have any questions, please reach out to Soo-Yeon Yoon (sooyeon.yoon@sonoma.edu), Heather Smith (smithh@sonoma.edu), Teresa Nguyen (teresa.nguyen@sonoma.edu) or Allison Ford (allison.ford@sonoma.edu). For full consideration, apply by 11:59 pm, Friday, April 12, 2024.
Project Title: Curating an Archaeological Collection from the Ancient Middle East for Open-Access Publication (Anthropology)
Faculty Mentor: Melissa Cradic, Ph.D.
Anthropology Department
email: cradicm@sonoma.edu
Project Description:
This anthropological project aims to prepare a complex and multivariate archaeological collection for open-access publication. The project data derive from recent excavations of two rich, exciting, and groundbreaking human burial contexts dating to ca. 1550 B.C.E. conducted at Tel Megiddo (Israel) by project P.I., Dr. Melissa Cradic (Lecturer, Anthropology). The assemblages include ceramic vessels; jewelry and small finds; faunal bones; human osteology; and paleobotanical data that have been digitized and are currently organized in Excel files. Complementary evidence derived from scientific analysis of these sources will be included, such as ancient DNA; organic residue analysis; and isotopic analyses. Materials for this project also encompass the original field documentation produced by the project mentor and her excavation team, such as digital field notes, photographs, illustrations, plans, geospatial data, photogrammetry (3D models and orthophotos), and other contextual information. The goal is to integrate, refine, and translate these disparate resources into structured and linked data that will be housed in a user-friendly, accessible format on Open Context, an open-access repository for archaeology.
Student Contributions:
Student Contributions: Through hands-on learning with primary sources, students will build research skills in key tools in the emerging digital humanities and heritage landscapes. These skills will prepare students for a range of disciplines and careers in anthropology, archaeology, heritage, museums, and beyond.
Working in collaboration with the project director, they will choose a dataset that suits their interests. Over the course of the project, students will apply digital research methods archaeology and cultural heritage, including:
Conduct research using archaeological field records
Apply principles and methods of structured and linked data
Practice data curation, cleaning, and refining for a complex database
Work with born-digital data such as 3D models
Members of this fully remote project will meet weekly on Zoom. Project duration and tasks are flexible and can be scaled to suit individual student interest, experience levels, and availability from June 1 through mid-August. The project is geared toward students with interests and coursework in archaeology and history and who are familiar with anthropological, museum/collections, and historical methods.
Project Title: What Does Community Oriented Policing Mean in Sonoma County, and Where Do We Find It? (Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies)
Faculty Mentor: Emily K. Asencio, Ph.D.
CCJS Department
email: emily.asencio@sonoma.edu
Project Description:
This research team is assessing how community-oriented policing practices are defined in Sonoma County. Students who work on this project will be working on a literature review regarding community-oriented policing practices, as well as examining focus group data about how both community members and Sheriff's officers in Sonoma County define community-oriented policing. Students on this research team will also assist in developing a large scale survey on community-oriented policing. The results of this work will be used to inform the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office about any gaps in community-oriented policing practices that need to be addressed.
Student Contributions:
I am happy to scale the work on this project up or down as needed to correspond with the students' qualifications. Tasks can range from a literature review and annotated bibliography, to preparing and analyzing focus group data, and developing a large scale survey instrument. Meeting schedule (including frequency and modality) is flexible and will be arranged according to students' availability during the summer.
Project Title: Understanding the Myths and Realities of White-Collar Crime (Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies)
Faculty Mentors: Diana Grant, Ph.D.; and Bryan Burton, Ph.D.
CCJS Department
Email: grantdi@sonoma.edu
Email: burtonb@sonoma.edu
Project Description:
This student research is part of a larger book project entitled, Understanding the Myths and Realities of White-Collar Crime. Sociologist Edwin Sutherland coined the term ‘white-collar crime’ to describe lawbreaking committed by members of the business and professional classes in the course of their occupational activities. Our research focuses on documenting the causes and consequences of white-collar crime, which is far more costly than street crime in terms of financial, physical, mental, and social consequences.
We will be working on a book chapter about the myth that there is nothing we can do about white-collar crime. The objective of this research is to guide the reader to resources available to protect themselves from being victimized by white-collar crimes, and to inform them how and where to report such crimes when they do occur. This project will focus on resources in Sonoma County and the wider Bay Area. There are a variety of agencies responsible for different types of white-collar offenses. Our hope is this knowledge will help empower individuals to protect themselves as well as act against white-collar crime. Our research involves creating an interview protocol and then conducting semi-structured open-ended interviews with personnel from local, state, and federal agencies.
Student Contributions:
Minimum 3.0 GPA
Basic Knowledge of SSU’s Library OneSearch
Attend Weekly 1 Hour Meetings via Zoom (time TBA) from June 1st until August 10th.
Recommend (optional) completion of CCJS 370 (Research Methods) and CCJS 480: White-Collar Crime
Project Title: Do The Letters Prisons Send Asking Judges to Give Incarcerated People A Second Chance at Sentencing Impact Judge’s Decisions? (Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies)
Faculty Mentor: Caitlin Henry Esq.
CCJS Department
email: henry@sonoma.edu
Project Description:
California prison officials (CDCR) can send letters recommending that judges take a second look at an incarcerated person’s sentence and consider reducing their sentence. Since 2018 CDCR has sent 1,758 cases to courts. Just over half (971) of those cases succeeded. Students will read and code CDCR’s letters for stakeholders to use to query case-level information and identify larger trends for potential inclusion in an Artificial Intelligence Large Language Model. Students will help the AI learn statistical relationships from the text of the letters, and assist with formulating training parameters for the AI. Students will review all the Exceptional Conduct letters (192) and all the enhancement letters [Gun (331); Prior Prison (424)] to see which factors are included, and if the inclusion of certain factors or data correlates with court trends. Students will review and flag ethical issues that may arise from including content from particular letters or types of letters in the AI. Students will flag the risks people might face if that already public case information, or not yet public prison record information becomes more accessible through inclusion of the text of the letter in a natural language searchable AI tool.
Student Contributions:
Work remotely to parse and code large amounts of data already uploaded in an online folder, code it, and put it into a data management system.
Read letters prisons send to judges.
Analyze what factors each letter contains, so those components can be matched with fields in a database. For example: offense(s) and enhancements(s), prison discipline, employment, programming, education, support letters, visits while incarcerated, previous gang status, medical and mental health, drug tests, etc.
Analyze any differences in the content of letters in different cohorts.
Flag any data sensitivity or ethical issues that may arise from the contents of the letter being more publicly accessible.
Summarize ideas on how to train the AI on this data.
Software: Google Sheets; GoogleDocs; Adobe; ChatGpt (students will be trained if this is used).
Commitment: 50 hours, June - mid-August. The team zooms weekly. Students work independently for the rest of the time.
Project Title: Liberation/decolonial psychology and career counseling (Counseling)
Faculty Mentor: Cecile H. Bhang, Ph.D.
Counseling Department
email: bhangc@sonoma.edu
Project Description:
This project aims to integrate the essence of liberation and decolonial psychology into career counseling, focusing on reimagining career interventions through a critical lens. Drawing inspiration from Latin American origins, liberation psychology advocates for dismantling systemic oppression for holistic well-being. When applied in career counseling, it broadens the scope to address societal disparities, going beyond individual progression.
Reimagining career interventions, such as the Creative Career Constellation, embraces key liberation psychology principles. It involves cultivating critical consciousness in clients, highlighting the impact of discrimination and power dynamics in career choices. Furthermore, it emphasizes contextual comprehension by recognizing societal influences on career paths and the significance of intersections like race and gender.
Liberation psychology empowers individuals in career counseling by breaking down barriers, promoting diversity, and fostering a culture of activism. Culturally competent counselors play a vital role in understanding diverse backgrounds and honoring cultural norms. Advocating for social change guides clients towards careers that align with justice and activism, addressing obstacles encountered by individuals with intersecting marginalized identities. Through community engagement and a social justice perspective, the integration of liberation psychology in career counseling strives to create a more inclusive and equitable society.
Student Contributions:
Research Assistants will engage in synthesizing the latest research on Liberation and decolonial psychology for application in career counseling. Tasks include literature reviews, summarizing findings, and developing counseling interventions aligned with these principles. RAs will also be involved in manuscript writing and regular remote lab meetings, reporting progress to Dr. Bhang and other possible CO-PIs. Students’ work will span from June 1st to mid-August. We will only be meeting via Zoom for a monthly check in, three times from June 1 to mid-August, with most communication and work completed via email/gdrive. Preference will be given to students able to commit beyond the program, ensuring continuity in research efforts.
Project Title: Diversity Resilience Training (Psychology)
Faculty Mentor: Glenn S. Brassington, Ph.D.
Psychology Department
Email: glenn.brassington@sonoma.edu
Project Description:
Researchers have described the disparities in educational achievement between Whites and disadvantaged Racial/Ethnic minority students. These disparities may in part be explained by the effects of race/ethnic/diversity-based social stressors (e.g., perceived discrimination and stereotype threat) on biological stress responses that interfere with learning and promote disease. Interventions to buffer the effects of these types of social stressors-- to ensure academic success and to promote health--are badly needed. Hence, SSURI summer research assistants will conduct (1) a literature review to document the prevalence and causes of race/ethnic/diversity-based social stressors in university communities and (2) identify and evaluate university programs currently attempting to buffer the effects of race/ethnic/diversity-based social stressors. This review will form the basis for improving the Diversity Resilience Training program developed by myself and SSU students to increase academic success, improve health, and foster supportive social connections among underrepresented college students. SSURI summer interns will be given training on how to conduct a scientific literature review and training in how to use computer applications to manage scientific references. It is anticipated that by the end of the summer interns will have learned how to systematically identify, describe, evaluate, and synthesize research studies abstracted in databases such as PsychInfo (Psychology), PubMed (Medicine), and Eric (Education).
Student Contributions:
The only qualifications students need to work on this project are enthusiasm and the desire to learn as much as possible about the issue of race/ethnic/diversity-based social stressors and programs designed to promote academic success and health in university students. The work hours will be flexible and can be done remotely. I will meet with interns every 2-4 weeks for 30-60 minutes to provide training, answer questions, and to discuss the findings. I will meet with interns before the end of the 2024 spring semester to set milestones we will reach over the course of the summer. Overall, I will be very flexible about when the work is conducted over the course of the summer.
Project Title: How can I Increase My Happiness? (Psychology)
Faculty Mentor: Andy Martinez, Ph.D.
Psychology Department
email: marandre@sonoma.edu
Project Description:
Although income matters for predicting happiness, its effects are limited. Another determinant of happiness is social connection. A recent study by Andy Martinez examined a specific aspect of social connection: humanization—the extent to which our human qualities are denied (dehumanization) or affirmed (humanization) by others in day-to-day life. This study measured three aspects of happiness—emotional well-being, life-evaluation, and meaning-in-life—in a representative sample of Californian adults (sample size = 929). Analysis showed that income predicted emotional well-being. However, humanization was almost three times more powerful than income in predicting this aspect of happiness. Interestingly, income and humanization were of comparable magnitudes in predicting life evaluation. Finally, income predicted meaning-in-life, but humanization was more than three times more powerful for predicting this construct. Findings suggest that while material resources influence happiness, humanization eclipses income in predicting emotional well-being and meaning-in-life.
The current project seeks to go further and analyze these effects among demographic subgroups. Specifically, the author seeks to compare the effects by gender, education, race/ethnicity, and age. Students would work to construct tables and visualizations to examine findings. All that is required is effort and a willingness to learn.
Student Contributions:
Students should have taken an Introduction to Psychology course and be willing to learn features of Microsoft Office (especially excel). We will use this latter program to construct tables and visualizations. The plan would be to meet weekly in the month of July. The modality would be zoom. Although there will be a considerable amount of independent work, all tasks will be scaffolded and constructive, friendly feedback will be provided.
Project Title: What Makes a Marriage Strong? (Psychology)
Faculty Mentor: Teresa Nguyen, Ph.D.
Psychology Department
Email: teresa.nguyen@sonoma.edu
Project Description:
How do couples thrive in the face of social and economic adversities? To promote marital resiliency among couples, we need an accurate understanding of how couples perceive the strengths of their spouse as well as the stressors they may encounter. In Dr. Nguyen’s lab, we examine the factors that shape marital relationships, including the influence of culture, race, and socioeconomic status. This is an ongoing project that will give two students the opportunity to continue working with Dr. Nguyen after the conclusion of SSURI.
Student Contributions:
Students will gain valuable hands-on experience that can be used in clinical, academic, and research settings. Responsibilities and Opportunities include:
Learn how to interview couples and conduct those interviews via telephone
Recruit couples in the Bay Area to participate in the study
Attend weekly Zoom team meetings with peers and/or faculty mentor from June to mid-August. Team members also communicate regularly via email in between meetings and one-on-one Zoom meetings may also be scheduled as needed.
There are no required qualifications; all are welcome to apply! Students who are bilingual in Spanish and English and/or interested and available to continue participating after SSURI are especially encouraged to apply. Students who have any of these attributes can note that information in their application for this project.
Project Title: When will people challenge injustice? (Psychology/Criminology and Criminal Justice)
Faculty Mentors: Heather Smith, Ph.D. (Psychology Department) and Diana Grant, Ph.D. (CCJS Department)
email: smithh@sonoma.edu
Email: grantdi@sonoma.edu
Project Description:
Our research projects focus on how people change their definitions of fairness and their reactions to disadvantage or conflict when they identify themselves as members of different groups. At the moment, we are investigating three questions; 1) how can we increase the likelihood that college students will intervene if they witness possible sexual misconduct? 2) how do economic comparisons to peers shape the transition from university to work? and 3) when will observers evaluate a person who forgives a transgression more negatively than the person who transgressed?
This summer, we will analyze the data that we collected this year (e.g., paragraphs about important values, open-ended responses to how the university should respond to the poor behavior of a student or administrator). We will use what we learn to inform the studies that we plan for next year. We anticipate meeting remotely every few weeks (depending upon the team’s summer schedule).
Student Contributions:
Working as a team with Drs. Heather Smith (Psychology) and Diana Grant (CCJS), two students will 1) review and code previous data, 2) develop and pilot relevant study materials and 3) if available, collect data from student volunteers early next fall. Students will get an inside view of the deductive-inductive cycle of research. They also will learn how to treat participants ethically, from administering informed consent to conducting appropriate exit interviews. The team will meet bi-weekly via ZOOM, and communicate via email in between meetings. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of our research questions (and our own expertise), this project is an opportunity for students from different disciplines and interest areas to work together.
Project Title: Governing Climate: Science, Politics, and the Future (Sociology)
Faculty Mentor: Zeke Baker, Ph.D.
Sociology Department
email: bakerz@sonoma.edu
Project Description:
This research opportunity relates to a book I am finishing up called "Governing Climate: How Science and Politics have Shaped our Environmental Future." The book is historical in nature, but connects to contemporary issues at the intersection of society, politics and the environment. The aim of this SSURI project involves connecting key themes and arguments made in the book to current events and issues in climate policy and climate science. No prior experience with these topics is required. This aim will be pursued through instructor-led structured internet research, collaborative discussion, and collaborative writing. Tasks will include searching for, reading, and systematically cataloging recent media sources, popular science writing, and climate-change related journalism. Critical discussion and creative, collaborative writing will then result in research-grounded, blog-style writing geared towards popular (non-academic) audiences. Training in writing, editing, and evidence-based argumentation will be woven throughout the project.
Student Contributions:
This SSURI project is best suited to students who have an interest in growing their research and writing skills. The project will involve both independent and in-person teamwork. The project is therefore tailored to those who want to improve upon or build strengths in team-based, collaborative work. This team will be the most enjoyable and beneficial for those who consider themselves creative and critical thinkers who like to think 'big' about social, political and/or environmental problems.
Student major is open, although may be best suited for students pursuing degrees in Geography, Environment and Planning (GEP), Political Science, Sociology, and/or who have an expressed interest in writing-focused Humanities fields (English or Communications).
The project will involve both independent and weekly in-person work on SSU campus (with occasional options for Zoom-based meetings when necessary for team members).
Work will primarily be clustered from June to early July, with flexibility based on participant schedules and limitations.
Project Title: Beauty, Childbirth, and Racial Inequality (Sociology)
Faculty Mentor: Kyla Walters, Ph.D.
Sociology Department
email: kyla.walters@sonoma.edu
Project Description:
Race, gender, class, and age impact how people make evaluations of each other’s and their own beauty. Such beauty appraisals are especially prominent in the lives of pre-menopausal women. Yet, sociologists know relatively little about how beauty appraisals impact the experience of childbirth. This study aims to address this gap in sociological understanding through original in-depth interviews with people who have recently given birth. The goal is to understand how birthing people narrate and navigate aspects of beauty appraisals they experience during childbirth, and to what extent these appraisals seem to impact pain appraisals during labor, delivery, and postpartum.
Student Contributions:
Students assisting this project may help recruit interview participants, assist with interviews, transcribe interviews, verify interview transcripts, and/or support the completion of a content analysis of online birth stories. Students should express interest in inequality related to race and gender, given the project's focus. Ideally, students will have passed a research methods college course. Research meetings will occur remotely during the summer, approximately twice per month, between June 1–Aug 1.
Project Title: Gender-role Attitudes and Fertility Preferences (Sociology)
Faculty Mentor: Soo-Yeon Yoon, Ph.D.
Sociology Department
email: yoons@sonoma.edu
Project Description:
This project investigates the association between gender role attitudes, romantic relationships, and fertility preferences among never-married adults. While fertility rates in economically advanced countries have substantially declined, previous studies documented relatively consistent two-child fertility preferences. However, a recent study suggests that the prevalent two-children ideals have diminished. This project will look at the role of gender-role attitudes in explaining potential variations in fertility preferences. Building upon prior research on fertility preferences, this study will further investigate whether gender-egalitarian attitudes play a role in shaping fertility preferences and use fertility preferences as a measure of family behavior among never-married adults.
Student Contributions:
There are no required qualifications. For this project, students will receive training to participate in the following tasks:
Research literature on previous peer-reviewed studies examining the relationship between gender role attitudes and fertility preferences.
Write an annotated bibliography for selected literature.
Find statistical data or policy efforts dealing with declining fertility and write a summary of each.
Write a literature review synthesizing multiple sources (i.e., articles and statistical data).
Provide updates on a regular basis (e.g., weekly or every other week)
The research team will meet via Zoom bi-weekly.
Work may be concentrated in a selected month, or through the duration of the summer, depending on students' availability and preferences.
Preferred qualifications:
Completion of a research methods class, information literacy, oral and written communication skills
Project Title: “I want to make Santa Rosa a cool place to live” – Bike culture, activism, and the contemporary movement for safe streets in Santa Rosa (Sociology/Anthropology/Environmental Studies)
Faculty Mentor: Allison Ford, Ph.D.
Anthropology/Geography, Environment & Planning (GEP) Departments
email: allison.ford@sonoma.edu
Project Description:
There has been a recent explosion of interest in bicycling in Santa Rosa. Several groups have formed around bicycling for fun and community and for safe, sustainable transportation for all ages. This takes place in the context of shifting needs for community, mobility, and safety in the wake of COVID-19, climate change, and changing demographics of Sonoma County. This project will use mixed ethnographic methods to explore the burgeoning movement for safer streets in Santa Rosa, with an eye to the recent convergence of bike centered community and growing interest in just transportation. What draws people to participate in bicycling communities and advocacy? How do fun rides that pull people together around food, fun, and socialization, and advocacy rides, which focus on identifying problems with bike infrastructure, fit together? What other issues and opportunities arise as advocates and community leaders envision a safer, more social justice-oriented way to move around Santa Rosa? This project is based on my own participation in Bikeable Santa Rosa, an all-volunteer campaign that is working to create more people-friendly streets by catalyzing the rapid completion of a safe, low-stress bicycle network connecting all parts of the city.
Student Contributions:
This project is in the early phases of conceptualization and research design. The project will use qualitative methods, possibly including ethnographic observation, interviews, oral history, content analysis, and/or non-representative surveys. Students will have the opportunity to participate in research design, selection of methods, a literature review, and the design of research instruments, such as interview questionnaires or oral history guides. There are no required qualifications for this project. Students with an interest in environment, sustainability, environmental justice, transportation, energy, climate change, housing, social movements, culture, race, gender, social class, sexuality and/or ethnographic methods are especially encouraged to apply.
Although much of our work will be possible to do remotely, local students are especially encouraged to apply, as they are more likely to be able to participate in field work which will take place in Santa Rosa, CA. We will meet via Zoom every other week, and students will work independently or on scheduled, supervised field work in between. Work will be concentrated in the June-July months.
Project Title: Water Quality Monitoring in Santa Rosa Creek (Environmental Studies)
Faculty Mentor: Jackie Guilford, Ph.D.
Geography, Environment and Planning Department (GEP)
email: guilforj@sonoma.edu
Project Description:
This project began as part of Sonoma State's Rising Waters Initiative, which set up student research teams to identify potential solutions surrounding the connection between water quality and homelessness in Sonoma County.
Since August 2022, I have been working with SSU students to test the water in Santa Rosa Creek for fecal bacteria contamination. We have been testing water near areas that are frequently impacted by homelessness and, for comparison, other areas where homelessness is very rarely reported. SSURI students would be gathering summer water samples as well as analyzing data collected during April and May of 2024. Any water sample locations where high levels of fecal bacteria were found would be characterized to see if a homeless encampment was likely the source of this contamination or if it came from some other point source, such as a storm drain or leaking septic pipe.
Student Contributions:
We will meet several times early in the summer to go over the project logistics. These meetings are expected to start the week of June 3rd and will be in person or virtual. After going over the logistics, there will be two days of in-person fieldwork collecting water samples (approximately July 8th and August 12th). The fieldwork must be conducted in person and the training meetings are strongly preferred to be in person as well. Students should be comfortable hiking up to one mile along a creek while carrying a small box of equipment. No previous research experience is necessary.
Project Title: Unequal Protection: Abortion Law and Women's Wellbeing in Permissive vs. Restrictive States (Political Science)
Faculty Mentor: Cynthia Boaz, Ph.D.
Political Science Department
email: boazc@sonoma.edu
Project Description:
This project builds on data from interviews conducted with the primary investigator in 2021 and 2023 with 61 women from 19 different US states about their abortion experiences. The major goal is to identify the links between levels of abortion access and women's overall wellbeing. The first round of research suggested that there is a relationship between barriers to abortion access and indicators of wellbeing such as social isolation and overall happiness. This round of analysis will focus on confirming the earlier findings as well as exploring the specific barriers found in restrictive vs. permissive states and the resulting different standards of care available to women in the United States.
Student Contributions:
I need students with an interest in reproductive politics and law, as well as some comfort with coding (and potentially analyzing) data. I will be asking student researchers to organize a data base of legal and logistical barriers to abortion access across each of the states of interest, as well as to keep track of recent changes to abortion law, and to follow any relevant news stories. It would be helpful if the students had a familiarity with the US Constitution and in particular the 14th Amendment and the Equal Protection clause. Familiarity with abortion law or history in other parts of the world would be a bonus! I plan to meet with the students weekly for two hours (more frequently as needed.) Much of the work can be done remotely. I will be working throughout the summer, mostly concentrated in July and the beginning of August.
Project Title: Comparing 2024 Primary Election Polls and Outcomes, and Why Conducting Accurate Polls is So Difficult Today (Political Science)
Faculty Mentor: Richard Hertz, M.A.
Political Science
Email: hertzr@sonoma.edu
Project Description:
"There has been a considerable gap between what many 2024 Presidential Primary polls suggested and the outcome of elections in those areas. This project will explore potential causes for these differences. We’ll also consider the implications of what such gaps might foretell for the 2024 General Election races for President and control of Congress. On a broader level, we’ll examine the major challenges facing pollsters today and the reasons why in an era of unprecedented connectivity, it is so difficult to get a representative sample to respond to polls. We’ll examine the various methodologies of polling in use today as well as the pluses and minuses of each one.
Student Contributions:
There are no requirements for previous research experience for the student researchers. All that is necessary is a desire and willingness to conduct meticulous research with great attention to detail. Student researchers will be required to, under my guidance, look up and compare polling data and election results to detect patterns and anomalies. The student researchers will gain valuable hands-on research experience and skills for future use.
Most of the work for this project will be done in the June/July timeline. Students and I will meet virtually, approximately every other week or as needed. We’ll also have frequent email check-ins after establishing the project’s research parameters, protocols, and results.
Project Title: For Justice: Rethinking Early Childhood Language and Literacy Development (Early Childhood Studies)
Faculty Mentor: Ayesha Rabadi-Raol, Ed.D.
Early Childhood Studies Department
email:rabadiraol@sonoma.edu
Project Description:
Do you believe that young children’s identities should be celebrated? Do you want to learn how to review literature for qualitative research? Do you want to learn about poetic inquiry and analysis?
This project explores what teacher educators (professors) can do to inspire current and future teachers and promote social justice in early childhood literacy practices. This interview study focuses on the experiences of two immigrant teachers of color, who discuss how they value English language and literacy development. By outlining the principles of intersectionality, this study addresses questions of equity and diversity to effectively investigate the intersections of race, gender, language, and ethnicity in early childhood education. Recognizing the interconnectedness of these factors, this study argues for the inclusion of intersectional understandings in literacy curriculum development and instruction. Young children in early childhood settings deserve a safe space where their culture, language, identity, and belonging is prioritized and seen as a strength, not a deficit. As this study will use my dissertation data, all data collection has been completed and the analysis for this particular project for publication is in progress.
Student Contributions:
There are no required qualifications. For this project, students will receive guidance and mentorship to participate in the following tasks:
Research literature on peer-reviewed studies
Write an annotated bibliography for selected literature.
Write a literature review synthesizing multiple sources.
The research team will meet via Zoom weekly between June and mid-August, with specific end date depending on progress.
Preferred qualifications:
Information literacy, good oral and written communication skills, bilingual or BIPOC students or students who belong to historically marginalized groups.
Project Title: Understanding the role of Social Networks and Academic Success Among Latina Students in Predominantly White Universities
Faculty Mentor: Daniel Malpica, Ph.D.
Chicano and Latino Studies Department
email:daniel.malpica@sonoma.edu
Project Description:
This project aims at documenting the nature, purpose, and value of a unique social support system present in Latina female students at SSU. This social support group is a form of social network or social capital, which we refer to as “Comadres.” Comadres form a strong social relationship or social network, a sister-like deep emotional bond providing them with comradery, support, safety, resource sharing, and validation of daily experiences. These strong social relationships often extend throughout a lifetime. Comadres transcend the individual and create a stronger unit, which helps them to successfully cope with life’s struggles and achieve academic success in college. Although faculty, staff, and students recognize the presence and value of this phenomenon, it has rarely been documented in the social science literature as an effective cultural retention model (Bravo and Chaney, 2014; Richmond, Morrow, Salomone, 2003; Stanton-Salazar, 2001; Zarate, 2011). This study fills this void by conducting research on the following question: How do culturally significant social networks among Latina students attending White institutions positively impact their academic performance in college?
Student Contributions:
We will be meeting in person or via online based on availability of research team, from June 1st, to mid-August.
Face-to-face meetings preferred, but Zoom is possible based on student availability
Students will participate in rigorous research experiences that prepare them effectively to find and solve meaningful problems.
Code and analyze qualitative data from in-depth interviews.
Conduct extensive review of the literature on the topic of retention and graduation of racial minority students, particularly Latinos in higher education.
Craft an effective research question that will guide the research project.
Present and engage an academic audience.
Work with fellow peers in a research project.
Project Title: The Graves of Greater Sonoma County and the History of Slavery, 1830-1935 (History)
Faculty Mentor: Amy Kittelstrom, Ph.D.
History Department
Email: kitt@sonoma.edu
Project Description:
Students will join an ongoing project of original research into the history of slavery in Sonoma County in partnership with the Santa Rosa-Sonoma County NAACP. The first part of the summer, students will digitize handwritten notes on the graves of Sonoma County written by local historian Jeremy Dwight Nichols. In the second half of the summer, students will collaborate with Dmitra Smith of the NAACP to mount a website and social media presence representing the research. This is truly groundbreaking work that will change public memory in Sonoma County and the history of slavery in the United States.
Student Contributions:
Students need no prior knowledge of history but they do need the basic qualities of integrity, diligence, earnestness, follow-through, and the ability to work both collaboratively and independently. Of course, I will teach them these skills if they don't have them yet :).
Work will take place between June - mid-August, with flexibility of scheduling depending on student availability. Students can expect to meet with their faculty advisor roughly every other week. In-person availability in June will be given priority, with the possibility of in-person or remote meetings for the rest of the summer.