Bridging the Gap in Psyience
The overarching aim of BGP is to collectively find solutions for issues disproportionately affecting BIPOC students with the goal of helping to fill the gap in the retention and training of BIPOC psychologists and scientists. BGP targets BIPOC graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, a population that often feels marginalized and isolated within graduate programs at predominately white institutions (e.g., University of Iowa). As a result of feeling ostracized, graduate program enrollment and retention rates of these underrepresented students are often extremely low. BGP promotes inclusion and provide opportunities to form professional and social connections between students who may otherwise find themselves without a sense of belonging at PWIs.
To facilitate the wellness and retention of graduate students in the Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience, and Counseling departments at the University of Iowa, we have two types of events: social and wellness events focused on community-building for the BIPOC and allied graduate student community and invited speaker events focused on networking and professional development.
Gateway to Psyience
GP aims to facilitate a wider range of scientific competency and literacy in the next generation of scientific consumers through multiple events targeted at 9th-12th grade aged students of all ethnicities, socioeconomic classes, and abilities, with an emphasis on BIPOC students. Our expected outcomes are to increase diversity in psychology and at the University of Iowa by recruiting underrepresented minorities to the undergraduate programs and eventually graduate programs, while making the next generation more scientifically literate through the promotion of psychology as a STEM discipline. The program also collaborates with Iowa City high school administrations and administrators for community-based programs focused on serving the youth.
GP is currently recruiting graduate students interested in serving as mentors and Iowa City high schools interested in the program!
University of Iowa
Volunteer Judge, Fall Undergraduate Research Festival, Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates, Fall 2022
Graduate Student Colloquium Coordinator, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Fall 2022 – Spring 2023
Volunteer Judge, Spring Undergraduate Research Festival, Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates, Spring 2022
President, Bridging the Gap in Psyience, Spring 2022 – Spring 2023
Panelist, Behavioral-Biomedical Interface Training Program National Science Foundation/National Research Service Award Panel, Spring 2022
Panelist, Graduate Research Fellowship Program Virtual Workshop, Summer 2021
Panelist and Volunteer, Diversity Weekend, Fall 2021 – 2022 annually
Panelist, Advanced Placement Psychology Virtual Panel, Iowa City West High School, Iowa City Community School District, Summer 2021
Grant Reviewer, Graduate and Professional Student Government, Fall 2020 – Spring 2022
Vice President, Bridging the Gap in Psyience, Spring 2021 – Fall 2021
Co-founder, Bridging the Gap in Psyience, Fall 2020
Co-founder, Gateway to Psyience, Fall 2020
Panelist and Invited Speaker, Diversity Virtual Open House, Fall 2020 – 2022 annually
Graduate Student Member, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, Psychological and Brain Sciences Department, Summer 2020 – Spring 2023
Arcadia University
Vice President, Arcadia University Chapter of the Psi Chi International Honors Society in Psychology, Fall 2018 – Spring 2019
Volunteer, Southeastern Pennsylvania Consortium for Higher Education, Arcadia University, Spring 2018
Volunteer, Alternative Spring Break Trip in New Iberia, LA, Spring 2017