Solidifying Their STEM Identity – STEM Connect Students Participate in Summer Research
It was a busy summer for Riverside City College (RCC) STEM Connect, as 103 students were placed in the 2024 Summer Research Experiences. These experiences comprised 1-week, 8-week, and 10-week research projects, primarily hosted at partner institutions: the University of California Riverside, California State University San Bernadino, and California State University Fullerton. During the summer, RCC students were paired with faculty mentors at the partner institutions and conducted research related to a STEM discipline. At the end of their projects, students were allowed to present their work at a research symposium at the respective partner institution.
What makes the STEM Connect Summer Research Experiences distinct is that students are paid to participate in summer research. Students receive stipends of $500 to $4,000, depending on the length of their research project. Additionally, to ensure that students will be prepared to apply for this opportunity, STEM Connect partners with the Career Center and STEM Engagement Center to host resume-building workshops during the spring semesters.
This past summer, out of the 103 students who participated, 84 (81%) identified with an underrepresented ethnicity: 64 (62%) identified as Latinx, 13 (12.6%) identified as Asian Cambodian, Asian Indian, Asian Vietnamese, Filipino, or Pacific Islander/Guamanian, 6 (5.8%) identified as Black or African American, and 1 (0.9%) identified as American Indian/Alaska Native.
Here are some quotes from students regarding their experience in the 2024 Summer Research Experiences:
"Presenting my data and seeing people respond positively helped my confidence."
"It made me consider a field of study I've previously never considered as my future career."
"It was a great experience and a pleasure. I can say that I am leaving the experience more confident in my choice of field and more knowledgeable about the opportunities I can take."
"I had a great research experience and would recommend this program to other students."
The student feedback is reassuring that STEM Connect, funded by grants from the US Department of Education and the National Science Foundation, provides meaningful and intentional programming for Latinx and other underrepresented STEM students.
Below are the names of the students who participated.
California State University Fullerton:
- Christopher Andrade
- Emily Najera
- Ian Carpio
- Julia Ortiz-Luis
- Shawn Chacko
- Nathan Ramsey
- Gerardo Cortez Avina
- Myra Ruiz-Negrete
- Denzel Lopez
- Noah Scott
- Alex Marroquin-Bartolo
- Zoe Slack
- Caitlin Mizell
- Alexia Velez
- Nadia Murrietta
California State University San Bernardino:
- Hector Aguilar
- Syed Moiz
- Estefany Bandera Carreto
- Praise Ojinmah
- Eric Bedolla
- Johanna Quidangen
- Briseida Cordero Garcia
- Julia Reece
- Miracle Dean
- John Rendon
- Krystal Delgado
- Kyle Riebeling
- Marcos Diaz
- Briseida Sanchez Acosta
- Luis Dominguez
- Joseph Santana
- Lisette Espino
- Isabel Sosa
- Christy Gov
- Valerie Sosa
- Cynthia Hernandez
- David Sosa
- Samuel Kennedy
- Julian Vara
- Alexis Lujan
- Emma Wuysang
Riverside City College:
- Magdalena Aburto
- Marlon Alfonso Lopez
- Farhan Arshad
- Allison Mahnken
- Karla Guadalupe Baez
- Blake Andrew Malloy
- Lohman Barry
- Catherin Merida
- Dayley Jesse Bernal
- Vivyan Perez
- Joshlyn Kim Bui
- Niyah Kaylee Ramos
- Jennalyn Bui
- Hugo Reynaldo Rivas
- Leilani Angelina Caro
- David Sosa
- Julius Castro
- Gabriel Velador Gomez
- Juan A. Duran
- Amin Harry Zuniga
- Alyssa Renee Kraft
University of California Riverside:
- Gabriel Aborita
- Emily Kubaski
- Samir Ahmed
- Jacquelyn Lopez
- Raquel Amrhein-Cervantes
- Tatianna Lopez
- Pablo Arias
- Jad Madani
- Kayla Cazares
- Giselle Martinez
- Karina Cerda
- Kathryn McVeigh
- Ellie Chang
- Valerie Mejia
- Mariah Contreras
- Jordan Moreno
- Joshua Daughters
- Rudy Oporto
- Catherine De Los Santos
- Florence Medel Perez
- Cristal Esteban-Andrade
- Autumn Plenty Hawk
- Elizabeth Estrada
- Janelle Ramos
- Bryan Estrada Chiang
- Alyssa Rienne Landin
- Savvas Eulgem
- Michelle Rodriguez
- Emmatrice Fomumbod
- Kathya Romano Tepozteco
- Stephanie Frietze
- Matthew Solis
- Arianna Gonzalez
- Paloma Vasquez
- David Grajeda
- Miles Wentworth
- Raidah Hassan
- Kianna Williams
- Perla Hernandez-Cortes
- Gianella Zarate
- Stephen Javier