Initiative Students in Focus
103
Transcript of Initiative Students in Focus
2
About the Initiative 4
A Word from the Primary Program
Investigator 5
Scholarship and Award Recipients 7
Initiative Workshops and Events for
the 2011-2012 Grant Year 8
Conferences, Training, and Research
Expeditions 53
Occupational Therapy Presentations 55
The Third Annual Student Research
Conference 58
Initiative Students in Focus 68
“Only The Educated
Are Free”
Contents
This program is funded by the U.S. Department of
Education under the MPBI grant (Masters Degree
Programs at Predominantly Black Institutions).
May 2012 Volume 2, Issue 3
Year End Review 2012 Volume 2, Issue 3
Justin K. Akujieze, Ph.D. Principal Investigator for
the Initiative
Robert Warner, M.A., Co-Principal Investigator
Barbara Burke, Office Manager
Alfred Ogbonnaya, Editor
Visit Us Online at:
www.csu.edu/centuryinitiative
Questions, Comments, Submissions, or
Suggestions? Contact: Chicago State University
Jacoby Dickens Center Suite 201
Phone: (773) 995-5044 or 5066
Fax: (773) 995-3671
Email: [email protected]
3
ABOUT THE INITIATIVE PROGRAM Started in 2009, the 21st Century Graduate and Professional Student’s Academic Studies Initiative (commonly
known as The Initiative) has strived to enhance the graduate student experience at Chicago State University.
Funded by the United States Department of Education with one of only five MPBI grants (Masters Degree
Programs at Predominantly Black Institutions), the Initiative has supported students in four disciplines: Biology,
Geographic Information Systems, Mathematics/Computer Science, and Occupational Therapy. Through the
program, Initiative Students have had the opportunity to:
Travel to and present at local and national conferences;
Receive financial support and tuition assistance;
Receive laboratory, research, and other school supplies;
Visit the Library of Congress and access rare and unique sources of information for their research;
Attend writing workshops
Receive financial literacy training
Biology Geography (GIS)
Math/Computer Science Occupational Therapy
4
A Word from the Primary Program Investigator
As the 2011-2012 fiscal year and our third
grant year draws to an end, we at the Masters in
Public Black Institutions (MPBI) grant program
(referred to as The 21st Century Graduate and
Professional Student’s Academic Studies
Initiative or simply The Initiative) would like to
highlight our successes in enhancing the
academic experience of graduate and
professional students in our four programs:
Biological Sciences, Geographical Information
Systems (GIS), Mathematics, and Occupational
Therapy.
This academic year’s Saturday Morning Breakfast Seminar Series was outstanding. The
17 workshops conducted is almost double the number of these produced last year. Topics ranged from international economic development, to the socio-economic impact on U.S. health care status, to how to maintain psychological well-being, to how to write a winning thesis, to a tutorial on the program Mathematica. We also conducted the required workshops on career development and financial literacy. The workshop facilitators, (mostly Chicago State University faculty) had tremendous command of their subject matter and student attendance averaged between 25 and 30 students per session (not including other community members). This grant year, the Initiative is proud to say that over $180,000 in scholarships were awarded to 42 students across the four disciplines. The majority of the students benefiting are first generation college students. The scholarships have enabled many of them to attain their degrees in a more timely fashion allowing them to remain registered continually, as well as providing them with other resources to keep them focused on academic goals. From its inception, the Initiative has been an audacious undertaking with lofty goals that included the preparation and production of professional global leadership. We want our students to be erudite, well-read, and well-rounded people. Completing their programs at Chicago State University is just the beginning. Even though our students are graduate and professional students and have experienced the feeling of success and accomplishment that comes with attaining a degree, many remain hesitant and unsure of their abilities and leadership potential. Thus we’ve strived to see that
5
the attitude of powerlessness is replaced with empowerment. We have used the Saturday workshops as instruments to bolster their confidence and empower them. During a workshop in program year two, Dr. Patricia A. Newton, a former national president of the Black Psychiatrists of America, challenged students to be more than good occupational therapists, good geographers, good biologists, or good mathematicians. She urged them to strive to become professionals who cared about the state of the world and who would endeavor to change things for the better. We have maintained this message within the Initiative this year by exposing our students to scholars such as Dr. Rick Kittles from the University of Illinois Chicago Medical School, a biologist specializing in human genetics, and Egyptologist Tony Browder from Washington D.C., an expert on Nile Valley civilization and its influences on the development of modern Western culture. Both of these gentlemen dedicated a good deal of their respective talks to encouraging students to persevere and excel. If the students’ presentations at our third annual student research conference held on Friday, April 20, 2012 are any indication, we are right to expect great professional contributions from participants in this program. Sixteen individuals presented their research to an enthusiastic audience. All in attendance could see the tremendous effort that the students and their faculty advisors had put forth, as the information was disseminated in a most harmonious and scholarly fashion. The evening before the second year occupational therapy students did equally well in their presentations. As was the case last program year, several students from our community partner, the Chicago Area Health and Medical Careers Program at the Illinois Institute of Technology headed by Dr. John Bradley, also presented. Chicago State University’s Masters in Public Health students also took advantage of the opportunity to share their research work and intellectual interests. The tremendous variety of discussions made for an enthralling and scholarly conference. It is our hope that our program has and will continue to: advance individual academic preparedness; foster research development; encourage local and national exposure for student research; offer a networking support group; increase economic understanding; advance cultural understanding; and be a springboard for personal and societal transformation.
Justin K. Akujieze, Ph.D.
Primary Investigator for The Initiative
Chicago State University
6
Scholarship and Award Recipients
The following list of students received awards and/or scholarships from the 21st
Century Initiative program during the 2011-2012 grant year.
Biology
Mr. Saheed Amuda
Ms. Clarice Gumm
Ms. Margarita Kim
Mr. Olumiyiwa L. Olawumi
Geographical Information Systems
Ms. Felicia Beckett
Mr. John Bisegerwa
Ms. Mattie Carter
Ms. Nadine Dennis
Mr. Qaiyim El-Amin
Ms. Valeryia Fiodarava
Ms. Shandria Holmes
Mr. John Owens
Mr. Noah Sager
Mr. Frederick Ssepuuya
Mathematics
Mr. Percy Austin
Mr. Acquinn Beasley
Mr. Keith Brown
Ms. Julienne Cabell
Mr. Ibrahima Gueye
7
Mr. Jovan Harrison
Ms. Anita Hill
Mr. Darius Holmes
Ms. Danielle Mitchell
Ms. Syga Robinson
Ms. Amanda To
Ms. Falechia Turman
Mr. Darnell M. Windmon
Occupational Therapy
Ms. Sophie Amayaka
Ms. Latanwa Fletcher
Ms. Christine E. James
Mr. Shaun Javdon
Ms. April Lewis
Ms. Nicole McAlister
Ms. Melanie Plews
Ms. Brooke Pulley
Ms. Thelma Segbawu
Ms. Kia Smith
Ms. Latesha Terrell
Ms. Crystal Velasco
Ms. Rhonda Walker
Ms. Trichia Willis
Ms. Wendy Yoder
8
Initiative Workshops and Events for the 2011-2012 Grant Year
Date Presenter Topic
September 24 Dr. Ernst Coupet &
Dr. Richard Arredondo Financial Literacy Workshop
October 8 Dr. Ivy Dunn Research Workshop
October 29 Professor Kim Dulaney Writing Workshop
November 19 Dr. Damon Arnold, Dr. Thomas Britt, and Ms.
Dimensions in Medicine A Celebration of African
American Contributions to Medicine and Healthcare
January 28 Dr. Thomas Britt Socioeconomic Impact on US
Healthcare Status
February 9 Dr. Nicole Ford How to Study
February 18 Dr. Margaret King International Economic
Development
February 25 Ms. Marsennia Wells
Career Development Workshop
February 29
Dr. Damon Arnold &
Dr. Yvonne Harris
A Workshop on Henrietta Lacks: Exploring Ethics in Research
March 3 Dr. Ernst Coupet &
Dr. Richard Arredondo Financial Literacy
March 24 Dr. Ivy Dunn Research Workshop
March 31 Mr. John Owens &
Mr. Noah Sager A Workshop on Google Docs
April 7 Professor Kim Dulaney Writing Workshop
April 19 Occupational Therapy
Students Research Presentations
April 20 Initiative Students
Dr. Rick Kittles Research Conference
April 21 Mr. Tony Browder Community Outreach Forum
April 28 Dr. John Erickson A Mathematica Tutorial
9
Workshops and Presentations Financial Literacy Workshop
Date: September 24, 2011
Speakers: Professor Richard Arredondo and Professor Ernst Coupet, CSU
10
Professor Arredondo welcomes a group of students to the Financial Literacy Workshop.
Students in attendance at the Financial Literacy Workshop.
11
Professor Arredondo concluding his lecture.
Professor Coupet addresses the students in the second half of the Saturday workshop.
12
Research in Everyday Life
Date: October 8, 2011
Speakers: Dr. Ivy Dunn, CSU
13
Dr. Dunn addresses the audience.
Students taking notes during the research workshop.
14
Research Writing Workshop
Date: October 29, 2011
Speakers: Professor Kim Dulaney, CSU
15
Students in attendance at the Writing Workshop.
Professor Dulaney and students listen to a comment from a fellow attendee.
16
Dimensions in Medicine: A Celebration of African American
Contributions to Medicine and Healthcare
DATE: November 19, 2011
SPEAKERS: Dr. Damon Arnold, Dr. Thomas Britt, Ms. Margo Crawford, and Mr. Chudi Okafor
17
Med Student Mr. Chudi Okafor presents Roadmap to Medicine on behalf of Dr. Roper’s surgical students.
18
Ms. Margo Crawford of the Provident Foundation presents The Legacy: Surgeon Daniel Hale Williams.
19
Dr. Thomas Britt speaking on modern healthcare in his presentation: Taking the Temperature Today.
20
Dr. Damon Arnold (ret), MD, MPH delivers his presentation Prescription for Tomorrow.
21
Dr. Damon Arnold lectures.
22
The Socio-Economic Impact on US Healthcare
DATE: January 28, 2012
SPEAKER: Dr. Thomas Britt
23
Dr. Britt introduces him to the workshop attendees
Dr. Thomas Britt speaking about the United States healthcare system.
24
Dr. Britt concluding his lecture.
25
How to Study
DATE: February 9, 2012
SPEAKER: Dr. Nicole Ford
26
Dr. Nicole Ford introduces her lecture topic.
27
Mr. Darnell Windmon makes a comment.
Mr. Ismael Reyna listens attentively to Dr. Ford.
28
Dr. Ford explains why active learning, notetaking, and time management are vital to the studying process.
Dr. Ford explains the Cornell system of notetaking.
29
Dr. Nicole Ford answers questions at the end of her lecture.
30
Dr. Nicole Ford and Initiative student Ms. Sophie Amayaka after the lecture
31
Psychological Well-Being
DATE: February 11, 2012
SPEAKER: Dr. Michael Edwards
32
International Economic Development
DATE: February 18, 2012
SPEAKER: Dr. Margaret King
33
Initiative PI Dr. Akujieze welcomes the attendees.
Dr. Hannah Jones speaks about experiences in Liberia.
34
Dr. Margaret King introduces herself.
35
Dr. Margaret King lectures.
36
Attendees at the International Economic Development workshop.
37
Career Development
DATE: February 25, 2012
SPEAKER: Ms. Marsennia Wells
38
Dimensions in Medicine “Exploring Ethics in Research”
Date: February 29, 2012
Speakers: Dr. Yvonne Harris
39
Attendees at the lecture watched a short video about Henrietta Lacks.
Dr. Yvvonne Harris speaks about the nature of cells.
40
Financial Literacy
Date: March 3, 2012
Speakers: Dr. Ernst Coupet and Dr. Richard Arredondo
41
Professor Ernst Coupet speaks on Financial Literacy.
Attendees listen to lectures by Professor Arredondo.
42
Students at the financial literacy workshop.
Professor Ernst Coupet speaks about the Disadvantages of Consumer Credit
43
Research Workshop “10 Tips for Tackling Your Thesis”
DATE: March 24, 2012
SPEAKER: Dr. Ivy Dunn
44
Dr. Ivy Dunn gives the students tips for writing a great thesis.
45
Google Docs Training
Date: March 31, 2012
Speakers: Mr. John Owens and Mr. Noah Sager
46
Mr. Noah Sager presents.
47
Mr. John Owens presents.
48
Mr. John Owens demonstrates one of the many uses of Google Docs.
Mr. Noah Sager explains how to use spreadsheets in Google Docs.
49
A Writing Workshop
Date: April 7, 2012
Speakers: Ms. Kim L. Dulaney
50
Ms. Kim Dulaney lectures.
Attendees at the Writing Workshop.
51
Initiative Research Conference
Date: April 19-21, 2012
Speakers: Dr. Rick Kittles and the Initiative Students
See page 58.
Mathematica
Date: April 28, 2012
Speakers: Dr. John Erickson
52
Conferences, Training, and Research Expeditions
Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students
Location: St. Louis, MO
Date: November 9 - 12, 2011
Presenters:
Ms. Clarice Gumm
Ms. Margarita Kim
Mr. Akida Stallworth
Society of Neuroscience Location: San Diego, CA
Date: November 13-17 2011
Presenter:
Mr. Daniel Osei-Bonsu
ILOTA Statewide Occupational Therapy Conference Location: Galena, IL
Date: November 10-12, 2011
Attendees and Presenters:
Ms. Sophia Amayaka
Ms. Kennisha Anderson
Ms. Iesha Barton
Ms. Latanwa Fletcher
Ms. Christine James
Mr. Shaun Jaudon
Ms. Nivea Lathan
Ms. April Lewis
Ms. Judy Martinez
Ms. Ola Ohale
Ms. Pamela Osisioma
Ms. Brooke Pulley
Ms. Thelma Segbawu (Presenter)
Ms. LaTesha Terrell
Ms. Rhonda Walker
Ms. Trichia Willis
AOTA Nationwide Occupational Therapy Conference Location: Indianapolis, IN
Date: April 26-29, 2012
Attendees and Presenters:
Ms. Kennisha Anderson
Ms. Sophie Amayaka
Ms. Gabriela Artega
Ms. Iesha Barton
Ms. Latanwa Fletcher
Mr. Shaun Reeves Gary
Ms. Christine James
Ms. April Lewis
Ms. Kelly Lynch (Presenter)
Ms. Nicole McAlister
Ms. Ola Ohale
Ms. Jordan Warlick (Presenter)
Ms. Rhonda Walker
Ms. Lashanda Williams
Ms. Trichia Willis
Ms. Wendy Yoder
53
AAG Annual Meeting
Location: New York, NY
February 23-28
Presenter: Noah Sager
Noah Sager’s Abstract
View to a Crime: A GIS Approach to Homicides Over Time in Chicago ABSTRACT
This project is the starting point for a larger study concerning the temporal element of crime in the city of Chicago. I analyzed homicides in Chicago over a ten-year period, from 2001 to 2010, and examined the effect of month on homicide rate. All homicides were summed for each month over the ten-year period, and an average was obtained. A correct average was then calculated to remove the potential bias derived from some months that have fewer days than others. The effect of a daily average of homicides was very similar to that of the monthly average, with the exception of the month of May, which was less than that for April. The conclusion of this study is three-fold:
1) There is a strong temporal element to homicides, with summer months being significantly higher on average than winter months, 2) That the extension of this study should be carried out to include other types of crime other than homicides to look for similar effects, and 3) Additional statistical tests should be conducted to discover other trends currently hidden to the public.
This paper will first describe the research and data acquisition process, and then move forward to the GIS and statistical methodology, ending with conclusions and ideas for the expansion of this project.
JOINT MATHEMATICS CONFERENCE
Location: Boston, MA
Date: January 4-7, 2012
Attendee:
Ms. Julienne Cabell
54
Occupational Therapy Presentations
From left to right: Ms. LaTanwa Fletcher, Mr. Aldo Martinez, Ms. Aminah Chaudhary, and Ms. Christine James present
Preparing Occupational Therapists and Teachers for School-Based Interprofessional Collaboration: Current
Practices in Preservice Training (Faculty Mentor Regina Smith, DHS, MS, OTR/L)
From left to right: Ms. Lea Brown, Ms. Maria Callahan, Ms. LaTesha Terrell, and Ms. Bozana Durman Effectiveness of
Short Term Occupational Therapy Intervention in a Transitional Living Facility (Faculty Mentor Wanda Mahoney,
Ph.D., OTR/L)
55
From left to right: Ms. Shirley Hilderbrand, Ms. Nivea Lathan, Ms. Judy Martinez, Ms. Iesha Barton, Ms. Brooke Pulley,
and Ms. Kennisha Anderson presenting Early Parenting Skills of New Adolescent Mothers (Faculty Mentor: Leslie K.
Roundtree, Ph.D., OTR/L)
From left to right: Ms. April Lewis, Ms Paola Soares, Ms. Elia Ayala-Castellanos, Ms. Pamela Ossisoma, Ms. Wendy
Yoder, and Mr. James Hristrodoulopoulos presenting Developing an Occupational Profile with Young Children Using
Photovoice Methods (Faculty Mentor: Wanda Mahoney, Ph.D., OTR/L)
56
From left to right: Ms. Sophie Amayaka, Ms. Melanie Plews, Ms. Trichia Willis, Ms. Martine Turner, and Ms. Rhonda
Walker presenting LACLS-5 Validity Study: A Comparison of Group Scores (Faculty Mentor: Sarah Austin, Ph.D.,
OTR/L)
57
The Third Annual Student Research Conference
58
PRESENTERS
Mr. Saheed Amuda
Title: Filamin Expression in
Mouse Gut Epithelium and its
Role in Gut Barrier Disruption
Associated with Major Thermal
Injury
Abstract
The lumen of the gastrointestinal
tract is lined by a selective mucosa
barrier that normally absorbs
nutrients and disallows most
unwanted substance such as the
majority of pathogens and toxins.
This mucosa barrier consists of a
monolayer of epithelial cells that are
tightly adjoined with intercellular
junctional protein complexes and
supplemented by gut-associated
lymph tissue (GALT). The
extracellular junctional protein
complexes are normally anchored
to the intracellular epithelial cell
cytoskeleton. This arrangement
ensures that the paracellular space remains tightly sealed from invaders such as infectious bacteria while
dynamically maintaining cell shape and lateral migration. The cell cytoskeleton consists of an array of essential
structural protein complexes that include actin and filamin. Filamin is an important actin binding protein that
crosslinks actin into an orthogonal network. Here, we hypothesize that filamins play a major role in regulating
the polymerization and rearrangement of actin to make the interaction with tight junctional protein strong
enough to maintain the integrity of the epithelium barrier. To test this hypothesis, we compared the gut
epithelial distributions and arrangements of actin and filamin A under normal conditions and conditions that are
normally associated with gut barrier disruption, namely early postburn hyperinflammation. We further tested
whether simvastatin, with its emerging anti-inflammatory properties, affected burn-linked actin and filamin
changes. If the knocking out of filamin expression with thermal injury leads to subsequent compromise of cell
mucosa integrity, and the restoring of filamin expression with simvastatin restores the epithelium barrier
integrity, then we will accept the hypothesis that filamin is physiologically involved in the integrity of gut
epithelium barrier, and this will support the previous fact that filamin is indispensable in binding actin
cytoskeleton.
The experiments were performed using a well-accepted and IACUC approved murine model of major thermal
injury due to a nine-second, ninety-degree Celsius hot-water scald on the shaved back of deeply anesthetized
subjects to be examined 48 hours postburn. Filamin-A was assessed using immunofluorescence, western blot
and Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorter (FACS) analyses.
59
Mr. John Bisegerwa
Title: Is Lake Chad
Disappearing 1960 - 2011? A
Remote Sensing Analysis
Abstract
Based on the United States
Geological Survey (USGS) and
with the aid of remote sensed
data by NASA’s Landsat
Satellite, it is believed Lake Chad
is on the brink of disappearing.
Several studies show rapid
decline in water levels from the
1960s to 2011 reaching record
highs (Coe and Foley 2005,
Birkett 2004, USGS, 1997-2011, Barlow & Clarke, 2002, Raji and Omoyeni, 2002). This may be due to many
reasons including human–environmental interaction, irrigation, population, and climate changes. The available
literature shows that efforts to slow or reverse the phenomena are underway but not soon enough to save the
lake (LCBC 2009, Lake Chad-HYCOS, WMO, 2005). It emerges that high evaporation, desertification and
factors like South Chad Irrigation Projects are affecting the situation (SCIP, 1967). The trend is impacting the
biodiversity, ecology, flora and fauna, and may be a huge impact to the population of more than 20 million in
the Lake Chad area (Bdliya and Bloxom 2008, UNICEF, 2010). This study will apply the power of Geographic
Information Systems (GIS), using ArcGIS tools and ERDAS IMAGINE software, to analyze land use/cover in
the Lake Chad area while utilizing data recorded by Landsat MSS 1-3, TM 4-5, and +ETM 1999-2003 (NASA
1972-2011). Hence answering the question, “Is Lake Chad disappearing?”
60
Ms. Julienne Cabell
Title: Diffusion of Tin from
TEC-8 Conductive Glass
into Mesoporous Titanium
Dioxide in Dye Sensitized
Solar Cells (DSSC)
Abstract
The photoanode of a dye
sensitized solar cell (DSSC)
is typically a mesoporous
titanium dioxide thin film
adhered to a conductive glass
plate. In the case of TEC-8
glass, an approximately 700
nm film of tin oxide provides
the conductivity of this
substrate. During the calcining step of photoanode fabrication, tin diffuses into the titanium dioxide layer and
into the silicon. Scanning Electron Microscopy and Electron Dispersion Microscopy are used to analyze
quantitatively the spreading of tin through the photoanode, and extracted mass transport parameter confirms
the occurrence of diffusion. The transport of tin is reasonably described using Fick’s Law of Diffusion through a
semi-infinite medium with a fixed tin concentration at the interface. Preliminary data suggest that this diffusion
follows the Arrhenius model for diffusion in solids. However the semi infinite model in Ti may be
compromised by the minute thickness of the titanium layer. At temperatures ( to C) and times (30 to
90 min) typically employed in the calcinations of titanium dioxide layers for dye sensitized solar cells, the
variation of the tin thickness may be affecting the resistance of the photoanode. The diffusion into TiO2 will be
discussed using Fick’s law of diffusion through a finite medium with a fixed concentration at the interface. As a
consequence of heating, the change of conductivity in the DSSC plate will be determined.
61
Ms. Valeryia Fiodarava
Title: Buildings Suitable for Rooftop
Wind Turbine Installation in the
Chicago Loop Area
Abstract
Presently, fossil fuels are the main
source of energy. Historically, different
types of energy were developed and
introduced in the market but fossil fuels
always had the advantage. Fossil fuels
are a nonrenewable source of energy.
This means, they deplete faster than
they form. This type of energy also has
a harmful impact on the environment
and human health. With the growing awareness of global warming and the disadvantage of dependence on
foreign oil, more people are looking into possibilities of using other forms of renewable and cleaner energy.
The state of Illinois carries out renewable energy projects throughout the state, such as large wind power farms
that are primarily installed in the rural areas. There is extensive research about this type of energy, and it is
known for its potential for generating electricity in large amounts. However, now more people and industries
have become interested in small-scale renewable energy such as rooftop wind power. Rooftop wind turbines
are small size turbines that are mounted on the roofs of buildings. This type of energy seems appealing at first,
since they are small, cost efficient, and can be mounted on a personal roof to produce own electricity. This is a
new emerging technology on which there is very limited research done and thus little knowledge about its
potential (Christine, Dobbins, Ndegwa, & Sivak, 2010).
At the present time, the rooftop wind turbines are not an economically viable source of alternative energy. This
technology is underdeveloped and the payback period is very long. The payback period can last 14 to 48 years
which exceeds the turbine lifetime period (Christine, Dobbins, Ndegwa, & Sivak, 2010). However, selecting the
proper turbine site can increase its operation (Christine, Dobbins, Ndegwa, & Sivak, 2010).
The objective of this project is to determine suitable sites for rooftop wind turbine installation in the Chicago
Loop area. In order to approach the objective, the following factors were taken into consideration: wind
resources, building heights, transmission line access, and the distance between buildings. To determine the
suitable sites, I will proceed as follows:
1) Determine siting factors for rooftop wind turbine
2) Determine wind turbine suitable sites
3) Identify buildings that are appropriate for wind tunnel effect
4) Evaluate the amount of energy will be produced by turbines on selected sites
5) Identify urban planning criteria for rooftop wind turbine installation
I will use ArcGIS Desktop 10 and ArcScene (3D analysis) to conduct analysis of the data. Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) can be a powerful tool to evaluate alternatives based on spatially created criteria
(Hansen, 2005).
62
Mr. John Owens
Title: Building the Chicago State University On-line Map with ESRI
Abstract
CSU Geography GIS graduate student John Owens, working closely
with Jason Biller, head of CSU’s Geographic Information Services (GIS)
laboratory, has taken the lead in developing data for a detailed Campus
Map of Chicago State University. This map can be integrated with new
and ongoing projects of Chicago State science department projects,
such as the tree survey. Utilizing the resources of the Environmental
Systems Research Institute (ESRI), future students will be able to
access pre-built templates, tools and workflows to efficiently author later
versions from authoritative data they developed at Chicago State. The
current view of Chicago State at a large scale is shown at the right.
John’s basemap will contain more features and will be shared with ESRI
to publish online as a part of a multi-scaled, global basemap. The maps
are published as cached tiles, allowing the author institutions, such as
Chicago State, to retain control of the data. Reviewing and updating the
Campus map can be
integrated into future
curricula across
departments.
The timeline for completion
of the project extends beyond the April 19 presentation date;
however, progress will be sufficient to fully illustrate the goals of
the project and the progress in meeting the challenges of this
ambitious project.
63
Mr. Noah Sager
Title: An American in South
America: Notes From the 2011
IGU Conference in Santiago,
Chile
In November of 2011, Noah
received a grant from the AAG to
attend the 2011 International
Geographical Union (IGU)
Conference in Santiago, Chile.
The conference was located at a
Military Academy a few miles from
downtown Santiago and attracted
attendees from around the world.
While at the conference, Noah attended a wide variety of sessions involving topics such as: the use of GPS
cameras in fieldwork and tourism in Saudi Arabia. After the conference, Noah was also able to travel the
country and experience Chilean culture. This presentation will feature photographs from the trip, a description
of the conference, and what it felt like to an American in South America.
Ms. Courtney Hatcher - Progressive Supra Nuclear Palsy; Analysis and Treatment
64
Mr. Qaiyim El-Amin (Geography) Ms. Mattie Carter (Geography)
65
Ms. Nakia Taylor -Taylor Ecological Health Assessment: A Holistic Health Assessment for Low Income
African American Females
Dr. Dyi Kinney
66
Dr. Mark Reynolds
Dr. Dennis Garrett
67
Initiative Students in Focus
Initiative Graduate Ms. Felicia Beckett defending her thesis
Ms. Beckett presents as Dr. Daniel Block (left) listens.
68
Mr. Daniel Osei-Bonsu after successfully defending his thesis.
69
Mr. Daniel Osei-Bonsu (right) and his advisor Dr. Anzer Azim (left).
Dr. Walid Al-Goul, Dr. Anzer Azim, Mr. Daniel Osei-Bonsu, and Dr. Mark A. Erhart.
70
In Their Own Words
Occupational Therapy student Ms. Christine James shares her experience from her Initiative
sponsored trip to the ILOTA Conference (Illinois Occupational Therapy Association).
My ILOTA Conference Take-Aways
1. The Illinois Occupational Therapy Association couldn't have found a better keynote speaker! [Sgt. Thomas M. Morrisey (ret)] I almost cried as I heard him speak. His message about living each day as though, it was your last, hit so close to home for me.
2. During the morning session, I learned that in 2002, there were 1.24 million evidence-based medicine websites and in 2011, there are 13.6 million! Evidence-based medicine seems to be exponentially on the rise, which will further validate the theoretical base of Occupational Therapy and facilitate my ability to implement EBP into practice.
3. I also learned that in 2003, 30-45% of Occupational Therapy patients were not receiving evidence-based care and that 20-25% of the care received was either not needed or potentially harmful. This validates why CSU Occupational Therapy professors stress the importance of evidence based interventions to insure safe and therapeutic treatment of patients.
4. During the Development to Advance Rehabilitation, Reintegration, Resilience (RADAR3) session, I learned about the exciting projects that are being planned to demonstrate the value of occupational therapy in meeting the needs of our wounded warriors. I was surprised and delighted to learn about the considerable momentum created toward the accomplishment of this well-thought-out research plan.
5. At the ILOTA student mixer and talent show, I was able to socialize and network with Occupational Therapy students from Rush, Midwestern, and UIC. We shared fieldwork experiences, examined the differences in our respective curriculums, and discussed our plans for after graduation. It was a wonderful experience and opportunity to mingle and have fun with other students.
6. This year more students than ever were conference attendees—and this created a more diverse mix of therapists and students during the sessions. I hope that more students continue to attend the future ILOTA conferences, especially to celebrate the attainment of our Centennial Vision in two years.
7. The student research posters were really informative and I really liked the fact that the presenters were there to answer questions. Seeing the posters they created gave me more insight into the development and creation of my own research poster, which I plan to present at ILOTA next year.
8. At the Program Directors’ meeting, I was so impressed with the caliber of our academic leadership and I remain so grateful to them for the wonderful work they are doing in educating and professionalizing students across Illinois.
9. At the Representative Assembly, I learned that despite differing opinions, occupational therapy
practitioners continuously rise to the occasion by engaging in healthy and respectful debate.
This is a very useful skill, especially when it comes to negotiating salary rates, contracts, and
within inter-professional teams.
1 . Finally, meeting up with the Student ccupational Therapy Association’s from other schools
was very beneficial. It was a great experience because our SOTA club members were able to
learn about various fundraising and programming ideas used by other club chapters that can
be implemented at CSU in the upcoming semester.
71
Ms. LaTanwa Fletcher (Occupational Therapy) took an opportunity to reflect on her Initiative
sponsored trip to the ILOTA conference in Galena, IL
Ms. LaTanwa Fletcher
OT Graduate Student
ILOTA Conference in Galena, IL
21sl Century Graduate Program
11/17/2011
Attending the Illinois Occupational Therapy Association (ILOTA) conference in Galena, IL this year
was a rewarding experience especially now that I am in my second year of the program. During our
second year, we experience more independence in our level I fieldwork so relating the knowledge
that we receive on our rotation with more specific information that is given in each individual session
certainly puts things into perspective. The information described on the latest research and
technology that OT's are starting to use which is necessary for students as we continue to move
along to different settings and prepare for our level II fieldwork experiences.
Continuing education is so very important whether you are a novice practitioner or a seasoned
therapist. State and national conferences provide opportunities for everyone to come together to
share ideas and provide information for employment opportunities in different areas. All of the
aforementioned points are necessary for students, new graduates, as well as other OT's on all levels.
Thank you 21st Century Graduate Program for supporting these types of endeavors.
INTERVIEWS
Ms. Felicia Beckett (Geography [GIS])
The Initiative: What led you to choose Geography as a major?
Ms. Felicia Beckett: What’s interesting is that I am an artist. I have
been a writer and poet since I was a little girl, so when I came to
Chicago State in 97 it was my intention to get a degree in English.
By chance, I ended up in an international program, which allowed
me to see that I could channel this love for art through the lens of
geography. I haven’t given up being an artist, but what I find useful
in geography is the ability to take my artistic vision and view things
scientifically.
Initiative: So, would you say that this major has given your art
a pragmatic or scientific purpose?
Ms. Beckett: Both. I think that art is very pragmatic. It can be
beautiful and, at the same time, have a message. I stated that geography has allowed me to view my
art through a different academic lens, and it also allows me to combine my love of science with my
love of art. Science is all about creating new ways of looking at things; in that way, it is an art. Art is
the use of the mind and other resources to discover and document or explain the world, as is science.
72
Initiative: Why do you think that the completion and retention rates in scientific majors are so
low?
Ms. Beckett: Science is not an immediate result.
Initiative: Do you consider the liberal arts an immediate result?
Ms. Beckett: I do.
Initiative: How so?
Ms. Beckett: If I paint a picture, it’s done. If I write a poem, it’s done. Science is a continuous process
and it takes time; experiment after experiment, recalculations, recalibrations, and we always have to
ask a new set of questions in science to find the answers. It takes time and patience. I think that most
of the students, especially if we are talking about the African-American community are expecting
immediate results, but science more often than liberal arts causes you to take a step back and then
zoom in and focus. Not everyone has the patience for it.
Initiative: Would you say that the general culture of instant gratification in the United States
has contributed to the decline in the sciences?
Ms. Beckett: Absolutely. One of the major concerns in public school education to four year university
and beyond is a lack of focus on critical thinking. Unfortunately, what is happening is that we are
losing our ability to critically create and creatively create. It sound redundant, but I mean in the sense
of being able to think outside the box and create new paradigms. A friend of mine said today that the
average student has become a bank that teachers fill up with information and they regurgitate the
information when asked.
Initiative: Do you think altering the perception of science as clinical and art as creative into a
more interdisciplinary mold would change the low retention and admission rates?
Ms. Beckett:: It could, if it was explored properly. For example, I love astronomy. I doubt I would ever
even try to go to space but I love the subject. I love NASA and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.
To me, astronomy requires imagination to view and picture something that is beyond our quote
unquote physical reach; yet there it is. It’s this beautiful piece of art in the sky that we can examine
and study and map. That perspective of science as art is rather innovative. Unfortunately, our
American culture no longer gives room for the innovative; it seems to be more fear based. We don’t
seem to think about how to create.
Initiative: What do you think about the lack of minorities in scientific careers?
Ms. Beckett: As an African American woman, I feel that science is very important to the
advancement of minority communities.
Initiative: Well science breeds innovation.
Ms. Beckett: Absolutely. The paradigm we are in is not working. The system is breaking down. With
scientific mindsets, people can begin to think about repairing the system and making it better and not
73
just living with it. As an environmentalist, I feel that it is very important to minority communities to be a
part of the changes and to become more scientifically minded and aware of the surrounding areas,
and become part of the solutions and not the problem.
Initiative: Do you think that science is the best way to adjust the social construct?
Ms. Beckett: I think it’s one of the ways. Art is one of the things that allows us to talk about the
situation. Science allows us to start the change. They’re interconnected, and one can lead to the
other.
Initiative: Like how adverse reactions to systems and technology led to Orwell’s 1984 and how
Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle led to the forming of the FDA?
Ms. Beckett: I hadn’t thought of it like that, but yes.
Initiative: What can programs like the Initiative do to encourage people in the sciences?
Ms. Beckett: The most pragmatic way to get minorities and others more interested in the sciences
would be to show them the benefits starting with, because everyone loves it, money. The monetary
benefits of getting a degree in the sciences are huge. For, example with a graduate certification in
GIS a person could exit and have a starting salary of $60,000. There are job opportunities in Biology
and Chemistry at the state and federal level and in the private industry. Then you can also talk about
how many of people’s hobbies can become a scientific career, a love of animals, nature, technology,
or writing even. You could also talk about the meshing of subjects, interests, and technology that
leads to the creation of new job opportunities primarily in the sciences.
Ms. Julienne Cabell (Math)
The Initiative: What lead you to choose Mathematics as a
major?
Ms. Julienne Cabell: My love of mathematics started when I was
a little girl back in Africa. I come from a country called Burkina Faso
in West Africa. When I was growing up, I did not have many toys
and when I started studying mathematics, it was like a game. I just
loved it. Math was the subject where I excelled the most. I majored
in math in my home country, so when I came here it was an
obvious choice to continue in the same path. That’s why I’m getting
my degree in math, just a love of math.
Initiative: What do you love about mathematics?
Ms. Cabell: I like the problem solving. It’s challenging. It’s like a
new language. For example, when I came here I did not speak
74
English and I can compare doing math to the process of learning English. When I’m working on math I
feel like I’m in another environment - another culture, in that I’m totally immersed in the reasoning
processes. And the satisfaction you feel when you complete a problem is wonderful.
Initiative: What do you plan on doing with your degree?
Ms. Cabell: Well here in the United States, I
have the opportunity to do mathematical
research, which I love. I like the theoretical path,
but I prefer to apply math to concrete problems.
Initiative: Such as?
Ms. Cabell: Right now, I’m working on problems
involving the research of solar cells, which is
important for the advancement of renewable
energy and helping to solve the energy crisis. It’s
just a start and I would like to be able to expand
my mathematical knowledge to help battle other
life problems. In math, you have the tools to get
into almost any field as a problem solver.
Initiative: What would be your ideal situation
to utilize your math degree to the fullest?
Ms. Cabell: Well the energy problem is
something that deeply interests me, so if I
through my work was able to contribute to the
greater solution and renewable energy sources,
that would be ideal.
Initiative: Why do you think that the retention
and admission rates in science are so low?
Ms. Cabell: I think the lack of role models is one of the problems. We don’t have many scientists to follow
and when you don’t have role models that can encourage you to succeed in a certain field, it can be
difficult. Another thing is that mathematics takes time and a lot of studying. It takes a lot of sacrifices. In
general, when things are harder, people avoid them. If more people could find someone to encourage
them, they might persevere in these fields.
Initiative: Is the lack of role models the responsibility of the media or the communities?
Ms. Cabell: Well I think that everyone should do their part. The media could help. People see pop stars
and rarely see scientists, and scientists are not portrayed as cool or imitable figures.
In our communities, we also have our parts to play. We need to bring the role models in our areas to light
and encourage each other. It doesn’t even have to be scientists that encourage people to go into the
sciences, just successful people who can demonstrate that science is something worth pursuing.
75
Initiative: Some students have stated that the perceived scope of science and the available job
prospects are limiting. Would you agree?
Ms. Cabell: Yes, I have to agree with that. Even if someone was to ask me what I can do with a
mathematics degree I would only mention a few career choices and not touch the whole spectrum of jobs
available to people with this degree. But there are many things because math is everywhere. Perhaps we
need to inform young people what they can do with a scientific degree.
Initiative: What can programs like the Initiative do to alleviate the problems?
Ms. Cabell: The Initiative has been rather helpful in getting the role models that I mentioned before. Every
Saturday workshop I attend fills me with inspiration and encouragement. No matter what age you are, you
need words of encouragement at moments. I am very appreciative of this. Perhaps bringing more people
from off campus to present would help, specifically people in the mathematical field, maybe analysts or
statisticians, who can show the students what they can do with their degrees.
Ms. Valeryia Fiodarava (Geography [GIS])
The Initiative: What made you choose GIS?
Ms. Valyeria Fiodarava: I was doing my bachelor’s in environmental
management and policy and there was a GIS elective. The course
description said that you could make maps to analyze locations and
situations, I thought wow that‘s very interesting. So I took it and I
really fell in love with it for several reasons. First of all, it’s a great tool
that can be used in different fields like marketing and economics.
Second, to make maps you have to be artistic. You have to be
creative. I don’t think that I’m a very creative person, and it really
helps me to develop that potential.
One summer– while working at The Earth Institute of Columbia
University [Center for International Earth Science Information Center
Columbia New York, NY] – I had the chance to do GIS work. After
working with geographers, I decided to do my masters in Geography.
Initiative: How has GIS helped you to become more creative?
Ms. Fiodarava: Sometimes we have to make the maps interesting and I like to see how creative I
can be. We also have to make sure that the map is understandable and not crowded. You always
have to find a balance between interesting and professional. You have to make sure that your map
reveals the true information; that what you present is scientifically correct.
Initiative: You mentioned that GIS has economic and marketing applications, what would
some of those applications be?
76
Ms. Fiodarava: I took environmental economics for my bachelors’ degree. We used GIS to look at
problems from special perspectives, and based on our results we could draft our policies. Marketing
[departments and firms] uses GIS to find better locations to market their products and to see how they
can be more efficient, faster, and so on.
Initiative: Why do you think that people don’t stick with the sciences?
Ms. Fiodarava: I think there are many reasons. I think that first of all our educational system is very
simplistic. Everything is done by computers and machines, and we don’t know how to do a lot of
simple things anymore. Here if I need to resolve some problem, I can look it up on the Internet. In my
country [Belarus], we were not allowed to use calculators, even simple ones. We needed to calculate
in our heads or on paper. That was challenging and it made us work. In the present system, our
critical thinking is atrophying.
I think that interests in learning should be shaped when you
are a child. My interest in science was shaped when I was a
child. When my parents would have a weekend or month of
vacation, we would always go somewhere; like when we
would go to the forest and learn some survival skills. I would
always watch my father developing film negatives. When he
would fix a car, he would take me to assist him. Seeing these
things and being in that environment made me interested in
the secrets of the environment and how things work. If you
see these things early, go to school, and continue to learn
about them, those interests might develop into a profession.
Another reason is what we can see in other countries that are
still developing - usually a country’s growth is accompanied
with a growth in technological development. We see countries
like India that are growing and developing; they need more
specialists and people there are learning the skills that are
needed. I think a country like the US is now interested in
different things. When certain problems are already resolved,
people become more interested in social issues like human
rights and social justice and poverty. People are becoming
more interested in getting those skills – social skills.
Initiative: We spoke to several Initiative Students who grew up outside of the United States
about the comparison in education levels. What is your experience?
Ms. Fiodarava: When people tell me that it’s difficult here, I laugh. I remember my time at school. I
didn’t go to university in my country so I can only talk about my early schooling. We studied more
subjects than most students do here. What many people study in university here, we had already
learned, particularly in mathematics or physics. Plus, we didn’t have access to such open sources.
Here anyone can find answers on the Internet. Over there you had to go to the library and develop
your critical thinking skills to understand how things worked. Like I said before, we could not use
77
calculators and we also –like when we learned Russian literature- had to memorize poems, two
pages long or longer to develop our memories.
So yeah, it was much tougher. I actually miss it. Sometimes when I was working in a store as a
cashier I would try to get the change result in my head, because I felt I was losing those skills by
things being easy and simplified. I’m always trying to challenge myself so I don’t lose the skills that I
acquired in my country.
Initiative: What do you think can be done to keep people in the sciences?
Ms. Fiodarava: It looks like there is a trend away from science, to social issues. I might be mistaken,
but it seems like a trend. And when values change, interests change.
I think we have to start with the kids. We have to change our school system to make it more
challenging. I think parents have to work on keeping their children interested. I remember I was going
to school with adults in university and I saw mothers and fathers who didn’t know what
photosynthesis was. It’s difficult for children to be interested in science when their parents lack
knowledge and interest themselves.
I also think we need more leadership. We don’t hear names like Albert Einstein or Eugene Wigner
anymore. Right now, people hear different names and different words. Words like financial crisis and
poverty. So many people feel they have to become an economist, a financier, a social worker. It’s as
if there is no more need for scientists. We figure that have countries like India to do the work for us.
Initiative: What can programs like the Initiative do to help alleviate the situation?
Ms. Fiodarava: One of the things that can be done is to provide help with student research. I think
that many research projects could be
reaching a different level if students’ had
more funds. Sometimes we just have to
work with what we have and I am sure that
many people are willing to do more and can
do more, but don’t have some of the
necessary tools or money.
Also, a program like this could help to
promote students’ research and make it
more available to the public. If the research
is made available [to the public], it might
open opportunities for students in the future
and maybe even create the chance to find a
better job. Or maybe the work can become
known and some other scientist might be interested in helping to develop that research. A lot of
research that is done is usually just written up and is not used. We could be missing many good
ideas.
78
Mr. Ibrahima Gueye (Math)
The Initiative: What made you choose mathematics as your
major?
Mr. Ibrahima Gueye: Ever since high school, mathematics is
something I’ve enjoyed doing. I completed my MBA in North
Carolina, moved up to Chicago and found an unfriendly job
market. I didn’t like to sit idly by and so I returned to school.
Initiative: What was your MBA focused in?
Mr. Gueye: Finance. Actually after I got it, I spent a year
looking for a job but nothing panned out. Therefore, I started to
pursue math again.
Initiative: What are you going to use your mathematics
degree to do?
Mr. Gueye: Everyone thinks that when you get a degree in math all you can do is teach. I enjoy
teaching but there are other options. Banking is one option that might work for me as I have a
financial background. Insurance companies use a field called actuary science, requiring a very strong
background in math and finance. I am also considering that as an option.
Initiative: Besides your passion for the subject, what enabled you to get this far in
mathematics?
Mr. Gueye: I think everything has to do with someone’s background. In math, you have to have a
strong background. If you miss the basics, you will struggle at the higher levels. I had a very strong
background in math even though I
took the financial route in 2004 the
basics were still there, once you’ve
got it, you’ve got it. I think that most
people don’t have that background
and those weaknesses may hold
them back. Even though I’m in a
master’s program, I’m still using the
fundamentals I learned back in high
school.
Initiative: Why do you think that
the retention and admission rates
in the STEM degrees are so low?
Mr. Gueye: You have to go back to
the basics. I am working as a tutor
and many people have problems with the basic concepts. I think that if you go back to middle school
79
and high school and improve those skills things will improve. If that background is not there, you won’t
be able to handle calculus. In every science, you will need to know the basics and have the capacity
to prove things. In English, there are rules to the language and math is like a language as well with its
own rules and techniques for forming proofs. The only way to learn math is to do the problems, and a
lot of students are complacent simply wanting to sit in the lecture and go home. It doesn’t work that
way. You have to do it. It’s a do-it-yourself type of science.
Initiative: You were fortunate to have a sound foundation of mathematical fundamentals, what
enabled you to achieve this?
Mr. Gueye: It goes back to my personal background. I am from Senegal in West Africa and the
academic standards are very high. Starting with middle school you are prepared and guided towards
an education geared to your academic strong suite. For example, if you are strong in language you
take French, English, Spanish, and so on. There is a similar path for those strong in the sciences
called the S-fields. My last year of high school I was placed in advanced math courses. In fact most of
what I am learning now, I learned back then. Also over there it’s very competitive. Students are not
just passed. You have to work your tail off to get a good grade.
Initiative: From your perspective, would you say that the lack of career focused education in
the United States educational systems is part of the problem with weak scientific admission
and retention rates?
Mr. Gueye: Well the reality is that most people go to school to get a job and make money. I think
many people chose their major based on their expected financial return rather than their strengths. I
think that the reason many people don’t choose these majors is that they think the money isn’t there.
That and it’s tough. The perception is especially strong in math. Ninety percent of the people, who I
tell I’m pursuing a mathematics degree, say “Oh so you want to teach?” It’s only one of the options.
The perception is that if you’re getting a degree in physics or biology or math you can only become a
teacher. Maybe that’s part of the reason that people don’t pursue it because they know that teachers
don’t make much money. And like I said, it’s hard. Even with my strong background, I still have to
study hard. You have to give it time and time is scarce especially at the graduate level. I have a wife
and kids and sometimes the time to study simply isn’t there. You’re too busy going to work to pay the
rent and the bills.
Initiative: In order to be successful in this manner of a program where many people have
reached a second tier of their lives, you have to make a lot of sacrifices.
Mr. Gueye: Definitely. It’s all about sacrifices and dedication. You’re already grown up and have
come to school with a decided goal in mind. It’s about strategy and how to get there. There is no
secret. You have to put in the time and the effort; it’s not going to be a piece of cake. Sometimes, I
still have to sit down five to six hours to complete a problem. In this program you don’t want only to
pass, you want to reach a certain standard and keep a high GPA. In order to do that, you have to do
the work.
Initiative: Do you think the lack of prominently presented role models for students is one of
the primary problems with people failing to maintain an interest in science?
80
Mr. Gueye: Well I don’t really have any scientific role models, we are all different, and if you believe
in God, you know that he has given different gifts to different people. Early in my life, I identified that
math was something I was good at and I didn’t get tired of doing math. n the other hand, if I was in a
physics course I might get exhausted after an hour. I think taking the time and effort to identify one’s
strengths and weaknesses is necessary to find out what one is truly interested in.
Initiative: Would you say then that the problem is primarily the students or the educational
system?
Mr. Gueye: Both have responsibility. The students need to put forth an effort. The system cannot
keep passing people bureaucratically and expect to produce many success stories. One of the major
things I think that is a problem is rating teachers according to the pass rate. That seems like a recipe
for failure. Say I have thirty students and the more I pass affects my pay rate. That compromises the
educational system. I think rather than judging teachers by how many students they pass, teachers
should be well compensated and allowed freedom to teach the material.
Initiative: What can programs like the Initiative do to help guide people through scientific
careers?
Mr. Gueye: That’s a very good question. I think at this level [graduate school] it may actually be too
late for many people. I think we need to go back to the fundamentals and train our kids in science at
the junior high, elementary, and high school levels. At this point, there are a lot of older people who
could use one-on-one tutoring in subjects. I have seen in person how this help can inspire people to
continue in the
sciences. Also, we
can connect with
education
departments at
universities and
help ensure that
future teachers
have all the skills
they need to
become strong
qualified teachers.
81
Ms. Clarice Gumm and Ms. Margarita Kim (Biology)
The Initiative: What made
you choose biology as a
major?
Ms. Clarice Gumm: When I
was in high school, I took an
anatomy physiology class.
One day the teacher came
into class with a cow heart. It
was huge. He showed us the
valves and pointed out the
other structures. It was very
memorable. I don’t know if
there’s a similar program in
the Midwest but on the West
coast, there is a program for
high school students
interested in math and
science called MESA and I
was a part of it. Being
exposed to science in high
school is what got me interested in biology as a career choice.
Ms. Margarita Kim: Actually, I
did it to prove that I could it. I
was told in high school and
undergraduate school that I
should give up and change my
major to English. Initially I
wanted to be a psychiatrist and
go to medical school. My
psychology was strong but my
math and science were weak,
which is why my advisors and
teachers at the time tried to
deter me from a scientific
career, suggesting liberal arts
major. In order to prove myself
I took on some science courses
and discovered that I really
enjoyed it.
Initiative: What do you plan on
Ms. Margarita Kim
Ms. Clarice Gumm
82
doing with your degrees?
Ms. Gumm: I plan on going into a doctorate program. I would like to be a pharmacist based in a
hospital.
Ms. Kim: I want to work in neuropsychopharmacology. After I graduate I would also like to purse a
PharmD degree and perhaps a Ph.D. in neuropsychopharmacology.
Initiative: Why do you think
that people don’t stay in the
sciences?
Ms. Kim: It’s an arduous
process. You really have to love
it; otherwise it’s not going to
work.
Ms. Gumm: It’s definitely
difficult. It’s not easy. I think
many people have the
misconception that it is going to
be simple. I don’t think that
many people are cut out for
research. Anyone can sit in a
classroom, take a test, and pass a class. Anyone has the capability to do it. Not everyone has a
knack for research; you often have to come up with an idea from scratch. Sometimes there are
limitations to what can be done if the equipment and supplies are not available for you to do what you
want to do.
Initiative: What do you like
about the scientific process?
Ms. Gumm: I enjoy research. I like
the possibility of coming up with
something that can benefit
someone else. What I do here
may save someone’s life. Perhaps
it can cure someone or be one of
the needed steps to cure a disease
or create a better cheaper way to
treat people.
Ms. Kim: I like the fact that you get
to be creative.
Initiative: How so?
83
Ms. Kim: Well for example, when you come up with experiments you have to be creative and
original. That’s where discovery comes from. You have the chance to let your creative juices flow as
they say. It’s hands on and you can work with your mind, your hands and with animals, which I love.
I’ve always been a fixer, a maker, a doer, and a creative person. All of those skills are vital to being
an effective scientist.
Initiative: What can programs like the Initiative do to help make it easier for people to
persevere in the sciences?
Ms. Gumm: Programs like the Initiative can be more involved with the educational process on all
levels, be it administration, teaching staff, or students. Being conscious of student needs in the
scientific disciplines is important. Students need more lines of communication and advocates who can
speak on their behalf and help implement changes. In the case of this specific institution a steady
stream of supplies like pipettes and materials for cell culture is needed. And advancement in
thetechnologies available, such as Mac laptops or a Mac laboratory conducive to and capable of
running the research programs like up to date FACES express that people in scientific majors are in
dire need of.
Ms. Kim: As everyone knows, this a master’s program. Most of us are older with children and other
responsibilities, so any financial assistance, like work stipends and scholarships is a necessity. The
opportunity for full rides and other things of that nature would help immensely. State of the art lab
equipment would be beneficial. When the money is there, advancing the technology can greatly
enhance the research capability and enable people to reach greater heights, a level where positive
global impact can be made.
Ms. Gumm: Also with biology being a hands-on degree, it makes it rather difficult to juggle a family,
going to class, and putting in the necessary time in the lab, which is another reason why many people
don’t make it through these programs. Scholarships and grants or the knowledge of where to look for
such things and help with the
application process can help to
relive the burden and enable
students to achieve their
potential.
Ms. Kim: Help with job
placements would be wonderful
as well.
Ms. Gumm: Or sending in
recruiters from important
scientific institutions.
Ms. Kim: Inviting visitors from prestigious labs to work with and observe students here.
Ms. Gumm: The list is endless really.
84
Mr. Darius Holmes (Math)
The Initiative: What made you choose Mathematics as a major?
Mr. Darius Holmes: I got my undergraduate in Economics from
Chicago State University. During the program, I realized that math was
the one constant.
Due to my interest in economics and finance, a master’s degree in
applied mathematics was an obvious choice.
That’s when I made my decision.
Mathematics has always been something that was challenging and
rewarding even when I was a child. It was something that people didn’t
want to do and that I wanted to master.
Initiative: In what other areas of your academic life have you
pursued things simply because of the challenge they presented?
Mr. Holmes: It initially started in undergrad. I chose to study economics and didn’t just take
economics courses. I supplemented those with a good mix of finance and general business courses
because they are all interrelated. These fields are challenging because they are always changing.
There’s always room for innovation.
Initiative: Why do you think that people don’t enroll in the sciences?
Mr. Holmes: Because they are challenging. The route between solutions and problems isn’t always a
straight line. It’s hard. And as other [Jullienne and Ibrahima] people have said it’s a different
language. A lot of people don’t know other languages because it’s difficult to learn them. It takes
repetition and hard work. A lot of people don’t know mathematics because it’s difficult and takes
repetition and hard work. You just have to put the time into it. And it’s not always the most fun thing to
do. But that changes once you have that “eureka” moment, once you see this is amazing.
Initiative: Using your language metaphor, would you say that it is possible to become fluent in
mathematics?
Mr. Holmes: Yes it is. In undergrad and high school, I
was okay, but wasn’t a star mathematics student. But,
through hard work I got better. Even now in graduate
school I still have a long way to go. I find myself having
to do research just to understand problems. You have to
work hard and like I said it takes repetition, serious
commitment, and dedication. Most people don’t want to
do that. I think that’s the difference between the STEMs
(Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and the soft sciences. I don’t want to say that
the social sciences are easy, because anthropology is not easy. Psychology and sociology are not
85
easy. They’re different. Most people aren’t taught, aren’t trained, or aren’t wired to think in a scientific
way. Maybe it starts back in grade school. Maybe our education is more geared towards the soft
sciences and liberal arts. Actually thinking back to elementary school my education was more
focused on those subjects than it was on science.
Initiative: What do you think can be done to keep people in the sciences?
Mr. Holmes: People as a whole have to see the value of the sciences. We have all this new
wonderful technology and new solutions to problems that wouldn’t be possible without the
development of the sciences. Teachers need to make sure that their students understand the basics
at a ‘bread and butter’ level, and not just teach them to pass a standardized test. But to teach the
students by providing clear and concrete real world examples.
Math is everywhere and in everything, from television to every form of communication. Or in
something like my Sony Playstation which I thought I couldn’t survive without when I was a kid,
wouldn’t exist without some ingenious mathematician. Mathematics is the ‘it’ factor. It validates
everything. In physics, experiments are performed in a lab and the physicist uses math to confirm or
reject the hypothesis. Mathematics confirms [accuracy in] everything from the social sciences, art,
and the hard sciences. But, math isn’t just used to confirm that we got something right or wrong. Math
is very creative field, even though most people wouldn’t think so after a first glance. For example,
every computer program is just some algorithm of ’s and 1’s.
Initiative: What do you want to do with your graduate degree?
Mr. Holmes: I would like to become a financial economist. A master’s degree in mathematics
combined with my undergraduate degree would provide me with the toolbox to possibly try to
discover solutions to the economic crisis that we are facing right now. However, there are many
options open to people who pursue this degree. Problem solving skills are important in many fields.
Initiative: What can programs like the Initiative do to help students through the sciences?
Mr. Holmes: It could help by sparking an interest in those fields. People just aren’t aware that there
are so many jobs that require the critical thinking skills that a student in mathematics develops. There
is a large pool of career opportunities. These types of programs need to provide knowledge to young
people.
We need to provide children at an early age with concrete real world examples that show some of the
value the sciences. For those already in the sciences it could provide resources. It could provide real
world opportunities to present and promote research. Combining real world applications and testing
with textbook knowledge would help. Having access to a lab where high-level analysis can be done is
important. We need to bring in some top brilliant people – renowned mathematicians, renowned
biologists, occupational therapists, and geographers. Have them come in and teach students how
they got to where they are and have them tell students who they look to as role models. Provide
programs like SPSS, SAS, Mathematica, and other learning software that will enhance the student
experience. The world is becoming more advanced, and you have to be technologically savvy. Just
knowing what’s in the book isn’t enough. You have to be able to supplement that with concrete skills.
86
Mr. Daniel Osei-Bonsu (Biology)
The Initiative: What led you to choose
science as a major?
Mr. Daniel Osei-Bonsu: It started back in high
school at Dunbar Academy. I had a family friend
who was also a mentor, named Dr. Clotiel
Harris. She gave me a scientific journal with
articles on biofeedback and protein biology,
because she thought I would be interested. So I
read it thoroughly, wrote a report about it, and
got back to her. She was quite surprised that I
was able to digest the material, because the
articles involved advanced physics, electronics,
protein biology, physiology, and psychology as
well. It was an adventure. I really enjoyed it and I had a bunch of questions. Rather than answer
them, she shoveled all the journals she had on a shelf into a box and gave them to me saying, “You
should look for the answers yourself”. That was my senior year of high school. Afterwards my
academic pursuit was set on the biological sciences, and that’s where my intrigue truly began. In fact,
her influence continues to this day - so much so that I consider her the inspiration behind my greatest
scientific achievement to date my thesis entitled “Does ALSin Interact with the Nonphagocytic
NADPH xidase in the Juvenile Form of Amyotophic Lateral Sclerosis?”
The Initiative: It seems you had a predilection towards science.
Mr. Osei-Bonsu: In some regards that’s true. I can recall an incident in high school when parents
were picking up my report card. While I did well in all the subjects, my biology and physics teachers
gave me accolades. It surprised me because I didn’t think that I really stood out in those subjects. In
retrospect, this is also a moment that lead me to consider science as a career.
The Initiative: How have you used multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary aspects in the pursuit of
your degree?
Mr. Osei-Bonsu: I think that when working towards a degree in higher education, there ought to be a
conscious effort to make a student well rounded. I had the opportunity to collaborate with an OT
[Occupational Therapy] student in a multidisciplinary research project. We were successful in seeking
Institutional Review Board approval for our research endeavors. This allowed me, with the guidance
of my research advisor Dr. AC Azim, to collaborate with other professionals at the Northwestern
Feinberg School of Medicine, resulting in a research project studying the efficacy of occupational and
physical therapists, nurses, physicians, research specialists, mental health and other practitioners
involved in handling the care of people with neurodegenerative disorders.
The Initiative: Based on your personal experience, would you say that the people or the
educational system is the root cause for the lack of students actively pursuing scientific
degrees?
87
Mr. Osei-Bonsu: I think it stems from both the student’s willingness to learn challenging material and
a shortage of educators willing to take the time necessary to impart an understanding of scientific
subjects to their students.
The Initiative: You were fortunate to find your niche early on and use the educational system
to get what you want.
Mr. Osei-Bonsu: It was only by the grace of God that I was so fortunate.
The Initiative: Why do you think that the scientific retention rates are so low?
Mr. Osei-Bonsu: You have to look at what kind of incentives are available for people to learn. I know
that in the case of people pursuing scientific careers abroad, there are many benefits both financial
and otherwise available to them, if they decide to pursue their degree in the US. At the moment, there
are few equivocal incentives available to students here, because after all this is still the place people
come for a better life.
I remember a lecture where a professor said, “if we were at (an institute of technology); we wouldn’t
even have this exam because the students would already know the material and be up to par,”
insinuating that the students elsewhere had more drive to learn the material. While I believe that the
initial drive has to come from the student, how they are taught these subjects is also important. When
you have good facilitators who are willing to work
with students and discover what kind of struggles
they are having with the material, you get better
results. The focus should be on how the material is
presented rather than mere comparison.
I’ve always been taught that you need to know your
audience. You want them to be captivated by the
knowledge you're going to share. You can talk all
you want, but if you don’t guide people towards
understanding, they won’t be captivated. There is
no one size fits all solution; different campuses have
different populations that they service. For example,
most of the students who come here are from the
local community schools or in some way non-
traditional students. It is my belief that a good
facilitator and institution first decide the level it wants
to set for its students. Secondly, they determine
what level the students have reached and tries to
help them move past the institution goal. If the
students are not at the level where they can digest
the necessary material, good facilitators notice this and quickly work to bring them up to par and
above and beyond.
The Initiative: What can programs like the Initiative do to alleviate this problem?
88
Mr. Osei-Bonsu: The Initiative generously supplies the Anser C. Azim Research Lab here at CSU
and that is a great help, in addition to other help with attendance and housing fees for annual
conferences and scholarships. As for what can be done for the future of the sciences, the promotion
of hands on training particularly in the research laboratory setting is important and vital for science
majors. A vivid or visceral experience where your hands are actually involved in a learning exercise
is the best way to remember the material. Things such as the use of scientific instruments, handling
research organisms (cells, animals, and or plants), and making biological or chemical solutions, etc.
are vital to bring the subject of study to life.
89
Ms. Brooke Pulley (Occupational Therapy)
The Initiative: What led you to choose
Occupational Therapy?
Ms. Brooke Pulley: I always knew I wanted
to work in the health care field. I actually
started out in pre-physical therapy. After
several observations and after watching the
physical therapist [PT] work on my little
brother’s rotator cuff injury I noticed that the
procedures seemed extremely monotonous.
So, I changed my direction. I knew about
occupational therapy then, but I didn’t fully
understand what it was, so instead I went
with Wellness Exercise science, because it
gave me the prerequisites I would need to
get into any other healthcare program.
About three years ago, I was working as a
lead instructor at a gymnastics center. It
was a little different than most because it catered to child development, an OT, a PT, and a speech
therapist were all on the payroll. In fact I think an Exercise Physiologist developed the program. It was
very behavioral based and focused on developmental milestones. After working a few weeks with the
with special needs students who had autism and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
and from talking to their parents and learning what their physical therapists were doing, and how they
could see the kids making transitions into other areas, I got more interested in the idea of OT. There
was also an internship in undergrad that ultimately influenced my decision but the main thing was
working with the kids. I actually want to go into pediatrics. Seeing the impact and difference you can
make in their lives is what truly inspired me to choose Occupational Therapy.
The Initiative: So it was primarily the personal impact it could have.
Ms. Pulley: Yes. Of course, it was financially driven as well. It is a field where you can make a living
for yourself as a health care professional. It is not as demanding as becoming a doctor but has a
great impact on people just the same.
The Initiative: Out of the four disciplines in the Initiative, OT seems to be the most difficult to
define. What is Occupational Therapy?
Ms. Pulley: Well, Occupational Therapy takes things beyond just the physical. We move beyond just
being able to have a range of motion or walk or have movement in your hand, and we apply a
functional activity to the movements. We help people get back to occupations that they may have
been deprived of due to handicaps or recent injuries. We help people get back to their lives. It’s a
very client centered science. It’s all about what the person is motivated to do and what they want to
be able to do.
90
The Initiative: It seems like there would be a blend of biological sciences, neuroscience, basic
medicine, and a lot of psychology.
Ms. Pulley: Yeah, we have a deep psychological background in OT, because while other disciplines
simply focus on repairing the body, T presumes that you can’t separate mind, body, and spirit. So
we treat the person as a whole.
The Initiative: So, it’s an interdisciplinary field.
Ms. Pulley: From its core.
The Initiative: While rates of people coming into health
careers is still strong, why do you think that retention
and admission rates of people entering into the general
sciences is so low?
Ms. Pulley: It’s because it’s science and it’s not easy.
People can get discouraged and quit. You need to take
physics and chemistry and most people withdraw from those
classes. The classes are challenging, especially at a young
age. If someone doesn’t have good study habits or is just not
mentally prepared to take on the responsibility, they might
shy away from it.
The Initiative: How did you make it through and persevere?
Ms. Pulley: I think the necessary patience and habits have come with time. Just being older helps.
I’m in the middle here [ T department at CSU]. I’m not the oldest and I’m not the youngest. I’ve had
the experience of having my first job after undergraduate school and I think that makes a difference
when you want to be successful in a program like this. An educational background is necessary of
course but having work experience is important to appreciate the benefits of going back to school.
Dealing with finances and realizing I need to know more to do more and get more was a motivator for
me to stick with the program. Even though it’s been very challenging at times.
The Initiative: What do you plan on doing with this degree when you’re done here?
Ms. Pulley: In the short term, I want to work in pediatric therapy. I’m interested in sensory integration
and working with kids who have different sensory issues. Ultimately, I would love to own my own
practice and operate a group home for teen mothers where I can practice OT.
The Initiative: What can programs like the Initiative do to help guide people to the sciences
and through the sciences?
Ms. Pulley: Helping students become aware of the grants available for continuing their education is
very important. Beyond the financial, continuing the workshops and support that you [the Initiative]
have going is a good thing. Perhaps having more discipline specific workshops, because Math may
not need what OT needs and vice versa.
91
Geography (GIS):Mr. Noah Sager
The Initiative: What made you choose a scientific
major?
Mr. Noah Sager: I’d say the main reason is that I’ve always
been interested in science. It’s something that I’ve put a lot
of belief into; it’s something concrete; it’s something that I’ve
always enjoyed studying. Geography also combines
science with my other passion, which is traveling, meeting
new people, and going to new places. GIS (Geographic
Information Systems) is a more scientific, mathematical, and
concrete approach to those subjects. It lets me study
something that I am passionate about and the science adds
validity to it. It’s black and white. This is true; this is not true;
this is a trend; and so on, as opposed to a more artistic
discipline.
Initiative: We spoke to another person in your major
who sees GIS as a combination of art and science.
Mr. Sager: This major adds a scientific element to something that can be more artistic. Geography
can be a science or an art, there’s an MA and an MS in it. GIS is a program that combines both of
them. You can use it for just about anything. You can even apply GIS to fictional landscapes. Take
the novel Dune for example. It’s based on a fictional planet, but you can do a GIS analysis of that
fictional world. It’s cool because you can take a scientific approach to an artistic discipline and an
imaginative place.
Initiative: What are you going to use your GIS degree to do?
Mr. Sager: Well I have two main goals one is to get into more environmental work. I like working
outside. My background deals with the environment, ecology, and animal behavior. The other goal is
getting involved in urban planning. Right now, my big thing is public restroom access. In fact my
thesis is on public restroom access in downtown Chicago. I’m trying to use my GIS skills and abilities
to map the locations and to show the public, how an asset [public restrooms] that should be a public
asset is encumbered by discrimination and biases that would be almost impossible to uncover without
the use of GIS.
Initiative: Why do you think the admission and retention rates in scientific majors are so low?
Mr. Sager: Probably a lot of it is because of the media. I don’t think that people see the U.S. as a
major scientific country anymore; we’re no longer the home of technological breakthroughs; we’re no
longer funding NASA for missions through 2012; the major car companies are in Japan; the major
factories are in China; most cell-phones are made abroad. I think people don’t view this country as an
92
innovator, and those who do probably have misconceptions about what science actually is. I think
they may garner from television or the internet that science is easy, thinking that you could take a
year of chemistry in high school and because of that go on to complete a Ph.D. in it. I don’t think
people have a clear-cut idea of what a scientific field actually involves and how it is something like the
arts that you have to be truly passionate about. You have to try to understand it in order to be able to
implement it later on. I think that many people get into to it thinking that they’re going to go to the
moon or invent a new chemical or polymer for manufacturing, but they don’t understand how the
processes actually work. They just have a vague idea that it sounds cool.
Initiative: To touch on your thesis for a moment, we suspect the subject would not occur to
many people without an in-depth study of GIS. It seems that the presentation of science is
limited in that many people don’t know the scope of scientific majors. The world of science
does not seem to be presented as broad as it is.
Mr. Sager: Well that’s a good point.
Initiative: What can be done to change the situation?
Mr. Sager: I think there are two major things that can be done. One is to remove the barrier of
technology. What I see in a lot of
classes right now is that a lack of
computer knowledge holds people
back. People have an innate fear of
what they don’t understand, so if they
have trouble with a program, it’s really
going to impair their understanding
because they’re not going to care as
much about the subjects. I think it
would be brilliant to have some simple
tutorials about Excel, Word, writing,
and how to approach things and
assignments at the collegiate level. I
know there are a lot of students in my
statistics class right now who are
having problems with Excel,
something that I learned earlier on but
they didn’t have the benefit of the
same training. Anybody in the
sciences or the arts in fact could
benefit from these skills, but it would definitely make science more approachable if a student walked
in and said “Okay I understand Excel; I understand Word; I know how I’m supposed turn in my
assignments; I know how the calculator works; I know how to put my answer in a certain amount of
significant digits and a certain unit of measurement and make it logical.” I think that would be
93
beneficial and make people more comfortable with the idea of taking science classes and exploring
the fields.
The second thing is to provide students with information about the jobs that are available. When I
finished my bachelor’s degree in biology, the assumption was I would get a job, but there weren’t a
whole lot of jobs available. I didn’t feel mislead because, I wasn’t as passionate about school when I
was in my undergraduate years. However, I think knowing what the available positions are and how
far I’d have to go to get them, at the undergraduate level, masters level, and doctorate level would
have been very beneficial.
Ten years ago, I didn’t even consider doing a master’s degree, but here I am today and it’s a darn
good idea. Workshops about skills you need to have and jobs you can get in the field would be very
relevant to students. So I think it would be great if someone came in, took a handful of jobs, and said
“these are the skills you need to get these jobs”; compared those with what’s available at the
institution; and informed students what they could learn on their own.
Because you can learn a lot of stuff on your own, like some computer programs and even basic
physics. Do you know to do that? Do you know what’s important to learn? Do you put that on a
resume? A lot of people don’t know. In fact, I still don’t know. With the requirements to graduate you
have to take ‘x’ number of classes to get a degree, but those aren’t necessarily the classes you
should take to get a job. So you need to have both goals in mind. There’s not enough emphasis on
the career. It’s just on getting the degree.
94
Mr. Akida Stallworth (Biology)
The Initiative: Why did you choose
biology?
Mr. Akida Stallworth: I was originally a
business major but after taking a couple of
science classes. I just fell in love with the field.
I was recommended to the Biology graduate
program here at Chicago State by a professor
and after doing some research I fell in love
with the bench work and that’s what has kept
me in the program and focused as well.
Initiative: What is bench work?
Mr. Stallworth: The bench work is the actual
research. Sitting at the bench using a variety of techniques. We do cell cultures in our lab. We do
some protein analysis, some aminohistochemistry. It’s so interesting whenyou get the results that you
are looking for. It’s interesting even when you don’t get the results you’re looking for.
Initiative: What will you do with your degree?
Mr. Stallworth: Initially I was thinking of a medical program, but after doing research, my focus has
shifted towards a doctoral program so I can continue working on a project similar to mine in
microbiology work with a focus on the immune
system and immunology.
Initiative: Why do you think that people don’t get
into the sciences?
Mr. Stallworth: For the same reason, I didn’t get into
the sciences when I first started out [in college],
because of what you hear everyone say, “It’s
difficult.” But it’s like anything else, it gets easier with
a strong foundation and lots of practice when you do
something so much it gets easier. Science has
terminology that is not familiar but once you learn the
terminology, it’s very similar to learning in other
programs. People will tell you it’s so hard and so
difficult, but most things are in the beginning. Over
time, it gets easier and becomes part of what you
normally do.
Initiative: What would you do to get more people
interested in the sciences?
95
Mr. Stallworth: Exposure is the main thing. Exposure is the only way to get people get involved in
the sciences. Because word of mouth, you might her that the sciences are tough that the classes are
rigorous and long hours, but if you see some of the results, then you can see the time spent is well
worth it. That’s where you will spark people’s interest and get them involved in the sciences.
Initiative: What can programs like the Initiative do to help steer people through the sciences?
Mr. Stallworth: Here at Chicago State, I think we are good at having our labs work together to attain
whatever the goal of the research. I think the Initiative creates opportunity by helping labs get the
materials that they need. And if you’re in the program it’s going to put you around likeminded people
who are doing research, bringing different schools of thought together. So you might have a biology
major meet with a psychologist or somebody from occupational therapy and you can see where their
mind is at on a particular topic, as far as a maybe a disease or some kind of service you’re going to
create for someone with that disease. You can see how your research fits in with what they do. I think
that the research helps to bring these different people together.
96
Pictures of Initiative Students in Action
From left to right: Ms. Ola Ohale, Ms. Elia Ayala-Castellanos, and Ms. Wendy Yoder discuss their findings
Ms. Valeryia Fiodarava working on a project
97
Ms. April Lewis waiting to speak to an Initiative staff member.
From left to right: Ms. Felicia Beckett, Mr. John Bisergerwa, and Mr. Noah Sager discuss a point of interest on the map.
98
Mr. Louis Isaac Jr. at work in the laboratory.
99
Mr. John Owens and a guest discuss a workshop.
From left to right: Ms Brooke Pulley, Ms. Iesha Barton, Ms. Trichia Willis, and Ms. Paola Soares at work.
100
Mr. John Bisergerwa at work.
Ms. Kennisha Anderson makes a comment during a workshop.
101
Mr. Daniel Osei-Bonsu checking his results
Mr. John Bisegerwa (far right) makes a comment during a workshop.
102
Ms. Paola Soares studying in the library
Ms. Brooke Pulley speaking while her group members, Ms. Judy Martinez (left) and Ms. Kennisha Anderson (right) look
on.
103
The Initiative would like to send a special thank you to:
The United States Department of Education
All of the Initiative Students
All of the faculty advisors
Thompson Hospitality
CSU Office of Web services
CSU Office of Marketing & Communications
CSU Office of Graphic Communications
