Building Belonging Student Showcase

May 23, 2024

The Institute for Social Transformation hosted an end-of-year celebration and student showcase event to honor the work that has been accomplished in the Building Belonging Program. Students involved in the program in 2023-2024 presented their contributions to research projects. This annual event provides Building Belonging Fellows an opportunity to share their research with the community.

Read this Q&A with Building Belonging Fellows >>

Since the program launched in 2020, we have awarded over 450 student scholarships–totaling more than $680,000 going directly to students–and supported over 160 faculty research projects.

Video Recording

Event Photos

Student Presentations

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Becoming Partisan: The Development of Children’s Social Preferences based on political group markers
Genevieve Greco (Psychology)    
Faculty Mentor: Hyesung Grace Hwang and Annie Schwartzstein, Psychology

Economic Benefits of Bird Ecotourism in Colombia    
Liv Fragiacomo (Environmental Studies) 
Faculty Mentor: Natalia Ocampo-Penuela, Environmental Studies

Exploring the Local Politics of Contested Legitimacy and Transformative Climate Urbanism: A Comparative Examination of Santa Cruz, San Jose, and San Francisco
Crystal Solis (Politics)   
Faculty Mentor: David Gordon, Politics

Laboratory Life and Social Death: The Problem of Diversity in Science and Society 
Dimitri Cardona (Sociology) 
Bhavya Kallam (Biotechnology &
Communications)    
Faculty Mentor: James Doucet-Battle, Sociology

Multilingual Learners In Community Colleges
Xittlali Trejo (Education and Psychology)  
Faculty Mentor: George Bunch, Education

Understanding Advocacy around root causes of migration – transnational solidarity in Central America and beyond
Roselyn Gloria (Sociology)    
Faculty Mentor: Amy Argenal, Sociology

Ant Community Ecology in Tropical Forest Restoration
Alyssa Hosmer (MCD Biology)    
Ariam Asmelash (Marine Biology)    
Faculty Mentor: Karen Holl, Christina Blebea, Environmental Studies

Stereotype Vulnerability and Math Achievement among Latinx Children
Rodela Nirjhar (Psychology)
Faculty Mentor: Saskias Casanova, Psychology

Venom Lab: Snakes, Science, and Interdisciplinary Historical Research
Sofia Trigueros Ufford (Agroecology / Latin American and Latino Studies)
Miguel Narez Vazquez (Latin American and Latino Studies / Sociology)
   Marissa Guzman (Feminist Studies / Latin American and Latino Studies)
Faculty Mentor: Lily Balloffet,  Latin American and Latino Studies

Oyo Empire War Ponies
Elyse Venerable (Anthropology)   
Faculty Mentor: Vicky Oelze, Anthropology

ERG Replication Project 
Chris Flores (Cognitive Science)
Aeryn Armstrong (Cognitive Science & Applied Linguistics)
Lupita Mercado (Cognitive Science)
Faculty Mentor: Liv Hoversten, Psychology

Nutritional Status and Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (EED) in children 
Evelin Vazquez (Global and Community Health)   
Faculty Mentor: Audrie Lin, Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology and Global and Community Health

Watsonville is in the Heart: Mapping a Recuperative History of Filipino Farmworkers in the Pajaro Valley
Julie Fintamag (History)   
Faculty Mentor: Steve McKay, Kat Gutierrez, Meleia Simon-Reynolds, Sociology

Leadership in the Equitable and Ethical Design of STEM    
Micah Sargento (Sociology/History of Art and Visual Culture)   
Faculty Mentor: Jenny Reardon, Sociology

Limitations to Development Through Neoliberal Free Trade Policies: Case Study on Campesinos in Mexico
Maya Mendoza (Environmental Studies)
Faculty Mentor: Ravi Rajan, Environmental Studies

Rape Counseling and Crisis Services for Latinas at HSIs and emerging HSIs   
Dana Alvarez Hernandez (Psychology and Anthropology)
Airam Coronado (Sociology and Political Science)   
Faculty Mentor: Jaimie Morse, Sociology

Conexiones Culturales: An Examination of Belonging and Youth Participatory Action Research with Middle School Latine Students    
Blandina Mendez (Psychology and Global Community Health)   
Faculty Mentor: Saskias Casanova, Psychology

Sankofa Sky Farm 
Sheyna Burns (Sociology and Agroecology)
Faculty Mentor: Damian Parr, Stacy Philpot, Michael Loik, Agroecology

Labor of Decentralization: Promises and Extraction in the Web3 Field
Alyssa Lugtu (Cognitive Science/Psychology Intensive major with a minor in Philosophy)
Faculty Mentor: Zoe Zhao, Sociology

Language Comprehension and Cognitive Control    
Lea Toledo (Cognitive Science) 
Faculty Mentor: Megan Boudewyn, Psychology

Public Perspectives of Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies    
Valeria Cuevas (Environmental Studies)    
Faculty Mentor: Sikina Jinnah, Environmental Studies

Qualitative Methods for Co-Design Research
Autumn Montez (Intensive Psychology major with a minor in Latin American and Latino Studies)
Faculty Mentor: Josephine Pham, Education

Tracking Colonial Deportations in South America 
Lourdes Ornelas (Latin American and Latino Studies and Politics)
Anaí Rosales (Latin American and Latino Studies)    
Faculty Mentor: Jeff Erbig,  Latin American and Latino Studies

Mapping Community Life: Using StoryMaps to Explore Histories of Resilience in the Central Andes
Liliana Barajas (Anthropology & Literature)
Jennifer Xilonzochilt (Anthropology & Sociology)    
Faculty Mentor: Carla Hernández Garavito, Anthropology

Defining Culturally Competent Perinatal Care for Indigenous Farmworkers
Jennifer Xilonzochilt (Sociology and Anthropology)
Jennifer Rojas Heraz (Sociology)    
Faculty Mentor: Christie McCullen, Sociology

Coastal Climate Change Resilience Project
Simran Gaheer (Economics)
Gohan Garcia (Economics)    
Faculty Mentor: Galina Hale, Economics