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Public Impact Fellowships
Overview
Public Impact Fellowships highlight and support doctoral students whose current research has the potential for substantial impact in the public sphere. Ideal candidates will be involved in research designed to significantly improve or enrich the lives of Californians and/or national and global communities.
All schools are eligible to nominate students to compete for a total of up to 15 fellowships. Each of three full awardees from any discipline will receive $10,000 and ten honorable mention awardees will receive $1,000. We are also very pleased to announce two new UCI/Stanley Behrens Public Impact Fellowships in the amount of $20,000. Applicants for this latter award are restricted to specific areas of research.
Award Info
$10,000/$20,000 (full award) or $1,000 (honorable mention award) to be used as a stipend.
Awards are to be used as stipend. Students may choose to accept the award during winter or spring 2013, or over both quarters, at their discretion with the exception of the UCI/Stanley Behrens Public Impact Fellowships, which will be paid over Winter and Spring quarters.
Eligibility
For UC Irvine Public Impact Fellowships, nominees must, at minimum, meet the following criteria:
- Maintain UCI GPA of 3.7 or higher through spring quarter 2012.
- Be a current, full-time doctoral student who has advanced to candidacy.
- Conduct research that has critical public impact. (Examples of relevant research include studies that aim to improve economic opportunity and well-being, health care, social justice, political participation, cultural engagement, and scientific or technical solutions to pressing social issues.)
- Be willing to have research spotlighted/featured on both the Graduate Division’s and UCI’s website, brochures and social networks, and be able and available to effectively communicate and discuss their research in lay terms with prospective donors, legislators and/or their staff, and the media sometime during Winter and Spring quarters.
- If selected as a finalist, student must be available to give a five-minute presentation to the selection committee, followed by a brief interview, on Tuesday, November 27, 2012 between 9:30 am - 12:30 pm.
For the UCI/Stanley Behrens Public Impact Fellowship, additional criteria apply as follows:
- Be a U.S. Citizen
- Have financial need
- Students must be conducting cutting-edge research in areas that may include: Stem cell research; energy research; water sustainability/conservation; research in endothelial cells for plant-based nutrition; diabetes treatment; bipolar disorder; schizophrenia; multiple myeloma; multiple sclerosis; the effects of physical and sexual abuse on children; and in the areas of the law and humanities.
- In addition to being available for a presentation and interview Tuesday, November 27, 2012 between 9:30 am - 12:30 pm, finalists may also be required to attend a brief interview with the donor(s) at a time to be determined.
- Must be willing to be interviewed and/or meet with the donor(s) and provide the donor(s) with periodic, perhaps quarterly, updates.
Application Process
Schools are asked to collect nominations from each department and then forward the most promising nominees, based on merit and the potential public impact of the student's research. There is no limit to the number of nominations each school may submit. The final selection committee will consider several factors when choosing the awardees, including the student's presentation, interview and their ability to convey their research to a broad audience; academic records, letters of recommendation, degree progress since matriculation into the program, and research impact. DEADLINE to submit nominations to the Graduate Division: 12:00 p.m. (noon), Friday, October 26, 2012. Late or incomplete nomination packets will not be reviewed.
- Student Information Forms (to be completed by the student):
- Students may apply via the fillable/savable Microsoft Word form from the Graduate Division Website: Public Impact Fellowship Student Information Form
- Students must complete and submit the Student Information form as a Microsoft Word document via e-mail to their department (including the Student Profile and Student Research sections)
- Student Information forms must be saved in Microsoft Word as "IMPACT APP - SID#.doc", e.g. "IMPACT APP - 12345678.doc"
- Students must also provide the following items to their department:
- A printed/signed copy of the Student Information form (including the Student Profile and Student Research sections)
- A current, printed curriculum vitae
- A letter of recommendation from the student's faculty advisor
- Associate Dean letter of recommendation
- Nomination Forms (to be completed by the department):
- Departments will nominate students via the fillable/savable Microsoft Word form from the Graduate Division website: Public Impact Fellowship Nomination Form
- Nomination forms should be saved in Microsoft Word as "IMPACT NOM - SID#.doc", e.g. "IMPACT NOM - 12345678.doc"
- Print the nomination forms and gather original signatures for each form
- Once forms are final with signatures, scan documents to a single PDF file for each nominee in this order:
- Nomination form (signed by the Faculty Advisor and Associate Dean)
- Student Information form (signed by the student)
- Curriculum vitae
- Faculty advisor letter of recommendation
- Associate Dean letter of recommendation
- Save the new PDF file as "IMPACT - SID#.pdf", e.g. "IMPACT - 12345678.pdf"
- When all documentation is complete, e-mail the following items separately for each student:
- Email to Oana Abrudan:
- The original Microsoft Word (.doc) nomination form
- The original Microsoft Word (.doc) Student Information form
- The PDF file (.pdf) with the packet (to include all items listed above)
- Email to Oana Abrudan:
- DEADLINE to submit nominations to the Graduate Division: 12:00 p.m. (noon), Friday, October 26, 2012
- Late or incomplete nomination packets will not be reviewed
Contact Info
Questions should be directed to Ruth Quinnan , x4-5879 or Oana Abrudan, x4-9031.
Deadline
The deadline for e-mail receipt of completed/signed nomination packages is 12:00 p.m. (noon) on Friday, October 26, 2012.
Notes
- Students who receive the full $10,000/$20,000 awards are not to be appointed as TAs during the period of the fellowship but may be appointed as GSRs. Students who receive $1,000 honorable mention awards may be appointed as TAs.
- For students already receiving financial aid, acceptance of a Public Impact Fellowship may affect his or her overall financial need-based support package. In such cases, students are encouraged to consult with the UCI Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.
- Previous winners (full awardees and honorable mentions) and current ARCS scholars are not eligible for this year’s competition.
Current Fellows
UCI/Stanley Behrens Public Impact Fellows The role of social scientists in contributing to the development and
testing of interventions critical to the solutions in energy efficiency
and conservation. Beth is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Social Ecology, where she
founded and directs the Transformational Media Lab within the Center for
Unconventional Security Affairs. She studies the role of information
and communication technology in promoting pro-environmental behavior;
current projects investigate technology-enabled energy feedback and
transmedia social action campaigns. She has presented her work to
diverse audiences including the Association for Environmental Studies
and Sciences, International Studies Association, and the American
Psychological Association. Before coming to UCI, Beth spent a decade
years working in K-12 education, holding positions as a teacher,
counselor, curriculum developer, and school administrator. UCI/Stanley Behrens Public Impact Fellows Modeling human genetic epilepsies using fruit flies. Ryan is a doctoral candidate from the Department of Anatomy and
Neurobiology in the School of Medicine. His research focuses on a new
approach to modeling human genetic epilepsies using fruit flies. These
models will provide insight into the neural mechanisms underlying
epilepsies associated with specific human mutations. In addition to his
research Ryan is interested in education. For the past 5 years he has
served as a TA for a large introductory biology course. He is a HHMI-UCI
graduate fellow, a TLTC Pedagogical Fellow, and was awarded the Edward
Steinhaus Teaching Award in Biological Science in 2011. He mentors
undergraduate students in research and served as Dept. Journal Club
Coordinator for the past 3 years. Public Impact Distinguished Fellow Development of complex tumor models to enhance anticancer drug screening. Seema is a Ph.D. candidate in the Chemical Engineering and Materials
Science Department at UC Irvine. She holds a B.S. in Chemical
Engineering from UC Berkeley, and an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from
UC Irvine. Her research focuses on developing engineered tumor models
that can be used for clinically relevant anticancer drug screening. Public Impact Distinguished Fellow Aims to identify the next generation of tools and approaches for
developing seasonal climate predictions, which can be integrated into
current operational methods for seasonal water supply forecasting and
enhancing the options a water manager has at his or her disposal. Scott is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in The Henry Samueli School of
Engineering. He works at the Center for Hydrometeorology and Remote
Sensing on research applications of machine learning and pattern
detection in hydroclimate, remote sensing and water resource management.
Scott received a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology from the
University of Utah in 2005 and a Master of Arts degree in Climate and
Society from Columbia University in 2009. Scott is particularly
interested in developing methods and algorithms to better understand
climate variability and climate change and its impacts on water
resources. Public Impact Distinguished Fellow Research focuses on how schools can best make use of low-cost
computers to help diverse learners, including English learners,
underrepresented minorities, and low-income s students, learn to write
well. Binbin is a doctoral candidate in the School of Education with a
specialization in Language, Literacy, and Technology. She holds an M.A.
in Educational Technology from Beijing Normal University and a B.S. in
Educational Information and Technology from East China Normal
University. Binbin's current research investigates how K-12 schools can
best make use of low-cost netbook computers and other digital tools to
support academic achievement and literacy development among at-risk
learners, including English language learners, underrepresented
minorities, and students from low-income families. Her long-term goal is
to bridge educational achievement gaps through high-quality research on
promising educational reforms. Public Impact Fellow The role of community-based organizations in improving school readiness through parent engagement. Alejandra is a doctoral candidate in the School of Education with a
dual specialization in Learning, Cognition, and Development &
Educational Policy and Social Context. She holds a B.S. in Psychology
from CLU and an M.A.’s from Cal State Northridge in Educational
Psychology. She studies the role of community-based organizations in
improving school readiness through parent engagement. In addition to
research, she is active on campus as the co-chair of the Chican@/Latin@
Graduate Student Collective and as a graduate student representative on
many boards. She looks forward to becoming a professor and engaging in
research on children in natural contexts. Public Impact Fellow Research focuses on understanding why countries adopt environmental rights in national constitutions, especially in South Asia. Josh is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Political Science. He
holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Florida, where
he graduated magna cum laude, an M.A. in Climate and Society from
Columbia University, and an M.A. in Political Science from UCI. Josh has
consulted for the United Nations Development Programme and Sierra Club
Green Home. His research utilizes quantitative and qualitative
techniques to understand why countries adopt constitutional
environmental rights, especially in South Asia, where he has conducted
field research. Josh hopes to continue his work as a professor and
international development consultant. Public Impact Fellow Sociology and demography of health, aging, immigration, and family. Zoya is a doctoral student in the department of Sociology in the
School of Social Sciences. She holds an M.A. in Demographic and Social
Analysis from UCI and a degree in Psychology from Ukraine-based Lviv
National University. Her current research seeks to understand divergent
health outcomes among the older foreign-born in the U.S. Using an
interdisciplinary approach she investigates how incorporation
experiences throughout the life course affect immigrants’ health and
wellbeing in old age. While pursuing an academic career, she also
expects her research findings to influence public policies aimed at
reducing health disparities in old age. Public Impact Fellow Classroom practices, teacher education, and student assessments that
promote innovative and equitable schooling opportunities for
underrepresented students. Briana Hinga is a doctoral candidate in the UCI School of Education,
specializing in Learning, Cognition, and Development and Educational
Policy and Social Context. Briana researches classroom practices,
teacher education, and student assessments that promote innovative and
equitable schooling opportunities for underrepresented students. She
grounds this research in partnerships with researchers, teachers,
students, and community members. She plans to pursue a career as a
university professor as a means to learn from and work with the academic
academy and communities to create spaces of collaboration and movement
toward social justice in education. Public Impact Fellow Examining the writing practices and performances of high school English language learners as they transition to college. Tina is a doctoral candidate in the School of Education at UCI
specializing in language and literacy. As a multilingual immigrant to
this country and a Lecturer at California State University, Long Beach,
Tina has both a personal as well as professional interest in working
with non-native speakers of English and other traditionally under-served
and marginalized student populations. In addition to serving as a
faculty mentor to 10 first-generation college students, Tina was also
recognized for her excellence in teaching and awarded the prestigious
“Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award” (2007) at CSU, Long Beach. In
2011, she received the UC ACCORD Dissertation Year Fellowship and was
commended for “conducting ground-breaking work that will make a great
contribution to equity and opportunity.” More recently (2012), she was
awarded the Graduate Dean’s Dissertation Year Fellowship. Public Impact Fellow The intersections of race and politics. Dana is a doctoral candidate in the UCI School of Social Sciences,
with a concentration in physical chemistry. His overarching research
agenda focuses on the intersections of race and politics. Dana broadly
defines politics to include the standard forms of electoral politics,
political participation, civic engagement, and mobilization, but also
take as central the more mundane experiences of citizenship as community
and senses of belonging. His dissertation, tentatively titled
“Racialized Belonging and Substantive Citizenship Among Later Generation
Japanese Americans,” examines the persistence and construction of
racial and ethnic communities among third and fourth generation Japanese
Americans in Southern California and the impact of such community
building on extralegal aspects of citizenship. He has a planned
completion date on June 2013. Public Impact Fellow Cumulative racial inequality in the arrest and court processes for drug offenders. Marisa is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Criminology, Law
& Society. Her work focuses on issues of race and punishment, drug
policy, sentencing, and corrections. Marisa’s dissertation examines
cumulative racial inequality in the arrest and court processes for drug
offenders. Other projects include methamphetamine legislation, addiction
and drug use over time, racial and gang violence in juvenile justice
facilities, and drug offender sentencing. Marisa’s work has been
published in Crime and Delinquency, Crime and Public Policy, and
Theoretical Criminology. She is also the past recipient of the Newkirk
Center for Science and Society Fellowship and the Debbie Davis Graduate
Student Award for service and advocacy. Public Impact Fellow Causal explanations for high fertility in developing countries. Ian is a doctoral candidate in Economics at UCI. His research looks
at demographic and economic issues that developing countries face, as
demonstrated by Philippine experience. He has received many grants for
his ongoing research on the impact of free contraceptives on birth rates
and other health outcomes. His earlier publications looked at measuring
the aggregate burden of providing for a relatively large young
dependent population, tracing disparities in firm productivity and
regional development to differences in investment environment,
validating a central bank's adherence to its avowed goal of managing
inflation, and detecting collusive behavior in setting gasoline pump
prices. Public Impact Fellow A probabilistic model for uncertainty associated with satellite precipitation products. Sepideh is a doctoral candidate in water resources and hydrology at
center for hydrometeorology and remote sensing (CHRS) in the Henry
Samueli school of engineering at UCI. She holds her master’s from the
same school and her bachelors from Sharif university of technology,
Iran. She is interested in water resources and the quantification of how
much water is available to communities to forecast disasters look
flooding and drought. Currently, she is working on quantifying the
uncertainty associated with precipitation data estimated from satellite
products, and would like to propose a global uncertainty model which can
be used as a side product with any available precipitation product to
give us a better estimate of the available water. This uncertainty helps
to conduct better strategic planning for natural resources in
societies. Public Impact Fellow Research focuses on the role of thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), an
astrocyte secreted protein, in dendritic spine morphogenesis and
structural plasticity. Maria is a doctoral candidate in the School of Biological Sciences
with a focus in neurobiology and behavior. She holds a B.S. in
Chemistry from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is
currently working under the supervision of Dr. Jorge Busciglio and is
interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in Down
syndrome neuronal dysfunction. Upon completion of a Doctorate of
Philosophy degree, she plans to pursue a medical degree in order to most
effectively apply her research background in neurodevelopmental
diseases to serve and educate the community through disease prevention. Public Impact Fellow Investigation of how the establishment and enforcement of civil gang
injunctions disrupt the activity patterns of gangs, impacting their
criminal opportunities. Matt is a doctoral candidate in the UCI School of Social Ecology
where he is in the department of Criminology, Law & Society. He
holds a B.A. from The Ohio State University in Criminology and History
as well as a B.S. in Zoology. In conjunction with his advisor, Matt has
been participating on a large-scale, multiple university research
project forecasting the structure and dynamics of evolving criminal
networks. Matt has contributed to 2 published papers from this research
initiative, and is currently working on several others. Matt’s
dissertation research investigates how the establishment and enforcement
of civil gang injunctions disrupt the activity patterns of gangs,
impacting their criminal opportunities.
Beth Karlin
Degrees:
Research
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Ryan Schutte
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Seema Ehsan
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Scott Sellars
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Binbin Zheng
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Alejandra Albarran Moses
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Joshua Gellers
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Zoya Gubernskaya
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Briana Hinga
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Tina Matuchniak
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Dana Nakano
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Marisa Omori
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John Michael Ian Salas
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Sepideh Sarachi
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Maria Torres
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Matthew Valasik
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