Student Spotlight – Loc Bui

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Meet UCLA undergraduate researcher Loc Bui!

Loc majors in Asian American Studies and participated in the Summer Research Incubator. The title of his project is “Challenge for Growth or a Burden: A Study about Undocumented, Refugee, and Immigrant Students.” Loc’s work relates to his own story as an immigrant student learning to navigate a new education system in the U.S. and explores the topic through the lenses of students with similar life experiences. His best piece of advice is to “find your inner flame and be patient because once it ignites, you will see beautiful things.”

How did you first get interested in your research project?

This research project relates to my personal story: being a student with an immigrant background and navigating the education system in the United States. Therefore, I am very self-motivated to explore this experience from the lens of other students with similar or overlapping lived experiences.

What has been the most exciting aspect of your research so far?

Having the opportunity to work with an amazing team of peers, mentors, and the director of the SRI program has been the most exciting aspect of my research experience so far. I also get to hear from professors and well-established researchers at UCLA. On top of that, having the chance to study my identity and community is not only rewarding, but it is also an honor for me to do the work on behalf of a bigger population.

What has surprised you about your research or the research process?

I jumped into this research project with nothing but curiosity and an ambition to learn and grow both personally and professionally, and the skills that I learned from this research program are both surprising and helpful. Furthermore, I am also surprised by how time-consuming it is to conduct a research project. Sometimes, a single question or obstacle can take many days for me to figure out and revisit to polish it.

What is one piece of advice you have for other UCLA students thinking about doing research?

You are brave to even think about doing research because you are making yourself known, and exposure like this can be uncomfortable. Doing a research project can be tedious and repetitive at times, so find your inner flame and be patient because once it ignites, you will see beautiful things.

What effect do you hope your research has in your field, at UCLA, in your community, or in the world?

I hope that my research topic and findings will further research in interdisciplinary fields such as Ethnic Studies, Critical Refugee Studies, and Labor Studies. I intend for my research not only to echo what has already been said but also to expand the horizon for the field and my community at UCLA and beyond. I also hope to see more donors who would invest in such research as my area of interest and more students who already possess great potential to do such honorable work researching an underprivileged but immeasurably strong population.

Student Spotlight – Geraldine Perez

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Meet UCLA undergraduate researcher Geraldine Perez!

Geraldine majors in Political Science, minors in Disability Studies and Chicana/o and Central American Studies, and participated in the Summer Research Incubator program. The title of her project is “Know Your Rights: Life, Labor, and Legality in the Central Valley.” Gerladine’s work is inspired by her passion for immigration advocacy and her personal experience as the daughter of immigrant agricultural workers. Her research explores how employment discrimination, legal status, and activism influence migrant families in relation to labor. Geraldine’s best piece of advice is to build on the concepts you are passionate about to create a transformative experience in your academic and personal growth journey.

How did you first get interested in your research project?

My passion for immigration advocacy was initiated in my childhood, as I have experienced the impacts of migration first-hand. Growing up in the Central Valley, migrant workers are not unfamiliar, producing 25% of the nation’s food. As the daughter of immigrant agricultural workers, my family would also often travel from Mexico to the United States and seek work under seasonal produce, while others would migrate within the country to support their families. Immigration affects the number of workers in the economy, demonstrating a direct correlation between immigration and the labor market. My interest in supporting immigrant families has led to my curiosity about how employment discrimination, legal status, and activism influence migrant families when it comes to labor.

What has been the most exciting aspect of your research so far?

I enjoyed building a community with like-minded individuals who were passionate about their work. I also had the opportunity to work with and learn from my amazing mentor, Iris Ramirez, who helped make this program an amazing experience. I was able to combine my interests in legal advocacy, social media, and design to create a project I was proud of. I enjoyed visualizing and finally seeing my project come together despite the few doubts that occurred throughout the early stages of my research.

What has surprised you about your research or the research process?

I was surprised to find the lack of information regarding my topic at the beginning stages of my research. Most of the current data was not specific to the region I originally intended to investigate, which is why I had to focus on the Central Valley or California at large instead of diving into my hometown. This emphasized the importance of my desire to advocate for the Central Valley community. I was also unaware of the many injustices proposed by the law in the United States when it comes to migrant workers, which is disappointing.

What is one piece of advice you have for other UCLA students thinking about doing research?

I advise students to build on the concepts they are passionate about to create a transformative experience in their academic and personal growth journey. By engaging in something you care about, the time spent working on it does not seem laborious but fulfilling. No matter the size of the topic, the power it holds can make such a difference. I encourage students to identify their passions and embrace them as tools for self-discovery and change.

What effect do you hope your research has in your field, at UCLA, in your community, or in the world?

I hope my research will provide the necessary support and advocacy for agricultural workers and immigrant families in the Central Valley. The law is supposed to protect workers, but threats continue to be used to justify wrongdoings. The existing research demonstrates the importance of studying migration in smaller cities in the Central Valley and in understanding immigrant communities. It sheds light on the background of migrant workers and the struggles they face daily. This is why it is important to look into small agricultural cities just as much as large ones. It allows migrant workers to receive the benefits they deserve, and it gives Central Valley communities the chance to be fairly represented when making decisions. It provides support and adds to the importance of building on immigrant research in academia to prevent the recurrence of ignoring agricultural workers and immigrant families in our legal system.

Student Spotlight – Madison Lee

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Meet UCLA undergraduate researcher Madison Lee!

Madison majors in Sociology and minors in Mathematics for Teaching and Education Studies. The title of her project is “What factors dissuade/compel HASS faculty to mentor undergraduate researchers at UCLA?” Her work explores how to expand HASS research opportunities for undergraduates at UCLA by increasing faculty mentorship and the benefits of conducting HASS research. Madison’s best piece of advice is to pursue what you are passionate about and persevere in the face of adversity.

How did you first get interested in your research project?

When I came to UCLA, I knew that I wanted to do research, but I struggled with finding a mentor. I developed a research project and asked numerous faculty members to be my mentor, but most of them declined because they were preoccupied with other duties. When I was offered a chance to do research over the summer on factors that affect faculty willingness to mentor undergraduates, I was excited at the opportunity to conduct research on a topic that had affected me directly.

What has been the most exciting aspect of your research so far?

After a few months of research, I and two other UCLA undergraduate researchers were selected to join the Council on Undergraduate Research’s Scholars Transforming Through Research (STR) Program. Through STR, we traveled to Washington, D.C., to talk to education representatives from Senator Alex Padilla’s, Representative Ted Lieu’s, and Representative Nanette Barragán’s offices. We advocated for increasing HASS undergraduate research opportunities nationwide so that other HASS students can benefit from research experiences. It was exciting to explore Washington, D.C., and the Capitol, and this experience opened my eyes to the possibilities of HASS research and the power I have as a UCLA undergraduate.

What has surprised you about your research or the research process?

I was surprised to find out how little people know about HASS research. Before this year, I did not know much about HASS undergraduate research opportunities, and I never imagined myself as capable of conducting research as a project lead. When conducting a literature review, I was also surprised to discover little existing literature on HASS research and its impact on participants. Although I started out not knowing much, this experience has helped me grow as a person and opened my eyes to the possibilities of HASS research. The freedom associated with doing HASS research has increased my self-efficacy and confidence in my abilities as a sociologist.

What is one piece of advice you have for other UCLA students thinking about doing research?

Find a topic you are passionate about, and do not give up on it. My research has taught me that if you can’t find a mentor, it is not a reflection of your abilities or potential as a researcher. Instead, it is an unfortunate outcome of the lack of compensation or support for HASS faculty to mentor undergraduates. We need more HASS researchers, so keep reaching out to faculty. Even if they are unable to be a mentor, they can help you improve your proposal as you search for a different mentor. If you are not sure what to research yet, apply for URC–HASS programs to dip your toes into research.

What effect do you hope your research has in your field, at UCLA, in your community, or in the world?

I hope to increase HASS research opportunities for undergraduates so that more students can benefit from the experience. I also hope to help people understand the importance and value of HASS fields. Our society places a bigger emphasis on STEM fields, which delegitimizes people who are interested in HASS fields. However, everyone has their own contributions to the world, and we should not base people’s values on their interests. I hope to change people’s perspectives on the STEM-HASS divide and inspire more interdisciplinary work because both types of work are valuable.