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Student Spotlight – Desiree Rassa Eshraghi

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Meet UCLA undergraduate researcher Desiree Rassa Eshraghi!

Desiree Rassa Eshraghi majors in Psychobiology, minors in Disability Studies, and is in our Undergraduate Research Scholars Program. The title of her project is “Examining Advocacy Strategies for Neurodivergent Patients.” Her best piece of advice for those considering research is to always great to explore what excites you.

How did you first get interested in your research project?

All my life I have been interested in the medical field. This interest was sparked by my older brother’s many experiences with medicine as an autistic and epileptic person with ADHD. As a child, I was inspired by the many medical professionals who interacted and treated my brother, from his neurologist to our shared pediatrician. While I remain committed to medicine as an aspiring physician, I’ve come to realize that the field is not perfect. This is especially true when it comes to its treatment of disabled, specifically neurodivergent individuals. As we grew up, I came to personally appreciate the medical autonomy and self-advocacy that my brother lacked. Rather than as a result of his own inability to speak for himself, but for the convenience of medical staff, my brother’s health concerns were not taken as seriously as my own would have been. As a result, he has often relied on either myself or my parents to advocate for him. The unfortunate reality that my brother’s limited self-advocacy has been created by others’ ableist assumptions led me to analyze the standardized preparedness of medical professionals to treat neurodivergent patients. I also want to examine what methods are best to meet the advocacy needs of such a vulnerable community.

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

It has been very exciting to understand the topic of neurodivergent patient advocacy from the ground up. There has been a noted and researched lack of preparedness among medical and nursing students to treat neurodivergent populations. I believe that analyzing contributing obstacles to neurodivergent patient care is just as important as examining the efficacies of different advocacy strategies.

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

The American medical system, despite being designed to treat and care for people’s health, remains a system inaccessible to disabled people. It’s a paradox; many disabled people are solely seen through their medical conditions (as many people are only familiar with the medical model of disability), yet there is a lack of standardized accessible care with built-in adaptive tools in place to accommodate all patients. It’s an unfortunate surprise to learn.

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

Analyze your own interests and see how these interests play into the “bigger picture”. It’s always great to explore what excites you, and understanding the role your niche topic of interest plays on a larger scale will bring focus to your research goals!

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

I hope my research inspires other pre-med and medical students to recognize just how diverse their future patients may be in terms of life experience, communication needs, and health goals. I hope my research also inspires medical professionals to broaden their skillset to better treat and accommodate the diverse needs of their patients. There is no standard patient, just as there is no standard healthcare worker!

Student Spotlight – Umiemah Farrukh

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Meet UCLA undergraduate researcher Umiemah Farrukh!

Umiemah Farrukh majors in Psychology and is in our Undergraduate Research Scholars Program. The title of her project is “Positive vs. Negative Affect Treatment: Matching Treatment Type to Personality Traits.” She hopes that her research inspires more minority women to pursue their dreams. Her best piece of advice is to never stop believing in the importance and value of your ideas.

How did you first get interested in your research project?

I first got interested in my research project when I joined the Anxiety and Depression Research (ADRC) Lab at UCLA and sat in on lab meetings led by the PI, Dr. Michelle Craske. I found myself in awe of the revolutionary work being done to help those with mental disorders and wondered if there was a way I could be a part of it in any capacity. The URSP program afforded me the opportunity to do just that.

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

The most exciting part of my research so far has been the opportunity to interact and learn from so many amazing mentors. I am incredibly grateful to all the graduate students, post-docs, faculty, and peers, that have made this an unforgettable experience!!! A special thank you to Nora, my graduate student mentor at the ADRC whose unconditional support and belief in me has allowed me to do things I never thought possible!

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

My mentors always expressed to me the lengthiness of the research process, but I don’t think it’s possible to understand and appreciate exactly how long research takes until you do an independent project yourself. Research takes time and patience, and it has been so fulfilling to learn that lesson throughout my senior thesis journey, a lesson that has definitely made me a better researcher.

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

DO IT! Do it despite your fears and apprehensions, despite your worries and imposter syndrome. You can be scared and brave at the same time, and I think that is important to remember when going into research. Additionally, never stop believing in the importance and value of your ideas, because your ideas matter and can move the field forward if you are persistent and committed in the pursuit of finding a home for them.

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

I hope my research story inspires more minority women to pursue their dreams, whether that is in the research field or elsewhere because I want to uplift and empower all those who have ever felt that they didn’t have a voice. I also hope that with the right training and expertise, my research makes a positive impact on increasing treatment efficacy for individuals with depression and anxiety and contributes to the future of translational clinical psychology research globally.

Student Spotlight – Diego Mesa

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Meet UCLA undergraduate researcher Diego Mesa!

Diego Mesa majors in Gender Studies, minors in Environmental Systems and Society, and is in our Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program (MMUF)! The title of his project is “Magic and Futurity: Uncovering the Queer in the Hated Homosexual in Giovanni’s Room.” They hope that their research sheds light on the problem that is homonormativity. His best piece of advice for students thinking about doing research is to absolutely do it!

How did you first get interested in your research project?

I read this novel when I was in community college in my LGBTQ literature class. The whole time I felt a deep identification with the character of Giovanni, whom the main character David falls in love with. Throughout the novel, David’s reflections on his identity are projected in a manner that romanticizes the validity to be normative in his society. This factor deeply affects his relationship with Giovanni, whose tragic end is evident in a society that could not cope with his queer magnificence. This story was maddening to read, as I felt that even in a world far more accepting than the one in the novel, the narrative of David is played over and over. Queer characters whose ability to blend into heteronormative society may at times give them permission to traumatize those who can not in the process.

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

I think the most exciting part has been the process that occurs besides my research. I have loved the mentorship far more because it makes my project a collaborative project. I deeply believe that creation is a concert of multiple folks, and to see my project develop with the feedback, support, and ideas of others add layers to my project I could have never come up with on my own.

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

How easy and how hard it is. It is a queer paradox in my opinion. I say easy because the skill set that you develop through mentorship makes gargantuan stressors manageable. The hard part is doing the research at the same time as life, and student life at that, is happening. It is a constant agreement of time management between your classes and your project, but fortunately the things that make it easier are those skills you learn with your peers.

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

Absolutely do it. Research functions very differently than the regular academic years in undergrad. I feel like I have a much clearer vision for my future thanks to pursuing this path, and in many ways feel better prepared to take on big projects.

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

I hope my research sheds light on the problem that is homonormativity. That is, in the process of being inclusive of queer identities society erases the very aspects that make us special, different, and resilient. It is a project of unearthing the internalized hate that exists in many of us, and I’m hoping that my project adds to the same narrative contemporary authors are proposing. This means giving importance to our emotions, feelings, and other affective archives that are just as formative and productive for society as is reason.

Student Spotlight – Luis R. Garcia Chavez

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Meet UCLA undergraduate researcher Luis R. Garcia Chavez!

Luis R. Garcia Chavez majors in Political Science and Labor Studies, minors in Public Affairs, and participated in our Summer Research Incubator! The title of his project is “Tracing A Perpetual Struggle: Do Immigration Rates Affect Unionization?” His work explores the intersection of immigration and labor. His best piece of advice is to not be intimidated to ask for help!

How did you first get interested in your research project?

I came from an immigrant, working-class household who has faced struggles with poverty, abuse from employers, and lack of power. As a result, I was drawn to to the opportunity to explore the intersection of immigration and labor. I specifically wanted to understand how immigration may affect unionization, and the reason why immigrants fall behind unionization compared to other workers.

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

The most exciting aspect of my research is understanding the designs and methods that are needed for analysis. Before this program, I vaguely understood the different methods used in research papers but did not know how to replicate the process. But with the SRI program, I was able to practice and achieve familiarity with quantitative analysis that leaves the door open for me to explore other research questions.

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

An often overlooked part of worker organizations that academia doesn’t explore enough is how the structures of industry affects unionization. For example, in the janitorial industry in Los Angeles, building owners don’t directly hire the janitorial staff; instead they create a contract with a third-party company that hires the staff. This makes it difficult for unionization to occur as the building owner would just end the contract with the janitorial company to prevent rising labor costs. This impedes unionization and even prevents labor enforcement.

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

Don’t be intimidated to ask for help when you don’t know something about research. Your mentors and research leads hold years of experience that you can tap into to make your research more valid and reliable.

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

I hope my research inspires other students to conduct further research on the intersection of immigration and unions. Furthermore, I hope this inspires students and policymakers to enact revolutionary reforms to truly change the status quo.

Student Spotlight – Herman Luis Chavez

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Meet UCLA undergraduate researcher Herman Luis Chavez!

Herman Luis Chavez majors in Ethnomusicology and Comparative Literature and is in our Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program (MMUF)! The title of his project is “Composing Bolivia: The Politics and Perspectives of Mestizaje and Indigenismo in Atiliano Auza León’s Historia de la Música Boliviana.” Their focus is to bring a fundamentally interdisciplinary lens to studying Bolivian music and its accompanying politics. Their best piece of advice is to explore your interests with UCLA’s immense resources and faculty support!

How did you first get interested in your research project?

I discovered my project on a visit our family’s home country of Bolivia. We had decided to visit my tía one afternoon—I immediately noticed the piano that sat next to the door, to the right after walking through the entrance. It was evident that the piano hadn’t been tuned in years—what was meant to sound like a major triad was as an ethnically ambiguous child, simultaneously major and minor and augmented all at once. Regardless, I was delighted. I had begun developing my piano chops after a year of college coursework and was eager to see if I could sight-read despite the unwarranted atonality of a supposedly equally-tuned instrument. Burrowed in my tía’s piano bench amidst an unkempt collection of sheet music, I found Atiliano Auza León. At the very bottom of the pile, beneath the Hungarian Marches and Eine Kleine Nachtmusiks and other reductive arrangements, was the piano score for 6 Danzas Bolivianas del ciclo ‘Runas’ por violín y piano, with the violin part gently tucked into the first spread. To see a piece by a Bolivian composer among the expected scores of the German canon surprised me. I was even more shocked that, upon closer inspection, 6 Danzas was based on the popular folkloric tunes that I had grown up listening to in my Bolivian and Bolivian-American households. My research began here: locating an art music composer among Bolivian urban modernity and beneath a European musical canon.

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

Although there have been many thrilling aspects of my research, from connecting the dots of disparate secondary material to using UCLA Library resources, the most exciting part of my research so far has been the opportunity to interview Atiliano Auza León, the composer who is the subject of my thesis. I never thought I’d get the chance to speak directly to him, but by chance we were able to do a remote interview. This has not only given me ethnographic experience, but also the ability to place his written works and compositions into the context of his personal experience.

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

Learning more about myself has been an unintended consequence of my research. Although I knew I would learn more about my Bolivian heritage the more I engaged in this research, I didn’t know that my worldview—in relation to institutional cultural power, thinking about sound and music, and the processes of (re)producing knowledge—would be so affected to the point in which I would also be able to reflect on some of the fundamental truths of my personal experience. It has been so exciting to see how transformative the research process has been in terms of my own perspectives as I have interrogated my own Bolivian diasporic identity while engaging in my research.

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

Your research questions are worth exploring, and there are so many avenues with which to do so! From the URC programs to departmental honors to individual studies, you can and should explore your interests with UCLA’s immense resources and faculty support. Many of us undergraduate students—particularly students of minoritarian communities and subjectivities—may not see the knowledge which we have experienced or have interest in represented in our coursework or in faculty research. That is certainly the case for me, as there are probably a handful of scholars in the entire country who study Bolivian sound and music. I found a faculty member who would support me and simply plunged in, and I’ve been able to explore the works of a Bolivian composer who has likely never been performed or studied in the United States. I encourage all undergrads (and especially minoritarian students) to take that plunge with their own ideas and interests, no matter how small or niche they might think they are, especially while they have the resources of UCLA. You can do it!

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

I see my thesis as one step in my scholarly journey, and therefore one that starts off on an explorative, if devout, foot: I hope to bring a fundamentally interdisciplinary lens to studying Bolivian music and its accompanying politics. I hope that as I continue writing in this manner, I will encourage the academy to see studies of sound and music as necessarily holistic. When I insert certain critiques about how Auza León constructs a discourse or presents research in my thesis, I provide my own application of my studies in comparative literature, ethnomusicology, musicology, and ethnic studies to exploring Auza León’s work. Thus, in part, this thesis is practice for my interdisciplinary praxis. I am also hoping to bring the work by a Bolivian music historian to the fore in a country where such history and historiography may not be considered or even valued. Yet, this motive does not preclude scholarly seriousness: I approach Auza León with a critical lens that first and foremost seeks to analyze his publication with an eye for discursive moves, exploring how he may contribute to certain epistemological notes around Bolivian music. Overall, I seek to contribute to the historical ethnomusicology of Bolivia and its paradigms, and thus thinking through how this history is presented in tomes such as Auza León’s is important not only for the field to learn about Bolivian music, but also for us to understand the epistemologies that surround such historiography and how they might shape our contemporary understanding. As I work on translating my thesis, I hope my work will be accessible to a Bolivian audience as well, and that this is the start of many projects about Bolivian music and culture on an international stage. Just as it is important for me to push the academic disciplines in an interdisciplinary manner, it is also important for me to represent my country, which has not been studied or taught internationally to the degree to which it might be. I am committed to continuing my work in interdisciplinary sound studies and Bolivian cultural studies—this thesis is just one piece of this expanding puzzle.

Student Spotlight – Janet Zamudio

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Meet UCLA undergraduate researcher Janet Zamudio!

Janet Zamudio majors in Public Affairs and Geography and is in our Undergraduate Research Fellows Program (URFP)! The title of her project is “A Tale of Two Movements: Coalition Building Between Environmental Justice and Affordable Housing in Los Angeles.” Her hope is that her research will bridge together what is happening within the two movements and academia. Her best piece of advice is to put yourself out there!

How did you first get interested in your research project?

My inspiration for this project stems from my lived experience growing up in the Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) area. I grew up seeing and feeling the effects of environmental racism firsthand: the targeting of BIPOC communities by the intentional placement of hazardous sites and the official sanctioning of the presence of life-threatening poisons and pollutants, all without these affected communities being represented at the political level. Without even knowing the definition of environmental racism, I lived it day-in and day-out by biking past toxic facilities, breathing polluted air, having to carry an asthma inhaler, and drinking contaminated water. After being exposed to the environmental justice movement and becoming a youth advocate for a local organization, Communities for a Better Environment (CBE), I began to understand the urgency behind the fight against environmental racism and injustice. The COVID-19 pandemic shed a new light on systemic injustices in SELA, magnifying the environmental, healthcare, and housing insecurities that our communities have faced for decades. During this turbulent time, it was impossible not to see how environmental injustices (not having a clean environment) went hand in hand with housing insecurity (the lack of safety and existence in an urban environment). My environmental justice advocacy work, combined with my experience in academia, led me to my current research project, “A Tale of Two Movements: Coalition Building Between Environmental Justice and Affordable Housing in Southeast Los Angeles.”

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

One of the most exciting aspects of my research so far has been collaborating with other environmental justice advocates and hearing their insight. My faculty mentor, Dr. Juan Herrera, is a well-known researcher in social movements and has extensive knowledge on environmental justice in the urban context. I am excited to contribute to the already existing knowledge on social movements, environmental justice, and affordable housing through an academic perspective while expanding the existing knowledge in SELA on the acts of resistance happening on the ground. So far, having conversed with community organizers has been an honor, a privilege, and insightful for me. I only hope to highlight their work, and the resistance of residents from injustice, in the best way that I can.

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

As silly as this may sound, I’ve been surprised with how quickly time flies when doing research, especially as an undergraduate student. Aside from the typical responsibilities an undergraduate student has, my research process so far includes creating my research timeline, developing a literature review, and emailing housing and environmental experts in the field. I have been surprised by how each week goes by quickly.

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

Do not be afraid to put yourself out there in research. It is easy to be afraid of Professors and researchers; however, that does not mean you are not allowed to ask for help, question the norms set in research, and/or choose a non-traditional avenue towards research. In an already challenging, selective, and elitist environment, do not be afraid to break down barriers through research.

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

SELA residents and grassroots organizations have long known the importance of having to choose between a place to live or living nearby environmental toxins. On the other hand, academia has historically lacked the means of highlighting ground up activism. It is my hope that this research will bridge together what is happening within these two movements and academia. What I also hope to achieve is to highlight the real life experiences people have in SELA while exploring the implications these two social movements have on navigating the U.S. legal system.