Did you know that the Feminist Research Institute has an Undergraduate Research Board? Read more about our new 2022-23 members at the end of this article!

Board members share their experiences participating in research on campus, specifically feminist research.  Two board members, Ellie Legg and Yutikaa Saini, wrote for FRI's new article series, Future Faces of Research.  Ellie conducted interviews with female undergrads in STEM majors and wrote about their shared experiences. Yutikaa explored the concept of polyamory and its place in relationship research through work that she is conducting in the Eastwick Lab on campus. 

In spring quarter, the board organized and hosted a workshop breaking down how undergraduate students can get involved in research at UC Davis. Board members shared experiences with research, how to find research opportunities, the research they are engaged in now, and how to create relationships with professors. Topics covered included: Do’s and Don’ts, a walkthrough of the Undergraduate Research Center Website, templates for emailing a professor, and much more. Additionally, the board identified general questions they had when searching for research opportunities. Finally, the board hosted a Q&A for further questions with Dr. Victoria Cross and graduate students from the math department.

Are you an undergraduate student interested in getting involved in the Board next year? Do you know an undergrad who would enjoy this opportunity? Join the FRI listserv, and watch for an announcement at the beginning of Fall quarter!

2023-22 New undergraduate board members:

Yutikaa Saini (she/her) Yutikaa is a fourth-year Cognitive Science major and a Gender and Women's Studies minor at UC Davis. She currently works at the Eastwick lab and is primarily interested in social cognition, attraction, and relationships!

 

 

Summer Reeves (she/her) Summer is a fourth-year biological systems engineering major. Currently, she is helping design a bioreactor to convert cellulose into cellulose nanocrystals and also building a robot to help combat challenges for small farms. 

 

 

Navreet Kaur (she/her) Navreet is a third-year undergraduate student at UC Davis—majoring in Biological Psychology and minoring in Sociology. Her current research interests center around mental health and intersectional/relational impacts on a person’s well-being.

 

 

Annabel Marshall (she/they) Annabel is a third-year Cognitive Science and English double major. She is interested in language learning research, especially equitable education for multilingual students and other underserved populations.

 

 

Rishita Kumar (she/her) Rishita is a first-year majoring in Science and Technology Studies, as well as Psychology. She loves researching the effects of music on the brain and how peace and empathy can prolong human lifespans. 

 

 

Leilani Gonzalez (they/them) Leilani Gonzalez is a fourth-year Women, Gender and Sexualities major, minoring in sociology. They are a first-generation college student from East Los Angeles, whose research interest is in how media, specifically commercials and advertising, represents marginalized individuals. 

 

El Sordean (they/them) El is a third-year undergraduate who has channeled their fascination with the complex human mind into a Psychology major. El hopes to conduct interview research one day about the parts of people that are universally shared but commonly kept hidden and they have a passion for social justice in higher education.

Kaitlyn Duong (she/her) Kaitlyn Duong is currently a second-year double majoring in Managerial Economics & Communications, and minoring in Neuroscience! In the past, she worked at an allergy and asthma research center and is interested in gaining more hands-on experience within the fields of economics, law, and communications.