Recently, CRRES URP participants Kia Heryadi and her mentor Dr. Fabio Rojas were highlighted in a feature from the College of Arts and Sciences. The CRRES Undergraduate Research Program provides students with a unique chance to obtain research experience while simultaneously receiving assistance and guidance from a faculty mentor. Dina Okamoto, director of CRRES, states “The program is a powerful experience for students and faculty because there are few opportunities for faculty-student mentoring relationships centering academic research on race and ethnicity in the social sciences and humanities.”

Kia Heryadi, a current member of the CRRES undergraduate research program, was searching for ways to advance in her Sociology degree when she was learned about CRRES. After the impression she made as a student in Professor Fabio Rojas’s class, he agreed to have her join his ongoing research pertaining to the BLM movement, the sociology of activism and leadership.

Through this opportunity, she has gained transferable research skills that she can use wherever her future takes her. “You’d be surprised how often in your life that kind of research skill will come up,” Rojas says as he reflects on the advantages of having research experience. The CRRES Undergraduate Research Program has allowed for researchers to gain an intellectual edge, powerful skills, and mentors. Kia is just one of the many students who have benefited from such a significant experience and opportunity.