Current and Past Recipients of the President's Research in Diversity Travel Assistance

Spring 2019 Award Recipients 

Beyza Buyuker
Department of Political Science, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: American Association for Public Opinion Research 74th Annual Conference
Individual Paper: Democracy and the "Other": Out-group Attitudes and Support for Anti-Democratic Norms

Óscar Daniel Campo Becerra
Department of Hispanic and Italian Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: 3rd International Congress of Latin American Theories, Criticism and Literary Histories - Antonio Cornejo Polar "Migrations, Borders and Displacements in Latin American Literature"
Individual Paper: Teaching Creative Writing to Spanish Heritage Speakers

Michele Ferris-Dobles
Department of Communication, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: Media in Transition 10: Democracy and Digital Media
Individual Paper: Central American migration and the "borderless" mobile phone

Kadin Henningsen
Department of English, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Conference: International Congress on Medieval Studies
Panel: The Dysphoric Classroom: Debility, Capacity, and the Somatic Experiences of Learning While Trans*

Ana Luiza Morais Soares
Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: WESIPS- Warfare, Environment, Social Inequality, and Pro-Sociability
Panel: Manaus' Boarding Schools: Educating the Body to Form "Useful" Citizens (1870-1910)

Benjamin Schaefer
Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: Society of American Archaeology
Individual Paper:  Reconstructing Life Histories at the Site of Estuquina: Incorporating Isotopic Data from Archaeological Hair to Investigate Palaeodietary Trends

Marbella Uriostegui
Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: Fighting Injustice: The Power of Research, Policy and Activism in Challenging Times
Poster: A critical review on the literature on ethnic racial socialization among Latinx families

Heather Walker
Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: 2019 Pacific/Western Disability Studies Symposium
Individual Paper: "CripTheVote: How Disabled Activists Used Twitter for Political Engagement During the 2016 Presidential Election

Stephanie Werner
Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: Chemistry Education Research and Practice
Poster: Why are they leaving? Representation, retention, and attrition of underrepresented groups in chemistry compared to other science domains

Cheryl Widman
Department of Special Education, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: 12th International Congress of Autism-Europe
Individual Paper: Understanding Parent Participation in the University Education of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Fall 2018 Award Recipients 

Hashim Ali
Department of History, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: 47th Annual Conference on South Asia
Individual Paper:  Memorializing the Nation: Monumental Sites and Pakistani Public History 

Rick Coppola
Department of Education: Curriculum and Instruction, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: Literacy Research Association Annual Meeting
Shared Paper:  Putting Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy in Conversation with Universal Design for Learning: A Case Study of a Middle-School Spoken Word Poetry Unit 

Melanie Kirkwood
Department of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Conference: Literacy Research Association
Individual and Shared Papers:  Dread Nation: An Afrofuturistic Analysis of Black Girlhood in the Nineteenth Century 

Alessandro Moscaritolo
Department of Philosophy, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: 46th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy
Panel:  Minorities within a Minority. Towards a More Inclusive Relationship with Latinx Minority Communities. 

Courtney Mullin
Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: Association of University Centers on Disabilities 2018 Conference
Posters:  1) 2018 Chicago Disability Studies Conference, From the Margins to the Center: Disability Studies in Other Disciplines 2) Working to Move: The Hidden Work of Medicaid Personal Care Assistance Services Users Planning and Pursuing Cross-state Moves 

Catherine Pichardo
Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: The American Public Health Association 2018 Annual Meeting & Expo
Individual Paper:  Impact of Racism-Related Vigilance on the Mental Health and Sleep Quality of Latina/o College Students 

Jasmine Routon
Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Conference: National Council on Family Relations Conference
Poster:  Economic marginality among LGB-parented families: A systematic review 

Juan Suarez Ontaneda
Department of Spanish and Portuguese, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Conference: 2nd International Conference of the Black Americas Network, "Black Power: Movements, Cultures, and Resistance in the Black Americas"
Individual Paper:  Aural Cartographies: the Inscription of Sound as a Multicultural Project in the Radio Program by Nicomedes Santa Cruz “Cancionero de España y de América” (1987) 

Jong Hun Sung
Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Conference: 35th International Seating Symposium
Individual Paper:  Impact of Fear of Falling on Quality of life and Participation  

Elizabeth Villegas
Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Conference: National Council on Family Relations Conference
Panel:  Adapting Family-Based Programming for Latino Audiences

Spring 2018 Award Recipients

Pronoy Rai
Department of Geography & GIS, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Conference: Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers
Individual Paper: The Social Geographies of Seasonal Migration: Seasonal Labor Migration in Rural Western India

Chung Eun Lee
Department of Special Education, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Conference: American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD)
Poster:  The perspectives of parents and siblings toward future planning for adults with Intellectual and developmental disabilities

Molly Buren
Department of Special Education, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: DISES International Conference: Embracing Inclusive Approaches
Shared Paper:  Analysis of an Inclusive Summer Arts Program and the role of Adults with Social Interactions

Coral Lumbley
Department of English, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Conference: International Congress on Medieval Studies
Panel:  Early Middle English Adaptation and Translation: The Language of Race in Lawman’s Brut

Amanda Stewart
Department of Sociology, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: American Sociological Association
Panel:  "Oh, by the way, I'm…": Strategies for Negotiating Rural Queer and Trans Living

Ryan Walsh
Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: World Federation of Occupational Therapists 2018 Congress
Poster:  (1) Everyday technology use among older people in urban contexts: A comparative study between the United States and Sweden; (2) The role of everyday technology and engagement in activities onto perceived health among older people in urban communities

Yue Xu
Department of Disability and Human Development University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: The Gatlinburg Conference on Research and Theory in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Panel:  Barriers and Needs of Parents Caring for Children with ASD in Rural Areas

Xue Jiang
Department of Educational Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: American Educational Research Association 2018 Annual Meeting
Poster:  Facing parental migration: Rural Chinese children's close relationships and academic well-being

Lynda Lin
Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Conference: Society for Research on Adolescence (SRA)
Poster:  Parent perceptions of school predict child academic competence through perceived teacher rejection in families of Mexican origin

Marcelo Kuyumjian
Department of School of Music, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Conference: LASA2018 / Latin American Studies in a Globalized World
Individual Paper:  MMPB and Modern Afro-Brazilian Aesthetics in Samba

Kelsey LeFevour
Department of Recreation, Sport, and Tourism University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Conference: North American Society of Sport Management 2018
Poster:  Sport participation and life-course narratives: An analysis of elite wheelchair athletess

Rachael Gruen
Department of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: Literacy Research for Expanding Meaningfulness
Individual Paper: "Making" One's Way to a GED Diploma: An Alternative Curriculum

Olivia Hagedorn
Department of History, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Conference: African/Diasporic Futures: Re-Envisioning Power, Interventions, Imaginations and Belonging
Individual Paper: Chicago's Renaissance Woman: Margaret T. G. Burroughs and the Diasporic Midwest

Christina Mekonen
Department of Germanic Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: German Studies Association Conference
Individual Paper: The Concept of the "Stranger" in Poetry by Black and Jewish Authors

Arjun Mitra
Department of Managerial Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: Southern Management Association Annual Meeting
Individual Papers (3): Female emotional labor: Examining through the lens of support and reciprocity; Do women always support other women? A study of the upper echelon: We or Me? I don't feel the need to serve!

Jillian Moga
Department of Communication, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Conference: National Communication Association 103rd Annual Convention
Individual Paper: Representations of Asian Americans in Discourses of Racial Justice Allyship

Valerie O'Brien
Department of English, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Conference: South Central Modern Language Association 74th Annual Conference: Moving Words: Migrations, Translations, and Transformations
Panel: Generic Transformations: Travel and Truth-Telling in the Moor's Account

Lisa Ortiz
Department of Education, Policy, Organization & Leadership, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Conference: 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Studies Association.  Theme: Pedagogies of Dissent
Individual Paper: Puerto Rican Pedagogies: Migratory lessons from women in and outside of academia, Chicago, and beyond

Marisa Smith
Department of Communication, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Conference: NCA 103rd Annual Convention
Shared Paper: The Voice of Images: The Use of Images as a Form of Protest in the Black Lives Matter

Xuening Wang
Department of Economics, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: APPAM 39th Annual Research Convention
Individual Paper: Permanent Residency and the Job Mobility of High-Skilled Immigrants: Is There Evidence of Job Lock?

Emma Zajdela
Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: Malta VIII Conference "Frontiers of Science: Research and Education in the Middle East - A Bridge to Peace"
Poster: Studying the Success of Science Diplomacy in Building Trust among Diverse Communities in the Middle East

Spring 2017 Award Recipients

Liliana Aguayo
Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Conference: 2017 Experimental Biology
Poster: Low Health Literacy Hinders Accurate Perceptions of Body Weight among Mexican Women

Rick Coppola
Department of Curriculum and Instruction: Language, Literacy & Culture, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: International Literacy Association Conference
Shared Paper: Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy in the Urban Literacy Classroom: Lessons from Mr. C.’s Class

Sarah Hernandez
Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: Society for Community Research and Action 2017 Biennial Conference
Individual Paper: Dissemination in community based participatory research with Mexican immigrants: A community engaged review of the literature

Jize Jiang
Department of Criminology, Law, and Justice, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: 2017 Annual Meeting of Law and Society Association
Individual Paper: Institutionalizing Crimmigration: The Penal Control of Immigrants as Myth and Ceremony

Maria Pineros Leano
Department of School of Social Work, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Conference: Experimental Biology
Individual Paper: Feeding Practices and Lifestyle Changes after Migration: Perceptions of First Generation Latinas Living in an Emerging Community

Catherine Webb
Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: Summer Institute on Theology and Disability
Shared Paper: Supporting Siblings and Families of People with Disabilities in Faith Communities

Sandy Wong
Department of Geography & GIS, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Conference: Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers
Individual Paper: Visual impairment & urban mobilities: An evaluation of activity space techniques to understanding movement

Caitlyn Yantis
Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: Meeting of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues
Shared Paper: Ignoring history, denying racism: Mounting evidence for The Marley Hypothesis

HyeJin Yeo
Department of Education Policy, Organization & Leadership (EPOL), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Conference: American Educational Research Association
Individual paper and two shared papers: Racial microaggressions targeting international students on a U.S. campus; Critical race theory, teacher attributions and school-based professional development; Teacher attributions in school-based professional development 

Courtney Zulauf
Department of Psychology (Clinical), University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting 2017
Panel: Perceptions of Parents: Possible Protective Factor against Preschool Expulsion

Fall 2016 Award Recipients

Yvette Castaneda
Department of Kinesiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Conference: Contemporary Ethnography Across Disciplines
Individual Paper: Stories That Level The Field: Micro Aggressions in Everyday Lives of Women of Color in Academic Spaces.

Alyssa Greenberg
Department of Art History, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: Museums as Sites of Social Action (MASS Action)
Collaborative presentation and project: Museums as Sites of Social Action: Transforming (or Reinventing) the Institution

Shannon Harper
Department of Criminiology, Law and Justice, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: The Many Colors of Crime & Justice
Individual Paper: Kill or Die: Female-Perpetrated Intimate Partner Homicide (IPH) as a Survival Strategy

Olivia Holmes
Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: Critical Mixed Race Studies Conference
Panel: Invisible Oppression: Facing and Coping with Multiracial Discrimination

Jose Izaguirre
Department of Communication, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Conference: National Communication Association 102nd Annual Convention
Individual Paper: Materializing Myth: César Chávez and Civil Rights Rhetoric

Laurel Mazar
Department of Criminology, Law and Justice, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: American Society of Criminology
Shared Paper: The Social Tolerance of Rape: An Analysis of the Jyothi Singh Case

Meghann O'Leary
Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: National Association of Women's Studies (NWSA) Annual Conference
Panel: Claiming Experience and Authenticity as a Mad Subject: Resisting the Colonial Compulsions of "Choice" and "Recovery"

Zafer Sonmez
Department of Public Administration, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: 56th Annual Conference of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP)
Individual Paper: Trajectories of Neighborhood-Level Poverty: The Case of Chicago 1970-2010

Leonor Vanik
Department of College of Urban Planning and Public Administration, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conference: ACSP Planning: Practice, Pedagogy and Place
Individual Paper: Quarter of a Century Later and Still Waiting: The Social Production of Disability Spaces

Lori West
Department of Education Policy Organization and Leadership, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Conference: History of Education Society 56th Annual Meeting
Individual Paper: History Speaks: Oral Histories of the DuSable Museum of African American History

For More Information About This Award

Visit the main page for the President’s Research in Diversity Travel Award.