I joined the McNair Program January 2014.

I saw a post about it on myUMBC featuring a current scholar and then advertising for applications. I clicked on the link provided to read more about the program.

As a McNair scholar, I have gained a vast amount of research knowledge and skills, as well as support in my plans for post-undergraduate endeavors. I have made friends, gained mentors, and have had access to many lifetime resources.

Right now, I am researching poorly understood psychosocial factors that contribute to HIV prevention and treatment in African American women. I am focusing on the women of color in the Baltimore area, but I hope to expand this soon.

Dr. Andrea Kalfoglou of the HAPP department has been a professor of mine for consecutive semesters. After talking with her multiple times and realizing that she had similar interests and passions, I asked her to be my mentor and she agreed.

I watched a documentary in one of Dr. Kalfoglou’s classes called AIDS in Black America. This compelling documentary ignited a huge desire to learn more about the HIV/AIDS epidemic and how it is disproportionately affecting African Americans today. I knew then that I would be doing a project related to HIV prevention.

I work on my project at least 10-15 hours a week. 

I had been a HAPP major for about a year and a half before becoming a McNair scholar and starting my research. I have taken many English/Writing Intensive classes and other helpful classes in the Math department and under the HAPP curriculum.

My mentor has been extremely wonderful. She is very dedicated, passionate, and helpful. She actively contributes to the work I do, offering expertise and suggestions along the way. She is always making sure that I have covered all bases and looking for resources to ensure the efficacy of my project. We spend a lot of time discussing the project and establishing connections that are vital to the success of the research I am doing.

The hardest part about my research has definitely been data analysis. Because I am doing qualitative work, I have to go over my data files again and again to make sure I have everything recorded correctly and then I have to go over all of the data as a whole to draw major conclusions and findings. It is pretty time consuming.

The most unexpected thing was how invested I found myself and how excited I got when I actually started doing field work. The background reading and writing were nothing compared to the rush I got actually working with individuals.

My research relates to the academic content in other classes such as Global Health because I learn more about how prevalent diseases are, how they spread, and the social reasons that contribute to such phenomena. I am also able to refer to research techniques I learned in my Research Methods in Health class while doing my research.

I would say don’t be intimidated or brush it off without consideration. I never thought I would ever do research. Whenever I heard “research,” I would automatically think of being in some sort of lab dealing with complex and boring concepts. However, I have found that research is what you make it. You can research whatever you want. Everybody has questions, and it’s nice to get a chance to investigate them and possibly create positive change in that area. It is very rewarding.

I would eventually like to get my M.S./Ph.D. in Public Health Management and then work with non-profit public health organizations all over the world.