Investigando / Doing Research is a Latinx Hispanic Heritage Month social media series celebrating accomplished researchers from the Rhode Island College community who are advancing knowledge through their work.
Featuring Dr. Joise Garzon, Dr. M. Gabriela Torres, Dr. David Ramírez, and Keesha Sanchez (Class of 2023).
Follow @riclibrary on Instagram and Facebook to learn about their exciting research projects and to hear their advice for students who are learning the research process. Starts September 18, 2023.
September 18, 2023
Welcome to Investigando / Doing Research, spotlights on accomplished Latina/o/x researchers in the RIC Community. This week we are excited to begin the series with Dr. Joise Garzon, who offers advice for student who are learning the research process:
“Think about why you are doing this work and let that purpose guide you in all steps of your research process. Piensa por qué estás haciendo este trabajo y deja que ese propósito te guíe en todos los pasos de tu proceso de investigación.”
Joise Garzon (PhD, MSW, LICSW) is an Assistant Professor in the MSW program. Her research interests include Latina/o/x/Hispanic college students; experiences persisting in college, systemic and institutional barriers that impact persistence retention efforts, and college success; Experiences of Latinx faculty in higher education; Case management in higher education; Latinx mental health; Mentorship of Latinx students and faculty. Take a look at Dr. Garzon's 2023 dissertation using the link copied below.
September 25, 2023
Welcome to Investigando / Doing Research! This week we are happy to introduce Dr. M. Gabriela Torres (American Council on Education Fellow at RIC; Professor and Associate Provost at Wheaton College), who has advice for students who are learning the research process:
“Trabajo como investigadora porque quiero efectuar cambio en nuestro mundo. Aprender a hacer trabajo investigativo es como aprender un idioma y, como cualquier nuevo idioma, una vez que se aprende nos da la habilidad de compartir nuestra perspectiva de otra forma. El proceso investigativo ha sido frustrante para mi por lo lento que es y los trucos para hacerse adiestro que solo se aprended con la inversión de tiempo. Con todo y sus dificultades, aprender a investigar ha sido clave para que mi voz cuente.
I do research because I want to affect change in the world. Learning to do research is like learning a new language and, like any new language, once you speak it, you can share your perspective in a new way. The process of doing research has sometimes been frustrating for me because it is slow, and it has tricks that can only be learned over time. Despite the challenges, learning to research has helped me make my voice matter.”
Dr. M. Gabriela Torres is the author of numerous books and research articles including "Guatemalan Women's Asylum in the United States: How Legacies of Inequity Shape Gender Based Asylum," in Kimberly Gauderman (Ed.) Practicing Asylum: A Handbook for Expert Witnesses in Latin American Gender- and Sexuality-Based Asylum Cases (University of California Press, 2023). Link below.
October 2, 2023
Welcome to Investigando / Doing Research! This week we are happy to hear from Dr. David Ramírez (Associate Professor of Spanish and Latin American Studies) who shares advice for students who are learning the research process:
1) While working on your project keep always in mind that research is a collective enterprise, that you are always expanding or revising or recovering other people’s ideas. In this sense, your findings are not only yours; there is a sort of magical operation in any genuine research project: your work allows you to be part of a dialogue that is larger than you and your time. 2) The traditional academic article/poster is only one of the many shapes that a research project can take. Artistic explorations, civic engagement initiatives, exhibitions, and public forums are just a few other possible outcomes for a research project. So be always open to exploring new and creative ways to articulate your ideas and share your findings.
1) Mientras trabajas en tu proyecto, no olvides que el trabajo investigativo es siempre una empresa colectiva, que tú estás siempre desarrollando o revisando o recuperando las ideas de otros. En este sentido, tus hallazgos no son sólo tuyos; todo proyecto de investigación genuino realiza una operación casi mágica: te permite ser parte de un diálogo que es más grande que tú y tu tiempo. 2) El tradicional artículo/poster académico es solo una de las muchas formas que puede tomar un proyecto de investigación. Exploraciones creativas, trabajo comunitario, exposiciones o foros públicos son, entre otros muchos, algunos de los posibles caminos que puede tomar tu trabajo. Por eso, está siempre abierto a explorar formas nuevas y creativas de articular tus ideas y compartir tus hallazgos.
Dr. David Ramírez is the author of numerous publications including “El principe entre los leones," an article on the Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío, perhaps the most influential Latin American poet in the past two centuries, and Read This…or no, a newsletter that he created a few years ago. The newsletter is a reading promotion initiative designed mostly for Rhode Island College students and informed by his work as a researcher. Both publications are linked below.
October 9, 2023
This week we are delighted to spotlight Keesha Sanchez, RIC Class of 2023 and current graduate student in Oral Biology at the NYU College of Dentistry, who has the following advice for students who are learning the research process:
“Don't be afraid to ask questions. Your Primary Investigators (PIs) and other lab members are there to help guide you regardless of how intimidating it may feel at times. Take advantage of all internships or research opportunities that you come across. You will get the chance to network and meet professionals in your desired field. You may also get the chance to practice scientific communication and inform your local community about your findings. Take advantage of websites like LinkedIn to reach out to people who are in positions you hope to be in one day. You may never know what opportunities will arise from a simple conversation!
It is more than okay to not know what you want to research. Be open to trying new things, and you may ultimately discover new interests (or even develop a new research area that contains an intersection of all your interests). And, no result is a result! Do not feel discouraged if something does not go as planned, it is all part of the process (sadly)."
Keesha Sanchez was recently acknowledged for contributing to a journal article titled “Caspase-9 driven murine model of selective cell apoptosis and efferocytosis,” published by Nature, the leading publisher of peer-reviewed scientific research. As a graduate student at NYU, she is hoping to conduct osteoimmunological research. Link below.