On Wednesday, July 31, 10 student scholars took part in the 22nd annual Summer Education Research Poster Symposium hosted by the UW–Madison School of Education’s Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
These student scholars had been conducting research alongside faculty mentors as a part of the 10-week Summer Education Research Program (SERP). The students, who came to Madison from around the country, delivered short presentations and spoke with those who attended the event about their findings.
This year’s event took part in the Education Building’s Morgridge Commons area. Following is a glance at each of this year’s SERP participants.
Karma Brame
Home institution: Howard University
Faculty mentor: Percival Matthews, Department of Educational Psychology
Project title: From Fractions to Formulas: Exploring the Link Between Fraction Arithmetic and Generalized Arithmetic
Research statement: This study investigates whether fraction arithmetic proficiency predicts generalized arithmetic performance beyond whole number arithmetic in 7th-to-9th graders. The findings indicate that fraction arithmetic accuracy significantly predicts generalized arithmetic accuracy, highlighting the importance of a strong foundation in fraction arithmetic for success in algebra.
Brame is currently a rising sophomore majoring in applied mathematics with a double minor in Spanish and computer science at Howard University. She aspires to pursue a PhD in mathematics with a focus on education, aiming to spark enthusiasm for STEM subjects through innovative educational methods for young students. Brame seeks to explore and address critical educational issues, particularly in STEM education.
Mackenzie Damann
Home institution: Northeastern Illinois University
Faculty mentor: Walter Stern, Department of Educational Policy Studies
Project title: Pre-Brown v. Board of Education: Collaborative Efforts to Desegregate Public East St. Louis Schools
Research statement: This study examines the collaborative efforts of Black parents, the NAACP, and the East St. Louis school board of the late 1940s and early 1950s to desegregate public schools, focusing on utilizing civil rights. It reveals the initial rapid desegregation followed by a delay due to racial tensions, highlighting the significant yet overlooked role of East St. Louis in the broader desegregation movement before the Brown v. Board of Education ruling.
Damann is a rising junior majoring in history and sociology at Northeastern Illinois University. Her research interests include civil rights movements, race riots, and education in the 20th century. She is also a TRIO Scholar at her home institution.
Milo Dufresne-MacDonald
Home institution: St. Edwards University
Faculty mentor: Aireale Rodgers, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis
Project title: Student Perceptions of UW–Madison’s Ethnic Studies Requirement
Research statement: This project was an exploration of the Ethnic Studies Requirement (ESR) at UW–Madison using archives of the flagship and student-run newspapers including the Daily Cardinal and Badger Herald, using a framework of Critical Policy Analysis and Interest Convergence. We explored students’ perceptions of the ESR and their visions for learning in higher education, comparing students’ hopes for learning versus the actuality of the ESR between 2010 and 2017.
Dufresne-MacDonald is a rising senior at St. Edwards University majoring in psychology and minoring in sociology with a certificate in data analysis. Their research interests include the conditions facilitating and impeding the development, implementation, and sustainability of inclusive curricular initiatives in higher education. They seek to learn how students are included as stakeholders in social justice-focused educational reform. Dufresne-MacDonald’s past research was completed with the McNair Scholar Program and investigated the inclusion of race, gender, and sexuality in undergraduate psychology curriculum.
Jessica Felix
Home institution: University of Washington, Seattle
Faculty mentor: Diego Román, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Project title: Changing or Not Changing: Community Life and Education Experiences in Rural Wisconsin for Latinx Populations
Research statement: This study analyzes the shifting cultural norms and educational experiences of Latinx community members and students in a rural school district driven by significant Latinx population growth. Rural school districts are becoming more racially and ethnically diverse, and this particular town is no exception.
Felix is a rising fourth-year at the University of Washington majoring in education, communities, and organizations with a diversity minor. Her research interests include bilingual and multicultural education, low-income and first-generation students, and addressing equity and inclusion for Hispanic/Latine students and other racial and ethnic underrepresented groups. She is also a Ronald E. McNair Scholar at her home institution.
Marycarmen Hernandez Mora
Home institution: Northeastern Illinois University
Faculty mentor: Haley Vlach, Department of Educational Psychology
Project title: Once Upon a Note: Exploring Interactive Storybooks for Developing Musical Literacy in Preschoolers
Research statement: The proposed study is the first of its kind, investigating if 3-to-5-year-old children with a lower socioeconomic status can learn to read sheet music through storybook exposures. Inspired by the Orff Schulwerk approach and music interventions to support emerging literacy skills, this study envisions uses for the music storybook.
Hernandez Mora is a junior majoring in music education (PreK–12) with an endorsement in teaching English to speakers of other languages at Northeastern Illinois University. Her research interests include music cognition, memory, and curriculum and instruction. She is a Golden Apples scholar, passionately advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion in music education. She is also an Honors Scholar at her institution.
Melissa Romero
Home institution: University of California, Santa Barbara
Faculty mentor: Christopher Saldaña, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis
Project title: A Critical Policy Analysis of K-12 Bilingual Education Finance Policy and Practice in Wisconsin
Research statement: Romero’s research focuses on the implications of Wisconsin’s K–12 bilingual education finance policy, particularly emphasizing how state funding supports English Language Learners (ELL). Her work highlights disparities in funding distribution, revealing that although ELLs represent a growing share of the student population, state aid has not proportionately increased.
Romero is a Ronald E. McNair Scholar and rising fourth-year majoring in sociology and linguistics with an educational studies minor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her research interests are advocating for educational equities and examining the impact of culturally responsive pedagogy on student outcomes for emergent bilingual students.
Henry Smith
Home institution: North Carolina State University
Faculty mentor: Matthew Wolfgram, Wisconsin Center for Education Research
Project title: From Service to Studies: Navigating Student Service Member/Veteran Identity and Cultural Shifts in College
Research statement: This study examines how student service members and veterans (SSM/Vs) navigate the transition from military service to academia, highlighting identity challenges like stigma, hypervisibility, and cultural schisms. Through interviews with 73 SSM/Vs at five public universities, the research reveals strategies such as strategic muting and maintaining an academic goal focus to manage these challenges.
Smith is majoring in psychology and business administration at North Carolina State University. His research interests are in (1) how people find fulfillment in their occupations and how this relates to overall well-being, (2) identity development, especially those related to educational experiences and career choices, and (3) assessment of individual differences in interests, values, personality, and ability perceptions. Smith hopes to pursue a doctorate in counseling psychology in the future.
Isaiah Stevens
Home institution: North Carolina State University
Faculty mentor: Percival Matthews, Department of Educational Psychology
Project title: Factor Analysis of Equal Sign Representation in Adolescents
Research statement: This project aims to observe how factors like identity and students’ abilities to represent math equations in multiple ways can affect performance on tasks involving equivalence. Specifically, how agency affects students’ conceptualization of the equals sign as a symbol of mathematical relationships.
Stevens is a junior at North Carolina State University majoring in math. He is interested in pursuing research in mathematics cognition and computational modeling in the cognitive sciences — specifically, bridging the gap between pedagogy, curriculum creation, and cognitive architecture in United States secondary and postsecondary mathematics classrooms. Stevens is also a School of Education McNair Scholar.
Nicholas Torres
Home institution: Amherst College
Faculty mentor: Taylor Odle, Department of Educational Policy Studies
Project title: Value Beyond the Price: Parent PLUS Loan Behavior and its Implications on College Choice
Research statement: This research explores Parent PLUS Loan (PPL) behavior and its implications on College Choice, addressing gaps in existing research on PPLs. The analysis suggests there is a need for improved financial aid policies and greater accountability for the Federal Student Aid program and institutions of higher education.
Torres is a rising senior completing a bachelor of arts in education studies with a concentration in identity and education. His research interests center on how students from underrepresented backgrounds access higher education, particularly through admissions and financial aid programs. Torres is also the founder and co-executive director of the College For All Program.
Kiyo White
Home institution: Colby College
Faculty Mentor: Shamya Karumbaiah, Department of Educational Psychology
Project title: Teachers of Bi/Multilingual Learners Perceptions of Translanguaging
Research statement: To inform the development of the technologies to support bi/multilingual learners, this research study surveyed teachers on their perceptions on translanguaging, current practices, and comfortability using AI.
White is a rising junior double majoring in psychology and educational studies. Her research interests include education in a multilingual/multicultural context and identity development of multiracial/transracial children. Her interest in education grew from aiding her mother, who is an early childhood special education teacher at a bilingual school in Boston.