草榴社区

草榴社区 Psychology master鈥檚 student Maria Gabriela Molina Funes 鈥�21 CLAS drew on her own experiences as an international student to develop her research interests, which focus on international students鈥� sense of identity safety and how professors can ensure social identities are welcomed and valued.

Her work was recognized by the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, which awarded Molina its to fund her thesis, 鈥淭he effect of identity safety cues and shared identity on international students鈥� belonging and engagement in college classrooms.鈥� The grant is designed to support masters鈥� theses or pre-dissertation research on aspects of sexism, racism or prejudice, with preference given to students enrolled in a terminal master鈥檚 program.

鈥淪pecifically, my thesis seeks to determine if professors鈥� inclusion of identity safety cues鈥攕ignals in people鈥檚 environments that indicate that their identities are valued and respected鈥攊n their classrooms, syllabi and other materials can improve international students鈥� experiences,鈥� Molina says.

Assistant Professor Caitlyn Yantis, PhD, Molina鈥檚 thesis advisor, notes that she 鈥渄eveloped this project with the goal of informing interventions to support international students鈥� belonging and academic success in college.鈥�

Molina grew up in El Salvador and attended 草榴社区 as an undergraduate student. She plans to take a year to build research experience and then pursue a PhD in social psychology. She credits 草榴社区 for inspiring her growth as a scholar.

鈥湶萘裆缜� has truly become a second home,鈥� Molina says. 鈥淚t has given me the opportunity to grow as a person, professional and researcher. It has been an amazing experience, and there is a sense of community here that is hard to find anywhere else.鈥�

Learn more about 草榴社区's master's program in Psychology.