Bridges
to the Doctorate
California State University, Northridge
The Bridges to the Doctorate program is a
cooperative partnership between California State University, Northridge (CSUN)
and eight outstanding Ph.D.-granting institutions. Students participating in
the Bridges cooperative program will have the opportunity to choose a MA/MS
concentration at CSUN in biology, psychology, chemistry, environmental
chemistry, mathematics, physics, kinesiology, and family environmental
sciences. Linkages between the Ph.D.-granting institutions and CSUN include
seminars presented at CSUN by faculty from the Ph.D.-granting institutions,
visits by CSUN students to the Ph.D.-granting institutions, and the opportunity
for CSUN students to collaborate on research projects at the partnership
institutions. These activities will prepare students for entry into Ph.D.
programs and, ultimately, earning a Ph.D. in a biomedically relevant program at
one of the partner institutions in biology, chemistry and biochemistry,
mathematics, nutrition, or psychology.
Program
Objectives
The goals of the cooperative agreements between
CSUN and its partner institutions include the following:
1. Provide an
opportunity for promising minority students to obtain Masters and Ph.D. degrees
and to enter research and teaching careers as faculty members at universities
and colleges.
2. Provide
these students with opportunities to increase their research skills and to
progress toward a Ph.D. degree via an MS/MA program at CSU Northridge.
3. Provide
enhanced access to doctoral training for graduate students from
underrepresented groups who have the potential to become independent
scientists.
4. Provide for
increased collaboration and interaction between the partner UCs, USC, and CSUN.
5. Serve as a
model for joint relationships between other CSU and UC universities and USC to
increase the number of underrepresented minorities in science.
6. Have 100%
of the students who complete the program apply and gain entry into Ph.D.
programs.
Program
Design
To meet these objectives we have designed a
program that has five major components:
1. Strong
research-based MA/MS program at CSU Northridge.
2. Month-long
orientation and introduction to the program for incoming graduate students.
3. Monthly
meetings throughout the academic year with the Program Coordinator.
4. Special
seminars that will feature faculty from Bridges partners at CSUN.
5. Visits by
students to Bridges partner institutions.
6. A summer or
a year of research conducted at an appropriate Bridges partner's laboratory.
7. Program
evaluation of these components on an annual basis.
Targeted
Student Population
Recent recipients of the BA/BS and students who
are about to earn the BA/BS and belong to NIH and institutionally defined
ethnic groups that are underrepresented in biomedical research (African
Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, and
Southeast Asians).
Eligibility
1. Completion
or near completion of a BA or BS.
2. Admission
to a MA or MS program in one of the participating departments.
3. An interest
in biomedically relevant research.
4.
Demonstrated interest/intention to pursue a Ph.D.
Student
Commitment
1. Upon completion of the MS/MA, the student must continue on
to a Ph.D. program.
2. Student
must attend all scheduled meetings and seminars.
3. Must work
20 hours a week in the laboratory during the academic sessions, and 40 hours a
week during the interim and summer sessions.
Student
Support
1. Tuition remission for two years
2. $14,400 annual support for two years
3. Travel allotment
4. $2000 research support
Bridges Participating CSU
Northridge Laboratories (including but not limited to)
|
Participating Faculty |
Department |
|
Biology |
|
|
Biology |
|
|
Biochemistry & Chemistry |
|
|
Family & Consumer Sciences |
|
|
Biology |
|
|
Biology |
|
|
Biology |
|
|
Psychology |
|
|
Biology |
|
|
Biochemistry & Chemistry |
|
|
Biology |
|
|
Physics |
|
|
Psychology |
|
|
Psychology |
|
|
Biology |
|
|
Biology |
|
|
Biology |
|
|
Biology |
|
|
Biochemistry & Chemistry |
|
|
Biology |
|
|
Psychology |
|
|
Biology |
|
|
Biology |
|
|
Biology |
|
|
Psychology |
|
|
Kinesiology |
|
|
Biology |
BRIDGES Collaborating
Ph.D.-Granting Institutions
1. University of California, BERKELEY
2. University of California, DAVIS
3. University of California, IRVINE
4. University of California, LOS ANGELES
5. University of California, RIVERSIDE
6. University of California, SAN DIEGO
7. University of California, SAN FRANCISCO
8. University of SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA
How to Apply
We are currently accepting applications
for 2-3 positions starting summer 2004. If you would like to apply, please
contact a potential faculty member (see list above) to secure approval to
work in their lab. Next, download and complete the application
for 2004. The application due date has been extended to 16 May 2004.
Students selected to participate in the program will be notified in early
June 2004.
Current BRIDGES Students (Class of
2003-04)
Maria Elena Cruz is working with Dr. Carrie Saetermoe (Department
of Psychology) to assess if the ethnic composition
of a television news team will impact students' evaluation of the team's credibility
or influence. Based on Social Learning Theory, she hypothesizes that the more
similar the team's ethnic make up is to that of the viewer, the greater will
be the team's credibility and influence.
Laura Gomez is working with Dr. Lisa Banner (Department of Biology) to
identity the role of IL-6, a pro-inflammatory cytokine, in diabetic neuropathy.
Using a mouse model, she will test if IL-6 is involved in nerve regeneration by
determining the rate at which nerve regeneration occurs in normal vs. IL-6
knockout mice strains.
Raquel Martinez is working with Dr. Larry Baresi (Department of
Biology) to characterize differences in soil microbial communities. Using
denaturing gradient electrophoresis, she is establishing microbial signatures
from soils that will be correlated to physical aspects of the soils to see if
healthy soils have a characteristic microbial community. Raquel
is also using classical microbiology to isolate bacteria and identify
differences in bacterial communities.
Daniel Miramontez is working with Dr. Michele Whittig (Department
of Psychology) to assess the acculturation strategies of various cultural
groups, and to determine whether these strategies play a role in reducing
intergroup bias. Specifically, his thesis blends social and cognitive
psychology to investigate the process of social judgment in the form of
stereotyping.
Fabricio Rojas is working with Dr. Paul Tomasek (Department of
Biology) on a project to characterize bacterial degradation of the toxin
carbofuran. His thesis will determine the transcriptional and translational
regulation of the carbofuran hydrolase gene involved in this process, as well
as determine other xenobiotic compounds that may induce this gene.
Giovanni Sosa is working with Dr. Luciana Lagana (Department of
Psychology) to determine correlations between health or health-related
activities and the quality of life in aging Americans. It will be of interest
to see if factors that enhance quality of life are common among different
ethnicities.
Lonia Wallace is working with Dr. Sheila Grant (Department of
Psychology) on the cognitive dynamics of close relationships using the tools of
attachment and attribution theory. Her research seeks to better understand how
attributions people make for their partner s behavior influence healthy,
happy intimate relationships.
Devin Wallace is working with Dr. Sheila Grant (Department of
Psychology) on various identity development models and reasons for the academic
underachievement of ethnic minority students. Her thesis focuses on stereotype
threat and its impact on Hispanic and African American students.
Angela Zamora is working with Drs. Laura Romo and Carrie
Saetermoe (Department of Psychology) to design, implement, and evaluate a
biologically oriented middle-school educational curriculum about sexually
transmitted disease (STD) prevention. Her research indicates that a biological
approach may facilitate deeper discussions about STD transmission and
prevention, making it more likely that children will be able to remember
relevant safe and unsafe health behaviors.
For More Information
Michael Summers, Ph.D.
Program Director
Department of Biology
(818) 677-7146
michael.l.summers@csun.edu
Robert Espinoza, Ph.D.
Program Coordinator
Department of Biology
(818) 677-4980
robert.e.espinoza@csun.edu
Parthenia Hosch
Administrative Assistant
Department of Biology
(818) 677-4981
hfbio014@csun.edu