Publications

2022

1. Fernandez, F., Mason, S., Saetermoe, C., & Chavira, G. (2022, March-April) Evaluating Mentorship Programs: Survey Items for Improving Student Affairs Practice.  Journal of College Student Development. https://muse-jhu-edu.libproxy.csun.edu/article/856756/pdf

• In this research, we draw on our experiences evaluating a program that uses critical race theory to improve faculty–student mentoring. We share survey items from the quantitative portion of the evaluation, which examines the extent to which race is part of mentoring relationships. Then we provide preliminary findings to show that the survey items predict sense of belonging when they are used as a summative scale. We discuss implications for professionals who work with student affairs- based mentoring programs and for undergraduate research mentors. 
• Read the publication here.

2. Guan, S. S. A., Ashcroft, J., Horowitz, B., Ie, E., Vasquez-Salgado, Y., & Saetermoe, C. (2022, June). Sociocultural and Contextual Determinants of Science Career Goal at a Community College and Baccalaureate-Granting Institution. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-022-09547-x

• Guided by social cognitive career theory, we assessed sociocultural and contextual barriers in science education and career development at both a baccalaureate-granting institution (BGI) and community college (CC) among 263 students (72.4% female; Mage=22.96, SD=5.70) in the USA. For BGI students, path analyses suggest proximal factors such as in-class prejudice negatively predicted science self-efcacy and prejudice from faculty and staf predicted lower career outcome expectations. For CC students, home-school cultural value mismatch directly predicted science career goals. Implications for future research, intervention and policy are discussed. 
• Read the publication here.

3. Lin, J. C. P. (2022, May). Exposing the chameleon-like nature of racism: A multidisciplinary look at critical race theory in higher education. Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-022-00879-9 

• This review article—focusing primarily on the US context—discusses CRT literature in fields where its presence is less known which are nevertheless among the major domains of higher education institutions: health sciences, computer science and information technology, sports, business, and religion. By discussing example research of how scholars have utilized CRT in different fields to challenge the race-neutral thinking that often obscures structural racism, this paper exposes racism’s ability to alter manifestations and to appear through various shapes and forms within the higher education context. Initial recommendations on how educators may engage in further discussions or actions will also be considered. 
• Read the publication here.

 2021

1. Ashcroft, J., Jaramillo, V., Blatti, J., Guan, S. A., Bui, A., Villasenor, V., Adamian, A., Chavira, G., Saetermoe, C., Ie, E., Horowitz, B., Palacios, B., Williams, P. B., Brockman, E., & Moses, J. (2021, Spring). BUILDing equity in STEM: A collaborative undergraduate research program to increase achievement of underrepresented community college students. Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research (SPUR), 4(3), 47-58. 

• The authors document student, faculty, and institutional outcomes as well as share best practices in forming community college–university partnerships, including the NIH-funded BUILD PODER program, in which 81 community college students and 41 community college faculty have participated in. Future directions also are offered in the development and implementation of transdisciplinary, multi-institutional community college collaborations.
• Read the publication here. 

2. Camacho, T.C., Vasquez-Salgado, Y., Chavira, G., Boyns, D., Appelrouth, S., Saetermoe, C., & Khachikian, C. (2021, May). Science identity among biomedical science Latinx majors: The role of a critical race theory-informed undergraduate research experience. CBE - Life Sciences Education, 20(2). https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.19-06-0124

• This study examines differences in science identities and the intention to pursue a science career among a sample of undergraduate Latinx seniors (N = 102) in biomedical science majors. Three groups were examined: 1) BUILD PODER (BP) students, 2) non-BP students who reported having a faculty mentor, and 3) non-BP students who reported no faculty mentorship. Results revealed that BP students reported the highest levels of science personal-identity and science social-identity upon graduation. Additionally, BP students and non-BP students with a mentor reported greater levels of science social-identity than those without a mentor. BP students also reported the strongest intentions to pursue a science career after college. These results highlight the importance of identity processes in the success of Latinx college students in biomedical science majors.
• Read the publication here.

3. Kwan, P., Sharp, S., Mason, S. and Saetermoe, C. (2021, December). Faculty Writing Groups: The Impact of Protected Writing Time and Group Support. International Journal of Educational Research Open. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666374021000704?via%3Dihu

• This manuscript describes the impact of protected writing time for faculty at a higher education, teaching institution who committed to focused, uninterrupted writing time on a weekly basis and exchanged writing challenges and tips with colleagues. A mixed methods approach was used to assess the impacts of the writing group which found increased productivity (manuscripts and publications, proposals and grants) and sense of a research community with enhanced structural knowledge, camaraderie, and morale.
• Read the publication here.

4. Vargas, J. H., Saetermoe, C. L., & Chavira, G. (2021). Using Critical Race Theory to reframe mentor training: Theoretical considerations regarding the ecological systems of mentorship. Higher Education, 81, 1043–1062. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-020-00598-z
   This article offers a theoretical and critical analysis of race-dysconscious mentorship involving students of color and white faculty. Inspired by ecological systems theory, critical race theory, and the NIH-funded program, Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity: Promoting Opportunities for Diversity in Education and Research, our analysis considers the ecosystems that promote student pushout and hinder diversification of the scientific workforce, which call for “critical” alternatives to traditional research mentorship. We examine the historical, social–political, institutional, interpersonal, and intrapsychic ecosystems of traditional mentor–protégé relationships.
   
   Read the publication here.

4. Villaseñor, V., Bui, A., Guan, S. A., Jain, D., Saetermoe, C., Chavira, G., & Khachikian, C. (2021, Spring). Mentors make a difference: Community college students’ development in a biomedical research training program informed by critical race theory. Journal of Applied Research in the Community College, 28(1), 155 - 170.  

• This study examined the impact of participation in an undergraduate biomedical research training program (BUILD PODER) on community college students’ academic, career, and psychosocial development. In this quasi experimental design, community college students (Mage  = 21.29, SD = 5.02, 78.6% female) who had been in the program for a year (BUILD treatment group, N = 8) reported significantly greater understanding of research, course materials, and satisfactory mentorship compared to community college students in the pre-treatment, comparison group (Pre-BUILD group; N = 18). Qualitative analysis provided further insight into the academic and psychosocial impact of research training and mentoring for community college students interested in health and health equity.
• Read the publication here.

2020

1. Norris, K. C., McCreath, H., Seeman, T., Aley, S. B., Chavira, G., Christie, C., et al. (2020). Baseline characteristics of the 2015-2019 first year student cohorts of the NIH Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) Program. Ethnicity & Disease, 30(4), 681-692. doi: 10.18865/ed.30.4.681 

• This article describes baseline characteristics of four incoming, first-year student cohorts at the primary BUILD institutions who completed the Higher Education Research Institute, The Freshmen Survey between 2015-2019. These freshmen are the primary student cohorts for longitudinal analyses comparing outcomes of BUILD program participants and non-participants. 

2017

1. Saetermoe, C. L., Chavira, G.,Khachikian, C., Boyns, D., & Cabello, B. (2017). Critical Race Theory as a Bridge in Science Training: The California State University, Northridge BUILD PODER Program. Biomedical Central Proceedings, 11(21). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12919-017-0089-2

• The purpose of this paper is to describe Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD); Promoting Opportunities for Diversity in Education and Research (PODER), which is an undergraduate biomedical research training program based on transformative framework rooted in Critical Race Theory (CRT). Preliminary evaluation data suggest that BUILD PODER’s program has enhanced the racial/ethnic consciousness of the campus community, is effective in encouraging more egalitarian and respectful faculty-student relationships and is a rigorous program of biomedical research training that supports students as they achieve their goals. 
• Read the publication here.

Publications Under Review

1. Guan, S. A., Vasquez-Salgado, Y., & Burke, C.* (2021). Psychological, physical, and academic impact of COVID-19 on students in STEMM at 2-year and 4-year institutions. [Manuscript submitted for publication]. 

2. Vasquez-Salgado, Y., Camacho, T.C., *Lopez, I., Chavira, G, Saetermoe, C., & Khachikian, C. (2021).  “I definitely feel like a scientist”: Exploring science identity trajectories among Latinx students in a critical race theory-informed undergraduate research experience program. [Revise and resubmit]. Journal of College Student Development. 

Presentations

1. Chavira, G. (2022, April). Microaggressions and Using CRT in Your Daily Work. College of Engineering, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee, Oakland University, Rochester, MI. (virtual)
2. Chavira & Khachikian, C. (2022, March). Critical Mentorship. College of Engineering, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee, Oakland University, Rochester, MI. (virtual)
3. Chavira, G. & Khachikian, C. (2022, February). How to be an Ally II. [Workshop]. College of Engineering, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee, Oakland University, Rochester, MI. (virtual)
4. Kwan, P. & Vargas, J. H. (2022, February). BUILDing a “Critical” Mass: Mentorship and Initiatives to Promote Social Justice Research. California State University STEM Webcast. 
5. Chavira, G. (2022, January). BUILDing Scholars: Using CRT to Diversify the Biomedical Sciences.[ Oral Presentation]. Psychology Graduate Program in Community Psychology, University of Virginia (virtual)
6. Chavira, G. & Khachikian, C. (2022, January). How to be an Ally: Moving beyond being Non-racist. [Workshop]. College of Engineering, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee, Oakland University, Rochester, MI. (Virtual)
7. Chavira, G. & Khachikian, C. (2021, August). Moving beyond being non-racist: BUILDing inclusivity in STEMM. [Oral presentation]. College of Engineering Faculty Retreat, Oakland University, Rochester, MI. 
8. Chavira, G. (2021, August). Critical Race Theory in Education. CSU STEM-NET: All Things STEM. Host: Frank Gomez. [Podcast presentation] Available: https://all-things-stem-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/critical-race-theory-in-education 
9. Chavira. G.(2021, June).BUILDing an inclusive department and workplace. SF BUILD Faculty Leadership Institute. [Zoom oral presentation].
10. Chavira, G. (2021, June). BUILDing leadership capacity in your department. SF BUILD Faculty Leadership Institute. [Zoom oral presentation].
11. Chavira G.(2021, May). Increasing the pipeline to the doctorate: The case of master’s and doctoral universities partnerships. [Keynote speaker]. The Northwest Partnerships andPathways Conference. 
12. Kwan, P. and Vargas, J. “BUILDing a “Critical” Mass: Mentorship and Initiatives to Promote Social Justice Research”. (2022, April) Social Justice Week. Sonoma State University
13. Kwan, P. and Vargas, J. “BUILDing a “Critical” Mass: Mentorship and Initiatives to Promote Social Justice Research”. (2022, February) Faculty Representation Matters – CSU BUILD Alliance’s Efforts to Mirror Our Students for Health Equity Webcast. CSU Office of the Chancellor 
14. Bui, A., Villasenor, V., & Guan, S. A. (2019, April). “A whole new support system”: Community college students’ development in a biomedical research training program. Western Psychological Association 99th Annual Convention, Pasadena, California. [Poster presentation].
15. Villasenor, V., Bui, A., & Guan, S. A. (2019, March). “A whole new support system”: Community college students’ development in a biomedical research training program. Annual Conference of the Council for the Study of Community Colleges, San Diego, California. [Roundtable presentation].