Erika’s Nomination
| Erika helped connect me with several projects and professors I did not know were affiliated with the study where we initially worked together. I was a curious but overwhelmed student researcher, unsure of how to start developing my ideas. Erika took notice of my desire to become more involved and reached out to inform me of the many opportunities my RA position offered. During the Summer Team Impact Project we worked on together, she kept in touch with undergraduate researchers to make sure that we were making headway on our projects. Erika was always available for questions, and she happily gave guidance to all of the small groups as we proposed and answered research questions. She has nearly-unlimited patience, and was always willing to give aid to myself and the other undergraduates working on the project. Throughout the summer, she was always willing to listen to my ideas and help me reframe them into actionable steps and answerable questions. Additionally, she went above and beyond to make sure that our study participants were well accommodated; she displayed immense empathy for the students who participated in our study and gave open and vulnerable interviews. She enabled us to take the lived experiences of GMU students and translate them into data showing how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted students in all domains of life; her commitment and direction played a huge role in the success of our STIP. During and after her time as a GRA with the Health Starts Here study, Erika has mentored undergraduate students as we learned how to develop our own research project ideas. She has taken time out of her own busy schedule to ensure that we understand the nuances of proposing, researching, analyzing, and writing. Even after her time as a GRA, she has stayed involved and given many hours of her time each week to aid students who are trying to navigate the research process. Erika’s mentorship has made my time as a student researcher incredibly rewarding. I deeply admire her intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm for her field, and I hope to model those traits in the future. She has equipped me with the knowledge and skills to branch out and take on new and more difficult projects; Erika has been an incredible role model, and I firmly believe that her work as a mentor deserves recognition. |