This page features news and updates about RISE activities and initiatives.
3 BC Instructors Selected to attend the WA CURE Academy
RISE is excited to announce that Profs. Christina Sciabarra, Celeste Lonson, and Jennifer Parada have been selected to attend the WA CURE Academy, a cohort-based professional development program developed to help teams at various institutions expand opportunities for doing undergraduate research.
Profs. Sciabarra, Lonson, and Parada will attend a 2-day retreat in the summer of 2027 and then receive ongoing training and support as they develop modules in Canvas focused on qualitative and quantitative social science methods. They hope that these modules, which will be available to all faculty, will help make undergraduate research a more consistent and accessible experience across social science disciplines. After developing these modules, Profs. Sciabarra, Lonson, and Parada plan to hold a faculty training workshop in conjunction with the Faculty Commons; provide ongoing technical support; and organize a Social Science student research showcase to complement the RISE Making Learning Visible showcase.
According to Prof. Parada, motivation to pursue this project came in response to feedback that faculty want to integrate research into their teaching but often lack the time, resources, or support to do it. Profs. Sciabarra, Lonson, and Parada focused on both qualitative and quantitative methods because Social Science students need fluency in both, and building shared resources in Canvas is the most equitable and sustainable way to share and provide access to those materials.
The WA CURE Academy is sponsored by WA CURE, the Washington State Consortium for Undergraduate Research and Equity. WA CURE is a statewide consortium funded by the National Science Foundation. Its mission is to integrate undergraduate research into courses at WA State community and technical colleges.
For more about WA CURE and the WA CURE Academy, go to the WA CURE website.