During the summer of 2019, Jonathan Walkotten, double major in Social Relations & Policy and Women's & Gender Studies, interned with Lansing's Salus Center and the graduate student project, Queering Medicine. The goal of the Community Research Internship Jonathan was assigned was to uncover what challenges face LGBTQ+ individuals seeking health care in the Lansing area, and determining possible allied physicians and resources to provide community members. "My own research interests are largely in the field of LGBTQ health politics, having done previous research on HIV and PrEP, and I am currently working on a policy paper on HIV criminalization and a thesis on Trans and GNC health delivery models. I am inspired to provide quality affirming care to LGBTQ+ patients, conduct research to determine what interventions are needed, and advocate for policy changes to make these needs a reality," said Jonathan.

Jonathan was instrumental in conducting, planning, and recruiting for a focus group, and then transcribing the discussions from the group. From this data, he was also able to highlight specific challenges for LGBTQ+ health in Lansing. Jonathan also conducted independent research, including readings on research methods that would be useful to the group. While Jonathan's internship may be completed, the project itself is still ongoing, with a second focus group scheduled in the next month. 

Jonathan was one of two recipients of the Community Research Scholarship during the summer of 2019. "I would not have been able to afford doing an unpaid internship, while also enrolling in and paying for MSU internship credits. Without this scholarship, I would not have been able to afford this internship as I would have had to work full time last summer just to offset the cost of the internship credits."

Support students like Jonathan by giving to the GenCen Community Research Scholarship Fund

Community organizations in the Lansing area frequently need evaluation data to demonstrate the types of effects their programs are having on the community. Tonee Epperson, a senior pursuing their Women’s and Gender Studies minor, is working with the Firecracker Foundation in Holt as part of the Community Research Internship program. Tonee’s internship is for the entirety of their senior year, and as such, they needed the extra financial assistance from the Community Research Scholarship, which they were awarded earlier this fall.

As part of Tonee's internship, they will be assessing the effectiveness of Firecracker’s K-12 sexual assault education program in providing K-12 students with accurate information about consent, and the effects of the program on changing attitudes about sexual assault. For now, Tonee is working with girls ages 14-17 through curriculum developed by Firecracker's New York Chapter, Girls by Gender Equality, and the #MeToo Movement. The results of the assessment Tonee will perform in the spring could be used to improve future programming, and to help the community organization maintain funding for successful programs. 

Support students like Tonee by giving to the GenCen Community Research Scholarship Fund

Rhys Sirna, 2019 graduate with a double major in Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Science and Women's and Gender Studies, was an intern at GenCen during the Give Green Day 2018 campaign that launched the Community Research Scholarship (CRS) fund. After learning more about the CRS Internship and its potential projects, Rhys applied for and received a CRS Internship: the Greeks Take the Lead project. Rhys was excited to receive the internship and the scholarship, saying: “Getting this scholarship really helped me out. I was able to focus on my final courses to graduate, intern at GenCen, and work on my project for Greeks Take the Lead without worrying about my finances. I was really excited to work with POE on this project to help make MSU and the community a safer place.”

Greeks Take the Lead is a collaborative project between the Department of Prevention, Outreach, and Education (POE) and the MSU Greek community. Prior to Rhys’ internship, a range of data was collected to assess the risk of sexual assault. The data included “heat maps” of perceived risk in fraternity houses drawn by fraternity and sorority risk managers. Throughout the summer, Rhys analyzed this data and other research for POE to establish a baseline measure of climate to develop targeted prevention and education programs for MSU Greek Life. Rhys' internship on the Greeks Taking the Lead project will help POE in making campus—and the surrounding areas—a safer space for all students.

Support students like Rhys by giving to the GenCen Community Research Scholarship Fund

Dr. Tracy Dobson is a retired faculty member of the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University. Throughout her tenure, she taught courses related to women, justice, and the law. During her time at MSU, Dr. Dobson was known for her tireless efforts to bringing gender equality across campus, launching the university’s enhanced plan to recruit and retain women faculty and administrators. In addition to her advocacy work, she has also established the Tracy Dobson Award for Undergraduate Student Feminist Activism, which recognizes those who have achieved a leadership position on behalf of their chosen cause. Learn more about Dr. Dobson and her support of GenCen in our short video.

This Give Green Day, Tracy is supporting the GenCen through our Women and International Development (WID) Endowment Fund. The WID Endowment Fund is used for supporting student scholarships and will be used to help fund our Gender, Women's Suffrage, and Political Power: Past, Present, and Future Conference in November 2020.