Research on Multicultural Viewpoints Wins Honors for Student & Recent Grad

Shannel Blake & Yeleny Hernandez-Amaya ('19) Compete at National Research Conference

MEDIA CONTACT: Damita Chambers, dchambers@bowiestate.edu, 301-832-2628 mobile

(BOWIE, Md.) – Competing at a national research conference highlighting multicultural topics, a Bowie State University student and a recent graduate took home third-place cash prizes and the opportunity to have their original findings published in a scholarly journal.

One of award BSU winners, senior psychology major Shannel Blake, presented research on the influence of social media on perceptions of people of color of police misconduct in the student competition at the joint conference of the National Association of African American Studies and its affiliate organizations. The other winner, Yeleny Hernandez-Amaya (’19), focused on the perceptions of Latinos of the U.S. legal system. Both students won $250 cash prizes at the competition, which took place in Dallas, Texas from Feb. 19-22, 2020.

In total, four students and a recent graduate represented Bowie State at the national conferences, receiving support from faculty mentors from the Department of Behavioral Sciences & Human Services: Drs. Charles Adams (interim chairperson), Charla McKinzie Bishop, Matasha Harris and Ayanna Lynch.

“All five presented during the conference and were poised and polished. They were able to answer detailed and challenging questions about their quantitative studies,” said Dr. Adams. “Pride does not come close to expressing how their mentors feel about their professionalism, diligence, humility, and accomplishments.”

For some of the students, it was their academic first conference. For all of them, it was their first national conference and first time traveling without family for such a long distance.  

The other students who participated in the competition are:

• Cierra Gamble, senior child and adolescent studies major
• Jennifer Chavez, senior child and adolescent studies major
• Bianca Rios, senior criminal justice major

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