RFW 2021

Monday, November 1

Research 101: How to Get Started in Undergraduate Research
11:00-11:50am PST | Virtual
Target Audience: Undergraduates
What is research? How do you get started? USC faculty will share insights on how undergraduate students can take advantage of research opportunities at USC. Topics will include: Strategies to identify research opportunities, advice on reaching out to faculty, and understanding what faculty expect from student researchers.

Fellowships 101: How to Get Started in Undergraduate Funding Opportunities
12:00-12:50pm PST | Virtual
Target Audience: Undergraduates
This session will provide an overview of internal and external funding opportunities managed by USC’s Academic Honors and Fellowships. Participants will learn the general components of fellowship applications and how to identify awards that align with personal and professional interests. Participants will also hear from USC fellowship recipients (Boren, Gilman, Pickering, Princeton in Africa) about their experiences.

Fellowship Funding for PhDs in the Humanities and Social Sciences
1:00-1:50pm PST | Virtual
Target Audience: PhDs
A panel of current PhD students who have received various external fellowships for their research in the humanities and social sciences will discuss the process of applying for external funding.

Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs
2:00-2:50pm PST | Virtual
Target Audience: Undergraduates, Masters, Recent Alumni
The Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs is a nine-month, full-time fellowship that prepares young professionals for effective leadership in all areas of civic life. This webinar will cover program details and how to apply, with time for a Q&A at the end.

Chasing Dreams: How the Fisher Fellowship Puts First-Gen Students ‘On the Map’ in Exchange for Volunteer Service
3:00-3:50pm PST | Tutor Campus Center (TCC) 227
Target Audience: First-Year, Sophomore, & Junior-Level Dornsife Majors
The Fisher Fellowship enables first-generation Trojans with financial need to participate more fully in the co-curricular opportunities that enrich one’s USC education. In exchange for service, our Fellows earn funding for semester abroad programs, travel to academic conferences, Maymesters, select Alternate Breaks programs, etc. Our student panelists discuss how the Fisher Fellowship has transformed their college experience.


Tuesday, November 2

Undergraduate Research Experiences: Student Panel
11:00-11:50am PST | Tutor Campus Center (TCC) 227
Target Audience: Undergraduates
A panel of undergraduate students will discuss their day-to-day experiences as undergraduate researchers. Panelists will share insights on their own research journeys: how they secured research positions and funding, and how research has informed their future career goals. This session will include a Q&A section and opportunity to network with the panelists. Moderated by Trojan Scholars Society.

Going Global 101: Making the Most of Experiences Abroad
12:00-12:50pm PST | Virtual
Target Audience: Undergraduates
A panel of alumni will discuss how they built a global experience portfolio with short-term and long-term international programs. Academic Honors and Fellowships will highlight a few opportunities for international fellowships.

NSF-GRFP Student Panel
1:00-1:50pm PST | Virtual
Target Audience: Undergraduates, Masters, PhDs
A panel of undergraduate and graduate recipients of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowships Program (GRFP) will discuss the process of applying to the NSF GRFP, securing external funding for research, and having larger conversations around STEM research.

The New Movement: Research in the World of Dance
2:00-2:50pm PST | Virtual
Target Audience: Undergraduates
Faculty from the Kaufman School of Dance showcase examples of interdisciplinary projects that bridge connections between practice and research in the arts. Speakers: Dawn Stoppiello, Assistant Professor of Practice / Dance and New Media; Marisa Hentis, Instructor of Clinical Physical Therapy and Instructor of Dance; Patrick Corbin, Associate Professor of Practice.

Getting Started In Lab Research: Hands-On Skills To Get Into A USC Lab
3:00-3:50pm PST | Tutor Campus Center (TCC) 232
Target Audience: Undergraduates
What skills are essential to get started in laboratory research? Where do you learn those skills? How do you find a lab to begin doing research? This workshop provides a hands-on approach to understanding the practice a subset of essential hands-on skills to make them competitive candidates for available positions in USC research labs. No hazardous materials will be used and no prior research/experience is required. This is an in-person event, so space is limited!


Wednesday, November 3

Public Service 101
12:00-12:50pm PST | Virtual
Target Audience: Undergraduates
A session about service-related fellowships and how to build a meaningful portfolio of service experiences for a possible future in public service.

Research Ethics
3:00-3:50pm PST | Virtual
Target Audience: PhDs in STEM Fields
A session hosted by the Office of Research discussing research ethics.

USC Libraries Research Award panel
4:00-4:50pm PST | Tutor Campus Center (TCC) 227
Target Audience: Undergraduates, Masters, PhDs
The annual USC Libraries Research Award recognizes excellence and creativity in the use of USC Libraries’ research collections and services. Graduate winners receive up to $500; undergraduate winners receive up to $300. Student winners of the USC Libraries Research Award talk about their research, applying for, and winning the award.


Thursday, November 4

Boren Fellowship for Graduate Students
10:00-10:50am PST | Virtual
Target Audience: Masters, PhDs
Boren Fellowships provide funding for U.S. graduate students studying critical need languages outside of Western Europe. In exchange for funding, recipients commit to working in the federal government for at least one year after graduation. *U.S. citizenship required

Boren Scholarship for Undergraduate Students
11:00-11:50am PST | Virtual
Target Audience: Undergraduates
Boren Scholarships provide funding for U.S. undergraduate students studying critical need languages outside of Western Europe. In exchange for funding, recipients commit to working in the federal government for at least one year after graduation. *U.S. citizenship required

Writing for Joy and Healing: Resisting the Traumatic Experience of the Dissertation
1:00-1:50pm PST | Virtual
Target Audience: PhDs
How can we have joy and even find healing while writing the dissertation? This session will provide first-hand experience, research, and practical tools for thriving during the process of completing a dissertation. Professor Cynthia Villarreal (USC Rossier PhD, 2020) will lead a powerful session that invites students to take a balanced approach and bring their whole selves to the dissertation.

Subject Librarian Panel
2:00-2:50pm PST | Tutor Campus Center (TCC) 227
Target Audience: Undergraduates, Masters, PhDs
A panel of librarians will discuss best practices for contextualizing a proposal topic within a sound literature search, scientific materials, foreign language, primary sources, and an appropriate data research strategy.

First-Gen Researchers: Opportunities and Mentorship
3:00-3:50pm PST | Tutor Campus Center (TCC) 227
Target Audience: Undergraduates
What does it mean to be a first-generation college student doing research? Our panel of first-gen students, staff and faculty will share stories about their own research journeys. Other topics will include: cultivating relationships with faculty mentors, finding support in a research environment, and discussing guided research programs for first-gen students (Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellows, Gateway Scholars).


Friday, November 5

Sustainability Learning and Research Opportunities at USC
11:00-11:50am PST | Tutor Campus Center (TCC) 227
Target Audience: Undergraduates
The ability to sustain ourselves and future generations in an equitable manner while remaining within the ecological limits of our planet is one of the major challenges of our time. If you are interested in working in sustainability, involvement in classes, research, and other scholarship in this field is an important part of your training. This session will go over options to support your interest in sustainability while at USC.

Fulbright U.S. Student Program
12:00-12:50pm PST | Virtual
Target Audience: Undergraduates, Masters, PhDs
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides funding to carry out a research project, graduate study or teach English for an academic year in over 140 countries outside of the United States with the goal of mutual exchange. *U.S. citizenship required

Writing and Reviewing Letters of Recommendation for Equity
1:00-1:50pm PST | Virtual
Target Audience: Undergraduates, Masters, PhDs, Faculty
Letters of recommendation are critical in fellowship applications and a variety of other academic evaluations and selection contexts, but they are also one of the most common places that bias is written into academic records. Toward the goal of equity-minded evaluation, this workshop will enable participants to recognize gender and racial biases in letters and learn strategies for writing letters.

Faculty & Deans Tea
3:00-4:50pm PST | Moreton Fig Patio
Target Audience: Undergraduates
This annual networking event provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to connect with deans and faculty in a social environment. Students will interact with faculty in small group conversations about study and research pathways.