Four College of Science and Health students have received the Master's Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement grant, known as MUSE, to conduct innovative research over the coming academic year.
MUSE supports pairs of undergraduate and graduate students to work on a yearlong research project of their choosing, often based on the graduate student's thesis. The program aims to provide unique research learning opportunities in a mentorship structure, where undergraduate students gain firsthand experience with a Master's or Doctor of Nursing Practice level student in the College. Launched in spring 2023, the program has already funded 24 students across a range of disciplines. Recipients receive $1,000 each to conduct work on their project.
Community psychology Master's student Lisa Rodriguez and psychology major Melissa Flores are among the 2025 recipients. Their project looks at the experience of food insecurity for students on DePaul's campus, a reality for many college students.
“We want to understand the effects of food insecurity on DePaul students in relation to their mental health and academic performance. It has been made evident that college students face high rates of food insecurity…We hypothesize that students who report higher food insecurity will be more likely to experience worse academic performance compared to their food secure counterparts" Rodriguez explains.
The researchers will use a mixed-methods design that includes collecting quantitative survey data as well as qualitative data through focus group interviews.
“The knowledge and skills I gain through this experience working so closely with a graduate student and faculty will be essential in helping me become an ethical, insightful, and compassionate researcher who is prepared to contribute to the advancement of psychological science" Flores shares, who hopes to eventually pursue a Ph.D.
Biological sciences M.S. student Anna Salem and environmental science major Dyana Diaz are also among this year's recipients. They will be working on a project that examines urban tree biodiversity in Chicago.
“This study will examine tree diversity…at three levels in the spatial scale: neighborhood (community area), local (a few city blocks comprising a census tract), and hyperlocal (along individual street segments)" Salem outlines.
The project is part of Diaz's own undergraduate B.S. thesis research, which looks at private and public tree diversity through the city's “Our Roots" tree planting initiative. “Anna and I share similar interests in forestry through the analysis of private vs. public trees, and historical vs. new trees. Our methods for our research projects align well, but we also bring different perspectives that allow us to analyze and explore different ideas in urban forestry" she says.
You can learn more about the MUSE program, which accepts applications every March, here.