Inaugural Cohort of Impact Scholars Announced

The Office of Outreach and Engagement announced Monday the inaugural cohort of Impact Scholars, as part of its Strengthening The Impact of Research (STIR) program. The 12 Impact Scholars represent nine colleges and two research institutes, bringing a variety of backgrounds and levels of experience.

• Erin Baker, Associate Professor, College of Sciences
• Jesse Contreras, Postdoctoral Researcher, College of Natural Resources
• Robin Dodsworth, Associate Professor, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
• Callie Womble Edwards, Research Associate, Friday Institute
• Xiaomeng Fang, Assistant Professor, Wilson College of Textiles
• Erin Frey, Research Assistant Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine
• Maru Gonzalez, Assistant Professor, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Ashly Cabas Mijares, Assistant Professor, College of Engineering
• Roger Narayan, Professor, College of Engineering
• Yuhan (Douglas) Rao, Postdoctoral Research Scholar, North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies
• Jackie Relyea, Assistant Professor, College of Education
• Traci Rider, Assistant Professor, College of Design

The spring 2021 Impact Scholars will attend a series of workshops throughout the semester designed to help them write more-competitive proposals and strengthen the societal impacts of their innovative research. The Impact Scholars will also conduct similar workshops within their respective departments.

The STIR program officially kicked things off Feb. 16, as the Impact Scholars attended their first workshop of the semester, led by Jason Painter, director of The Science House. The workshop focused on exploring self-determination theory as it relates to autonomy and competence, understanding the concept of impact identity, and discussing what it means to be an engaged scholar.

The STIR program seeks to enhance NC State’s capacity to design and conduct research with broad impacts on society.