Student Research Spotlight
Dinah Ramirez Avitia
Sociology Major & Social Work Emphasis
Short Bio: Dinah is a fourth-year sociology undergraduate and a Kellogg Honors College student at CPP. She is on track to graduate in the Spring of 2023. Dinah has research experience in the Sociology Department and Kellogg Honors College, conducting her own research project under the faculty mentorship of Dr. Anjana Narayan. Dinah has presented her research at the 11th RSCA conference, the Western Regional Honors Council Conference at the University of Missoula, Montana, and the 14th Lowell Overton Undergraduate Research Symposium at Cal Poly.
Current Research: Dinah's research project is titled "The Gender Pay Gap: The Experiences of Women Faculty at Cal Poly Pomona." The research was completed as part of her Honors College Capstone Project and under the mentorship of Dr. Anjana Narayan.
Despite many anti-discrimination laws, women continue to make less than their male counterparts. On average, women make 83 cents for every dollar men make (AAUW). For this research, I utilize descriptive statistics to assess if gender affects the earnings of women faculty and whether high-achieving women are devalued in academia. I relied on the 2021-2022 survey data from the American Association of University Professors. In addition, I analyzed CSU data and particularly Cal Poly Pomona data. Findings show that women across all academic ranks still earn less than men. I also conducted in-depth interviews exploring female faculty experiences, challenges they encountered related to gender inequality, and coping strategies to address this issue. The qualitative findings revealed that while women faculty are aware of the gender pay gap, they feel fulfilled by their work and have a strong passion for their field of study. Work-life balance, a strong sense of community within their department, opportunities for professional growth, leadership, and unionization have all contributed to overall job satisfaction and fulfillment. However, women faculty members feel they need to do more to continue achieving more equity. Though closing the gender pay gap is an important step towards achieving gender equality, it is not enough to fully address the systemic issues women face in the workforce. Structural theorists have argued that the gender pay gap is just one aspect of a larger problem, including discrimination, bias, lack of representation, and opportunities for women in leadership roles. Closing the pay gap alone would not address the intersectionality of gender with other factors such as race, sexual orientation, and disability, which also create disparities in the workforce. To truly achieve gender equality in the workforce, a comprehensive approach is needed that addresses all these issues and creates a culture of inclusion and equity. Dinah has been invited to present her research at various regional and national conferences during the past academic year, 2022-2023.
Her research presented at the 14th Lowell Overton Undergraduate Research Symposium received the Best Poster Presentation Award in Sociology.
Mandi L. Villanueva
Sociology Major & Social Work Emphasis
Short Bio: Mandi is a third-year undergraduate student in the Department of Sociology. She is on track to graduate Summa Cum Laude in Spring 2023 and to attend Cal State Fullerton to pursue a Master's Degree in Social Work. Mandi is in the Kellogg Honors College, plays for the CPP Women's Club Soccer team, and has been conducting research since Fall 2021 with mentor Dr. Collazo. She has presented at the 13th & 14th annual Lowell Overton Symposium at Cal Poly, the 11th RSCA conference, and is set to present at the CSU-wide S4 Social Science symposium in May.
Current Research: Mandi's research project is titled "Beyond the Playing Field: Collegiate Athletics and Perceptions of Depression" with advisor and mentor Dr. José Luis Colazo Jr. Her study examines, through an online survey, how the level of stress of involvement in collegiate athletics affects the collegiate athletes attending CPP and their perceptions of depression regarding their mental health. Addressing the number of stressors and perceptions of depression opens opportunities for researchers to gain an understanding of the potential needs of collegiate athletes to ensure overall well-being. This study addresses three research questions concerning the number of stressors athletes have, the level of perceived involvement from support systems and resources, and a possible variation by gender.
Additionally, Mandi studied the management skills and abilities of collegiate athletes and the utilization of resources such as Counseling and Psychological Services at CPP. Data was collected from a sample of collegiate athletes attending Cal Poly Pomona during the Fall 2022 semester, and multiple regression was used to estimate the effect of the independent variables on the dependent variable while holding other variables constant (Allison 1999). Findings significantly show an increase in the stressors of involvement in a collegiate athlete’s life will increase the likelihood of an athlete perceiving feelings of depression. Mandi also found that when athletes have a higher perceived ability to manage stressors, perceptions of depression lower with the addition of a marginal impact of higher involvement from support systems. Using these results, Mandi found that universities and other support systems may better engage with collegiate athletes by extending resources and outreach, such as routine workshops and skill teaching, improving their overall well-being and success in the future.
Her research presented at the 14th Lowell Overton Undergraduate Research Symposium received the Best Presentation Award in Sociology. Mandi also received the Best Quantitative Paper Award at the CSU-wide social science conference SSRIC.