Jerny Walls, a Ph.D. student in Educational Psychology, has been named to the Towards 2044: Horowitz Early Career Scholars Program cohort from the Society for Research in Child Development.
The program was developed to encourage and support scholars from underrepresented ethnic/racial groups in North America in pursuing graduate work in developmental science.
Walls, '22 LES, has worked with Dr. Nidia Ruedas-Gracia in her lab, focusing on researching a sense of belonging. Jerny utilizes art-based storytelling methodologies, such as portraiture and photovoice, to help guide their research studies. The goal of her research is to collaborate with public schools in order to develop programming and curricula that support the intersectional identities of their students in order to improve their sense of belonging to their various identities.
The Towards 2044: Horowitz Early Career Scholar Program will provide educational and professional development for scholars from underrepresented groups, giving them a launching point for a career in child development with guidance and mentorship from more advanced scholars. The selected scholars and mentors will meet in Washington, DC, to kickstart the program and then participate in a series of monthly virtual seminars and one-on-one mentor/mentee meetings through December 2024. These experiences will enable the rising scholars to gain valuable exposure to the field and allow them to network with their mentors and other scholars and professionals.
