Doctoral student awarded Public Impact Fellowship

UCI Graduate Division named UCI School of Education doctoral student Hye Rin Lee a 2021-22 Public Impact Fellow. 

Lee is one of 14 graduate students university-wide to receive the honor. Public Impact Fellows highlight and support Ph.D. or MFA students whose current research has the potential for substantial impact in the public sphere.

As part of her research, Lee has spearheaded the development of a video intervention series designed for minority community college students who plan to transfer into the UCI Engineering program. The videos feature UCI Engineering transfer students from low socioeconomic backgrounds who provide advice on how they overcame their struggles to achieve their goals. Lee hopes the videos – of which there are more than 100 – reach community college engineering students who belong to a racial/ethnic minority, are first-generation college students, and/or are female.

Doctoral Student Hye Rin Lee

“Less than 10 percent of racial minorities receive an engineering degree and this disparity is even more pronounced when you factor in gender,” Lee said. “I want to provide engineering students the opportunity to connect with other students like them, so that all students have the confidence and guidance to succeed. My research project aims to leverage YouTube as a platform where students can see, hear, and connect with others like them.”
Lee will receive $1,000 to support her research and will have the opportunity to participate in Grad Advocacy Day in Sacramento to represent UCI and interact with legislators. 

UCI Graduate Division also named School of Education doctoral students Dandan Yang a Public Impact Distinguished Fellow and Renzhe Yu a Public Impact Fellow. For a full list of awardees, please click here.