In this episode of Sagebrushers, President Brian Sandoval hosts GAIN Scholar Jess Buelow. The GAIN Scholars program, which stands for Graduate Acceleration through Innovation and Networking Scholars program, is funded by the National Science Foundation. The program, overseen by the University’s Graduate School, works to increase the retention and success of first-generation and historically underrepresented groups within graduate programs.
During the episode, Sandoval and Buelow, a second-year Ph.D. student studying ecology, evolution and conservation biology at the University, discuss the impact and benefits of the GAIN Scholars program as well as the challenges faced by someone who is the first in their family to attend graduate school. Buelow also shares her current research projects related to bumble bee behavior, cognition, and nutrition and debunks a common myth about local honey being a cure for allergies.
