Emma Petit-Frere (left) with her faculty supervisor Dr. Collette Chapman-Hilliard
The SEEK Research Assistants Project (RAP) is alive and well, having just reached its 12th anniversary. Originally established by Dr. Roberta Vogel (Professor Emerita), RAP was conceived as a way to encourage SEEK students to gain hands-on exposure to research questions and methodologies by following the progress of faculty researchers. To date, over 50 SEEK students have participated, working with faculty from Art to Women’s Studies, and many disciplines in between. This past fall, senior Emma Petit-Frere completed a second semester in the Department of Psychology, working as an active member of the Cultural Knowledge and Racial Identity Lab led by Dr. Collette Chapman-Hilliard. Dr. Hilliard’s work focuses on racial and ethnic identity and cultural knowledge, and how these may mitigate race-related stress, the relationship between cultural consciousness and mental health, and the factors that contribute to an affirming racial/ethnic identity.
According to Dr. Hilliard, Emma has “…contributed importantly to my research program, and is currently working on a study that examines the role of cultural assets, such as knowledge of Black history, in contributing to help-seeking attitudes among college students of African descent.” Emma is a role model for several other SEEK students who plan to enter RAP this spring, including one who will join Emma under Dr. Hilliard’s tutelage. We are not only proud of these students, but also extremely grateful for the dozens of faculty, like Dr. Hilliard, who have so willingly provided these unique opportunities over the years. For information about this Project, contact Coordinator Jean Como in the SEEK Office.
For more exciting news about SEEK, please visit the SEEK website.
