Cassie Eng

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

My commitment to DEI initiatives is reflected in my involvement in Carnegie Mellon University’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program, now known as the Summer Program for Undergraduate Researchers (SPUR). The program was founded by my faculty advisor, Dr. Anna Fisher funded by PIER to encourage underrepresented students to pursue research careers through exposure to innovative research, experimental and statistical methods, and professional development skills that are essential to succeed in academia. In 2018-2021, I served as an REU mentor, where I advised underrepresented, first-generation college, and economically disadvantaged visiting undergraduate students by supervising summer research apprenticeships.

In 2021, because the program was virtual, I took on the role of the REU Program Leadership Director & Special Events Coordinator with my my colleague Robert Vargas (see below) where we facilitated weekly community building leadership workshops to foster a sense of belonging among students. I organized 3 symposium for the program:

special alumni speaker series zoom video call

Chair: Eng, C. (2021). Special Alumni Speaker Series. The Program in Interdisciplinary Education Research (PIER) Carnegie Mellon University Summer Program for Undergraduate Researchers. Invited Speakers: Yonas, D., Columbia University; Epps, J., Yale University; Tsegai-Moore, A., Stony Brook University.

Chair: Eng, C. (2021).Applying to Postbaccalaureate Programs. The Program in Interdisciplinary Education Research (PIER) Carnegie Mellon University Summer Program for Undergraduate Researchers. Invited Speaker: Smith, E., Founder and Program Director of VT-PREP and VT-IMSD, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

journey to graduate school speaker series flyer

Chair: Eng, C. (2021). Journey to Graduate School: Career Paths and Lessons Learned. The Program in Interdisciplinary Education Research (PIER) Summer Program for Undergraduate Researchers. Invited Speakers: Jarbo, K., Social and Decision Sciences Department Assistant Professor; Vargas, R., Psychology Department Doctoral Candidate; Kumar, L., Psychology Department Doctoral Student; Carnegie Mellon University.

REU mentees Morgan and Chanelle with Cassie

In 2021, I mentored visiting REU scholars Chenelle Miller, a Psychology major with a Minor in African American Studies from University of Virginia, and Morgan Boyd, a Dual Major in Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience. At the end of the summer research program, Morgan and Chenelle presented the remarkable findings of their independent summer projects to graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and faculty members in several CMU departments, had 5 abstracts accepted to present at professional research conferences, and were both awarded presentation awards.

Morgan presented her work at three professional research conferences: Carnegie Mellon’s Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence and Educational Innovation’s Teaching and Learning Summit, The International Society for Developmental Psychobiology Meeting, and The Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students.

Chenelle presented her work at two professional research conferences: The Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students and The International Society for Developmental Psychobiology Meeting.

In 2019, I mentored visiting REU scholar Aria Tsegai-Moore, an undergraduate Psychology major from Stony Brook University. She was awarded the Top Presentation Award when she presented the findings from our summer project together at her first conference, ABRCMS, in California. Aria is also first-author on a publication we submitted together, The Construct and Criterion Validity of a Cognitive Game-based Assessment: Cognitive Control, Academic Achievement, and Prefrontal Cortex Connectivity in the proceedings of the 43rd Cognitive Science Society Conference, Vienna, Austria. She was accepted into Columbia University's Bridge to the Ph.D. Program in STEM.

In 2018, my faculty advisor Dr. Anna Fisher and I mentored visiting REU scholar Jonathan Epps, an undergraduate Political Science major from Morehouse College. At the end of the summer research program, Jonathan presented the remarkable findings of his summer project to graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and faculty members in several CMU departments. He was accepted into The Fulbright U.S. Student Program in Brazil and is currently pursuing his Juris Doctor Degree at Yale Law School.

I co-founded Carnegie Mellon University’s Diverse Recruitment Committee in 2020 with my colleague in my graduate student cohort: Robert Vargas. Our mission is to establish department presence at recruitment events for underrepresented minority students and integrate and coordinate diverse recruitment efforts across departments. We spearheaded Carnegie Mellon's inaugural presence at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) to promote diverse recruitment at all levels within the Neuroscience Institute, Departments of Psychology, Social and Decision Sciences, Biological Sciences, and Biomedical Engineering.

We were honored Dick Hayes Graduate Student Service Award, which is granted once a year by the Psychology Department at Carnegie Mellon University. In 2021, it was presented to fellow graduate student Roberto Vargas and I for our DEI initiatives, tremendous help with Visiting Day for potential graduate students, and organizing virtual social events for the graduate students to reduce feelings of isolation in the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic. The award was presented at Dietrich College's Graduate Student Appreciation Week along with a cash prize.

As part of Carnegie Mellon University’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee and Diverse Recruitment Co-Founder, I filmed a virtual tour to give potential graduate students a feel of the Psychology Department at Carnegie Mellon University and our culture because due to COVID-19, prospective doctoral students were unable to visit campus in-person and students deserve the next best experience, despite the global pandemic:

I was a Scholar in Virginia Tech’s Post-Baccalaureate Research and Education Program (PREP). PREP was created by the National Institutes of Health to encourage students from underrepresented groups and disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue research careers through competitive doctoral programs. Students from underrepresented groups often feel ostracized and disconnected from their peers. My interactions with my advisor Dr. Martha Ann Bell and her lab, my Director: Dr. Ed Smith, my PREP mentor, Shara Grant, and my cohort provided me with a space in which I could feel connected, and this heightened my self-efficacy within and outside a laboratory setting. Instead of giving me minimal work, I was challenged to think critically. The support I received from prior mentors combated the negative feelings that arise from being one of few minorities in an academic setting, and I strive to do the same for others.

My cohort at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS)

Last day at Virginia Tech with PREP Mentor Shara Grant.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration holds its annual MLK Day of Service every year in January on Martin Luther King Day. MLK Day is normally a day that students "take off from classes," but it is truly a “Day On” when we take time to give back to the community and surrounding areas. I am grateful for the experience of facilitating groups of students as an MLK Day of Service Team Leader, as we volunteered together and listened to voices at the World in Conversation Day of Dialogue and discussed current challenges and how to address them.

Diversity Equity & Inclusion

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion