Rebecca A. Beals Department of Sociology Candelaria 2281, Campus Box 142, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO 80639 Rebecca.Beals@unco.edu, 970-351-2479 POSITIONS 2017-Present 2016-Present Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Northern Colorado Senior Research Scientist, Institute for Social Research, University of New Mexico EDUCATION Ph.D. 2016 University of New Mexico, Department of Sociology Dissertation: It was a whole new environment: Transformative Organizational Culture and the Development of Science Identity for Underrepresented Students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) M.A. 2011 University of New Mexico, Department of Sociology Thesis: Constructing the At-Risk Student: A Sociopolitical Analysis from 1960-2009 B.A. 2009 University of Nebraska Lincoln, Department of Sociology Minor: Chicano Studies Honors Thesis: Changing Dynamics of Academic Success for Latino College Students (With Distinction) PUBLICATIONS: Beals, R. and Ibarra, R. (Forthcoming 2017). It was a Whole New Environment Multicontextuality as A New Framework for Access and Assessment of Underrepresented STEM Students. Chapter 2 in New Directions in Hispanic Student Assessment and Academic Preparation. Eds. Alfredo G. de los Santos Jr., Laura J. Rendón, Gary Francisco Keller, Alberto Acereda, Estela Bensimón and Richard J. Tannenbaum. Hispanic Research Center s Bilingual Press, Tempe, AZ. Beals, R. and Fiala, R. (2014). The Effects of Professional Discourse on Disability 1931-2009: Environments of Inclusive and Restricted Participation. Eds. Barbara Altman and Sharon Barnartt. Research in Social Science and Disability. Vol. 8
RESEARCH AND TEACHING INTERESTS Sociology of Education/Higher Education Identity Intersectionality (Race and Ethnicity, Class, Gender) Disability Evaluation Research Methods RESEARCH FUNDING 2016-2020 (Co-Investigator) National Science Foundation s Western Alliance to Expand Student Opportunities Evaluation Project ($350,000) 2012-2016 (Co-Investigator) National Science Foundation s Western Alliance to Expand Student Opportunities Evaluation Project ($60,000) 2011-2012 Graduate Student Research Assistant Fund, Department of Sociology, University of New Mexico Disability in Education Paper ($500) 2011-2012 Graduate Student Research Assistant Fund, Department of Sociology, University of New Mexico, International Labor Organization Data Project ($500) RESEARCH EXPERIENCE 2016-Present University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM Senior Research Scientist Institute for Social Research National Science Foundation s Western Alliance to Expand Student Opportunities (WAESO) Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) at Arizona State University External Evaluator 2012-2016 University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM Research Assistant National Science Foundation s Western Alliance to Expand Student Opportunities (WAESO) Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) at Arizona State University External Evaluator 2011-Present Department of Sociology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque Research Assistant Institutions Work Group 1. Changing Discourse on Disability in Education: Insights for World Culture Perspectives 2. The Effects of Professional Discourse on
Disability 1931-2009: Environments of Inclusive and Restricted Participation 2008-2009 Research Assistant, Nebraska Appleseed Center for Public Policy and Law: Department of Immigrant Integration and Civic Participation The Speed Kills You: The Voice of Nebraska s Meat Packing Workers http://www.neappleseed.org/docs/the_speed_kills_you_ne_appleseed_100 709.pdf 2008-2009 Department of Sociology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln McNair Scholars Program The Changing Dynamics of Academic Success for Latino College Students TEACHING EXPERIENCE 2017-Present University of Northern Colorado Courses Taught: Soc 237: Sociology of Minorities Sociology 361/363: Research Methods I 2011-2014 University of New Mexico Courses Taught: Sociology 101: Introduction to Sociology Sociology 216: Dynamics of Prejudice Sociology 280: Introduction to Research Methods Sociology 481L: Research Methods in Sociology WORKING PAPERS Beals, R.A. Beals, R.A. Beals, R.A. & Fiala, R.A. Creating A Place to Belong: How Multicontextual Academic Spaces Stimulate Success for Minority STEM Students Just Because I m not White Like You Are? : Navigating Racial Identity in a Post-Affirmative Action University Changing Discourse on Disability in Education: Insights for World Culture Perspectives PRESENTATIONS
Beals, R.A. (2017) It Was a Whole New Environment Multicontextuality as a New Framework for Access and Assessment of Underrepresented STEM Students. Presented at Race, Gender & Class 2017 Conference. New Orleans, LA. Beals, R.A. (2016) The Politics of Performance for Underrepresented Students in STEM: Environments of Empowerment. To be presented at the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, Regular Session on Race, Class and Gender. Seattle, WA. Beals, R.A. (2016) It was a whole new environment: WAESO LSAMP s Transformative Organizational Culture. Presented at Louis Stoke s Alliances for Minority Participation Research Symposium 2016: A Game Changer for 25 Years. Gaylord National Resort. National Harbor, MD. Beals, R.A. (2013) Disability Disclosure and the Professional Environment of Academic Discourse. Presented at the Disability Disclosure in/and Higher Education Conference. University of Delaware, Newark, DE. Beals, R.A. and Fiala, R. (2013) Changing Discourse on Disability in Education: Insights for World Culture Perspectives. Presented at the American Sociology Association Annual Meeting, New York, NY. Beals, R. A. (2012) Rethinking the At-Risk Student: How Changing Sociopolitical Climates Interact with Education Research to Explain Inequality. Presented at the American Sociology Association Annual Meeting, Denver, CO. Beals, R. A. (2011) Adjusting to Graduate School. Invited Panel Speaker: University of Nebraska-Lincoln McNair Scholars Program, Lincoln, NE. Beals, R. A. (2008) The Changing Dynamics of Academic Success for Latino College Students 16th Annual California McNair Symposium, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA. Beals, R. A. (2008) The Changing Dynamics of Academic Success for Latino College Students McNair Summer Research Colloquium, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE. Beals, R. A. (2008) Immigration, Invited Discussant. Nebraska Undergraduate Sociology Symposium. Omaha, NE. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 2012-Present External Evaluation Team Member, National Science Foundation s Western Alliance to Expand Student Opportunities Louis Stokes Access to Minority Participation, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
2013-2014 Treasurer-Sociology Graduate Student Association 2013 Sociology Department Colloquium Panel Speaker Surviving Comps 2012-2013 Graduate Student Support Program Coordinator-Sociology Graduate Student Association 2012-2013 Graduate Student Peer Mentor 2011-2012 Vice President-Sociology Graduate Student Association 2009-2011 Student Representative (Alternate) to the Graduate and Professional Student Organization-Sociology Graduate Student Association 2009-2012 Graduate Assistant, Department of Sociology, University of New Mexico 2009 Student Support Mentor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Ronal E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program HONORS AND AWARDS 2009-2013 Graduate Recruitment Award University of New Mexico ($5,000/year) 2009 Alan P. Bates Outstanding Undergraduate Award (UNL Sociology) 2009 Vanetta Aaron Undergraduate Student Paper Award in Race, Class, Gender (UNL Sociology) 2008 Alice Frost Howard Memorial Scholarship (UNL Sociology) 2008 Alpha Kappa Delta Honor Society 2008 First Place Nebraska Undergraduate Sociological Symposium 2008 Paper Competition Section on Quantitative Analysis 2007-2009 Ronald E. McNair Scholar 2005-2009 Peter Kiewitt Foundation Scholar PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS American Education Research Association American Sociology Association Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program