The Modern Ethnography Initiative at UCLA (MEI at UCLA)

The name of this group shall be The Modern Ethnography Initiative at UCLA (MEI). Dr. Kelly Kistner, of UCLA’s Undergraduate Research Center for Humanities Arts and Social Sciences will be the chosen faculty advisor for this organization. This group is a club for both UCLA undergraduate and graduate students across various disciplines either currently pursuing or interested in pursuing research projects out of state, abroad, or with global/international interests with no restrictions to topics. While this organization is open to both undergraduate and graduate students, our primary focus will be serving UCLA undergraduates in their research endeavors. Projects can be self-designed and solo or, designed by a UCLA professor which the student is assisting. The MEI board will meet bi-weekly and has three overall missions that we aim to develop and perfect over time; providing a space where students from various UCLA research cohorts to further develop their projects, connecting members to resources, and ultimately sharing knowledge and experiences campus wide through blending our research projects with media and arts to create our idea of modern ethnography. One of our goals is to provide information and spread awareness regarding all resources available to undergraduates pursuing research through an endeavor titled Campaign Resource Literacy. We will host one quarterly presentation or panel discussion on various opportunities such as the general benefits of pursuing undergraduate research, receiving scholarships and funding for research, and student travel opportunities outside of traditional study abroad programs. Through Campaign Resource Literacy, we will aid undergraduate students interested in pursuing research projects outside of California with advice regarding project proposals, identifying project sights and research cohorts, and providing general help realizing academic goals. This will be accomplished through group presentations and one-on-one meetings set up between individuals and board members. MEI will hold a quarterly Life Beyond Uni Series. This will be a career panel moderated by our Director of Media and Communications with UCLA alumni, who will discuss their post-graduate pursuits, both career and/or academic. This series will also discuss professional branding via social-media and invite representatives from social-media outlets such as LinkedIn and Jopwell to further discuss this importance. The Life Beyond Uni Series will also host panel discussions on GRE preparation and various post-graduate M.A. and PhD programs where students can continue and expand their research pursuits. The goal is to facilitate self-branding through academic interests and awareness of career paths available for passionate students regardless of major. Most of MEI at UCLA’s priority will be put towards promoting the global research endeavors of students through arts and media projects. The first of which will be Bruins Beyond the Golden State (BBGS). BBGS is a series of three minute videos showcasing individual research projects of students. Each video will consist of original music produced by our Creative Director and will be placed on the organization’s YouTube channel, social-media accounts, and UCLA websites that agree to promote these videos in preparation for UCLA’s Undergraduate Research Week in Spring quarter. The goal of this project is to facilitate the Bruin community’s participation and support for UCLA’s undergraduate research week and awareness of amazing research accomplishments of fellow Bruins. Art & Ethnography (A&E) is a project we are in the process of further developing through which MEI at UCLA Board will work closely with members in creating artistic interpretations of research projects to be filmed and displayed on social media. Examples of project ideas are curating photography exhibitions shows on campus consisting of art acquired of photos taken while in the field. Each board member MEI at UCLA has the freedom to initiate and design a media and/or arts project of their own under MEI at UCLA. The Modern Ethnography Initiative, UCLA has a mission to empower a global community of learners through intellect, academia, and action! Our goal is to tailor and perfect tomorrow’s leaders and intellectuals regardless of background to play a leading role on the global stage. We will accomplish this through collective effort, sharing of resource, and the blending of undergraduate research with arts and media to define modern ethnography. None of this can be accomplished without the support and validation of our alma mater, the University of California, Los Angeles.

[email protected]

Signatories: Conor Michael O'Brien, Shabeer Siddiqui, and Ian Pascal Wynne-Mobley

Advisor: Ashleigh Anais Renteria