Mission Statement
The Buscadores (Searchers) Program assists all students applying to graduate school, medical school, law school, and other professional (and prestigious) opportunities. Experienced University Writing Program faculty guide students searching for future career opportunities that require advanced degrees by teaching the “hidden” curriculum of application essays. We provide equitable and inclusive opportunities for success through a series of workshops, writing labs, and 1:1 faculty mentoring focused on all forms of the application essay. We welcome UCR students at any stage of the writing process!
Buscadores is free of charge and open to all current and former UCR students.
Grad App Mentors
| Mentor Name | Email Contact | Compositional Specialties/ Areas of Interest |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. John Acker | johna@ucr.edu | Professional nerd. Specialties in business writing, copyediting/proofreading, religion and literature, and 19th-century American literature. |
| Dr. Jennie Friedrich | jfrie005@ucr.edu | MA in English/Writing with a creative emphasis, and experience with psychology and genres of writing relating to fundraising (not strictly grants); medieval history and literature; disability studies; dogs and dog training; music and creative writing; records and turntables |
| Dr. Stephanie Fousek | sfous001@ucr.edu | Personal narrative, creative nonfiction, Latin American literature, psychology, meditation/ mindfulness, printmaking |
| Dr. Elizabeth Stela McDonald | emcdo001@ucr.edu | Research interests include: popular and traditional music; ethnography; oral history; transnationalism; Japanese migration; Brazilian history; gender and sexuality studies; phenomenology; grant writing and other job materials. Personal interests include early childhood education, and nature in Southern California. |
| Dr. Todd Luce | tluce002@ucr.edu | Environmental history and history of the American west, borderlands, and Southern California. Personal narrative, noir fiction, and post-colonial literature are areas of great interest. |
| Dr. Raymund Papica | rpapi001@ucr.edu |
Program Lead for the Buscadores Grad App Writing Support and Writing Across the Curriculum. Specializes in medieval and early modern literature, graphic novels, comics, science writing, science fiction, and digital media (film, games, etc.). Works with a variety of applications, especially with health professions (Nursing, EAP, AMCAS, PA applications) and the sciences. |
| Dr. Vlad Sirbu | vlad.sirbu@email.ucr.edu |
Comparative Literature with a focus on German, Chinese, and English, Horror Films, and Interdisciplinary Media Studies. I am also seasoned in International Education Systems (Spain, Germany, China, and the US) and grad school applications across multiple languages and cultures. My interests include the challenges international students and non-native English speakers face in American academia. Language proficiencies: English, Spanish, German, Chinese, Italian, and Romanian. |
| Dr. Clare O’Brien | clare.obrien@email.ucr.edu |
Comparative Literature with a focus in Arabic, Medieval Spanish, and German, Translation, and World Literature. Having taught both Arabic and English to native, heritage, and non-native language speakers, I aim to help students incorporate their skills and experiences into their professional goals. |
| Dr. Grant Palmer | grant.palmer@ucr.edu |
Technocultural theory, American and British literature, American film, video game studies, media studies, queer theory, gender and sexuality, biopolitics, critical theory, and digital media. |
| Paris Brown |
paris.brown@ucr.edu |
Legal field background; specifically, criminal law. Other research interests include twentieth-century American literature, film, and popular culture studies. Former true crime podcast host and currently writing a book on historical true crime. Other personal interests include Southern California history, vintage architecture and aesthetics, travel, animal welfare and rescue, genealogy, and documentaries. |