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Peichi W

- Research Program Mentor

EdD at Harvard University

Expertise

Education, social sciences, cultural studies, psychology and emotional well-being, NGO/nonprofits, business, gender issues, poverty, program development and evaluations, parent participation, foreign language learning or teaching, faith/religion

Bio

Hi! My name is Dr. Peichi Waite and I'm a friendly, highly reviewed instructor with a Harvard degree who has guided many students just like yourself through the development of social science research papers and community service projects. I help take the guesswork and stress out of research and project development. You will become a more confident and accomplished researcher, community leader, and student. I currently manage arts in health research projects, which aim to discover how the arts relate to community well-being, at a large state university. I've guided students through different types of projects, including in: 1. Education (examples: academic motivation, study abroad, English language learning, disabilities, assessments), 2. Psychology (examples: video game addiction, yoga and stress reduction, anxiety and depression, art/beauty and mental health), 3. Other Social Sciences (examples: NGO/nonprofit services, culture, gender, immigration, faith/religion), and 4. Business (examples: cosmetics and beauty industry, ride share economy, organic farming and foods, beekeeping). By the end of our time together, you will have produced a project of your choice (examples: a research paper, a community service plan, a set of educational materials, etc.) that you can proudly report on your college admissions materials, and you will have gained some lifelong research and development skills. Also, I am more than happy to write a strong and detailed letter of recommendation for you, if requested, for your college applications that will highlight your accomplishments during our mentorship time. Some more about myself! I am located on the East Coast but have later hours to accommodate West Coast students as well. I have lived in many different cities and enjoy reading, hiking, biking, photography, community service, and have a rescue cat. I hope that we will have the opportunity to work together soon!

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Video Gaming and Skill Development Research Project (STEM)

What types of skills do students believe they gain through playing video games? What types of video games help them develop these skills the most? A literature review, results from an online survey of video game players, and interviews with video game developers and educators will shed more light onto this topic. The results of this research will be shared with video gaming companies and educators.

Gender Equity School Research Project (Social Science)

How do students at my high school define the term "gender equity"? What types of informal and formal resources or activities do they believe will help bring about more gender equity in high schools? A rigorous review of the research literature, a series of focus groups, and interviews with school administrators will help shed more light onto this topic. Results of this research will be shared with my school and other schools in my city in order to help administrators and teachers understand what students believe to be effective resources and activities.

Teaching experience

I have worked as a thesis and capstone project advisor and have served on the research board of a university in California for many years. I have also discussed research projects with thousands of high school students and know what's trending and what colleges would view as impressive. I have a deep understanding of what good research entails and have many years of experience guiding students as they choose research questions, conduct literature reviews, collect and analyze their data in manageable and realistic projects, and apply their findings to help solve real-world problems. My students become more skilled and confident researchers and communicators, find more joy in academics as they fulfill their intellectual curiosities, learn to challenge their own perspectives as needed, and become more enthusiastic participants in their communities and in the world in general -- all within a friendly academic environment. I look forward to mentoring you!

Credentials

Work experience

Concordia University Irvine (2001 - 2020)
Thesis and Capstone Project Advisor - Multiple Subjects
Rutgers University (2023 - Current)
Research Coordinator/Project Manager/Co-Investigator on Statewide Research Studies

Education

State University of New York at Binghamton
BA Bachelor of Arts (1999)
Literature
Harvard University
EdM Master of Education (1999)
Education - Administration, Planning and Social Policy
Harvard University
EdD Doctor of Education (2004)
Education - Administration, Planning and Social Policy

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