Summer 2022 Student Research Projects

Prior to my SRP experience, I had never spent so much time and effort on a single project. This type of research demanded a different type of thought--including the willingness to pursue different angles under the umbrella of my topic. Ultimately, this meant that I learned how to actively and purposefully read articles and sort through data in order to develop theories.

I liked the length of the SRP program. It was enough time for me to conduct thorough research on my topic and gain some specialized knowledge, but short enough to prevent the possibility of burn-out. Overall, the program's length is conducive to a rewarding experience.

I continued to refine my ability to do independent research, including the following skills: taking effective notes, managing sources, effectively putting sources into conversation, etc. On a more topic-specific level, I learned about countless pieces of evidence and viewpoints that I did not know about before.

I really loved the mix of autonomy and guidance that working with Prof. Wang provided. She's my favorite professor at CMC, and it was really fun and educational to work with her. She allowed me to try things out on my own while still making sure everything was going well and that I was not lost.

My research experience helped me gage a better understanding of a period of history that has been very impactful on America. Not only did I learn more about the actual time period, but I learned the value of assessing different perspectives. I learned how to conduct research by critically reading and thinking about sources, and then comparing and contrasting to see where there is potential for bias, misinterpretation, or other larger motives contributing to differences among sources. My research has taught me a great deal of history, critical thinking skills, and thoughtful analysis, and deepened my knowledge of a subject I was already very passionate about.

The program gives you a lot of freedom and resources to really excel in your research pursuits. I was so fortunate to have a professor and team of peers who shared the same passion, excitement, and genuineness for the project. While the program has its challenges of independent research and lots of self-determination, each week felt rewarding to submit a piece that fully showcased my work put forward and new knowledge.

I learned more about the intensity of a full-time research position, but more importantly solidified an area of interest for myself. My thinking around the area of my research also dramatically changed, and proved to me the importance of going into a research project without assumptions.

My favorite part of this experience was working with and learning from Professor Fortner. Even in its early stages, it is fascinating to learn about the process of writing a book, and to see what such an extensive research project looks like and what it requires.

I have learned how to synthesize dense theoretical articles into accessible educational material. Through this project, I also became more familiar with alternative approaches to international relations theory undertaken by different scholars in the field, including postcolonial studies, race and racism, feminism and global IR. This has not only deepened my understanding of my major, but allowed me to build a more critical lens and approach to the coursework.

I really enjoyed the lunch sessions where faculty presented. As a student interested in pursuing a career in academia, it was helpful to gain insight from mentors at CMC beyond just my faculty advisor.

I learned the process of IRB approval, the development from literature review to brainstorming study ideas to carrying out the study, the differences between studying a topic and researching a topic, my own understanding of what I want to do and not to do in the future career-wise, etc.

The amazing student researchers who support and encourage each other.

I learned that while the research process can be daunting and challenging, it is a very rewarding process. I recall a time when I could not find a particular source about the inclusion of men in minimum wage laws in Oklahoma for several days. When I finally found what I was looking for, however, I felt immensely proud and had a newfound appreciation of the research process.

This research experience enabled me to become more adept at finding valuable, credible sources, writing detailed case studies, and forming structured arguments. I am confident that these skills will improve the way I approach my courses here at CMC.

I must add that the constant immersion in academic material made me realize that there are so many topics in academia that have not yet been deeply explored. I feel motivated to engage in additional research experiences, whether here at CMC or in a different part of the world, to learn more about today's (and yesterday's) societies.
 

I liked that the program was relatively flexible and took place on CMC's campus. Because I am a local resident, I found it convenient to only have to drive a few minutes to meet with other students in the SRP and with Professor Rose. 

I also greatly appreciated the workshops that took place every week. The speakers' presentations were very insightful and provided me with a new outlook on my academic experiences.
 

I gained skills in synthesizing large amounts of data, noticing trends in governmental response, and extracting information from dense sources such as government documents.

I liked the independence of the research that I undertook, and appreciated the opportunity to learn more about how to best utilize library resources.

During this Summer Research Program, I learned the importance of picking and pursuing a subject that interests you. I especially found this program to be fruitful because the topic that I worked on alongside my team and Professor Fortner was quite intriguing and encouraged me to want to learn more. I also learned good research skills and the efficiency of sifting through dense papers to find useful material. Finally, I learned to seek the truth and not to search for things that will benefit the results I want to find. Overall, it was a fantastic experience.

I loved getting to work alongside an extraordinary professor and getting to obtain his insight and experience in researching and specific topics.

Going into the program, I had previous experience in psychology research, but no experience in neuroscience research or the use of EEG. I learned a whole field of study from scratch, and did many other tasks within that field. Along with my fellow research assistant, Heather Shipley, we conducted a literature review, developed and programmed an experiment from scratch using E-Prime, learned to administer the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, recruited younger and older adult participants from the community, and successfully ran over 30 participants using EEG equipment.

I enjoyed the weekly talks.

I gained several skills throughout the Summer Research Program. First, I learned how to conduct a meaningful literature review to derive key information pertaining to the background of our study. Then, I learned how to use E-Prime, which allowed me to refine our experimental design. I learned several methods for recruiting both older and younger aged adults. Lastly, I learned how to use BrainVis to record EEG data and MATLAB to analyze EEG data.

I really liked the community of the program. I like how all the professors are so willing to discuss different topics with students. I enjoyed our lunches and the communication that occurred between me and professors.

I gained valuable synthesis and critical thinking skills. During my research on Isaan, I found many conflicting views due to the highly politicized nature of the question at hand. While it was easier to subscribe to one idea and stick to it as truth, I absorbed and synthesized the different perspectives to challenge myself and my ideas. As a result, I feel I gained a much more informed view of the stigma dynamics in Isaan that includes considerations of politics, religion, and poverty. One of my most profound perspective shifts is my attitude towards certain Thai political leaders. Growing up in Bangkok, Thailand, my perspective on a controversial politician was profoundly negative as that was the opinion of most Thai people in my immediate surroundings. However, as I continued my research, I began to see the other side of the argument and how he is hailed as a hero by the Isaan people. I am made more aware of my susceptibility to formulate my ideas based on that of others, humbling myself as well as making me question other ideas drilled into me.

I most enjoyed the Wednesday seminars by professors presenting their research at the forefront of their field. In regular classes, I tend to feel that all that can be discovered is already discovered, and there is little that can be added by myself. Therefore, listening to professors tackling questions no one else has answered before was genuinely exciting. It was also valuable to see the approach professors take in their research to answer questions.