St. Thomas students conduct summer research on a variety of topics – Newsroom

Program scholarship funding means that students receive money for their work and research. Forty-two Young Scholars, 10 Ignite Research Scholars, one Sustainability Researcher, two community researchers, and a Daugherty Family College Summer Scholar participated this summer.

The newsroom reached out to some of the student researchers to learn more about what they studied, what it’s like to work with a faculty mentor, and how their research benefits their academic careers.

Main: International Relations – Political Science

Research Title: “Medicine, Food and Culture in Iran”

College advisor: Scheherazade Ahmadi, History

Grant: Ignite research scientists

Describe what you’re looking for this summer.
This summer I am doing research on medicine and health in nineteenth-century Iran. More specifically, I analyze the story that can be told about Iran’s public health infrastructure through population records. The ultimate goal of my mentor and I is to create a website that will serve as an easily accessible statistical database for these census records along with blog posts that succinctly explain the story they illustrate.

What is the most interesting thing you have found so far in your research?
The most interesting thing I’ve found so far in my research hasn’t been the numbers themselves, but the process of organizing them. I spent the bulk of my summer research project ordering books and cataloging relevant census data. Unexpectedly, analyzing that data for our website was a relatively small part of our overall project. In those long hours of scanning and browsing through the statistical reflections, I developed a deeper understanding of how to build a foundation for the project. That can be more important than formatting the final visual project itself.

What is the most valuable part of having funded research a part of your undergraduate experience at St. Thomas?
Certainly the experience of researching and creating the project itself was of immeasurable value. I used to read about other students creating apps or getting involved in community work in the St. Thomas Newsletter. I convinced myself that my abilities were far from this kind of success. With the help of my mentor, I was able to learn how to approach the project slowly, sensibly, and pragmatically. It is my first real step in becoming a researcher and doing future projects.

What are the biggest benefits of working with an academic advisor like you this summer?
The biggest benefit of working with my mentor on the faculty this summer is learning from her experience as a former student and researcher. It taught me what realistic progress looks like on a short-term research assignment like ours. She also showed me the materials I could access as a student, such as interlibrary loan and machines in the O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library that were open for public use. As a student, I was happy to learn from her mistakes and successes and apply that to my first real project. Most importantly, she encouraged me to approach this project in a way that builds my resume and complements my major.

Research Title: Why do college students use speed dating apps?

College advisor: Patricia Maddox, Sociology and Criminal Justice

Describe what you’re looking for this summer.
I did research on the motivating factors behind college students using speed dating apps. I examine four main categories: hookups, entertainment, relationships, and community. In addition, I investigate whether these motivations are influenced by factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, religion, and sexuality.

What is the most interesting thing you have found so far in your research?
The most interesting thing I’ve found so far is that a large number of participants are swiping primarily based on physical attractiveness for the purpose of entertainment and are not looking for long-term partners. Another important finding was that nearly 70% of the participants had met individuals through speed dating apps, but only about 25% had committed romantic relationships on said apps.

What is the most valuable part of having funded research a part of your undergraduate experience at St. Thomas?
Having the opportunity to get a funded research project alleviated the need to secure additional income in the summer, enabling me to fully immerse myself in the research experience.

What are the biggest benefits of working with an academic advisor like you this summer?
Working with Dr. Maddox has been an amazing experience. Having a research advisor provides a constant source of ideas and direction. Dr. Maddox is always willing to offer advice and was an excellent person to come up with ideas. In addition, since Dr. Maddox is also working on her own research this summer, we faced similar challenges and communicated easily with each other.

Main: Data analysis with economics

Research Title: “FTW Corporate Compliance and Ethics!”

College advisor: Stacey Sobina, Ethics and Business Law

Grant: Ignite research scientists

Describe what you’re looking for this summer.
I conduct research on the world’s top companies and their highest-revenue divisions, as well as their board members and the diversity within their organisations. Throughout the study period, I also examined and understood compliance and ethical performance in business and the impact this has on the organization, since organizations that provide a safe and secure environment for their employees are more likely to please employees who also feel valued. Organizations that do not follow laws and regulations run the risk of fines, and workers who work for them often face dangerous situations.

What is the most interesting thing you have found so far in your research?
Throughout my research, the most fascinating thing I discovered was the diversity of the board and how it contributes to success. He has assisted in the expansion of the organization across many locations through its board members. This diverse culture has provided a valuable and inclusive culture to the business, which has also contributed to the worker satisfaction rate. It interests me because that is what I would like to work on in the future, and it was incredible to see the interviews and insights that different individuals give.

What is the most valuable part of having funded research a part of your undergraduate experience at St. Thomas?
The most important component of funded research is the knowledge you have gained about the value of every small contribution, whether on the board or as a regular employee, to success and advancement. It expands my awareness of compliance and the ethical rules that protect employee rights, which I can share with my family, friends, and communities in my home state and my own pioneering nation. I think we still need some commitment and ethics, and developing a compliance program is something I hope to foster back home after studying and working in research.

What are the biggest benefits of working with an academic advisor like you this summer?
My faculty mentor has been a great help in pointing out my mistakes and points of improvement, allowing me to do better and make things better.