- What are you most excited about as you start your Laidlaw research summer?
This summer, I'm excited to learn more about the people whose stories shape and define my research. My project is deeply people-centered, and there's so much we don't know about African American life before the technological revolution. I look forward to gaining more biographical and autobiographical accounts of a pre-digitized world and the ways it’s changed in such a short amount of time.
2. This week, the discussions we held about research cut across the disciplines. How does the interdisciplinary nature of this program, the fact that students are focusing on such a diverse range of projects, help you think about your project and/or your academic interests more broadly?
I was both really interested and also a little overwhelmed by the variety of research topics being covered by the program. I did, however, come to realize how many intersections there are across disciplines, and it made me consider other interests I have, like policy, which aren’t explicitly part of my research but may turn out to be really valuable in shaping my work. With so many research topics, I realized I could broaden the scope of my work beyond African American studies and venture into other areas, adding new viewpoints I would otherwise exclude. And, thanks to the incredible librarians, branching out in my research feels more tangible.
3. As you begin your individual research projects this week, do you anticipate any challenges in getting started? If so, what are they?
As I begin my research project, I’m worried about the deliverables of my research and figuring out how to fit the fullness of the research into both the paper and the poster. Because I’m still not completely sure what my central research question is, it’s hard to imagine my path from start to finish, but I know that as I learn more and progress in my work, my areas of focus will become more apparent.
I'm also looking forward to cooking this summer!