1. How have the workshops and discussions on leadership this week changed your understanding of what leadership means?

The workshops allowed me to transform my view of leadership as one person taking charge to the four models we were taught, including leading from behind, leading beside, and leading within. Leadership, to me, does not as strongly represent a singular archetype but a trait anybody can embody and learn to perform. Leadership also does not necessarily apply to authority figures, but can be an action undertaken by any collaborator of a project in their contributions to the work, diligence to help, commitment to cooperation, and respect shown for others.

2. How might you imagine applying one of the four ways of leading during your summer on campus?

I am most drawn to the idea of leading from within, especially given the independent (rather than lab-based) nature of my research project. I am excited to be my own leader, managing my own time and organizing my research to be methodical about my meetings and whom I reach out to for assistance or resources. Rather than expecting a mentor to guide me through the project, such as a librarian or my faculty supervisor, I intend to serve as my own boss and tactfully utilize the advice of these adult figures to my own academic and personal development. 

3. What is everyone most excited about engaging in as part of their summer research project?

I am very excited to combine my collaboration with Rob Davis, Eastern European Studies Librarian and Emily Schmidt, the Journalism and Government Librarian, to analyze Russian journalism sources and other primary sources in their original language. I am incredibly grateful that I was assigned two librarians rather than one, as the combination dovetails perfectly with my interdisciplinary nature of my project, which combines studies in journalism, artificial intelligence, and Eastern European geopolitics and history. I am excited to delve through the archives with Mr. Davis and translate Russian language primary sources, which I imagine will feel like a more hands-on or interactive component of my research, rather than simply consuming and regurgitating previous research on the topic. This way, I am looking forward to contribute my unique angle on this topic by combining less frequently juxtaposed topics of Russian language/journalism and artificial intelligence.