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Today is the Minds@Work Research Conference at Shippensburg University. Your gifts to the Annual Fund provide funding for research project's like Luke's. Here his story:
Luke Smith is a senior political science major with an English minor, and a member of the Wood Honors College. Luke shares in his own words how his joint undergraduate student/faculty research experience has made a difference in his life.
About his research
The purpose of my project was to provide research for the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) on implementing telehealth services in the state. My research was originally targeted at drug and alcohol policy, but I decided to focus on foundational policy issues with program implementation that will benefit the entire medical community if corrected. I was pleased that I could offer practical, well-informed policy recommendations, and I hope that my final report will be a good reference tool for DDAP.
About his Faculty mentors:
Dr. Michael Greenberg was my official faculty mentor, but I also received input from my advisor, Dr. Sara Grove, and Derrick Pelletier, the Policy Director at DDAP. Student/faculty research cultivates a relationship between the student and faculty member. It provides the faculty member with an opportunity to assess a student’s individual abilities, which is harder to do in a classroom setting. Receiving individualized attention from a faculty member who is familiar with your project is helpful when planning the next step of the research process.
What did he learn from this experience?
My project has taught me the value of conducting research for policy considerations. It is incredible to think that my research may be used to influence policy-making decisions in Pennsylvania.
How has this research experience impacted his future?
This research has helped me in my future endeavors as I continue my internship with DDAP and plan to pursue a full-time position within the organization.
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