by Jenni Hodges
Before Linda Laine came to teach at Central College, she never assigned extensive research projects to undergraduate students. Now Laine, with dozens of Central professors, uses research assignments every year to help students prepare for professional and academic careers. This year, after months exploring topics like sports analytics, Parkinson’s Disease, prairie grasses and consumer behavior, 182 Central students presented their results during Central’s Undergraduate Research Symposium May 5-6.
“Not a lot of undergraduates are doing research — that is unique to Central,” said Laine, associate professor of communication studies. “It is going to put them way ahead if they go on to graduate school after Central.” And if students want to start careers right after graduation, Laine said the challenges of research prepare them to excel when managing long-term professional projects.
“What excited me about my project was that it was entirely my own,” said senior Matthew Heater. “Everyone gets to create research projects from scratch, based on what they are interested in and want to learn more about.” Heater, a psychology major from Pleasant Hill, shared his results in the presentation, “The Effect of Positive and Negative Goal Framing on Rumination.”
“I am very interested in depression and anxiety, so I decided to research something common within both disorders,” Heater said. “I looked at how the way we are presented with things can affect how we recall events and solve problems.”
Rachel Braak, a senior biology major from Ankeny, also conducted original research related to her passion — care and wellbeing of captive parrots. Braak investigated parrots’ feather-damaging behavior, and she hopes to continue this research if she attends graduate school.
“I loved presenting my results,” Braak said of the symposium. “I felt like a real scientist, not just regurgitating other research into a literature review but actually showing the world new data.”
“Not a lot of undergraduates are doing research — that is unique to Central.” – Linda Laine, associate professor of communication studies
Laine said she came to teach at Central in 2004 partly because of the tradition of undergraduate research. Laine said Central’s high-caliber students can handle not only the challenges of research, but also presenting their work to large audiences.
Presenting at the symposium can be nerve-racking, Heater said — but equally exciting. Heater also hopes to present his research at the Midwest Psychological Association (MPA) conference in Chicago. This year, Heater and 31 other Central students presented at the conference — a record number for Central College.
Junior Kelsey Stender also plans to submit her research about cheating for next year’s MPA conference. Stender, a psychology and sociology student from Belle Plaine, Minn., plans to attend graduate school and said she’s prepared, thanks to undergraduate research opportunities at Central.
Jesiah Blauw, a business management and philosophy major from Knoxville, presents “The Nature of Adolescent Competencies Predicted by Preschool Delay of Gratification” during Central’s Undergraduate Research Symposium.
“I am grateful, because I know many students from other colleges who have not had the opportunity to do their own research,” Stender said. “I am so thankful I got the opportunity to conduct my own research and tell people about what I found.”
Some of Laine’s students submit their research to the Iowa Communication Association to compete for the Frank George Westphal Top Student Paper Award. Central students Elizabeth Carman and Raegan Zetterlund of Jefferson and Keokuk won the award last fall for research they conducted in a class with assistant professor of communication studies Shelley Bradfield.
“I loved presenting my results. I felt like a real scientist, not just regurgitating other research into a literature review but actually showing the world new data.” – Rachel Braak ’15
Central students enjoy independence to pursue original research, but they also value opportunities to discuss research and get professional advice from professors. “Although the research is your own, you’re never truly alone, as there is always a professor willing to help you when you need it,” Heater said.
For Melissa Ketcham, a research highlight was developing close relationships with professors — even outside her major fields. Ketcham, a computer science and mathematics senior from Muscatine, worked to create a database for professor of biology Russ Benedict’s Prairies for Agriculture project. Benedict and Central biology students work each year to identify prairies species most beneficial for farmers and the environment, and Ketcham is excited her project can help provide long-term rewards.
“This experience is great for a resume,” Ketcham said, “but it is also so rewarding to know that my project is going to make a difference in the Prairies for Agriculture project, as well as issues like global sustainability.”
Gabrielle Wilson, a biology major from Clive, presents “Prolonged Exposure to Gluten in Celiac Patients and Links to Other Autoimmune Disorders: A Literary Review.”
Senior Megan Current was also excited her research could prove valuable beyond Central. Current, a business management student from Leighton, explored marketing strategies for small businesses near large competitors (like Wal-Mart or Starbucks). Assistant professor of business management Andy Campbell shared Current’s findings with several area businesses.
“The project took a lot of hard work and dedication,” Current said, “but helping yourself, others — and, in my case, small businesses — makes it all worth it.”
