Senior Showcase
This showcase is a retrospective of my experience as an honors scholar at IUPUI. Looking towards the future, the experiences and involvement highlighted in this showcase best demonstrate the skills I have developed, which have prepared me for academic and professional success. This is intended for academic and professional viewers.
My Honors Experience
Throughout my career as an honors scholar at IUPUI I have focused on developing my skills as a researcher. When I initially entered IUPUI I had a goal of clinical practice as a therapist; however, after gaining experience in research from my coursework, I found a passion for research. This drove me to grow and develop my skills and knowledge as a researcher, for example adding a minor in Data Science to aid in my understanding of the data process in research. Through my experiences I intentionally sought out a path to develop myself professionally as a researcher and to prepare myself for the next steps to achieve success on that pathway.
Formal Retrospective
Initially, when I joined the honors college my goal postgraduation was to obtain a PhD in Clinical Psychology and practice as a psychologist. However, due to the projects and experiences I undertook as an honors scholar I was able to engage with topics and material that interested me and ultimately change my path. Through these experiences, I discovered a passion for research while building applicable skills and gaining experience that has prepared me for the next step along my path towards a career in research. My time in the honors experience allowed me to scaffold a path for myself which has positioned me as a capable academic and researcher for my future. When viewing my experiences, the progression I have discussed can be seen. My early experiences working with data and investigating the research process gave me the skills and confidence to engage in real-world projects like the research done with the Hulvershorn lab. I have been able to engage in every step of the research process from data collection to analysis. With this I have been able to connect with researchers at IUPUI and beyond. Due to my experience with research I was able to engage in more independent research with another professor at IUPUI and begin to build relationships with other researchers at other universities to lay the groundwork for future collaboration.
Tracking Changes in Substance Use Over Time
Using Real World Data to Explore - LIS-S 201: Foundations of Data Studies
Real-world data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) was analyzed to understand how substance use in the US has changed from 2010 to 2020. These results were then visualized using graphs and figures created in Excel to effectively convey the findings of the analysis. Additionally, a report of the data analysis process was created to demonstrate development of skills related to the location, cleaning, analyzing, and visualization of data.
Learn more about the NSDUH here.
The Excel sheet and PDF utilized can be accessed here.
This project was my first experience working with real world data in an unstructured format. Throughout this process I was able to put the practical skills I had learned about working with data into practice. Additionally, I was able to further develop my experience working in tools like Excel and Open Refine to clean, analyze and visualize the data effectively.
"I was able to put the practical skills I had learned about working with data into practice"
I began the process by searching public databases for usable datasets to assess a change in substance use over time, which gave me experience searching for and evaluating data. I selected the NSDUH data from both 2010 and 2020 and downloaded the raw survey data along with the appropriate data documentation from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website. The survey data was downloaded in its raw format and it needed to be cleaned to be ready for analysis. To clean the data I learned to use and implemented OpenRefine, a program used to clean data, and Excel to clean the data. While cleaning I also made essential decisions about dirty data and exclusion criteria to ensure the data was ready for analysis.
2020 NSDUH data before and after cleaning process
After the cleaning process was complete I was able to analyze the data to better understand the change in the use of the identified substance between the two data sets. The process involved using Excels descriptive statistics tools and formulas to transform the large dataset into usable statistics which could be easily compared and visualized.
The graphs used to visualize the data were also created in Excel using the graphing tools. This involved ensure statistics created were comparable and deciding how best to display these comparisons. An example of a graph created comparing substance use by drug from 2010 to 2020 can be seen.
Graph comparing the rate of use of four drugs from 2010 to 2020
The statistics were also used to create infographics which display the findings without the use of graphs, for a different form of visualizations. The visualization process required consideration and utilization of effective display techniques and appropriate context to ensure the findings being displayed could be understood.
Policy and Best Practices of Human Subject Research Data
Navigating Legislation and Ethics - LIS-S 301 Data Policy and Governance
An in-depth review of legislation, policy, and best practices for handling, storing, and reusing human subject research data from a data science perspective.
A report was created synthesizing the information into a broad guide on the current policies and best practices for human subject research data with a focus on reuse. The information was further distilled into a handout which summarizes the policy and best practices for human subject research data.
Download the Report and Handout here.
The process of researching and creating these artifacts allowed me the opportunity to fully investigate and understand the regulations and policies related to human subject data usage and reuse in research. As an academic in a social science this is very relevant information. The knowledge this project led me to explore have made me a resource for any researcher or lab I work on human subject research with in the future.
Association Between a Behavioral Measure of Risky Decision Making and Sexting in Adolescents
Real-world Research - Internship and Collaboration with the Hulvershorn Lab
This was a real world research project undertaken with support and guidance from the Hulvershorn lab. Prior to this research I interned at the Hulvershorn lab through the Life Health Sciences Internship program at IUPUI. Throughout my time working in the Hulvershorn lab, I was able to develop research-related skills by engaging in real world research practices. The experiences I gained during my internship with this lab have given me experience, skills, and confidence that have prepared me to take my next steps as I continue my education journey into graduate school.
This research was conducted as a part of the Hulvershorn lab at the IU School of Medicine. Learn more about Dr. Hulvershorn and the Hulvershorn lab here.
Me and the others in my lab at our weekly lab Zoom meeting
See more about my experience as an intern in the Hulvershorn lab here.
Thank you to Dr. Leslie Hulvershorn and the Hulvershorn lab for the opportunity and support they provided.
A special thanks to Dr. Paola Mattey-Mora for her guidance as a mentor.
"The experiences I gained during my internship with this lab have given me experience, skills, and confidence that have prepared me to take my next steps"
Sexting has become an increasingly prevalent phenomena in today's technology inundated world. Prior studies investigating sexting engagement in adolescents have focused on self-report measures related to risk taking propensity, or the predisposition to engagement in risky behaviors. This innovative study utilized a behavioral measure related to real world engagement in high risk behaviors, such as substance use, to better understand the association seen between sexting and an increased propensity for risky decision making.
I took a leading role on this project and was able to apply all the skills I had developed in research practices and data processing throughout my education. This was my first experience with firsthand research using real world data. My responsibilities throughout the project included the cleaning, analysis, and interpretation of the data. These processes were completed using Excel and R under the guidance of my research mentor.
By leading the process I was able to experience research from the perspective of a researcher. This renewed the passion I had developed for research and has driven me to pursue research as a future career path.
An excerpt of the R code used to analyze my data
Me and my research mentor, Dr. Mattey-Mora, at a poster presentation of my research with the Hulvershorn Lab
Upon completing my analysis of the data, I was able to interpret findings and present on the topic at a poster presentation and research conference. Presenting on my findings was a natural continuation of the research process and gave me more real world experience within the discipline as well as strengthening my mastery of the subject matter.
Currently, my findings are being written up as an academic paper with a goal of publishing. I have taken on the role of primary author for this and have drafted the paper and met with experts in the Hulvershorn lab to develop the paper.
This process from interning at the Hulvershorn lab to working towards a published research article has allowed me to gain a full understanding of the research process first hand. The experiences this opportunity has provided me have set me up for success in my later research engagement. Additionally, the researchers I was able to work alongside in the Hulvershorn lab gave me valuable insight and guidance that has further prepared me for my next steps.
Ultimately, this experience served as a full circle moment in my career as an honors scholar at IUPUI. I had spent my time before this experience working towards building the necessary skills and knowledge to engage in the research process through projects within my academics. This experience defined my honors experience by allowing me to go beyond the curriculum and apply the skills and knowledge I had developed towards real world research. The success of this experience has proven to me that I am capable and has given me to confidence I need to take my next steps in my professional journey as I prepare to graduate.