I Wasn’t Interested in Research – Until I Was!

When I started on campus my freshman year, I swore that I would never get involved in campus research. Many times, when people hear the word research, they picture white lab coats and test tubes. I did not think that is what I wanted to do. While some research on campus involves these items, it is not always true when it comes to social/behavioral research. In my freshman year, I received the Ignite Scholarship that was awarded to me if I participated in a research lab during my freshman year. After interviewing with a few professors, I found my home in Professor McElwain’s lab working on her Infant Development Project. Working alongside other undergraduate research assistants and graduate students, I worked on behavioral coding and participated in visits with families. I was proven wrong and began to love working with families and seeing the whole project come together from start to finish. As a junior today, I am still working with Professor McElwain on her latest project, studying parent-child interactions during the first year of life. Next year, I will complete my own project with her to finish up my James Scholar honors program. Eventually after graduation, I hope to return to school and obtain my doctorate to perform my own research and teach at the collegiate level. If you are thinking about getting involved in undergraduate research, I highly suggest giving it a try! You never know what doors it might open or new passions you might discover.

Grace is an HDFS junior with a concentration in child and adolescent development and aspires to teach at the collegiate level.