What years did you participate in UROP?

I participated in UROP from 2006 to 2008, for my freshman and sophomore years. 

What UROP Program(s) were you a part of?

Traditional UROP and Research Scholars

What made you choose UROP?

I received a mailer from UROP and wanted to continue research, my favorite part of being a policy debater in high school, in college.

What do you think you have learned from your UROP experience?

I applied for political science and history projects, but the history research--sifting through textual sources, both primary and secondary--seemed more interested than entering data in a spreadsheet. I had also just read a canonical work in urban history in a 300 level history class, so I had context for the sources I was reading. I learned how to keyword search new databases and ask professors questions.

What is the extent to which you have kept in contact with your Research Mentor?

The most important result of my UROP years was meeting my UROP Research Mentor, History Professor Matt Lassiter, who has treated me like a scholar since I was 18. Professor Lassiter and I have kept in touch over the years.

How did your UROP experience shape or inform the next steps you took in your academic and professional journey?

Professor Lassiter advised my undergraduate history thesis, encouraging me to research in overlooked archives at the Bentley and recommending books that eventually led me to graduate school after a stint as an education data analyst in Detroit. Now as a history PhD candidate at Yale University, I have been selected as the Jefferson Scholarship Foundation's 2020-2021 Louis Galambos National Fellow in Business and Politics to finish writing my dissertation in residence at the Hagley Library in Wilmington, DE. This is a fellowship Professor Lassiter told me about--indeed, one of his former doctoral students herself received the fellowship and advised me about how to apply.

What advice would you give to a current UROP student?

Not everyone in UROP will have my experience of quickly finding a lasting research fit, and indeed I tried plenty of other internships and jobs over the years, but my advice is to pursue the academic path you find most intellectually stimulating.

What are some recent publications or accomplishments that you are proud of?

I have been selected as the Jefferson Scholarship Foundation's 2020-2021 Louis Galambos National Fellow in Business and Politics.