Research Assistant Alaa Zabara Builds Smart Watch Applications to Assist Students with Disabilities

I work with Dr. Motti’s team in a project that helps students with disabilities. It’s a project where we are building smart watch applications to assist students with disabilities in their every day education activities. The team consists of a computer scientist, a designer, and other research assistants. And my part of this project is to design the icons, logos, and do some sketches before proceeding with the digital designs.

From this job I learned many things; one thing I learned is how to work with others by taking their advice and listening to their recommendation and suggestions. Another thing, I learned is how to make the research easier by looking up what I want to look for. In addition, this job helped me improve my designing skills and experiences. 

Research Assistant Shannon Mullin Interviews Residents from Low-Income Neighborhoods in Washington D.C.

I am currently working on exploratory research with Professor Karina Korostelina looking into neighborhood resiliency and what conditions allow neighborhoods to withstand temporary or longstanding challenges. I think what initially drew me to this project was my small town upbringing and my recognition of how important and influential being connected to your neighbors can be. 

Ultimately, I hope to work for an NGO advocating for girls’ education around the world which is an issue that I think needs to be solved at a community and neighborhood level. Hopefully by finding out what makes neighborhoods stronger and more resilient to challenges, I can apply what I have learned to communities around the world while working for equal access to education.

My role in this research is to conduct in-depth interviews with residents in two low-income neighborhoods in Washington D.C. These are structured interviews and I ask fourteen questions on topics such as the strengths and challenges of the neighborhood, the social groups that comprise the neighborhood, how decisions are made, and neighborhood resilience. I then transcribe the recordings of the interviews.

I have learned a lot through this experience already even though we are just beginning the project. Beyond the technical experience that I am gaining about the research process itself, I also have learned more about people in general and the commonalities between our experiences. The neighborhoods I am working in are very different from where I grew up, but the kindness of the residents resembles my home. I think these lessons may be even more important than the typical skills that being a research assistant is supposed to teach you.

Research Assistant Danielle Melton Studies the Methods and Coping Strategies of NGO Repression in China

This year I have been working with Professor Toepler to study the methods of NGO repression in China and the coping strategies Chinese NGOs use to get around them. I have been reading a wide variety of journal articles and continue to look for both qualitative and quantitative studies that can give insight into this issue.

I am a Government and International Politics major with a Chinese minor and have been lucky enough to have studied abroad in China and will soon be returning to China to do so again. I am continuing to focus on Chinese studies in my class and independent work and have a previous background in the policies of global humanitarian work so this project was a perfect match for me.

Through this project, I have had an opportunity to expand my areas of research and learn more about Chinese politics and policy. The 2017 Overseas NGO Law restricts the ability for NGOs to register in China, limits the ability to receive foreign funding, and requires strict reporting. Despite this policy, which is only one method of NGO suppression in China, civil society is developing. Studying both the methods of repression and methods of coping, will give insight into the strength and movement of Chinese civil society and the country as a whole. I hope to continue my research next year and continue to delve into the intricacies of Chinese policy and civil society in the future.

Research Assistant Alicia Rodriguez Researches the Portrayal of Human Rights through Media Sources

Over the past semester, I have been working with Dr. Chen in my own independent research regarding indigenous rights after being in a class of hers last year. The current project that I am involved with as Research Assistant for Dr. Chen relates to the portrayal of human rights by a range of different news media sources. Additionally, I am working with Dr. Chen on a research project about the relationship between wellbeing and activism.

As a fairly new research assistant, I have been working on particular trainings related to the research methods utilized in the study. Currently, for the first project I am reviewing the collected data of newspaper articles before it is coded or analyzed. For the other project, I have been emailing and communicating with individuals that have connections to people who might be interested in participating in the study through the interview process.

Although I have not spent much time yet as this position of a Research Assistant, the work that I have done so far has revealed to me firsthand the extensive amount of time and information needed in certain kinds of studies such as content analysis. Because this is my first formal research project that I have been involved with, the experience has put a new scale to the meaning of what a formal research project of this kind looks like, and the different components needed to fulfill it. Understanding more in depth the process of research itself is important to my long-term goals because I need to know the intricacies of the research process in order to be able to conduct my own research in the future. Research in the realm of human rights and media, and even the connection to activism and wellbeing, are both of interest to me and function within types of research used in my own field, so this is a very informative and useful experience.

Research Assistant Chyna Staten Enhances her Ability to Manage and Interpret Data

My name is Chyna Staten; I am a senior here at George Mason University. I am currently majoring in communication, with a minor in multimedia production. I was hired in Spring 2016 as an Undergraduate Assistant for the Center of Teaching and Faculty Excellence through OSCAR’s Undergraduate Research Assistant program. What interested me the most about this position was the opportunity to expand my skillset. Working with the center has taught me quite a few substantial new skills. The fact that I would be able to enhance my ability to manage and interpret data appealed to me. I was a marketing major my freshman year before I changed it to concentrate in public relations; working for the center has shown me that I still have a passion for data analytics and marketing. This position has helped me realize that I would like to attend graduate school to earn a degree in Marketing. My long-term goal is to merge my skills and interest in both communication and marketing to become a Marketing Strategist. On a weekly basis, I put turn quantitative data into qualitative— creating graphs and charts out of Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. I also help with website maintenance and advertising. The fast-pace environment of the Center for Teaching and Faculty Excellence has definitely helped me with my time management. Every week, there is a new project or program that I am asked to assist with. This experience has not only strengthened my professional skills, but has also helped solidify my interests for the future.

Research Assistant Donovan Jones Edits and Masters A TV Show for Professor Ben Steger

I’ll never forget the day when I first saw the posting online for the opportunity to work with Ben Steger on his upcoming TV show, “Open Mic”. The show follows artists from all around the world as they continue to progress through their musical journeys. Thus, since I am a music lover, and open mic poet myself I just couldn’t resist looking into it more. I submitted my application and emailed Professor Steger expressing my interest in the position. I told him how excited I was for his project and a few weeks later, I got the job! He even told me that he was going to try to get the show on Netflix!

I am honestly honored to have such an opportunity to work with one of GMU’s finest. Professor Steger has won some huge awards in the documentary film industry including a DOCFEED award for best documentary for his film “Stage Four: A Love Story”. So obviously having constant contact with someone as experienced as him is a strong resource to have. For this project I will be editing and mastering the TV show for Steger, all while organizing documents, and creating graphics/logos for his new and past projects. This position is already shaping me into a better business man and employee by challenging my creativity, and strengthening my time management skills. Most of the work I’ve done this far requires some type of design. Whether the design be a DVD cover or disc cover, I have to really challenge myself to think outside the box on a daily basis to create something eye-popping and new for our audiences to see. My time management skills have been improving as well. Since Steger is usually out traveling the world, I have to be responsible for making sure the work gets done within a reasonable amount of time. This can be difficult at times due to schoolwork and another job that I have. Nevertheless, I have been learning to work smarter and balance all my responsibilities accordingly.

So far, this position is exactly what I needed. Not only do I get compensation/rewarded for my work, but it’s challenging me to perform better every day!