A research team from the School of Journalism and Media traveled to Los Angeles over spring break to present at the annual Summit on Communication and Sport, organized by the International Association for Communication and Sport.
For doctoral student Ariel Newell, her favorite part about the latest research project she is involved in is getting to work alongside undergraduate students.
This is the first time she has worked with undergraduate researchers and thinks it is cool they are so excited about research. Newell, who is pursuing her PhD with a concentration in journalism and media, is part of a research team at the School of Journalism and Media analyzing the potential use of racial stereotypes in written evaluations of NFL draft prospects.
Professor Guy Harrison is leading the research team alongside Newell, with undergraduate students Brandon Goggins and Helene Burch assisting them. A grant from the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, allowed him to invite Burch and Goggins onto the team.
Over spring break, the quartet traveled to Los Angeles to present the preliminary findings of their research at the annual Summit on Communication and Sport, organized by the International Association for Communication and Sport (IACS). The Summit’s opening reception was at Dodgers Stadium.
“This experience is especially significant for Brandon and Helene because undergraduates don’t often get to participate in the production of research or present them at conferences,” Harrison said. “Their participation helps demystify the research process. Undergraduate students often hear professors do research but don’t know what that looks like.”
Harrison said everyone welcomed the students, who presented the findings and even fielded questions from other scholars about the impact conducting research has had on them as students.
Burch said working with the research team has her strongly considering graduate school. The experience made her remember how much she enjoys research and writing papers. She said she is also comfortable with public speaking and enjoys traveling, adding that pursuing a doctorate puts her in a position to do all those things.
As part of the team, Burch helped code the research data and presented the findings at the IACS Summit alongside Goggins.
“I think that doing research with a professor as an undergrad is super valuable,” Burch said. “It puts you in a position as a peer to the professor, and you are treated as such. It’s a glimpse into life after college, because it is professional, but also the professor knows you are a college student.”
An aspiring sports reporter, Goggins said conducting research was outside his comfort zone but also found the experience to be invaluable. He said it was intimidating conducting and presenting academic research to a room full of scholars, but everyone was so welcoming it assuaged his initial reservations.
Goggins said he enjoyed connecting with scholars from different universities around the country and worldat the Summit. He also liked hearing the different presentations, noting they challenged him to think about sports topics on a broader spectrum.
“I feel like this experience can help me towards my goals of becoming a sideline reporter because it isn’t something that everyone else has done, especially on the undergraduate level,” Goggins said. “This can separate me because doing research is a skill that I can put on my resume, and the knowledge and insight that I gained along this process could be useful down the road.”
Newell said many undergraduate students may be intimidated by the idea of doing research, but she strongly encourages them to consider it. She said a good start would be to investigate a professor’s area of study and initiate a conversation with them about any possibilities to get involved.
Harrison also greatly enjoyed working alongside the undergraduate students as part of this research team.
He knew the two students well prior to them joining the team through the classroom and through traveling with them to London as part of the school’s annual study abroad program.
“Including undergraduates is a good way to get additional assistance with your research,” Harrison said. “Faculty might be surprised as to how willing and able these students are to assist with research.”