Summer Policy Research Institute Completes Third Annual Session
The Public Policy Center (PPC) enrolled 18 undergraduate and graduate students with an interest in policy research in the Summer Policy Research Institute this year.
As part of the PPC's Student Success mission, the Institute is intended to enhance the research experience for students currently working with a faculty member on a project or fostering a new research venture by working with a cohort of other students and mentors.
Track 1 of the program is encouraged for students with little or no research experience and provides students with active learning exercises exposing them to research methods and applications. Track 2 utilizes readings and seminar-style discussions for students with research experience and offers the opportunity to author and publish a policy memo or brief on the PPC website.
Andrea Smith, PhD candidate in the Department of Sociology and Criminology, examines how news networks cover cases in which Black victims are killed by law enforcement, identifying biases that affect how people view these cases and the actors involved. Smith investigates how policy can regulate the way networks cover sensitive cases.
Samuel Rich, fourth-year undergraduate studying political science with a minor in history, is conducting research on the danger of cyberattacks by foreign nations. He examines the needs to implement blockchain technology to better protect the data of individuals, corporations, and government entities.
The Summer Policy Research Institute not only provides students the opportunity to develop research projects, but also offers mentorship and feedback from faculty and staff at the PPC. Both Smith and Rich noted that Christopher Kromphardt, education support services manager, and Ethan Rogers, assistant research scientist and postdoctoral fellow, provided an inclusive space for positive and constructive advice.
The Institute also supports faculty researchers by training their students in research basics - preparing them to work on a research team. Eventually, the PPC intends to match well-trained students with faculty who are seeking student researchers.
Kromphardt spearheads the Institute and is always looking for ways to improve the experience for students. A new addition this year was the launch of PPC online learning modules, or "badges." Upon completing learning objectives, students earn a digital badge, which is a micro-credential they can use to show off their accomplishment.
The badging modules, completed by students in both tracks, deliver a blended learning approach and are designed to engage students of all experience levels inside and outside of the classroom. They allow users to visually track their progress by completing coursework partially online and preparing them for what's to be covered in the following discussion section.
The first module was released in September 2021, and since then, over 100 badges have been awarded across the four different modules - Survey Research, Research Basics, Research Methods, and Pre-Mentoring - with several more in the works.
Guest speakers throughout the session also have an impact on the students' exposure to research.
Louise Seamster, assistant professor of sociology and criminology, talked with the group about her research projects and the opportunities she provides specifically for undergraduate and graduate students. Her presentation featured several of her current and former students' experiences on the years-long project investigating the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.
Additionally, Carrie Schuettpelz, PPC senior fellow of practice and associate professor of practice in the School of Planning and Public Affairs, lead a session in Week 4 on how to write a policy memo.
Besides providing access to remarkable speakers and mentors, the program also excels at maximizing its reach to students of all kinds, as it is open to all majors, from rising sophomores to PhD candidates. The hybrid format also offers the chance for anyone to participate, since not all students stay in Iowa City during the summertime.
Kromphardt takes pride in the fact that the Institute is a great reflection of the PPC and its missions. As an interdisciplinary center with dozens of fellows and affiliates across campus, the program is positioned well to help students achieve their research goals, and, "it emphasizes the malleability of the term 'public policy' that people are attracted to," Kromphardt said.