ISRC student employee spotlight

The Iowa Social Science Research Center (ISRC) employs a number of student researchers throughout the year. As telephone research interviewers, students work in a professional environment while gaining valuable employment and research experience in public policy and opinion polling. 


For more information about working at the ISRC, contact Dawn Bower at dawn-bower@uiowa.edu or 319-384-3810. 
 



Angelique Frier

Angelique Frier has worked at the ISRC for almost a year. She is exploring majors with interest in language and the environment. 
 

"Working at the ISRC has been a great experience for me. I have learned valuable communication and time management skills that help me in and out of the classroom. Such skills include: speaking clearly and effectively, working with disgruntled people, and persistence. I have enjoyed working at the ISRC because of the friendly people and motivating atmosphere." 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Alicia Means

Alicia Means worked at the ISRC for two years. At the University of Iowa, she was a psychology major also involved in a research lab and student organizations.
 

"The communication, research and professional skills I gained from ISRC really helped me when moving onto a graduate program in counseling, which I am currently studying. My time at ISRC taught me how to communicate with a variety of people of different backgrounds on many different topics, from health to politics to water quality. It taught me to effectively deliver a message and identify clear answers from participants. These communication skills are invaluable in my chosen career path. I also learned how to understand and execute research methods of many different types of studies. Finally, I learned how to meet deadlines and quotas, and as a supervisor, how to delegate tasks and problem solve. Working at ISRC has benefitted me in many ways and I continue to use and build upon the skills I developed there."

 

 



Samantha Korns

Samantha Korns received her Bacherlor of Arts in international studies, political science and Russian studies from the University of Iowa in 2016. She has worked at the ISRC for three years and is currently an acting supervisor for the call center. Her time working at the ISRC has equipped her with the communication skills necessary to effectively converse in a variety of situations such as telephone interviewing, door-to-door or face-to-face interviewing, as well as developing skills to comfortably talk in a professional setting with clients and project managers. The ISRC equipped Korns with leadership skills unparalleled for her future career as an international lawyer. She has led training sessions for new employees and worked with transcription and database software for mail and transcription projects. Her time at the ISRC, during her college career, gave her the ability to manage her work and school schedule as well as extracurricular activities.
 

"The skill set I have gained, as well as the cordial and welcoming work environment are qualities that make the ISRC the ideal place to work, learn and grow, especially for students."