Student Spotlight: Participants in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program
Deva Cats-Baril
Senior, Sociology
What has been the biggest benefit of your REU experience?
The personalized mentorship from sociology professors and graduate students was an incredible aspect of REU. The individual guidance on my writing style and methodological approach spurred a reflexive process that would not be possible without the input of the mentors built into the program. The mentors corrected papers and introduced new ideas, but more importantly, they taught us to think sociologically—a skill which affects every aspect of research development. Also, advice from professional sociologists and researchers provided me with insight toward career development.
What would you want other students to know about the REU program?
REU gives you a graduate school-like experience for a summer. The program provides you with the opportunity and tools to fully explore the sociological research process. If you are interested in pursuing a graduate career in social science, especially demography, the REU experience is an ideal introduction to the graduate school environment.
Mazen Elfakhani
Senior, Sociology
What has been biggest benefit of your REU Experience?
I can very happily say that being in the REU program was the most valuable undergraduate academic experience I have had.
The REU allowed me to devote one full month of my life to nothing but my research. Having taken a range of courses at UT and elsewhere, and having pretty focused research interests, there are several research projects I'm very eager to work on, with only time as a constraint. Of course, I could always devote an hour or two a day for such projects, but having the opportunity to dedicate a full one month to nothing but my research was just wonderful. Even graduate students and faculty are typically occupied with commitments in addition to their research. So the one month solely dedicated to research is unique. The first month of the REU program, which involves a crash course in demography, really gets the wheels rolling, and by its end you're going full speed.
Further, REU students are given access to the wide resources available at the Population Research Center, one of the top five demography institutions in the country. In addition to a generous stipend and a host of specific benefits I'll discuss below, Dr. Robert Hummer, chairman of the department and an eminent sociologist and demographer in his own right, gave me, as well as the other students, detailed feedback on our paper. After working very hard on a paper for two months, having a thoughtful reader provide detailed comments is absolutely invaluable.
More specifically, the two major benefits of the REU program involve the human resources. Jennifer Montez gave us eight classes of training in STATA, a statistical software program, and was always available to help me deal with statistical complexities (graphing interaction terms!). She graciously met with me even after office hours to help me with statistics, and was remarkably skilled at making statistical concepts seem intuitive. Moreover, each student was matched with a graduate student with similar research interests. Fortunately for me, I got along splendidly with my mentor, Jeremy Uecker. He's a brilliant mind and is already very well regarded in his area of interest. I've attended two conferences with him and seen him present twice, and continue to learn from him. He had produced several papers directly related to my research, which put him in a position to provide thoughtful and critical answers to the problems I encountered in my research. Basically, the REU paved a way for future research collaboration between Jeremy and I; we're currently working on a paper using the Religion and Public Life survey.
Finally, the REU created an extremely positive environment for fruitful academic work. All of the REU students are very motivated students. Being around hard-working students was good for me. It is just motivating and encouraging, and certainly not in a competitive way. We would frequently help each other out with research problems and became good friends throughout the program. Everyone genuinely took an interest in each other's work, and this encouraged me to work harder.
What would you want other students to know about the REU Program?
I would urge every student who is considering applying to the program to keep two things in mind. One, the REU program is like one month in graduate school, and perhaps more intense. It should help you figure out whether you would like the graduate school ambience (It did for several people in the program in summer 2008). By the end of the program, one student told me that they realized they're certainly not interested in demography, but still in graduate school. It helped another student realize they want to take a year off. For most students, it cemented their interest in academia. Helping these persons realize what they wanted to do goes to the program's credit. Second, if you've ever doubted your ability to produce good scholarly research, then this is more reason for you to apply. The very helpful REU staff will help make the experience easier and fulfilling, but you get as much as you put in.
Mazen is the editor of a new UT student journal, Sociological Insight.
Marcelo Bohrt-Seeghers
Senior, Sociology
What has been the biggest benefit of your REU Experience?
Picking one thing as the biggest benefit of the REU experience is a hard
task. The influence this program has had in the direction I have decided
to take my academic and career goals and the valuable skills and
knowledge I gained during the program have all benefited me hugely. In
thinking about the biggest benefit, I opted to go with a practical one.
Participating in the REU gave me the confidence to write long papers. Although
there was no specific paper length requirement in the program, I wrote a 35-page research
paper on the assimilation and political participation of Mexican
Americans. The task required effort, time and a great deal of research, but it
was a rather fulfilling and enjoyable process. I am now working on my
undergraduate thesis through the Sociology Department and I feel
confident about writing it.
What would you want other students to know about the REU Program?
I want other students to know that the REU is a challenging yet
rewarding experience that will provide them with and introduce them to
valuable tools that will help them in the process of becoming a
successful social scientist. To me, the program has been the perfect
mix of theory and practice. In addition, the REU allows
students to explore a different face of Sociology: Demography.
Marcelo is the editor of the newly created Student Journal of Latin American Studies.
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