Every year the Center for Research on Families provides research support to students through scholarships and fellowships to graduate and undergraduate students. CRF is currently accepting applications for this year's competition. The deadline is this Friday, Februrary 27th. CRF’s current 2014 student researchers are conducting research on a variety of topics ranging from economics to Neuroscience. Their projects are described here.
Samantha Schenck
“CRF has helped me tremendously this year. It has allowed me the time to pursue my own research full time. I have been able to take time off from my Research Assistantship. By supporting me and my family, CRF has given me a chance to hopefully help other families.”
Samantha Schenck is a Ph.D. student in Economics. She received her B.A. from Wells College and a M.A. in Economics from the University of Massachusetts in 2008. Before becoming a CRF student researcher, Samantha was an assistant to Dr. Lee Badgett researching the effects of anti-discrimination laws on the LGBTQ community. As a CRF student researcher, Samantha is researching the effects on families of California’s recently instituted Paid Family Leave Act, which expands the federal Family Medical Leave Act to include mandatory paid sick leave. Samantha uses statistical change-in-change models to determine the effects of the policy, which is standard in local economic policy analysis.
Sarah Miller
“Funding from CRF has radically changed my ability to conduct my research. I will be able to spend all of next semester in the field collecting data, which would have been severely compromised if I had to also meet the time demands of paid work. I am greatly indebted to the CRF for their support of this project.”
Sarah Miller is a Ph.D. candidate in Sociology, holding a MA in Women’s Studies from San Francisco State University and a BA in psychology from St. Olaf College. Prior to being a CRF student researcher, Sarah was the director of a Chicago sexual violence prevention program. As a CRF researcher, Sarah has been investigating the dynamics of bullying in schools and examining the roles of families, schools and community as they influence youth conflict. Sarah is investigating these dynamics through intensive ethnographic research in a small-town northeastern school. As an ethnographer, Sarah uses multiple sources of data including monitoring student interactions in the school and on social media, analyzing school documents and procedures, and interviewing students, teachers, parents, and administrators.
Sean Higgins
“With the support of the Center for Research on Families’ assistantship grant I have been able to learn from an esteemed family policy scholar about the methods and processes of academic research. Furthermore, CRF’s support has allowed me to contribute to a research project that will affect the way policymakers implement early childhood education.”
Sean Higgins is an undergraduate researcher majoring in political science and legal studies. The CRF assistantship has enabled Sean to work as a research assistant for Professor Bushouse of the political science department. Sean is conducting research on the effects of the economic recession on state budget appropriations for prekindergarten funding. He is reviewing individual case studies, interviewing representatives from interest groups and the state, and collecting budget data in order to gain an understanding of the policies affecting prekindergarten funding. Sean says this project has allowed him to gain knowledge regarding the policy process while having a positive impact on family and education policy.
Matthew LaClair
“Thank you so much for this award, which has enabled me the time to focus entirely on my research this year.”
Matthew LaClair is a second year Ph.D. student in the Neuroscience and Behavior Program. Matthew received his BA in psychology from Eastern Connecticut State University, and before coming to Umass he was a researcher at the Yale School of Medicine. He is using the CRF grant to complete a project examining the relationships between schizophrenia, the affected neurotransmitters, and the associated emotional and cognitive symptoms. Matthew has been examining these relationships by manipulating the levels of the neurotransmitters dopamine and estradiol and monitoring cognitive affects. Dopamine and estradiol have been shown to be key neurotransmitters involved in schizophrenia.
For nearly a decade, CRF has provided students the opportunity to develop and participate in cutting edge family research across an array of disciplines.CRF’s student award program is committed to nurturing and developing the next generation of interdisciplinary family scholars. The Center is excited to receive applications for next year’s student research awards, which are due by the 27th of February.
For more information on the our Student Research program click here