The Honors Thesis Journey: Gavin Defina

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Gavin Defina, a senior majoring in sustainable community development and geography, is working on an independently contracted thesis. He is honing his skills to rethink how we engage with our campus.

Defina’s thesis uses a research method called 'mental mapping.' He interviews participants and asks them, among other tasks, to map the UMass campus from memory. He aims to use these maps to improve the campus space and explore what students prioritize in a college campus.

He began developing this idea during his junior year in a class titled 'Research Issues in Geography,' which included an activity similar to his thesis.

“We did an activity where we drew a map of UMass based on our memory and I thought that was really cool because it showed how people, based on where they live, where their classes were, perceived what was most prevalent in their experience on the campus. I thought that was really interesting to see and I began to wonder how other people around campus do this activity.”

His research group consists of seniors from the Class of 2025. Defina notes that his class is the first post-COVID cohort to experience all four years of in-person schooling. He hopes to explore how the pandemic has altered students' perceptions of their physical environments after extended periods confined to their homes.

Through his thesis, Defina hopes to promote and emphasize the importance of student-first planning in higher education. According to Defina, the populations who have lived and will live in these spaces must play a crucial role in the planning phases.

“I think it’s important that student voices are heard and understood, because it really makes sense. Why? Because they notice things with a much different perspective compared to others. That's what I hope my research would be used for, as a case study for American universities in general.”

As Defina continues to work on his thesis, he will develop the skills necessary for his future, including the possibility of furthering his education in planning. We are excited to follow his journey and look forward to the amazing results!