The chance to collaborate on a research project with a professor has typically been reserved for graduate students. The Carleton University Research Opportunity Program (CUROP) offers outstanding undergraduates that same opportunity. Each summer, ten students are selected through a competitive process to pursue a summer research project of their choice under the guidance of a Carleton faculty member.
With topics such as the rights of refugees, environmental issues, parental leave, and privacy, the projects chosen by FPA undergraduates reflect not only each student’s research interest but also the Faculty’s mission to build a better society and address regional and global challenges.
One of this year’s participants was Ashley Ogilvie, who graduated from the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice.
“As a student and a first-time researcher, I was given the freedom to ultimately design, implement and execute my own research project based on my interests,” said Ogilvie, who studied the environmental attitudes of young workers. “The highlight of this experience was the excitement and pride I felt while interpreting the results with my professor (Kathryne Dupré) and recognizing how significant research can be in our society.”
Along with learning about their research subject, the program allows students to develop skills in proposal writing, information analysis, project management and networking. They presented their results at a public event, which was held virtually on October 5, 2021.
“CUROP allowed me to develop my ability in designing, conducting and ultimately producing an academic research product,” said Global and International Studies student Ozan Ayata, whose project was entitled, “Understanding Refugee Participation in Turkey: Process, Politics and Systems.” His supervisor was Professor James Milner. Ayata is now pursuing a master’s degree in the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA).
Other participants included Political Science student Sereyna Spencer, who collaborated with Professor Vandna Bhatia to explore the topic of maternity and parental leave policies for minority mothers in Canada; and Criminology alumna Mélanie Cantin, whose project was entitled, “Tracking the criminalization of emotional distress in Canada: a case study into revenge porn.”
“The best part of CUROP was the ability to work nearly full-time on a topic of personal interest that was not necessarily addressed in any of my classes,” said Cantin, who collaborated with Professor Lara Karaian. “Working with a faculty member and benefitting from her expertise on a number of topics was a really enriching experience.”
Monday, October 25, 2021 in CUROP, General, News
Share: Twitter, Facebook
