Meet Erica Chen! Erica is a PhD student under the supervision of Evelyn Maeder and was also awarded SSHRC this year!
See what lead Erica to pursue her PhD in Legal Studies at Carleton and her experience in our program!
What lead you to pursue your PhD in Legal Studies at Carleton?
I was really interested in how the Department of Law & Legal Studies takes a multidisciplinary approach to the study of law; the overrepresentation of racialized people involved in the criminal legal system is a complex issue that one discipline cannot fully address. I was also extremely interested in working with my supervisor, Dr. Evelyn Maeder, who applies social psychological concepts to the criminal legal system. She is one of the few researchers who examines racial discrimination in the context of jury decision-making, and I was drawn to her work since I was an undergraduate student.
Tell us about your research, and what you hope to gain out of it by the time you complete your degree?
I am applying the experimental mock trial paradigm to an HIV non-disclosure case to better understand the psychological mechanisms behind jury decision-making. By the time I complete my degree, I hope to become a mixed-methods researcher who is well-versed in both legal and social psychological theory.
What advice would you give to incoming students?
My main two pieces for advice to incoming students would be to take rejection as an opportunity to learn, to take attend as many departmental events as possible. Rejection, unfortunately, is quite common in academia, which can be discouraging. However, with the help of my supervisor, I have learned to seek out opportunities for feedback and to further develop my skills. I have really enjoyed the departmental events that the Law and Legal Studies have, such as holiday parties and pizza and work-in-progress. Isolation and imposter syndrome are rampant in higher education, but events like these are central to building strong connections with your peers and forming a supportive learning environment.
Want to learn more about our PhD Program? Click here for more info!