By Steven Krolak
(NEW ALBANY, Ind.)–Eight IU Southeast students brought cutting-edge projects to the 26th IU Undergraduate Research Conference.
The students and their topics were:
| Amanda Sue Brock | Mentorship on a Mission |
| John Clere | New Photogrammetry Techniques and Their Scientific, Archival, and Academic Applications |
| Robin Frederick | Misconceptions of Sustainability in Higher Education: A Case Study of Indiana University Southeast |
| Clayton Gulley | Factors Underlying Annual FDI Inflow into Developing and Developed Countries |
| Annamae Harmon | Artemesia: The Power of Women Through Painting |
| Taylor McCauley | The Relationship Between Stress and False Memories |
| Hannah Shaffer | What Predicts Turnover Intentions? An Examination of Job Satisfaction and Job Performance |
| Jack Tull | The Implications of Nonfinancial Incentives |
Robin Frederick was among five finalists for Best Research Project, and several students received IU Southeast awards:
| Robin Frederick | Outstanding Abstract Award |
| Amanda Sue Brock | Outstanding Presentation Award |
| Clayton Gulley | Outstanding Presentation Award |
| Hannah Shaffer | Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Excellence Award |
The conference demonstrated vividly that research at IU campuses has progressed despite the constraints imposed by COVID-19.
“Research and creative work have continued at IU Southeast,” Wille said. “However, the pandemic has caused some research programs to slow down, some have been delayed and others to shift activities in order to ensure the safety of the researchers.”
Wille was especially impressed with the efforts of faculty members who worked diligently throughout the year in highly altered circumstances to make sure that they would be able to collaborate with students on creative projects, while following CDC and IU guidelines.”
In all eight IU Southeast faculty members were involved as advisors.
“The conference says a lot about our perseverance and resilience, that we can and will push through,” Wille said. “Students took this opportunity to present their research and their faculty members were there to assist them in obtaining this opportunity.
Hannah Shaffer began research in the summer. She believes that the lockdowns forced her to be more creative in her research–she used Zoom to interact with her faculty advisor and to contact subjects.
“While this was more difficult in some ways, I feel that IU Southeast prepared me to face challenges like these by providing me with relevant and useful resources to succeed this semester, and that includes completing my project,” Shaffer said.
Her research into how companies can better anticipate or avoid high costs associated with employee turnover earned her the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Award.
Shaffer’s project, while valuable in itself, was also a key to connecting with colleagues at other campuses. Keeping those connections alive during a time of lockdowns through research is essential to maintaining a sense of belonging.
“It’s always so cool to be able to be among peers who genuinely care about bettering themselves and the world around them through research,” Shaffer said. “I really appreciate the opportunity to participate in an event like this because it helps me feel even closer to my IU academic community.”