Story and photos by Logan Jackson
- Natalie Schaefer – sophomore journalism and political science double major
- Mentor: Julius Riles, associate professor of communication; affiliate faculty in the Honors College
Natalie Schaefer spent part of her freshman year gaining valuable research experience through the ASH Scholars program, which supports teams of undergraduate research students in the arts, social sciences or humanities. ASH Scholars work as members of a faculty-led research or design team.
While research wasn’t something Schaefer expected to participate in as a college student, her experience as an ASH Scholar led her to look at other opportunities. This summer, Schaefer is one of 15 Honors College students who is part of the Cherng Summer Scholars program.
“I never thought I would be involved in any type of research project,” said Schaefer, a sophomore journalism and political science double major. “I really enjoy reading and writing, and when I read about the projects offered through the ASH Scholars program, I was definitely intrigued. I was lucky enough to land in a spot in a lab where I did a lot of reading and analyzing various articles. It was perfect for me.”
Schaefer is now leading her own project as a Cherng Summer Scholar. A nine-week research or creative scholarship program for Mizzou students who are pursuing the Honors Certificate, the Cherng Summer Scholars program allows students to participate in individually designed projects under the mentorship of a Mizzou faculty member. The program is supported by a gift from Peggy and Andrew Cherng and the Panda Charitable Foundation.
“All the students in the program are doing fascinating research,” Schaefer said. “It’s been cool to hear about the projects and discuss how we’re approaching our work.”
Schaefer’s project this summer incorporates a lot of what she learned last semester through her ASH Scholars work. She’s currently performing a media dive into articles from across the globe that discuss immigration.
“I’m doing a fairly deep dive into numerous articles centered on that subject,” Schaefer said. “I’m looking at the topic from all angles, too. As I conduct the media dive, I’m coding those articles and making sure they are organized into topic groups.”
Schaefer is also developing a questionnaire that she will send to individuals as well.
“The main idea behind the survey is to track how perceptions can change based on the articles that the individual is reading,” Schaefer said.
Schaefer had an opportunity to share more about her project during the recent Summer Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievements Forum, hosted by the Mizzou Office of Undergraduate Research.
“While the research we’re all doing is very important, I think it’s even more vital that we share what we’re doing,” Schaefer said. “One of my main goals is finding ways to publicize research in a way that appeals to Gen Z. I want to be able to reach out to them in ways that they can connect with.”