The School of Public Affairs hosted their first Student Research Day in October 2018 in the library’s Morrison Gallery. Graduate assistants facilitated the day-long event, which featured informative workshops, including “What Makes a Research Poster Visually Appealing,” presented by Emily Mross and Joi Jackson of the Penn State Harrisburg Library; “What skills to Utilize When Presenting a Poster,” presented by Alison Schuler of the School of Public Affairs; and “How to Develop a Research Proposal and Disseminate the Results,” presented by Dr. Susannah Gal of the Office of Research and Outreach.
A faculty presentation by Dr. Jonathan Lee, associate professor of criminal justice, was offered in collaboration with the Office of Research and Outreach Faculty Seminar Series. Lee shared his research on understanding criminal behavior to predict and prevent crime in his discussion, “Quantitative Approaches to Understanding Criminal Behavior.” SPA doctoral students also conducted a research panel entitled, “A Contemporary Lens Perspective: Expanding Horizons of Public Administration and Policy.” Presenters Saahir Shafi, Tiangeng Lu, and Shahinshah Faisal Azim shared their research on a variety of topics, including social media campaigns, immigration policy and international students in the U.S., and factors contributing to disparities in the spread of obesity. The panel concluded with a brief Q&A session for the audience to ask questions of the presenters.
The day concluded with conference-style student poster presentations and awards.