Seniors Michael Alperin, Rosey Martinez and Priya Suresh won $1,000 Undergraduate Research Grants from the Northwestern University Office of the Provost in December. Of the 30 research grants awarded this fall, seven went to School of Education and Social Policy students. November winners were Zhen Cheng, Rebecca Crook, Julia Kornfeld and Meixi Ng.
Michael Alperin, a social policy major, is researching "Parent Engagement in Suburban Early Childhood Education" with his adviser, SESP professor Lindsay Chase-Lansdale. “My research project is attempting to understand why certain low-income suburban parents are involved in their child's early childhood education. I think that it's important to understand why certain suburban parents are engaged early childhood education when the low-income suburban population is exploding in America. Ideally, my research would serve as a launching point to increase suburban early childhood education parent involvement, which in turn could lead to better educational outcomes for children.”
Alperin’s research relates to his interest in improving education, a passion that he has developed during his time in SESP. “In most educational policy-related SESP courses I've heard how important quality early childhood education is to long-term education success. Thus, studying a facet of early childhood education, while focusing on means of improving the education system, allows me to connect the theoretical concepts I've learned in SESP classes to practical firsthand research of the education system,” he says.
“This relates to what I am learning in my social policy classes,” says Martinez. “I learned that research shows that a majority of underrepresented minorities at elite universities tend to struggle more. In most cases, though, they persevere and become very successful,” says Martinez, who is seeking to learn if social networks impact GPA.
“I think my project is important in studying the emerging trend of social media use and how it's affecting everyday business endeavors such as negotiations. It's fascinating to see how psychology and perceptions affect how we interact with people in professional situations, so I hope to be able to add a little to the literature with my thesis,” Suresh adds.
The Undergraduate Research Grants program offers academic year grants of up to $1,000 and summer grants of $3,000 in support of independent undergraduate projects. The next deadline for academic year Undergraduate Research Grant submissions is January 18. More information is available at http://undergradresearch.northwestern.edu/undergraduate-research-grants-urg.