Student testimonials

Claire Sneed in the field

Claire Sneed (she/her) 

Earth Sciences major, Year 4  
 

Research lab/topic: 

Dr. Yanlan Liu's Ecohydrology Research Group, where I use remote sensing data and Python to analyze how forests recover from wildfires! 
 

How I found my lab: 

I was introduced to Dr. Liu when I took her first Ecohydrology class in Spring 2022. I was the only undergraduate student in the class, so I had to go to her office hours a lot and got to know her and her research through that class. I was really interested in the work she was doing, and everyone in the Earth Sciences department is required to do a senior thesis, so we decided to work together. 
 

My favorite part about research: 

Being able to integrate all that I've learned in all my Earth Sciences classes and time spent working on trail crews out west into a cohesive project that I get to control, while also having as much guidance and help from my advisor as I need. 
 

I’m pursuing a thesis because: 

I spent two summers working in the wildfire affected areas of North-Central Colorado on trail crews and became fascinated with forest dynamics and wanted to learn more. Getting involved in research provided me with an opportunity to learn more about forests and wildfires from a geosciences perspective. 
 

Advice for undergrads: 

Reach out and meet with faculty that interest you...the earlier, the better! There are so many amazing professors doing research here, and all of them love getting students involved with their research! It's ok if you don't know what you're doing (I definitely didn't when I first started)...just keep asking questions and you'll be surprised at how much you can learn through research! 

Emoni Harmon headshot

Emoni Harmon (she/her) 

Religious Studies and World Politics dual degree, Class of 2023 (currently pursuing an MA in WGSST at Ohio State!) 
 

Research lab/topic: 

My research broadly focuses on how religious women, specifically Muslim and Christian women, mobilize embodied forms of feminist or anti-feminist rhetoric to respond to the discourse of the sexual female body in the West. However, I have most recently been focused on how specifically #tradwives, who are mainly white conservative Christian women, utilize embodied and traditional forms of rhetoric online to promulgate anti-feminism in the name of restoring/reviving the West’s 'traditional' understandings of gender, family, and culture.
 

My favorite part about research: 

I think my favorite part about pursuing research is getting to contribute to the discourses I am passionate about because I am subject to/involved in shaping them as a religious woman and feminist. Thus, I like to think of my work as an extension of both my religious and feminist commitments, which helps me to stay motivated and ethical/responsible as a researcher, given how much is at stake for myself and the communities I focus on. So, while I fully recognize the contentious nature of my research, I find it necessary because it is contentious. What we find difficult to talk about is exactly what we should be discussing, as silence creates space for harm to thrive.
 

I’m pursuing a thesis because: 

I decided to pursue a senior thesis because my earlier papers, which focused on how hijab-wearing Muslimahs in the West navigate the politicization of their bodies and religiosity in light of the discourses of feminism, secularism, and multiculturalism, left me fascinated with the real potentiality of an intersectional approach that holistically addresses religion/religiosity as a component of identity. In my own life, religion is a big part of how I understand myself a black woman, so I wanted to explore if and how religion shapes the lives of other women.
 

Advice for undergrads: 

I would say to undergraduates looking to get involved with research to do so sooner rather than later! I know I waited till my senior year because I felt like I did not have anything significant enough to contribute to my fields when, in reality, what I had to contribute was significant not because it was novel but because it built upon, challenged, and expanded the thoughts of scholars who came before me. In realizing the thoughts of every intellectual were not generated alone, I came to not expect mine to be either. So, please do not expect yours to be built alone; please contribute to the discourses and disciplines that matter to you. 

Emma Wilson (she/her) 

Speech and Hearing Science major, Year 3 
 

Research lab/topic:

I work in the Crane Research Center focusing on child language development. 
 

How I found my lab: 

I found my lab through an email that my academic advisor sent out, suggesting for those in the major to apply to the position. 
 

My favorite part about research: 

My favorite part about pursuing research is working with the kids that I see every day and being able to witness their improvement. 
 

Advice for undergrads: 

My advice for undergrads would simply be to not be scared of reaching out! It may feel like you are not qualified for a specific position, but it never hurts to reach out and apply. 

Feeling overwhelmed with the search process or have questions about undergraduate research? Help is available!

Besides chatting with your departmental advisor and consulting your major’s website, individual consultation appointments are also available. Schedule an appointment by emailing sallade.3@osu.edu (general questions, Honors Research Distinction) or quinn.142@osu.edu (general questions, arts majors, Research Distinction) for an individual consultation.