S-STEM/TRAIN Scholar Alicia Fritz's Blog

Picking a specific topic for my research project is definitely more challenging than I initially thought! Now that I have all these options I mentioned last time, I actually have to pick one. Since I’ve never had to construct a project beginning to end, I’m concerned about finding enough data and sources and making sure I’m picking a project that makes sense and is doable. Thankfully, I have help from other mentors to help me make the right decision. After many long conversations, I’ve been able to at least narrow it down somewhat to ethnobotany. This week I’ve spent time talking to an ASU researcher about what specific questions I can ask in regards to ethnobotany. They advised me to look around on google scholar to see additional types of data and research that are done about this topic. I’ve been compiling questions that I would like to research to take those questions to a biology faculty at PC and put together my final research question. I’m very detail-oriented, so I need as much...

Hello Everyone! This is my first time being a part of a research program or doing any kind of research outside of a typical classroom setting, so I was a little nervous about getting started, especially since I know I’m coming in halfway through the semester. However, after I met with Josh on Tuesday, I’m happy to say I’m less nervous and more excited about what’s to come. When I found out I got accepted into the train program, I emailed my mentor about project ideas, and she gave me a few amazing ones. I talked about these with Josh, and he even gave me more ideas for a project to do! I will be looking into Ecological Anthropology, Island Archaeology, and computer modeling of ancient civilizations to decide what type of project and content is best for me. It feels good to have all these great options that I’m interested in, which is quite a contrast to when I thought I wouldn’t find any at all. I’m looking forward to exploring these topics for a possible research proposal and sharing ...