Michaela Rice (‘23) is an Elementary Education student at Purdue with concentrations in reading and integrated STEM. Michaela is part of the John Martinson Honors College and she has also been involved in the Purdue Student Education Council and Purdue Student Government. Last year, Michaela was a Senate Associate Member (SAM) for the College of Education.

During an Honors research course she took the first semester of her freshman year, Michaela got involved in undergraduate research early. She suggests students who are interested in research should reach out to professors and staff to see if they have any available opportunities.

“I would recommend picking a project that aligns with your interests and passions!”

Michaela Rice

Michaela described two separate research projects she has been involved with throughout her time at Purdue. Her current research team investigates the underrepresentation of women in STEM by studying the effects of an afterschool club, Girls Excelling in Math and Science (GEMS). She is looking at the participants’ sense of identity and belonging.

Additionally, Michaela’s honors scholarly project, “A for Aristocracy, not Effort: An Examination of Meritocracy and Legacy admissions” explored the idea of meritocracy in higher education.

“Both research opportunities interest me because they concern the idea of fairness and equity in the education system.”

Michaela Rice

Michaela takes on different roles in each of her projects. Her role on the GEMS team is more supportive. She performs a variety of roles to assist differing aspects of the research process. However, in her honors scholarly project, Michaela held more of a leadership role. She planned, managed, and completed the research that she came up with.

Michaela says her research experiences have shaped her perception of education and reaffirmed her passion in research to continue with it. After her graduation this spring, Michaela plans to pursue a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction and attributes this to the undergraduate research opportunities she has conducted.

Various mentors have assisted Michaela throughout her experience in research.The GEMS research team, including Dr. Elizabeth Suazo-Flores, Dr. Jill Newton, and Lisa Nuguid, has supported, encouraged, and assisted Michaela throughout the entire process and showed patience and support in helping her learn. Michaela also expressed gratitude for her honors scholarly project faculty mentor, Dr. Amanda Case, who went above and beyond to make her project a reality.

“My project definitely would not have been possible without [Dr. Case] and I’m incredibly grateful for her support and guidance throughout the whole process.”

Michaela Rice

For students presenting in research conferences, Michaela recommends going into the conference with as much confidence as possible. She also finds it helpful to remember that any questions or feedback received are attempts to understand your research better or consider different directions moving forward.