PhD student conference provides valuable feedback and networking

Thirty doctoral students from the College of Public Service and Community Solutions presented research to peers and professors at a student research conference held at the ASU downtown Phoenix student center. For Adrienne Baldwin-White, a doctoral candidate in the School of Social Work, it was a chance to refine how she explains her research on sexual assault among college students.

“When you're a doctoral student or a doctoral candidate it's really important to be able to talk about your research, especially concisely, because you want to make a real-world impact,” said Baldwin-White. “I have to talk like I'm not talking to researchers, talk to people who may not necessarily understand the in-depth parts of my research and what I'm doing.”

Baldwin-White presented her research with another doctoral student and post-doctoral scholar from the School of Social Work. Their panel focused on gender and violence. Taking notes were professors from the college and Schools of Public Affairs, and Criminology and Criminal Justice.

“They receive feedback from their peers from their advisors from faculty and other units who they may not typically get a chance to interface with on a day to day basis,” said Ramona Denby-Brinson, associate dean for research and a college professor with the College of Public Service and Community Solutions. “It creates that space safe space where people can try out ideas they share discoveries, but it also helps with their own growth and development.”

Won No, a doctoral student in the School of Public Affairs, presented her research on the role of volunteerism in the natural disaster mitigation process. She found that people who volunteer or donate money during a disaster perceive government performance more positively than those who did not participate. No’s presentation was recognized by professors as the best at the all-day conference.

“This is a huge encouragement for me,” said No, who earlier in the week had been offered an assistant professor tenure-track position at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. “I'm going to defend my dissertation this April and I'm going to start a new job, so this was a wonderful experience.”

During a lunch break, the PhD students heard from a panel of professors who talked about the challenges ahead and offered tips as they enter the job market and continue their research.

Baldwin-White appreciated the opportunity to showcase her research and get advice from professors throughout the college. The conference allowed her to find a collaborator for future research.

“I actually found someone who would like to write a paper and do some research with me and if I had not come to the conference I wouldn't have had the opportunity to do that,” Baldwin-White said. “So it's been incredibly helpful.”