EAST LANSING, Mich.—Institute for Public Policy and Social Research (IPPSR) Student Fellows Emma Nicolaysen and Lola Brown took home 1st place honors at this year's Michigan State University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF). The competition, held on April 12 at the Breslin Center, had over 1,000 participants from 12 colleges. UURAF which is in its 26th year, provides Michigan State undergraduate students with an opportunity to showcase their research through the creation of posters, oral performances, film, and exhibit presentations.
Browne, who is a junior majoring in Political Science and minoring in Social Science Quantitative Data Analytics, created a poster that analyzed eight types of state policy bans introduced after the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade to determine which states implemented restrictions and to what extent. While Nicolaysen, a junior pursuing a dual degree in Economics and Neuroscience, focused her poster on how health literacy influences access to healthcare among Michigan's senior population.
"Being able to work at the Institute of Public Policy and Social Research with Dr. Grossmann was a key contributor to my success," said Browne when asked why she has been successful at the competition. She added, "My work on the Correlates of State Policy Project allowed me to research policies impacting abortion access in the United States, which is my main academic research area of interest. Many hours of work preparing my project allowed me to show up to UURAF prepared and confident in my work."
Nicolaysen agreed, adding, "I believe the networks of support and resources provided to me through IPPSR were greatly involved in the strength of my presentation. In addition, the focus of my studies on the economics of healthcare and care networks for senior citizens facing neurodegenerative conditions strongly contributed to my knowledge of this research topic."
"Emma and Lola worked incredibly hard on their projects, and I am not surprised by their success at UURAF," said Matt Grossman, Director of IPPSR. Grossman continued, "IPPSR is proud of their success and the success of our Student Fellows, who are doing amazing public policy research right here at Michigan State."
In recognition of their 1st place finishes, Browne and Nicolaysen will receive monetary prizes of $100 and a certificate of achievement.
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