Dover, New Hampshire, native Amy Ma is a junior occupational therapy major at UNH. In her pursuit of a research opportunity, Ma was advised by the Hamel Center to apply for a SURF Grant to fund a summer project with Barbara Prudhomme White. Even though she was new to the world of research, Amy dove in with enthusiasm and found out that the research process gave her a sense of accomplishment, albeit with much tedium along the way. After this discovery, she decided to share her research process with a wider audience through Inquiry. Though she plans to become a hand therapist after graduation, she says this experience has “demystified” research for her and she would not rule out graduate school in the future.
UPDATE: Read about Amy's 2011 research here.
As an associate professor of occupational therapy and the faculty director of the UNH Discovery Program, Barbara Prudhomme White is a veteran mentor, guiding students through the McNair Program and now through Inquiry. Currently in her twelfth year at UNH, Dr. White’s research focuses on stress. Working with Amy on her article was fun for Dr. White as the two openly exchanged ideas about the project. Bringing the subject to a level of general comprehension “helps students hone their writing,” she says. Perhaps most importantly, as White has seen in Amy and other mentees, undergraduate research gives students the opportunity to explore their field outside the classroom.
Read Amy Ma’s commentary Expect the Unexpected: Researching Pregnant Women’s Social Supports >>
