PS student is awarded the prestigious 2021 Summer Institute in Research Techniques Diversity Fellowship

Mariam Elalem, a Senior pursuing her BA in Political Science degree at Wayne State University, has been awarded a prestigious 2021 Summer Institute in Survey Research Techniques Diversity Fellowship from the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. This Fellowship will allow Mariam to enhance her research skills and take her passion for research to the next level by attending a two-week program in survey research specifically designed for aspiring academic researchers interested in learning more about survey research. It will also be a great networking opportunity for someone like Mariam who is interested in pursuing academic research in the future.

Since Winter 2021, Mariam has been working on the research project entitled, "Urbanization and Environmental Injustice: Water and Air Pollution in the Cities of Detroit and Chicago." This study builds on an extensive literature review, comparative media analysis, and original interview data to explore the challenges associated with pollution control in the Detroit and Chicago metropolitan areas. This innovative and ambitious research project received competitive funding from the WSU's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), allowing Mariam to learn more about research proposal development, data management, utilizing data analysis software, and bringing what seemed like a rough research idea to fruition via systematic research and exploration.