Mississippi State Student Experience Faculty Testimonial - Kathleen Ragsdale

Speaker: Kathleen Ragsdale, PhD MA, Research Professor, Mississippi State University, Social Science Research Center

Kathleen Ragsdale, PhD MA: So my team and I have partnered with the MSU Division of Student Affairs, with ORED and with the Arts and Sciences by helping students be able to participate in the undergraduate research symposium, which is very, very important because um it actually is the first time that many students have ever presented at a scientific conference. And we also try to use these avenues to support our students going with us to Ghana and Zambia to do research in the field. So it is a real, really great opportunity for us to help with our students to advance their professional development.

Kathleen Ragsdale, PhD MA: Our students have been able to advance their professional development through participating in the undergraduate research symposium, which is extremely valuable for many of them as this is their first time to participate in a scientific conference. And in this, they actually help produce the abstract, they submit the proposal online and then they are tasked with developing the poster and of course, with a lot of guidance along the way. So they really learn a lot in terms of advancing their understanding of how research works and how you report that research.

Kathleen Ragsdale, PhD MA: Some of the many positives with collaborating with the MSU Division of Student Affairs is the resources that they can bring to the table, getting the word out about students activities. And um and I, I always tell my students this is the way that they can build their CVs. So when I um a uh web posting comes out about the research they did in Zambia, for example, that is a very positive thing that they can add to their CV and show this outcome. So we've really had a great experience with working with the division and appreciate their faculty and staff.