ABIGAIL MORTELL NCUR 2022 Spotlight

Abigail Mortell

Junior, History major and Music Performance minor

Research Mentor: Carol Street

I enjoy research because.... "it allows me to take ownership of my academics, ask my own questions, and work through a tough but rewarding process."

How did you first get interested in undergraduate research at UK?

"I heard about undergraduate students doing research, but it seemed hard to get involved in as a humanities major. When I saw a post about the Special Collections Research Center Learning Lab internship I learned it could set me up to create my own research project, and through the program I have accomplished my goal of completing independent research."

How long have you been engaged in undergraduate research?

"I have been working on my capstone paper and Learning Lab research concurrently, but I started my thesis work in a bit earlier in May 2021. "

What has been the most exciting aspect of your research so far?

"Becoming familiar with the major schools of thought during the 1920s literary revival, particularly in Ireland, has been very rewarding since I don't have an extensive background in literary history or history from the 20th century."

What advice would you give to other UK students thinking about doing research?

"You don't have to complete research in as structured a form as an internship. If you find a subject area about which you have a greater curiosity than can be explored in a single semester, reach out to the professor about completing an independent study or an EXP academic credit. Opportunities are there, but sometimes with a bit of creativity you can create them yourself."