Abigail Mortell NCUR 2023 Spotlight

Abigail Mortell

Senior, History major, Music Performance and International Studies minors

Research Mentor: Dr. Jane E. Calvert

I enjoy research because.... "I find history to be a very humbling and rewarding subject, one that increases my empathy while challenging my values and conceptions of the world, and my experience has been elevated through the internships and independent research projects I have been lucky to do."

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

"I began an independent study on intellectual history of the Early American Republic with Dr. Jane Calvert in the history department during the summer before my junior year. Through this course I completed primary source research that resulted in my honors thesis."

How long have you been engaged in undergraduate research?

"Two years. My junior and senior years mainly."

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

"Getting opportunities to attend conferences and publish my research have been major goals of mine for my time as an undergraduate, and I am grateful to have accomplished them through my research projects. "

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

"Do not stress if you find it difficult to figure out what area you’re interested in researching or if you struggle to formulate a research question. I found it wasn’t until I had a good foundation in history that I could begin to ask my own questions because, before that, I didn’t even know what I didn’t know. I spent time in my freshman and sophomore years focusing on my classes, and the research naturally followed as I found and pursued what I wanted to know more about."