Summer Research Fellow Spotlight Angela Sanchez
"Parking lots occupy a significant amount of visual space in urban landscapes. They detract from the wellbeing of people parking their cars as well as onlookers from buildings and passing vehicles. Nonetheless, they also represent an untapped opportunity. This vast amount of city land is a place where beneficial greenspace could be added. This parking lot-human wellness relationship exists on the microcosm of college campuses, as well. With the rise of wellness initiatives on college campuses, improving the physical environment on campuses can increase student’s and staff’s sense of physical and community wellness." The purpose of this project is to "study urban parking lots -- a 150+-spot parking lot located between Chrysalis Court and Warren Court on South Limestone -- and how they might be improved using sustainable and green ideas."
Q: How did you first get interested in undergraduate research at UK?
A: "Over the last two years, I’ve heard my professors talk about writing grant applications to fund projects that were important to them. When I learned about the fellowship offered by the Office for Undergraduate Research, I jumped at the chance to obtain funding for a meaningful project that I could work on over the summer! It’s a skill I will need when I become a landscape architect."
Q: How long have you been engaged in undergraduate research?
A: "This is my first independent research project!"
Q: Describe what a typical day of remote summer research activity looks like for you. How does this differ from your pre-COVID research activity?
A: "My research has involved observing a parking lot owned by UK at different times of day during every day of the week, reading research papers on innovative parking lot design, and thinking up a model that the university can follow to increase the attractiveness and sustainability of their parking lots. Since I was able to visit my site while practicing social distancing, I only had to forgo surveying people using the parking lot. The other aspects of my project remained the same."
Q: What has been the most exciting aspect of your research so far?
A: "It’s been exciting to discover there are many simple, inexpensive options for improving the ecologically damaging (and ugly) features of parking lots. Getting design projects past the design phase and into construction often requires being able to address the budgetary constraints of municipal agencies. Therefore it is important for me to present a model for parking lot rehabilitation that is both well-designed and economically feasible."
Q: What advice would you give to other UK students thinking about doing research?
A: "Do it! Don’t let your time at UK fly by without taking advantage of this opportunity to dig deeper into your area of interest. Focus in on a single issue, find a professor willing to support you, and apply. "
The UK Office of Undergraduate Research's Summer Research & Creativity Fellowship program provides undergraduates with the opportunity to study in a wide variety of disciplines while doing intensive and self-directed research under the supervision of a faculty mentor.