Robyn Brown College of Arts & Sciences, Health, Society and Populations
Dr. Robyn Brown is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of the Health, Society, and Populations (HSP) Program. Dr. Brown's research interests lie primarily within the social determinants of health and connect in significant ways with the fields of social psychology, disability studies and psychiatric epidemiology.
Mentors make a difference! In the last year, Dr. Brown mentored multiple students, including eleven doctoral students (four as primary advisor), seven undergraduate students, and worked with 14 Health, Society, and Populations students to prepare them for the 2019 Showcase of Undergraduate Scholars. "I have been a professor for nine years and have always welcomed involvement from undergraduate students in my research, in every step in the research process," she explains, "This has involved qualitative and survey interviewing, transcription, data coding, and data analysis."
Dr. Brown considers it a privilege to mentor students, "The best thing about being an undergraduate research mentor is also the best thing about my job. I have the privilege of providing students with the tools to establish research programs of their own, and to work with them through that process. I really love engaging in the often messy work of collecting and analyzing data. What is especially rewarding in the early stages also is that I often get to learn from my students about topics I wouldn't learn about otherwise." Her undergraduate research experience with her mentor helped pave the way to her approach as a mentor, "My mentor stood out among my professors because she treated me like a valued and highly-capable collaborator. She also put in the time as a mentor so that I became capable. It's really no stretch to say that my undergraduate research experience inspired both my further education and the work I am passionate about today."
When working with undergraduate research students, Dr. Brown appreciations students with a questioning mindset and emphasizes that answering one research question spurs new questions. She also encourages students to engage in the current literature on their topic to better understand current controversies or debates, methodological best practices, etc. Her advice to students considering research is that "college is a unique place where you're surrounded by people with extensive subject knowledge who are willing to share their expertise. Ask for their feedback, support, and guidance." She also urges students to talk to a librarian and to "appreciate that you have rare access to a great deal of information through the university libraries during your college years and make the most of it."
Thank you Dr. Robyn Brown for your unwavering support of undergraduate research at the University of Kentucky. We are pleased to recognize your dedication this week as our Research Faculty Mentor of the Week.