Fellow RC students, Kiah Coflin (’19) and Rachel Harmon (’20) had the opportunity to present at the Society for Research on Child Development biennial conference in Baltimore. They presented with Dr. Powell on the preliminary information gathered from Dr. Powell’s May Term on Emerging Adults Intercultural Competencies (ICC)over time after traveling to Thailand.
“Dr. Powell had us, as a May term class, complete quantitative measures on the A.S.K.S.2+ and on our intercultural competencies before, during, and after our experiences in Thailand. She plans on continuing to collect this data in the future with her next trip to Thailand.”
Kiah
Presenting this research especially was appealing to both Kiah and Rachel.
“I was interested in Dr. Powell’s research on ICCs because of its relevance to my own research on the cross-cultural differences in the available resources for children with disabilities between the United States and Mexico.”
Rachel
“It was wonderful getting to present at this conference not only because of the incredible scholars we were surrounded with and could network with, but also because I was on the May term and could give personal accounts of my experience and thoughts!”
Kiah
The presentation was a hit as so many people were very interested in the research of Dr. Powell. This research was intriguing to professors because the presentation was given at the pre-conferences for teachers. Specifically, professors from other schools were interested about how their own students ICCs could improve if they offered short-term study abroad opportunities.
“Many individuals were interested in our findings because of the educational aspect that was incorporated, as we spoke to the class assignments we needed to complete, and the measurements Dr. Powell included for her May Term. Due to this, many teachers and individuals interested in travel to different countries were visitors at our poster.”
Kiah
After presenting at the pre-conference, Rachel and Kiah were able to spend the following days attending research talks, listening to guest speakers, and attend peer poster presentation. They were able to spend some time in downtown Baltimore and explore the city.
“Overall, I thought the conference was amazing and gave me the opportunity to gain experience presenting research, so that I am more prepared when I present my own next year. SRCD also helped to remind me how important research can be in making global changes.”
Rachel