BEYOND AN ADVENTURE: THE TRANSFORMATION OF STUDY ABROAD MARKETING IN THE 21ST CENTURY (Dissertation Project)

Abstract: Study abroad is often critiqued as a highly commodified, privatized, and commercialized consequence of globalization and the neoliberal university (Kamola 2019). This study seeks to identify the categories of language around study abroad programming and how these narratives change over time and between different types of institutions. This dissertation project relies on a mixed methodological approach, using web-scraping tools to collect data and qualitative content analysis to identify the predominant discourse in study abroad advertising. This project then uses logistic regression models to identify which institutional characteristics impact such narrative formation. The findings are analyzed through a neoliberal interpretation (Harvey 2005, 2007) on the phases of marketing around study abroad programming. These phases include naming practices in the institutional home of the study abroad office, buzz words, promoted types of study abroad programming and advertised reasons for participation. Bivariate analysis and regression models show a transition in popular discourse within the naming practice of the study abroad programming, an increasing conversation around global citizenship and a globally centered narrative, contrasting the predominance of dialogues emphasizing internationalistic frameworks in earlier years.

IMMIGRATION DATA ON DEMAND (IDOD)

iDod is a main project of the Institute for Immigration Research. It aims to provide a personalized overview of the immigrant population in a particular geography, and its service is free of charge. With over 400 fact sheets with information across all 50 states, this project compiles data from the American Community Survey using statistical, geospatial, and conceptual analysis. As project manager, fact sheet production doubled in less than a fiscal year. This project also involved creating management documentation, developing self-guided training material, and teaching the next generation of researchers.

NOBEL LAUREATES IN ECONOMICS: INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL IMPACT

This report is part of an annual effort to detail the contributions of immigrants to Nobel fields. In 2023, over 1,000 points of data entry were cleaned, recoded, and analyzed. Statistic and geospatial analysis supplemented an overview of the social impact of international collaboration, particularly in the area of economics.

SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH LAB

The lab was founded as an opportunity for an interdisciplinary group of undergraduates to gain experience and understanding in social science research in collaboration with George Mason’s Honors College and Center for Social Science Research. In 2021, a longitudinal student titled “Layered Transitions: First Generation College Seniors from Immigrant Families” began. This involved lead research mentors working collaboratively with their undergraduate counterparts to design a research protocol, training in interview strategies, conducting interviews, producing transcripts, and presenting findings at research conferences.

DEMOCRATIZING NOVA

This project officially kicked off in the Spring of 2021, as a partnership between the university and the community. In position as project manager, a database was created to collected data through community outreach and innovative research strategies to create and maintain an online database. Project received the Outstanding Community Partnership Award for excelling in community engaged from George Mason University’s Social Action and Integrative Learning during tenure as project manager. Successfully organized, arranged and implemented major events such as the 2022 Democratizing NOVA Summit bridging the university and community, and a three-day workshop titled “The Promise of Next System Studies” with local, national, and international scholars and practitioners.

PROTECTIVE FACTORS AND OLDER ADULT WELL-BEING

This project was built in partnership with Fairfax County’s Neighborhood and Community Services and the Center for Social Science Research at George Mason University. The first phase of this project involved a thorough scoping review of the literature and research available regarding community interventions that improved older adult well-being through the inclusion of protective factors. The findings of the scoping review lead to the development of a model presented to the county, and the research team is transitioning to conducting focus groups with community-level stakeholders. The second phase of this project involved validating the model created from the findings by holding focus-groups with community stakeholders. The applicability and validity of this model was subsequently presented to county personnel.

PARALLEL PANDEMIC PROJECT

An initiative of the Institute for Immigration Research, the PPP is a global project tracking the impact of COVID-19 on a variety of themes from healthcare systems, to media, to economy in the United States and Pakistan. Phase I of the project occurred in the Summer of 2020, and involved a series of virtual presentations and conversations. Capturing the conversations and major takeaways from Phase I, a website was developed to disseminate information.

Prior to 2020

CITY OF ARCATA’S PLAZA IMPROVEMENT TASK FORCE

In Spring of 2019, the City of Arcata’s Plaza Improvement Task Force sent out a survey asking community members how they would best like to utilize the focal point of the community, the plaza. The research team then coded all 800 responses, input data into SPSS, ran appropriate analysis, produced a report and presented the findings at the Plaza Improvement Task Force meeting so that members were able to understand the overall community perspective.

EUREKA HOMELESS SERVICES INVENTORY

The California Center for Rural Policy worked on a contract with the City of Eureka in Humboldt County California conducting a “Eureka Homeless Services Inventory.” As a research assistant for this project I assisted in developing a questionnaire that addressed all of the topics requested by the City of Eureka and helped conduct semi-structured interviews to homeless service providers.

SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND THE MAKING OF THE GLOBAL CITIZEN: AN ANALYSIS OF STUDENT EXPERIENCES WITH STUDY ABROAD AT HUMBOLDT STATE UNIVERSITY (Thesis Project)

Abstract: Global citizenship is seen as an emerging necessity as work places are shifting to a more global environment and as challenges we face are becoming more global in nature. This thesis focuses on the creation and nurturing of global citizenship through participation in study abroad programming at Humboldt State University (HSU). Research has shown participation in study abroad has an impact on the participant’s skill development (Farraguia and Sanger 2017) and such skill development can be applied to advancement of global citizenship. This thesis utilizes a mixed methodology to develop a thorough understanding of the level of skills associated with studying abroad for HSU students. Spatial data was examined to determine the extent to which HSU students were studying abroad in the same countries as students across the United States. A survey was sent out to 75 recent HSU study abroad participants and a random sample of 350 HSU students to determine global perspectives. Finally, semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with eight students returning from study abroad programs in order to detail how the skills they developed impacted their lives. Europe was the most popular region for both HSU and US study abroad in the 2017/2018 academic year. Survey data indicated study abroad participation increases identification as a global citizen, and the interviewees commonly referenced food in describing the skills they developed from their study abroad experiences.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ALTERNATIVE FINANCIAL SERVICES

Serving as a research assistant to Dr. Michihiro Clark Sugata, I coded collected survey data focused on assessing the relationship between the usage of alternative financial services and taking out title or pay day loans with domestic violence. Once the survey was coded, results were input into SPSS, ran analysis and provided visual representations of the findings.

PROGRAM PROPOSAL FOR MILITARY GROUP PATIENT EDUCATION PROGRAM

The aim of this program is to address the existing gap in access to patient education in military-based maternity and infant healthcare practice and services. The proposed program will administer a group education program to pregnant active duty military personnel once a month to determine the impact on the usage of medical interventions during childbirth. This program proposal involves a mixed method approach and includes a cost benefit analysis, pre and post survey distribution, an experimental design with a wait-list comparison group and follow-up semi-structured interviews.

Prior to 2018

INDEPENDENT STUDY – UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA

This independent study was executed in Bangkok, Thailand while attending the University of Tampa. This project included organizing, coordinating, and implementing semi-structured interviews with self-identified ex-pats living in Thailand regarding their experiences living outside of the United States and their adoption of biculturalism and how that has shifted or altered their perceptions of life back in the US.

THE EFFECTS OF THE INCREASING STUDENT NUMBERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA ON CURRENT SOPHOMORES

This partnered research was conducted in an Applied Sociology course at the University of Tampa. Previously, the University of Tampa shifted their housing policy which resulted in the displacement of upper-level undergraduates on short notice. Co-facilitated focus groups with new commuters about their experiences, attitudes towards the new policies, and recommendations made and submitted to the appropriate office at the University of Tampa.

RELIGIOSITY AND ITS EFFECTS ON TOLERANCE TOWARDS THE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION OF COLLEGE STUDENTS

This research was implemented for a Sociological Research Methods course at the University of Tampa. This project involved the development, distribution and analysis of a survey. Prior literature suggested a relationship between high levels of religiosity and tolerance towards alcohol consumption amongst college students, but the statistical analysis for this survey found a little to moderate relationship between these two variables for students at the University of Tampa.

WHICH IS MORE INFLUENTIAL ON RELIGIOSITY: EMOTION OR LOGIC?

This group project was presented at the University of Tampa’s College of Social Sciences, Mathematics and Education’s Undergraduate Research Conference 2017. This research was done in a Sociology Statistics course and involved the distribution and analysis of online survey results to determine which was more impactful on the respondent’s level of religiosity, an emotional video or a video that targeted logic.

TUBERCULOSIS AND CAPITALISM

This research was conducted for an undergraduate Global Sociology course at the University of Tampa focusing on the role capitalism plays in Public Health. This project addressed how there is a cure for Tuberculosis but it remains a global health crisis according to the World Health Organization, and how the culture of capitalism creates the opportunity for the disease to thrive.

THE MĀORI AND AOTEAROA

This research was a comparative analysis done for an undergraduate Racial and Ethnic Relations course at the University of Tampa. The topic focused on categorizing the similarities and differences between the indigenous populations in the United States compared to the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori based on both social and political contexts.

COMMERCIALIZATION OF PAGANISM THROUGH CONSUMERISM

This group project was conducted during an undergraduate Sociology of Popular Culture course at the University of Tampa. This involved participant observation of Pagan communities in the Tampa Bay Area and a historical analysis of traditional Paganism. The focus was on how Pagan traditions have shifted throughout multiple consumer-based television productions such as Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Charmed which lead towards high commercialization of religious practices, altering Pagan rituals as they are enacted today.

RESEARCH SKILLS

Interviews, Focus Groups, Participation Observation, Coding, Survey Design, Distribution and Analysis, Content Analysis, Descriptive Statistics, Regression Modeling, Geospatial Analysis, Website Development