We are pleased to announce the 9th year of the ICPSR Summer Internship Program for undergraduates (REU Site: The Quantitative Social Science Research at the University of Michigan). The application process for the summer internship was very competitive. This year we received over 200 applications and will be supporting seven interns in the following topical archives: Education and Child Care Archives, National Addiction & HIV Data Archive Program(NAHDAP), Resource Center for Minority Data (RCMD), National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD), and the General Archive.
The Interns will spend ten weeks at ICPSR in Ann Arbor from June 3rd to August 9th during which they will:
- Gain experience with processing data and learn statistical software packages (SAS, SPSS, Stata and R)
- Complete a research project resulting in conference-ready posters
- Attend graduate level courses in the ICPSR Summer Program
- Participate in the Lunch and Lecture series
The objective of the Summer Internship Program is to support ICPSR’s strategic focus on undergraduates by promoting the effective use of social science research data. We will encourage the interns to pursue graduate studies or a career in the social or behavioral sciences. With luck, they will be future data depositors, summer program instructors, Official Representatives, or even members of the Council. We currently have forty-one alumni of the Internship Program and many are currently attending and/or have successfully completed graduate school or have begun a career in the social sciences.
The Internship Program will be managed by Abayomi Israel (Intern Alumni class of ‘05), with John Garcia of the RCMD and Lynette Hoelter of Instructional Resources (IR) serving as Co-Principal Investigators, and providing guidance and support as Research Program Mentors. Each intern will be assigned an experienced data processor as his/her Processing Mentor. In addition, the interns will have the opportunity to receive additional graduate school advice and support on their research projects from the ICPSR Faculty.
We are very pleased to announce that the following students have been selected for the 2013 Summer Internship Program:
Melinda Ashe
Case Western Reserve University, OH
Archive: NAHDAP
Processing Mentor: Robert Choate
Melinda is a double major in Psychology and Economics graduating in 2014. She currently holds a perfect 4.0 GPA and is the recipient of the 2012 Phi Beta Kappa Prize and the James Dysart Magee Award. She has demonstrated strong quantitative skills in her studies and has knowledge of various statistical packages (Stata, SPSS, R, and MiniTab). After graduation, she would like to attend graduate school in behavioral Economics where she can further her studies in cooperation and group dynamics. Melinda is also quite active at her home institution where she serves on the executive board of Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity, and is a member of Psi Chi Fraternity. In her sophomore year, Melinda worked as a research assistant on the project titled “Pain and Psychological Distress in Middle-Aged and Older Married Couples, MSASS, CWRU”. And in her junior year, she further developed her passion for research and secured a research assistant position at Project RESTORE (Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Dept. of Justice) at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences (MSASS) - a randomized trial of a novel re-entry program at the Cuyahoga County Jail that targets young people with co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders. Additionally, in 2012, Melinda served as a legal intern at The Rutherford Institute (TRI) and is currently a teaching assistant in the department of Economics.
Lorraine Blatt
Grinnell College, IA
Archive: Education and Child Care Archives
Processing Mentor: Rujuta Umarji
Lorraine is a double major in Psychology and Theatre graduating in 2014. She is familiar with the many intricacies of an Institutional Review Board (IRB) proposal, has conducted a field experiment with multiple subjects, and has analyzed data using SPSS and Minitab. In 2012 while studying abroad in London, UK, Lorraine worked with a non-profit arts organization that caters to the homeless populations, called Cardboard Citizens. She was responsible for the pilot implementation of a customized version of the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS) that Cardboard Citizens is now putting into practice. It is evident that Lorraine’s passion for psychology goes beyond the classroom and more specifically she would like to build on her work dealing with early education. In 2012, she interned at the Early Head Start, Venice Family Clinic in Los Angeles CA where she managed, analyzed, and audited databases (including information on health services and medical records) and in 2013, she worked as a mentor at the Grinnell College Psychology Department. Combining her love of children and her second major, Lorraine has served as a teaching artist at the Hartford Children’s Theatre, a board member of Northeast Educational Theatre Association, and has held multiple stage manager positions. She is also a member of the Grinnell based a capella group, Noteworthy, and has performed several productions (both large and small scale) including the Fresher’s Musical Review at Imperial College, London, UK.
Denzel Caldwell
Morehouse College, GA
Archive: Members Archive
Processing Mentor: Rachel Fletcher
Denzel is a junior Economics major with a minor in African American Studies graduating in 2014. According to Denzel, he is driven by a “thirst for conducting academic research, engaging the issues in the community, and impacting the world”. Specifically, he sees the resources at ICPSR as a way to utilize diverse data to help answer many of society's problems as it relates to both the domestic and international economy. After graduation, Denzel would like to pursue a research career focusing on Economic justice. Denzel is the recipient of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars scholarship for first year students and, in 2012, was inducted into the John Henrik Clarke Honors Society for African-American Studies. He also serves as the President of the African-American Studies Club, the Vice President of the William Tucker Society for African-American Majors & Minors, and is the founder of the AUCapoeira multicultural organization. Denzel is versed in the Stata statistical program and has done preliminary analysis of the ICPSR Study: African-American Perspectives on the future of Civil Rights in 1991. In the spring of 2012, Denzel was member of the winning team of the Morehouse College Spring Symposium where the team developed a business strategy to increase school recruitment. Additionally, he worked with the Andrew Mellon Program as a library intern where he developed an internet resource on the AUC Woodruff Library website for the martial arts. Later that summer, Denzel interned at the INova Payroll Company in Nashville TN where he gained experience with marketing research.
Elise Giammanco
Beloit College, WI
Archive: NACJD
Processing Mentor: Lindsay Marciniec
Elise is a senior Psychology and Russian Language double major with a minor in Russian Studies graduating December 2013. In addition to her work at Beloit, she has participated in a study abroad program at Russian State University of the Humanities in Moscow. She has experience with SPSS and R and serves as a Resident Assistant on campus. After graduation, she hopes to continue her education by pursuing a PhD in Social Psychology. Elise is a Presidential Scholarship recipient, a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship recipient, and a Ronald E. McNair Scholar. She is also particularly active on campus. Elise is a member of the Theta Pi Gamma Sorority, the Student Congress Representative of the Russian club, and the treasurer of the Beloit bowling club. In 2012, she volunteered as a mentor at Morgan Elementary School and interned at the Domestic Violence Shelter for Women. Additionally, in 2011, she interned at the Youth Services of Wisconsin, where she taught job skills classes for at-risk youth. Elise’s research interests include cross cultural psychology, individualism and collectivism, stereotypes of women, corruption in groups, and effects of psychological trauma in prisoners through literature. In 2012, Elise served as a research assistant at the Implicit Social Cognition Lab at the University of Virginia and has presented her work titled “The Psychological Effects of Trauma in Russian Prison Camp Literature: An Examination of One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich and Kolyma Tales” at the University of Maryland Undergraduate Research Conference and the University of Puerto Rico McNair Scholars Research Conference. Later that year, she attended the International Symposium Presentation where she presented her work titled "The Memorialization of the GULag in Moscow, Russia".
John Leverso
University of Illinois at Chicago, IL
Archive: NACJD
Processing Mentor: Justin Gaertner
John is a junior Sociology and Psychology double major at UIC graduating in 2014 and holds an Associate Degree in Science from Lincoln Trail Community College. He currently holds a perfect 4.0 GPA and is a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society and the Dean’s list. After graduation he intends to pursue a career in research and teaching at a major research institution. To accomplish this, he would like to continue his studies and eventually receive a PhD in Criminal Justice, Sociology or Social Work with a particular focus on juvenile delinquency. In 2012, John worked as a research assistant at the Jane Addams College of Social Work; UIC Chancellor’s Undergraduate Research Award Program and also completed an independent study project at the UIC department of Sociology - where he studied factors that influence juvenile recidivism. As a result, he is listed as an author in the forthcoming book chapter to be published by Oxford University Press in the second edition of “Juvenile Justice Sourcebook: Past, Present, and Future”. John is also versed in SPSS, Stata, and SAS and continues to be active both on and off campus. He has served as an assistant peer educator, and in 2011, organized and participated in a charity 5K run to benefit the Domestic Violence Prevention Fund. Additionally, for the past few years, John has volunteered as a tutor and motivational speaker at the local prison speaking to inmates about anger management, the benefits of education, routes to healthy living, and the importance of maintaining a positive outlook on life.
Sruthi Naraharisetti
Michigan State University, MI
Archive: RCMD
Processing Mentor: Abayomi Israel
Sruthi is a junior with a double major in Interdisciplinary Studies in Health (Economics) and Social Relations & Policy graduating in 2014. In 2011, she participated in a study abroad program in South Africa focusing on race relations. She is trilingual (English, Spanish, and Telugu) and is also experienced with Stata. After graduation, Sruthi would like to pursue a PhD that encompasses the intersection of Economics, health, and race/ethnicity. Since 2011, she has volunteered at the Village Summit in Lansing, MI providing services for vulnerable youth in the area and, in 2012, served as a student organizer for the Global Youth for Education and Change (GYEC) in South Africa. In this role she inspired young people to cultivate relationships that advance the practice of responsible and strategic global service, with a specific focus on HIV/AIDS. Additionally, Sruthi serves as the student leader at the Multi-Racial Unity Living Experience (MRULE) Program at MSU, where she managed analysis of qualitative research; and has mentored at the MAGIC (Maximizing Academic Growth in College) Program on campus. Sruthi has a passion for social justice and her recent research looked closely at the historical treatment of African American men in the prisons compared to the contemporary treatment of prisoners and the corresponding medical services.
Ryan Thompson
University of Akron, OH
Archive: Members Archive
Processing Mentor: Curtis Dobbs
Ryan is a junior Political Science major with a minor in Economics graduating in 2014. He will also graduate with a certificate in Applied Politics and is both a Presidential Scholarship recipient and the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics Scholarship recipient. He is fluent in both English and French and is experienced in SPSS and R statistical systems. After graduation he would like to pursue a PhD in Political Psychology with the hopes of one day becoming a future social science researcher and professor. Earlier this year, Ryan participated in the University of Akron Student Innovation Symposium (UASIS), and in 2012, attended the Association of College Unions International (ACUI) Region 7 Conference at the University of Michigan – Dearborn. Additionally, he serves as the Student Trustee on the University of Akron Board of Trustees and in 2012 was selected to represent his university at the Complete College Ohio Conference at Columbus State Community College. Outside of classroom, Ryan currently serves as a Member Service Representative at Truliant Federal Credit Union and volunteers on and off campus. Most notably, as part of the Serve Akron project, Ryan participated in an alternative spring break experience where he help communities with house building, maintenance projects for animals, and worked with sick and disabled children. In 2011, Ryan studied the relationship between Monday Night Football contest outcomes and voter turnout in the counties with NFL teams who competed the night before a presidential election. His most recent work seeks to look at relationship between the voting and voter information while taking into consideration party identification.