Members of the Summer Research Scholars Program Featured in Online Publication

By Brian Laubscher
August 21, 2024

Washington and Lee University Assistant Professor of Business Administration Michelle Cowan and W&L students Victoria Bliley '26 and Zachary Puckett '26 were recently featured in an article appearing in the July edition of spectra, the online magazine of the National Communication Association.

The article, titled "Qualitative Research with Undergraduate Research Assistants: Tips from First-Timers," discusses the relationship between faculty and students performing collaborative research projects. It focuses on several factors involved with the research, including project planning, use of technology, time management and emotional labor, with Cowan, Bliley and Puckett each offering their perspectives.

The group's research involved a discourse analysis of substance use and eating disorder recovery videos posted online. Their collaborative efforts produced a bevy of fruitful data and yielded insights that would not have been possible without the students' involvement.

"Throughout the summer, Victoria, Zachary and I were writing research memos, and when I saw the call for an issue of spectra focused on communication research, it seemed like a great opportunity for us to make the best use of those reflections," says Cowan. "Although our summer project focused more on data collection and exploratory analysis than writing a finished paper, I wanted Victoria and Zachary to get more experience writing about their research."

"The research-focused spectra issue happened serendipitously, and I was lucky enough to have two fantastic summer research scholars as co-authors on an article featuring the student side of research, which isn't often shared," added Cowan. "I learned so much from working with Victoria and Zachary outside a traditional classroom setting, and I'm thrilled that we were able to showcase their perspectives on research for a broader audience."

Cowan, Bliley and Puckett worked on the project remotely as part of W&L's Summer Research Scholars Program. The SRS program allows students and faculty to collaborate on various important research topics. Learn more about student research successes in these additional Columns articles.

Both Bliley and Puckett are natives of Williamsburg, Virginia. Bliley is majoring in cognitive and behavioral science, while Puckett is majoring in business administration.

Cowan joined the W&L faculty in 2023 after earning a Ph.D. in technical communication and rhetoric from Texas Tech University. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Spanish and a Master of Arts in technical communication from Texas Tech.

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