UMSS23 Student Profile: Madeline Howorth
For undergraduate Madeline Howorth, research is in her blood. The Center for Undergraduate Research AY2223 fellowship award winner remembers watching her mother study, do homework and perform research. 鈥淕rowing up in Pennsylvania as my mom pursued her PhD studies full-time, I was constantly surrounded by eager education faculty, used textbooks, and an endless supply of coffee and late nights, sitting with her while we did our very different homework on the couch.鈥 She believes being surrounded by research, and the excitement of her mother and her colleagues led to her own path into research.
Howorth鈥檚 area of focus is on diversity, equity, and inclusion. She examined 鈥渢he barriers faced and strategies employed by one local school district aiming to create a more inclusive and equitable campus environment for all student identities.鈥 The goal of the collaboration between the local school department and the University of Maine College of Education and Human Development is to 鈥渃reate synergy in and around the improvement efforts being implemented within the [school department] and the research expertise, teaching practices, and service of 91福利 faculty members that can help address systemic issues within the district.鈥
鈥淢y advice to others going into research is to not be afraid to be wrong,鈥 says Howorth. She says 鈥渘egative鈥 or 鈥渦nexpected鈥 results often lead to other relevant and even more meaningful questions. She says that working with her faculty mentor, Rebecca Buchanan, on this research has given her 鈥渢he opportunity to grow and develop professionally in a way that鈥 classes alone cannot. Howorth says that 鈥渆specially for students, embracing what you don鈥檛 know can be a humbling and necessary step towards personal and professional success鈥f course, it’s one I鈥檓 still working on, myself.鈥