Asian Mental Health Research
Oregon State University promotes undergraduate research through the URSA Engage program (Undergraduate Research, Scholarship & the Arts) by pairing students with professional mentors in a desired field. Under the mentorship of Dr. Becker Blease within the Ascend Lab, I researched the mental health differences between Asians and Non-Asians from May 2020 to April 2021 in 8th and 11th graders in Oregon. Using survey data from the Oregon Health Authority, I specifically looked at the occurrence rates of bullying and the severity of anxiousness and sadness within the population groups. Then using JASP, I compared these rates and formatted them into histograms which I presented at the Oregon State Universities Celebrating Undergraduate Excellence (CUE) Conference.
CARVE Lab - Dr. Kristen Macuga
The Cognition and Action in Real & Virtual Environments Lab, or CARVE Lab (lab site) is run by Dr. Macuga at Oregon State University. We used VR technology to research and analyze the behaviors of participants through the application of cognitive Psychology theories. During my time in the lab, the ongoing study looked at the interactions between automated vehicles and those with visual/auditory impairments. I was trained to use this technology and the procedure for research subjects. In addition, I assisted in other ongoing studies creating survey questions and making sure that pre-existing questions were void of bias.
UX Researcher
One of my inspirations for pursuing a career in User Experience research and design is my passion for mechanical typing keyboards. I got the opportunity to gain real-world experience through the company KNC Keys, which specializes in keyboard switches, kits, keycap sets, and more. As an analyzer, I was tasked with searching for connections that may have caused a drop in sales in the company. Using the sales data given to me, I compared sales data for individual products between the years and created spreadsheets for higher-ups to adjust prices. The end deliverable was a list of specific products that that company should take a look at. The price of struggling products were adjusted accordingly following the research and insights gained from the data.
Researching the
Unconventional
Here are some research labs and projects I’ve worked on as a research assistant or led independently.
