Evrim Agca
Please provide a brief summary of your research.
My research attempted to reveal the relationship between recent declines in local news on turnout in midterm elections.
What made you initially interested in researching your project in particular?
I’ve always been interested in the work of statisticians like Nate Silver. I don’t think there’s anything more fascinating than using analytics to reveal interesting information about pressing issues like elections.
What made you interested in pursuing (interdisciplinary) research more broadly?
I’ve been interested in public policy research for many years, and I thought I could put the analytical skills I learned in class to use.
Describe your experiences with research thus far. Was it tricky? What skills do you think you’ve gained?
I started research in high school, where I mainly focused on lab work related to immunotherapy. It involved a lot of technical work and a little bit of data analysis. I enjoyed the data analysis a lot more, so I thought doing research more involved in that area would be more fun. One of the most valuable skills I’ve developed through research is the ability to answer questions that are both important and relevant while making the explanation accessible to a broad audience.
Any tips or advice you have for students similar to you that are interested in pursuing undergraduate research?
Make sure to spend a considerable amount of time searching for the right area of research to get into. A few days of searching for the right area can make a months long project way more enjoyable.
What is something that you could give a 10 min presentation on right off the cuff?
Why the Beatles are the best band of all time
If your (speaking) voice were an instrument, what do you think it would be?
A guitar