Audrey Clarendon
Summer URG
Please provide a brief summary of your research.
I set out to shed light on depersonalization/derealization disorder. My project involved translating feelings/symptoms of the disorder into a series of oil paintings based on interviews with health professionals and afflicted people, previous literature, and my own personal experience.
What made you initially interested in researching your project in particular?
Depersonalization/derealization disorder (DDD) is an understudied and poorly understood phenomenon. Prior to undergoing my own bout of (DDD), I had never really heard of the disorder before. I also struggled to find comprehensive information about it once I could identify what I was going through. I sought out to remedy this disparity in knowledge and understanding by creating an accessible library of work that accurately reflects the direct experience of the disorder in the hopes that it would better our formal and informal understanding of depersonalization and derealization.
What made you interested in pursuing (interdisciplinary) research more broadly?
I have always wanted to pursue interdisciplinary and independent research because of the opportunity it would provide me to gain useful, complex knowledge of a niche or specific subject that interested me.
Describe your experiences with research thus far. Was it tricky? What skills do you think you’ve gained?
It was definitely a process. The independent nature of SURG was as challenging as it was liberating and intellectually stimulating. Over the course of the summer, I learned self-efficacy, proactivity, and self-determination.
Any tips or advice you have for students similar to you that are interested in pursuing undergraduate research?
Don’t get discouraged by not always being able to keep a high productivity. It’s very easy to get overwhelmed or too into the weeds with literature-based/creative research. Take many, many reset breaks. Go on a walk, see a show, or lounge at the beach for no reason other than to have some time away from research so that you come back better.
Do you have a podcast/documentary/piece of shareable media related to your research? Post the link(s) to share here!
Website portfolio: audreyclarendon.com/contact
Google drive folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1j6LBRT8yg2OBqQG5LRpv43I767uoGo-L?usp=sharing
What is something that you could give a 10 min presentation on right off the cuff?
Over the Hedge (2006)